HOW TO INVEST IN RUSSIA STEP1 STEP2 STEP3 STEP4 STEP5

LEGISLATION, SPECIFIC, RISKS

Establishing a legal presence

Selecting an appropriate form of corporate structure is one of the most important issues before starting a business in Russia. Foreign investors should take into consideration all risks and benefits of establishing a legal presence in Russia and make an informed decision regarding the corporate form which best meets their specific goals.

Foreign investments in Russia

The legal framework for trade and investment in Russia is provided by The Constitution, The Civil Code, the Federal Law “On Joint-Stock Companies”, the Federal Law “On Limited Liability Companies” and the Federal Law “On Insolvency (Bankruptcy)”. The key document in the sphere of foreign investments in Russia is the Federal Law №160-FZ “On Foreign Investments in the Russian Federation”.

Russian Contract Law

The Russian legal system belongs to Continental Law (Romano-Germanic civil law family) and The Civil Code of the Russian Federation provides general provisions for the formation of contracts, including the right of freedom of contract. Specific aspects of Russian contract law are governed by federal laws, judicial practices and business customs.

Intellectual property

The protection of intellectual property (“IP”) is guaranteed to everyone by article 44 of The Constitution and is governed by a variety of laws. Russian IP legislation is mostly regulated by Part Four of The Civil Code which provisions are deemed to be a codification of all pre-existing IP laws.