Igor Zhivotov

Advising RoccoForte Hotels Group on various complex corporate, commercial, regulatory (including counter sanctions) and tax legal matters in Russia.

Advised Sberbank Investments and Russia-China Investment Fund on a RUB 1.6 bn investment structured as a syndicated venture loan to the Eruditor Group holding company, owner of the leading Russian professional information services marketplace Profi and Zoon. This innovative transaction was the first syndicated venture capital loan on the Russian market.

Advising on mezzanine financing provided to Ultramar Terminal for construction of an industrial and logistics centre for storing and transshipping mineral fertilisers and general cargo on Ust-Luga Bay, as well as on subsequent investment in the project by new partners, provision of new tranches and amendments to the documentation on senior debt provided by Sberbank, including coverage by the Export Credit Agency.

Advising Mechel Group on restructuring its indebtedness to Gazprombank and VTB in connection with sale of Elga Coal Complex (one of the world’s largest coal deposits), involving amendments to the finance and security documentation, and a 10-year extension of the debt maturity worth approx. USD 6 bn.

Advised Reksoft Group on acquiring a 100% ownership interest in RNT Group, a stakeholder in OOO EPAM Systems, a Russian subsidiary of global software developer EPAM Systems Inc., the transaction being a landmark development for the Russian IT industry. This transaction was recognised as M&A Deal of the Year in the IT industry in 2023 by Kommersant Publishing House and won the special Pravo-300 2023 rating category "M&A: Deals with Foreign Shareholders".

Advised Sberbank on the recently completed sale of Eurocement Group debt and equity, following an electronic auction, to the winning bidder – Mikhaylovsky Construction Materials Plant – for an aggregate consideration of RUB 161 bn – positively reviewed by Sberbank as “Unique in terms of size and structure, the transaction is unprecedented on the Russian market. It has been closed by means of an open and transparent market procedure during which participants raised their bids over 40 times.”