Paul Melling is an English solicitor who founded the Moscow office of Baker McKenzie in January 1989. He had previously joined the London office of Baker McKenzie in 1980 as a member of its East-West Trade Department, focusing on the COMECON countries of Eastern Europe, particularly the former USSR. After his transfer to Moscow, he then spent 33 years as a Baker McKenzie partner in Moscow/ CIS before retiring in June 2022. After 12 months based in Dubai in an «of counsel» role, he returned on July 1 2023 to work alongside his Russian former partners and associates as Senior Partner of Melling Voitishkin & Partners.
Paul Melling’s practice is primarily focused on the multinational life sciences industry and the investigation, identification, management and mitigation of risk in business activity in Russia, CIS and other emerging markets. He regularly advises on regulatory compliance, anti-bribery, antitrust, data privacy, trade compliance (sanctions/export controls) and anti-money laundering issues.
Due to the sensitivity of the matters covered by his practice, understandably his clients prefer to remain confidential. He and his colleagues do however represent the vast majority of multinational research based pharmaceutical companies and multinational medical device manufacturers doing business directly or indirectly in Russia. UK sanctions legislation currently prohibits him from advising Russian owned/controlled companies
Professional membership
Honorary Legal Advisor to the Russo-British Chamber of Commerce (RBCC)
Member of the RBCC’s Advisory Council
Honorary Legal Adviser to the British Ambassador to the Russian Federation
Honorary Legal Adviser in Russia to the Association of International Pharmaceuticals Manufacturers (AIPM)
Member of the Law Society of England & Wales
Education
Registered Foreign Attorney in the Russian Federation, 2004
Admitted to practice in England & Wales, 1982
Oxford University (Worcester College), Master of Arts, 1982
Oxford University (Worcester College), Bachelor of Arts, 1978
