On April 5, 2023, Kommersant, Russia's leading business newspaper, published the results of its annual survey "Leaders in the Legal Services Market". This was the first time our firm took part in it. 

Skif Consulting was recognized by the Expert Council of the rating in 2 categories: Corporate Law (Mergers and Acquisitions) and TMT (advising industry leaders). Both categories are fundamentally important for our firm, so we are very pleased with the high estimate of the experts. 

We are confident that active development in 2023 will bring our company even more interesting clients and cases, and our presence will be even more noticeable in the next year rating.

There was an important event in the field of international law on march of 2023 - the International Student Competition on International Commercial Arbitration named after M.G.Rosenberg.

This competition is held in the format of a model arbitration proceeding based on a game process and allows participants to form the skills of presenting a legal position based on applicable legal norms, judicial and arbitration practice, domestic and foreign doctrine.

The event is dedicated to the topic of international commercial arbitration and private international law and is held in accordance with universal standards of international law, specifically in the format of model arbitration proceedings under the Rules of Arbitration of International commercial disputes of the ICAC at the CCI of the Russian Federation.

The peculiarity of the competition is the exchange of professional experience between future lawyers and professionals with extensive practical experience in the field of international arbitration, allowing participants to apply their knowledge in practice and show their willingness to protect the interests of their future clients.

Skif Consulting has been participating in the annual competition for the second year, allowing colleagues to try on the role of arbitrators in the French session. This year performed Anastasia Krugova, head of corporate and commercial practice, and our ex-colleague Daria Kalish. We are proud that we can gain such valuable experience of participating in international competitions.

The Forbes Club law firm ranking, published on December, 20th brings great news for Skif Consulting - the company has doubled its participation in the ranking list, being mentioned in 6 different categories: Conflict Resolution, Corporate structuring of personal assets, Personal taxation and planning, Sanctions compliance, Succession planning and finally Interaction with foreign banks. 

Providing services to high-net-worth individuals is a special art and we are honored by the achievements of our outstanding team!

On December, 7, Anastasia Goncharova, the company's Lead legal counsel, participated as a speaker at the seminar for accountants and CFOs "Taxes and Currency Controls. Results in 2022 and Trends for 2023", which was organized by the Franco-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Anastasia highlighted the main aspects related to the restrictions imposed by the Presidential Decrees on transactions with shares and Russian real estate, as well as on the transfer of funds abroad. 

The second part of the presentation focused on the use of a sanctions clause in contracts with counterparties as a way to minimize potential sanctions risks.

On 2 December, the results of the annual national ranking of law firms "Pravo 300" were published. 

Despite the difficult year for business and the country, Skif Consulting managed to maintain its positions in the key areas for the company and made new achievements as well. The work of our firm was particularly noticeable in such categories as "Arbitration", "General Jurisdiction Litigation", "Corporate Law/M&A". "Employment and immigration law (including disputes)", "Private capital" and "Telecommunications, Media, Technologies". 

We sincerely hope that the current turmoil will not hinder our continuing progress. 

September 15-17, the 3rd “Legal Forum of Masters” took place in Voronezh, drawing over 400 participants from all over Russia. The Participants had three days to discuss the most relevant problems of the theory and practice of law, legal enforcement and also the functioning and development of the legal services business during several dozens of different sessions. 

Skif Consulting was represented at the forum by its Managing Partner Dmitry Demidenko. Dmitry moderated a session on 'Sanctions Law' and delivered a report entitled “Overview of the sanctions regime against the Russian Federation, its impact on the economy and legal business”.

This is the first time sanctions have been the subject of a particular meeting, but it has been decided to make it an ongoing session given the relevance of the issues involved. In addition, the organizers of the "Masters Forum" created a telegram channel "Sanctions Law and Cross-Border Transactions" (https://t.me/YFMsankzionnoepravo). Our company acts as co-administrator of the channel and is happy to participate in updating it with new and interesting information.

On September 15, the CCI France Russie hosted a seminar on currency legislation amendments in the Russian Federation.

Andrei Lebedev, Senior Lawyer at Baker McKenzie; Svetlana Stroganova, Head of Currency Control at Rosbank and Anastasia Goncharova, Lead legal counsel at Skif Consulting were the speakers of the event. The participants covered the latest amendments to the currency control legislation and examined specific practical enforcement cases.

