Polina Lysanova focuses her practice on dispute resolution matters, including commercial, insolvency and employment disputes. Also Polina advises clients on corporate, M&A and commercial transactions matters.
Representative Legal Matters
Represented an international hotel chain in an insolvency case against a Russian debtor. The work included proceedings on the inclusion of a client’s claims of USD 14.3 million based on foreign arbitration awards in the list of debtor’s creditors, proceedings on the subordination of claims of another creditor of USD 7 million, proceedings on the invalidation of a debtor’s transactions with assets of USD 28.6 million, and a dispute to challenge the debtor’s transaction for the alienation of real estate of USD 43 million.
Represented a manufacturer of cleaning and detergents, cosmetics and personal care products, adhesives in two litigation proceedings against the client’s distributor to timely recover the debt in amount more than RUB 600 million owed under supply contracts and foreclose upon the mortgage. The trial, the appeal and the cassation courts recovered the debt for the delivered goods, including the whole amount of penalties, and foreclosed the mortgage, as well as dismissed the counter claim filed by the debtor. The courts further rejected respondent’s motion for a stay of execution of judicial acts.
Represented a foreign client, a major producer, distributor, seller and exporter of meat, in connection with the disputes with a Russian legal entity that was declared a bankrupt. A bankruptcy administrator of the Russian entity (a claimant) filed a damages claim against the client in the amount of USD 3.9 million.
Legal support of Semrush on complex employment issues. Work involved advice on dismissal procedures for employees (including elaborating on the grounds for dismissal and drafting of dismissal-related documents), drafting internal policies and advice on remote work and electronic HR paperwork. We also represented the client in a first instance court in an employment litigation against the employee dismissed for violation of job duties; work involved collection of a large amount of evidence to confirm violation, including in the USA under the Section 1782, legal support on a criminal case against the employee.
Advised international online gambling and betting companies in relation to the regulation of online gaming, betting and lotteries in Russia and the risks associated with servicing (software and support services, and various payment, marketing, banking and financial services) Russian and foreign online gaming operators targeting a Russian audience.
Represented Mastercard, the world global payment system, in a number of Russian litigation proceedings initiated by individuals (clients of banks) against Mastercard and Russian banks. The successful representation of the client in this matter resulted in established court practice crucial for the regulation of financial services in Russia.
Advised a major European conglomerate an international manufacturer of building materials on potential acquisition of a Russian company operating in construction materials market. The advice included several stages of due diligence, transaction structuring advice, coordination of the target’s pre-transaction business restructuring and preparing a first draft of a complex share purchase agreement under Russian law.
Assisted GHP Development, the developer and investor of a high-end residential development in St Petersburg (Trinity Place), with contesting amendments to the Law of St Petersburg on Zoning Public Green Territories in the St Petersburg City Court to allow the developer to proceed with the construction. This was a landmark legal case which received significant media coverage in Russia. The court held that the amendments to the law were void.
Represented a foreign insolvency administrator in disputes on the recovery of assets located on the territory of various constituent entities of the Russian Federation. The aggregate value of the assets subject to the foreclosure was USD 112 million.
Conducted a search of the beneficial owners of more than 40 Russian and foreign non-profit organizations for a major international player in the financial services market. The search was conducted in order to identify persons on the EU and US sanctions lists among those beneficial owners, as part of the client’s decision making to conclude an agreement on sponsoring these organizations. As part of the project, independent verification of organizations was carried out, as well as coordination of the work of colleagues from other offices and partner law firms in China, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Finland, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Cyprus, Kazakhstan, the Republic of Belarus and several other jurisdictions.
Education
St. Petersburg State University, Master of Law, 2017
St. Petersburg State University, Bachelor of Law, 2015
