Our lawyers have advised both integrated telecommunications providers and media companies and their owners in Russia and abroad. Members of our team have been involved in some of the largest M&A transactions in the telecoms industry in Russia and some of the most complex disputes which had Russian telecoms companies as their ultimate subject.
Our team members also have done substantial number of mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance transactions in media, having advised both the channels and their owners and even on some film financing transactions.
Members of our team have advised, among others, on the following deals, projects and disputes in the Telecoms & Media sector*.
Representing one of the shareholders in OJSC MegaFon in connection with the proposed merger of Altimo and Turkcell assets in a number of regions, which violated shareholder rights and contradicted Russian law on investments in the business entities of strategic importance. Russian courts banned the transaction
Representing a major Russian group in a dispute in the Isle of Man concerning ownership of the leading mobile telephone operators in the Kyrgyz Republic
Representing a major Russian media group in connection with a shareholder dispute with a producer in the Cyprus courts
Representing a financier of a film in connection with a potential claim against the producer in several US jurisdictions
Representing a Russian shareholder in an ad hoc arbitration claim against its European co-majority shareholder under a shareholders’ agreement
Advising HeadHunter in a deal to acquire a shareholding in YouDo platform
Representing the shareholders of the Uchi.ru educational platform in connection with the sale of a strategic stake to Mail.Ru Group and a consortium of investors formed by RDIF and RCIF
Advising Garsdale, a subsidiary of USM, on the US$1.78 billion sale of Yota, a leading Russian 4G operator, to MegaFon, a leading Russian mobile operator
Advising Prof-Media Group, a major Russian media holding, on the US$360 million acquisition of MTV Russia
Advising AF Telecom in relation to MegaFon’s $8.5 billion shareholder restructuring, which resulted in AF Telecom becoming a majority shareholder of MegaFon
Advising Alfa Group on its acquisition of a stake in VimpelCom and VimpelCom-Region
Advising the leading Russian cellular communications company in connection with 11 acquisitions of regional operators
Advising a major private equity group on the acquisition of a stake in Fashion TV
Advising Altimo on several acquisitions of telecoms companies
Representing Golden Telecom in several acquisitions
Advising a shareholder of a regional Russian telecommunications provider on its disposal to MTS
*This includes experience of our team members prior to joining RGD.