The presentation of the representative of Skif Consulting was dedicated to the regime governing the use of accounts of type "C". Our company also introduced the currency control spreadsheet developed by Skif Consulting specialists, designed for daily practical application.

On 30 August, the Legal Business Forum "Leaders and the New Reality" was held at the Digital Business Space in Moscow. The forum founders offered its participants a robust programme covering the most burning issues facing the legal business at the current moment in time.  

Dmitry Demidenko, Managing Partner of Skif Consulting, delivered a speech on law firm strategy in an era of new challenges. Dmitry shared his experience gained by our company in servicing foreign clients during the geopolitical tensions. He also gave an overview of the role of business networks and their significance for the law business on the example of the Franco-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Judging by a great number of participants and enthusiastic feedback, the forum proved to be a great success and may well become an annual event, which can only be welcomed. 

On 23 December the results of Forbes Club Legal Research, Russia's first survey of law firms working with private wealthy clients, were published.

We are pleased to announce that our firm has been recognized in 3 categories: Conflict Resolution ("Recommended Companies"), Personal Taxation and Planning ("Recommended Companies"), and International Project Management ("Leading Companies").

We are proud of the professional recognition of our work and are happy to go on to new successes!

The first serious attempt of our company to participate in legal ratings ended successfully.

The Russian Pravo-300 ranking has recognized Skif Consulting in 5 categories: Arbitration ("recommended firms"); General Jurisdiction Litigation ("recommended firms"); Corporate/M&A ("group 4"); Telecom-Media-Technologies ("group 4") and, finally, Employment Law ("group 3").

We are encouraged by the success and intend to enter even more categories and higher groups next year.

15 is the age of a teenager with a complex character.

But at our 15, we are still easy and nice to work with!

And that's unlikely to ever change.

Dear partners and clients!

We would like to inform you that due to the new aggravation of the epidemiological situation and following the recommendations of the authorities, we continue to operate remotely.

All employees are available via e-mail and mobile phones, as well as by video (Zoom and Google Meet platforms). Meetings at the office are only possible in special situations and with advance reservations.

We will do our best to make sure that you do not feel any difference in the quality of service. However, we ask you to be very understanding that some processes have changed. 

A seminar supported by the Customs and Transport Committee took place at the CCI France Russie on 1 October. During the seminar participants discussed the development prospects of the Customs Audit Institute in Russia.

The speakers at the seminar were Inna Elisanova, Senior Lawyer of the Customs and Foreign Trade Practice at the law firm DLA Piper, Vladislav Korenevsky, General Director of the Association of Customs Auditors and Consultants, and Ivan Makarchuk, Technical Director of the Association of Customs Auditors and Consultants. The meeting was moderated by Dmitry Demidenko, Vice-President of the French-Russian CCI, General Director of Skif Consulting, President of the Association of Customs Auditors and Consultants.

In her speech, Inna Elisanova stressed that the Institute of Customs Audit is just emerging in Russia, and the work of the Institute needs to be consolidated at the legislative level. The main task of the auditors, according to the speaker, is to assess the foreign economic activity of the company for customs risks. Customs auditors will help reduce risks and improve the company's foreign economic activity.

The speaker noted that customs compliance will allow analyzing the foreign economic activity of the company without the participation of the auditor. The self-check takes place in 3 stages:

- Preliminary analysis of the foreign economic activity of the company on the basis of a questionnaire;

- Verification and testing - the scope depends on Stage 1;

- Preparation of the report

The audit report sets out all risks and their negative consequences. In this way, the company will be able to correct mistakes in the conduct of its foreign trade activities.

Vladislav Korenevsky, General Director of the Association of Customs Auditors and Consultants, gave a detailed comment on the work of the system and answered questions from the meeting participants.

Ivan Makarchuk presented to the seminar participants the electronic system for checking the CPS "Customs Audit" and demonstrated its work. The program is a ready-made software solution for self-testing.

At the end of the meeting, the participants asked the speakers questions they were interested in and discussed the further development of the Customs Audit Institute.

In the conditions of forced vacations, introduced in the context of difficult sanitary and epidemiological situation, the issue of cost optimization, including rent, became particularly important for business.

 On 1 April 2020, Federal Law No. 98-FZ "On the introduction of amendments to certain legislative acts of the Russian Federation on the prevention and liquidation of emergency situations" was adopted to, inter alia, regulate rental relations and related problems caused by the crisis situation.

 Article 19 of the above-mentioned Federal Law contains three paragraphs.

