Sergei Zhestkov — Melling, Voitishkin & Partners

Practice Focus

Practices

Industries

Biography

Sergei Zhestkov is the head of the Tax practice group and Wealth management practice group and an advocate.

Over 27 years Sergei specializes in advising multinational corporate and private clients on the broad scope of international tax planning and structuring, including on pre-M&A tax structuring, reorganizations and post M&A business integration. Sergei has deep experience on wealth management work and designing of efficient structures for offshore and onshore investment, family governance and asset protection, development of personal structures for holding business and family assets, and on building family capital and succession matters. Sergei also advises clients on the development and implementation of various employee long-term incentive programs (including various stock awards).

Rankings

Leading individual in Tax Consulting, Private capital

Leading individual in Private Capital

Recommended in Тax (Consulting)

Tax Controversy Leader and Indirect Tax Leader

Recommended

Leading individual

Recommended

Representative Legal Matters

Advised one of the world’s largest seed producers on the proposed acquisition of the Russian production company and Russian production assets, and on corporate reorganization of a group of companies with international and cross-border tax planning elements.
Advised a Russian subsidiary of a major international group operating on the Russian market on a complex high profile transaction of conversion of intra-group debt into equity.
Advised an international luxury hospitality company on Russian legal and tax issues regarding the operational issues of hotels in Russia and contemplated real estate development.
Successfully represented a Russian subsidiary of the global leader in the field of industrial engineering, procurement, and construction in the pre-trial tax dispute regarding the deductibility of expenses and VAT offset for the works performed in a complex industrial construction project.
Advised a multinational multi-level marketing group on a broad range of Russian legal and tax issues related to business set-up in Russia, including adaptation of existing contractual documentation and a set of various intra-group agreements to the Russian requirements.

Advised a global trust company on the set-up of a disclosed and CFC compliant family trust settled for the benefit of the multiple children and elderly parents.
Advised an independent asset manager with clients in Asia, Europe and Latin America, on the taxation of a foreign trust of a Russian high net worth family under the Russian CFC rules.
Advised a Swiss private wealth management company serving high net worth individuals on application of Russian currency control rules, repatriation of funds and taxation of foreign portfolio investment income of Russian individuals.
Advised Russian high net worth individuals on setting up discretionary trust structures for inheritance and family wealth planning purposes.
Analysis of transfer / exit strategies for Russian tax residents to foreign jurisdictions and development of holding and trust structures with the analysis of potential tax implications in various jurisdictions.

Professional membership