On 30 December 2011, the Russian Finance Ministry issued a letter outlining the authorities' view on the 'beneficial owner' concept and taxation of Eurobonds interest. In this briefing, Pepeliaev Group's Ivan Zelenin outlines how the beneficial owner concept exerts a great influence.

On 16 December 2011, members of the WTO adopted Russia's terms of entry, culminating the country's 18-year effort to join the multilateral trading system. This briefing summarises the main effects of WTO membership for Russia and the new trade rules with which it will have to comply.

Until this summer, there was no case law of the highest Russian courts relating to the legal force of 'accommodation promissory notes', issued not in exchange for goods or money but as security. This briefing outlines what the new rule means for both Russian and international businesses.

On 1 June 2011, the Russian Government introduced three draft laws in the State Duma concerning amendments to currency control procedures and liability of infringing legislation on currency regulation and control.

This round up by Integrites covers the latest Ukrainian legislative developments in the banking and finance sector during June. It discusses the impact of a new regulation to help prevent money laundering and financial terrorism and clarifies the current situation on bank account arrest procedures.

This briefing gives an overview of developments in Ukrainian capital markets legislation. It includes the president’s decision to veto the law on establishing overseas branches of stock market participants as well as rules of conducting securities issuance and disclosure information by issuers.

Last year was marked by a number of loans, both foreign and domestic, raised by Ukrainian companies or their foreign affiliates or parent companies. As a rule, foreign and Ukrainian creditors provide loans to Ukrainian debtors subject to proper security of debtors’ obligations. Integrites reports.

In this briefing, Garrigues looks at the current situation in Russia in a bid to help lift the veil on one of the world markets with the greatest potential. In particular, the report covers the country's markets, economic sectors and the main legal challenges foreign investors face.

Baker & McKenzie provides a detailed guide to doing business in Russia, covering a number of sectors including, property, insurance, healthcare, tax and telecommunications.

On 30 July one of the most anticipated and contentious laws of the last decade, federal law ‘On Counteracting the Abuse of Inside Information and Market Manipulation and Amendment of Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation', was officially published.