P.1 provides for the obligation of the lessor to provide the tenant with a deferral of the lease payments at the tenant’s request. According to this rule, when introducing in a federal entity the tenant has the right to demand from the lessor to enter into an additional agreement on the postponement of the rent stipulated in 2020. The lessor is obliged to enter into such an agreement within 30 days of the tenant's request.

 On 3 April 2020, the Government of the Russian Federation clarified the procedure for granting lease postponement.

According to the government resolution:

- the postponement does not apply to any company, but only to those areas of activity which are on the list of those most affected by the crisis.

- the postponement is granted until 1 October 2020

- compensation for communal services, if included in the rent, is not subject to a period of grace

- Accumulated debts are not paid at once but from January 1, 2021, to January 1, 2023, in parts, each of which may not exceed 50% of the monthly rent.

- Fines and penalties and any other additional payments are not permitted.

P.2 Article 19 of Federal Law No. 98-FZ, in fact, duplicates the provision of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation on the possibility of changing the amount of rent by agreement of the parties at any time during 2020. At the same time, it is obvious that it is prohibited to unilaterally change in the rent.

 The Federal Law also includes the right of the tenant to demand a reduction of the rent for the period of 2020 due to the impossibility to use the property due to the introduction of the emergency situation (p.3 Article 19). This right has been previously regulated by p.4 of Article 614 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, except for the clarifications regarding the period of time and presence of emergency situation:

 Unless otherwise provided by law, the tenant shall have the right to demand a corresponding reduction of the rent. This provision works if, due to circumstances for which he is not responsible, the conditions of use provided for in the rental agreement or the condition of the property have significantly deteriorated.

 The text of the law does not provide for complete exemption of the tenant from payment, but only a reduction of rent.

 However, even before the aggravation of the current situation in the country, court practice has been formed. According to that practice, in case of impossibility to use the property by the tenant regarding the agreed purpose the rent payment should not be made at all.

 Thus, paragraph 4 of subsection III of section Practice of the Judicial Board for Economic Disputes of the Review of Judicial Practice of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation No. 2, approved by the Presidium of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation on 26.06.2015, expressly states: A tenant is not obliged to pay rent for the period during which he is deprived of the opportunity to use the object of rent due to circumstances beyond his control <...>.

 It follows from art. 606 and p.1 of art. 611 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation that the main duty of the lessor is to ensure that the tenant uses the item in accordance with its intended purpose. Systematic interpretation of the above norms from Art. 614 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation indicates that the commercial lease is of mutual nature, i.e. that if there is the impossibility to use the leased property due to circumstances beyond the tenant’s control, that releases the latter from his obligation to pay the fees.

 Since the lessor does not provide any rental when it is impossible to use the leased property, the tenant consequently loses the right to receive the rent. At the same time, it should be noted that in practice, in the current situation, even those tenants who’re currently on the remote work or, for example, forced to close their commercial premises due to the suspension of activities, still continue to partially use the leased property. Most of them have not taken out their furniture, computers and other equipment still remain in the rented premises, in some companies a part of the staff does not come regularly, but still comes to the offices for to work.

 Thus, in the event of a dispute, the lessor will have every reason to demand at least a partial payment. The question of the amount of the rent reduction and the manner in which the reduction should be made is not regulated by law. If the tenant and the lessor do not reach an agreement, the dispute is likely to be resolved in court.

 The reference to "force majeure"

 One of the peculiarities of the current crisis situation is regular cancellation of obligations (most often, of the payment) with reference to "force majeure". It should be noted that "force majeure" is a colloquial expression to which the legal term « unpredictable circumstances" corresponds (Clause 3 of Article 401 of the Civil Code).

 However, contrary to common misconceptions, the reference to unpredictable circumstances does not exempt from the performance of the obligations themselves. « Force majeure » is only a valid reason for the delay in performance of the principal obligation, and also serves as a basis for exemption from liability - from the recovery of losses, penalties, fines.

 Also afterward, for example, if the delay is too long and the performance of the obligation is no longer relevant for the parties, they are entitled to change or terminate the contract by voluntary consent.

 In the case of a lease, however, it is not possible to refuse to pay the rent altogether with reference to "force majeure". It is recommended to use the deferral and or reduction mechanisms described at the beginning of the article.

 Prepared by: Dmitry Demidenko, Ekaterina Amaryan, Anastassia Ugasina.

