Natalia Zelentsova, an associate in Maxima Legal, gives explanations to Ekho of Saint Petersburg with respect to an action brought by the Saint Petersburg Academic Philharmonic Hall named after D.D. Shostakovich against the Russian Authors Society:  

"To put in simply we just want our agreement with the Russian Authors Society to comply to laws. We want those charges that we have to pay to the Russian Authors Society be proportionate to the actual use. In other words, when a copyrightable piece of music is played during a concert, we pay pro rata the time it was played.  

At the moment we pay according to unconceivable rates fixed by the Russian Authors Society. We must pay 10% of proceeds for the entire concert regardless what part of such a concert fell to share of the copyrightable work. Even though it was played for a minute at the end of a three hour concert, we have to pay 10% of total proceeds to the Russian Authors Society. We are sure that those rules are not in line with the proportionality principle approved by the Russian Civil Code.

In effect this case is crucially important for the Russian Authors Society itself.  If the court satisfies our demands the Russian Authors Society will start losing millions every year. Firstly, we will quit overpaying and the Russian Authors Society cease enriching itself unreasonably.  Secondly, in the wake of our decision all other philharmonic halls and concert organizations will go to court.  Our success in court is not, charitably speaking, of any benefit for the Russian Authors Society.

The previous court session was held on 11 February. That day judges indicated that everything would be very quick that day, as all the arguments had already been voiced. In fact it was hinted that if it is inconvenient for us to come from Saint Petersburg no need for us to come.  On 11 February we were sure that the decision would be made in the same day. It usually happens like that in case of cassation. However, when the judges left to the consultation room they all over sudden retuned back and announced a break until 3:00 p.m. on 14 February".

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Vladimir Kilinkarov, a partner of Maxima Legal, delivered an expert commentary on the private public partnership development in Russia during the V Legal Forum in Saint Petersburg. As an executive secretary of the working group dealing with drafting model public private partnership law for the CIS member states, Vladimir commented on the procedure for creation of PPP legislative framework and prospects of adoption of the Federal Law "On the PPP fundamentals in Russia".

Partners cannot integrate into legislation anyhow // Kommersant Saint Petersburg The year results Supplement No.14 dated 30.01.2014, page 46

A senior associate of Maxima Legal, Sergei Bakeshin, took part in the general meeting of the members of the Saint Petersburg International Business Association (SPIBA)  which was held on 3 April 2014 in Saint Petersburg hall of Corinthia Hotel.

During the meeting there were new members of the association introduced and its executives bodies elected.

The principal item on the agenda was a speech of the chairman of the Finance Committee of Saint Petersburg, Eduard Viktorovich Batanov.  The chief financier of the city told the meeting participants about the main figures of the city budget and defined a hundred of Saint Petersburg major taxpayers, among which, as it turned out, there is Zenith soccer club in addition to Gazprom-Neft and large banks and industrial undertakings.

ML lawyers provide comprehensive advice on strategic business development to O2 development.

O2 Development is a large development company focusing on the development of territories and implementation of investment project in the area of residential building in Northwest Russia.

Maxima Legal partners, Maxim Avrashkov and Valdimir Kilinkarov, returned from their business trip to the world biggest real estate market - MIPIM 2014.

Intensive four-day work resulted in a number of arrangements on the development of partnership relations with major Russian and world companies.

As part of business program of the fair on 12 March at the Saint Petersburg stand Maxima Legal held a discussion: PPP Is a Viable Territory Development Mechanism.  Expert discussion centred on the adoption of the uniform federal PPP law and applicability of practice for the implementation of big municipal social infrastructure projects, in particular, building of medical institutions of various profiles in Saint Petersburg.

Vladimir Kilinkarov acted as an expert at other event of the stand business program Integrated Urban Development: Emphasis on the Quality of Life.  The discussion touched upon tools to increase in economic viability of integrated urban development projects for the investors and elaboration of legal mechanism for buy-out of social infrastructure facilities.