Goltsblat BLP boosts Asia practice with appointment of Partner Sergey Milanov

Goltsblat BLP, the Russian practice of the international law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP), announces that Sergey Milanov is joining the firm as Head of Asia Practice in Moscow and Partner in Banking & Finance Practice. Georgy Daneliya is also joining the team as a Senior Associate.

This appointment will strengthen the firm’s Asia-related capabilities, driven by the growing demand from our Russian and international clients actively exploring new markets in this region, turning to Asia for investment support and considerable increase in Asia investments into Russia, especially the Russian Far East.

Sergey Milanov has significant experience in Asia and in Japan, in particular. He is currently the only foreign lawyer authorised in Japan to advise on Russian law there. Before joining Goltsblat BLP, Sergey Milanov was a Partner at K&L Gates for over 5 years, splitting his time between the Moscow and Tokyo offices, and before that also practised with Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP in Tokyo, White & Case LLP in Moscow, New York and Tokyo.

Sergey has an impressive track record in Project Finance in the Russian Oil & Gas sector; he has advised on implementation of big PSA projects for developing oil and gas deposits in the Russian Far East and Eastern Siberia, including representation of the lenders in such projects, as well as some of their Japanese and US sponsors, focusing on both extraction facilities and the export infrastructure, such as pipelines and sea terminals for such projects.

Sergey also works on Corporate/ M&A transactions and joint ventures in the Oil & Gas, car manufacturing, telecommunications, infrastructure and transport sectors. He also has experience in advising on Greenfield projects for establishing Japanese distributors, dealers and manufacturing subsidiaries in Russia.

This appointment is in line with our strategy of expanding to the Asian markets, especially Japan, Singapore, Korea and China. Following the recent relocation by Ian Ivory, Partner, Corporate/ M&A, to Hong Kong, this lateral hire puts Goltsblat BLP in a unique position in the Asia region and also enables the firm to service Asian clients in Russia. Our cross-office Asia team is multi-disciplinary and multi lingual. Moscow-based lawyers of the Asia team, including Banking & Finance Practice Partner Oleg Khokhlov, have considerable experience of work on Asia-related projects jointly with BLP London and Asia offices in Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore and Myanmar. Sergey Milanov will be based in Moscow, splitting his time between Japan and the relevant BLP offices.

Sergey Milanov is admitted to the Bar of New York, the Bar of Primorski Region and the Dai-ni Tokyo Bar Association. Sergey is admitted in Japan as a Gaikokuho jimu bengoshi (Authorised Consultant in Foreign Law) for the laws of New York State and the Russian Federation. He is a graduate of the Law Faculty at the Law and State Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, (LL.M., 2000), Harvard Law School (LL.M., 1992) and University of Sofia School of Law, (LL.B., 1988). He speaks Russian, Japanese, English, French and Bulgarian.

Together with Sergey, Georgy Daneliya will join Goltsblat BLP as a Senior Associate. Georgy’s practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, real estate, general corporate transactions, and litigation in Russia, with particular focus on the Russian Far East region. Georgy has been working with Sergey, providing legal services on Russian law to clients in Japan, for seven years. Before joining K&L Gates, Georgy worked at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP at their Tokyo office and White & Case LLP at their Moscow office, and has also worked as in-house counsel at a major Russian real estate development company. Georgy is admitted to the Bar of Tatarstan Republic of the Russian Federation.

Source:  www.blplaw.com