 Skif Consulting

 www.skif.consulting 

When copying and reprinting, the reference to authors and company name is obligatory.

On March 28th, 2020, we turned 14. 

Never before has our company met its birthday in such a turbulent period, although we have the global financial crisis of 2008-2009 and the Russian "perfect storm" of 2014.

Nevertheless, we are full of optimism and hope for a positive future. 

And we wish you the same!  

Dear partners and clients!

We would like to inform you that due to the current epidemiological situation and following the recommendations of the authorities, starting from March 23, 2020 our office is switched to remote work mode.

All employees are available by e-mail and mobile phones. 

We will do our best to make sure that you do not feel any difference in the quality of service. However, we ask you to be very understanding that some processes have changed. 

 Skif Consulting attended the 50th World Economic Forum which was held January 21-24 in Davos City.
The forum brought together about 3 thousand representatives of government, interstate structures, leaders of leading companies, representatives of the cultural sphere and public figures.

The main topic of the forum was the capitalism of stakeholders and the creation of more sustainable and inclusive business models that would take into account not only commercial, but also social and environmental interests of society. Other widely discussed issues in Davos 2020 include climate and environmental issues, the development of artificial intelligence and new technologies, and the situation in the Middle East.

On November 15, the Moscow Government, together with the Franco-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI France Russie) held a business seminar on the topic: “Direct Investment in Moscow: Opportunities and Support Measures”. Representatives of the city authorities, Russian and French companies took part in the event.

The Franco-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI France Russie) was represented at the meeting by its vice president Dmitry Demidenko (CEO of Skif Consulting). He noted the regular nature of the meetings of the Franco-Russian CCI and the Government of Moscow. The speaker emphasized that the scale of France’s contribution to the Russian economy is visible even at the household level, as evidenced by the abundance of French cars on the roads, the presence of the French shopping centers, etc.

Dmitry Demidenko advocated expanding cooperation in the field of digitalization of the city, exchange of practices and modern technologies and noted the readiness of the French companies to collaborate with Moscow business.

In November, the annual congress of the International Association of French-speaking Lawyers GESICA was held in Chantilly. Our company, which joined the association in January 2018, took part in such an event for the second time. The topic of the congress was « Fake news ». Numerous experts invited by the association shared their experience in this area. In addition to the business program, it was interesting and useful to communicate with colleagues from all over the world, to establish new business and friendly contacts. We look forward to the next congress, which, on our initiative, will be held in autumn 2020 in Moscow in three languages ​​at once!

• Arno Benoit (Inov'Office)
  
• Gilles Chenesso (Tsar Voyages)
  
• Jerome Klosen (CTI Advisory)
  
• Dmitry Demidenko (Skif Consulting)
  
• Albert Grigoryan (Engie)

In an interview with Sputnik, the vice-president of the French-Russian Chamber of Commerce, Dmitry Demidenko, told that the "sovereign Internet" serves "not to disconnect from the Web, but to survive, if Russia is disconnected", sweeping by the way the suspicions of censorship, control, isolation around "Russian numerical sovereignty".

 In a recent interview with reporters, Vladimir Putin said he was convinced that Russia should be ready to disconnect from the Internet because this threat from the West exists. According to the Russian President, if this happens, the damage will be enormous. Dmitri Demidenko, vice president of the French-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIFR), explained in an interview with Sputnik what was really behind the idea of ​​creating a "sovereign Internet" in Russia, what was its purpose and how it worked.

Sputnik: Some mainstream media talk about the Russian government's attempt to censor information available to citizens. What is really behind the idea of ​​creating a "sovereign Internet" in Russia?

 Dmitri Demidenko: "The concept of" sovereign Internet "has already generated a lot of rumors and conjectures. From the beginning, I would like to put the necessary accents: the "sovereign Internet" does not imply that Russia will have a kind of Intranet in which it will live, whereas only specially selected people with special pass and cards, will be allowed to use the external Internet. No. The basic idea is that Russia should also have the opportunity to live and work in conditions where the Internet would be closed, in case anything happens outside. This case essentially implies, according to the authors of the bill, an external aggression, referring to the concept of American defense, where the possibility of attacks against Russia on the Internet was specifically mentioned.

 Dmitri Demidenko: «On suppose que certaines solutions techniques seront mises en œuvre, à l'aide desquelles, si c'est nécessaire, la partie russe d'Internet pourra exister de manière autonome, indépendamment du fait que cela se produise dans le "réseau externe". Il s'agit du routage interne du trafic, ainsi que des noms de domaine. Dans ce cas, bien entendu, ces solutions techniques pourront désactiver complètement tout le trafic externe, ainsi que filtrer le trafic interne. Et grâce à ces méthodes de verrouillage il sera impossible de le contourner à l'aide d'un serveur proxy». Read more

With the fall of the Bitcoin course can we talk about the impending end of this virtual currency? The Vice-President of the Franco-Russian Chamber of Commerce Dmitri Demidenko explains that it is too early to bury it and does not rule out that cryptomonnaies can be used in trade between countries.

Bitcoin is steadily declining. Since last November, the price of this virtual currency no longer exceeds the bar of 4,000 dollars. Dmitri Demidenko, Vice-president of the Franco-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIFR), delivers his forecast for Cryptomonnaies, whose bitcoin is the most popular.

Is this the end of Bitcoin?

I think the time of Bitcoin has passed and there will be no more flights as in 2018. However, I do not think that its course will fall to zero, as some analysts predict, but in my opinion, it would remain for a long time at the limit of 5,000 to 6,000 dollars, says Dmitri Demidenko.

Moreover, according to the Vice-president of CCIFR, "the regulation of Cryptomonnaie by the state is not intended to bury it, but to make its circulation more civilized." If we talk about regulation and not the total ban, it is more for the good.

Read more

Dear clients and partners!

 We are happy to congratulate you on the New Year 2019 and Merry Christmas!

 Traditionally, the New Year is associated with hopes for the best in our lives. Let all the positive things that brought you joy and inspiration in the passing year find a continuation in the new one. Let the unbreakable peace and harmony, mutual understanding and respect, kindness and well-being reign in your life.

Let success and deserved recognition be your faithful companions in 2019. We wish you creative and financial growth, stability and responsible partners, useful acquaintances and pleasant discoveries, implementation of new projects and the conquest of new heights.

 We hope that our fruitful cooperation will last for many years!

On November 5, a partnership was signed between Skif Consulting and NTT Communication Russia, a Russian subsidiary of the global telecommunications giant NTT. 

The subject of the agreement is the partnership, cooperation and mutually beneficial bilateral development of services in the field of personal data and information technology protection. NTT assumes the technological part of the projects, and Skif Consulting - the legal part. We thank the Japanese partners for their trust. 

We hope that this agreement will allow our company to diversify our legal practice in the field of personal data protection (both in the Russian legal field and in Europe - in the context of the application of the GDPR).

On November 30, a meeting of the France-Russia business club was held in Monaco, where the CEO of Skif Consulting, Dmitry Demidenko, is the first vice-president.

The meeting was timed to the international exhibition Monaco Blockchain International, which led to its theme: blockchain technology in France and Russia. Dmitry presented a report on the topic “Blockchain in Russia: regulation, application, prospects”, describing the legal aspects of the use of blockchain in Russia, the successful practice of introducing technology and development potential. On the French side, experts from EY spoke and shared relevant European experience.

On November 16, a Russian-Cypriot business forum was held in Limassol. The event was organized by the CCI of Russia, the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Business Council for Cooperation with Cyprus, the Cyprus-Russian Business Association and the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Cyprus.

 During the forum, issues of bilateral cooperation in the banking, financial, investment spheres, as well as in the field of innovation, energy and logistics were discussed.

 Dmitry Demidenko, CEO of Skif Consulting, spoke in a panel discussion on cooperation in the field of innovation, spoke about the Russian venture capital ecosystem and the problems that Russian start-ups face when entering foreign markets.

From 1 to 4 November, the annual congress of the International Association of Francophone Lawyers and attorneys GESICA was held in Prague. Our company, which joined the association in January 2018, took part in such an event for the first time. The theme of the congress was the use of social networks and other modern marketing tools in the work of lawyers and attorneys. Numerous experts invited by the association shared their experience in this area. In addition to the business program, it was interesting and useful to talk with colleagues from around the world, to establish new business and friendly contacts. We look forward to the next congress, which will be held in the autumn of 2019 in the French Chantilly!

May 25, 2018 entered into force the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). These are new rules for handling personal data that have entered into force in the European Union. The seminar devoted to this topic took place on October 9 at the CCI France Russie.

 The purpose of the event was to familiarize business representatives with the evolution of legislation in the field of personal data protection. The goal was to raise awareness of the liability that results from non-compliance with the GDPR bylaw, while raising awareness of the purpose of the law. The last question was addressed in the report by Konstantin Bochkarev, the CMS representative, who also spoke about the responsibilities of business and the rights of individuals.

 Skif Consulting's Chief Corporate Counsel, Daria Kalisch, spoke on the topic "Protection of Biometric Personal Data in Russia and the European Union". During her speech, Daria returned to the concept of biometric personal data:

 - what personal data are considered biometric, in which cases are they treated;

- requirements for the protection of personal biometric data in accordance with the GDPR and FZ No 152;

- identity theft: how to deal with fraud with relevant means.EDPS recommendations;

- remote authentication and what happens when business interests go against the principles of the processing of personal data.

 Senior legal counsel from « Gorodissky and Partners » - Stanislav Rumyantsev, raised in his report current issues such as: "When does the Russian office have to comply with the requirements of a GDPR?", "Roskomnadzor audit: that to do and how to minimize the risks? "The exchange of information with foreign divisions: issues relating to the cross-border transfer of personal data".

 Yuri Gordeyev, Director of Sales at Atos, told us about the role of technology in data protection and practical software solutions.

 Inga KOSTOGRIZ-VAYTKENE, a lawyer from the « Professional Law Partnership CEE Attorneys », examined EU cases and spoke about potential threats to Russian companies.

 Thanks to the organizers for the opportunity to participate and for an interesting discussion.

How technology is changing the practice of law? Will lawyers be replaced by robots? Is it time to change the law firm business model?

On 24 april 2017 business newspaper Fobres has published an article by Skif Consulting General Manager Dmitry Demidenko.

Full version of the acticle is available on the site Forbes

On December 8, our partners from Intermark held a cocktail party in their office for the members of the French association Moskva Accueil.

The general director of Skif Consulting Dmitry Demidenko gave a speech at the event. He talked about how and where to start a business in Russia, what forms of incorporation are there and what are the benefits of each of them, and also addressed the particularities of the taxation system in Russia.

You can request the presentation at the e-mail address info@skifconsult.ru 

The representatives of Intermark Monica Esclangon and Kamila Richon shared their professional experience as estate agents and talked about the ways a foreigner could build a successful career in Moscow.
The informal atmosphere, pleasant companionship and music helped the guests to enjoy a cozy evening.

Thank you for invitation, Intermark!

On November 8, 2016, the Franco-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry formally presented the Arbitrage Tribunal and Mediation Center.

The chairman of the court Mr Michel de Guillenchmidt and the general director of Skif Consulting Dmitry Demidenko, the clerk of court, spoke about the advantages of arbitration proceedings, the procedure of dispute settlement as well as about the enforcement of the judgements of the tribunal. Charles-Henri Roy, the managing partner of Brandi Partners and the president of the Mediation Center, presented the services of the Center.

The Arbitrage Tribunal and Mediation Center present alternative ways of dispute resolution (without appealing to state courts).

The presentation drew more than 70 experts. 

Our company has become a member of the Canada Eurasia Russia Business Association (CERBA).

The Canada Eurasia Russia Business Association has a network of seven chapters located in Moscow, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Calgary Vancouver and Almaty, and a membership base of over 200 corporations and individuals in a wide range of sectors.

As an association, CERBA provides an extensive network of contacts with frequent networking events, informative seminars on pertinent topics in the Eurasian market for Canadian companies, an annual National Conference, a quarterly printed Newsletter, committees of CRBC, access to annual trade missions, as well as market intelligence, advocacy on government policy, and active, Canada-focused sector committees.

French newspaper Le Courrier de Russie has published an article about the news changes on employee leasing market after January 1, 2016, written by Anastasia Reutova, a senior lawyer at Skif Consulting.

Full version of the article is available in http://www.lecourrierderussie.com/2015/11/reglementation-portage-salarial-russie/

On December 12, a business breakfast was held at Data Pro, the largest data center in Russia; it was dedicated to the issue of personal data security within the constraints of the Yarovaya law that came into effect and of FZ-152.

Yekaterina Kravchenko, the head of legal services at Skif Consulting, informed on the legal aspect of the issue, gave an expert evaluation of the law aspect of FZ-152 and the Yarovaya law, and also answered the questions of the audience.

Other experts involved in the event were Aleksey Soldatov, the general director of Data Pro, and Aleksey Medvedev, a data security expert from Atos.Bu

The business breakfast ended with a tour of the data center.