Insight

An Interview With Vitaly Mozharowski of Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

The firm is the 2019 "Law Firm of the Year" winner for Real Estate Law in Russia.

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner Interview
Best Lawyers

Best Lawyers

December 7, 2018 10:00 AM

Vitaly Mozharowski of Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP, the 2019 “Law Firm of the Year” winner for Real Estate Law in Russia, believes the difficulties the Russian legal market has faced in the past four years have prepared it for the future. In an interview with Best Lawyers CEO Phillip Greer, Mozharowski explains how international policy has impacted his practice, and explains how sanctions may have ultimately put his country in a position to succeed.

What achievements are you most proud of from this past year?

I believe my greatest achievement has been in retention. We have an exceptional team, and clients are always grateful for the consistency in their representation and the service we can offer. We may hear nothing from a client for five or six years, until they appear at my door asking who is available to help them. I’ll give them the names of the lawyers they worked with in the past, and often the clients will be happily surprised that these lawyers are still here and working with me after so many years.

Can you tell me about one or two landmark cases throughout your career that you are proud to have worked on, or been a part of?

I take the most pride in transactions that are not boilerplate, that force you to create something new that no one has done in the past. To give one example, the firm once worked on a submarine gas pipeline that stretched from Russia to Germany. That was a really unique project for the Russian legal market because no law firm in Russia had such experience, nobody knew how to approach it and the project involved issues from all different areas of the law: environmental, land use, zoning, licensing, maritime, corporate, tax, customs—just everything. It was a huge amount of work and it took us eight years to run the first project.

Then, we worked on a similar project - construction of another submarine gas pipeline through the Black Sea from Russia to Turkey, called TurkStream. We also assisted in the construction of a nuclear power plant in Turkey, called Akkuyu where we used Russian construction law in the creation of a huge $20 billion facility outside of Russia. With huge, multistep projects like these, teamwork is key.

Another interesting effort was in lawmaking for the Sochi Winter Olympics. Ten years ago, we started creating a set of laws that enabled the development of Olympic facilities and resolved immigration and ticketing issues, along with employment, border crossing, taxation, customs regimes, and everything. It was a huge bundle of laws, which passed 10 years ago and led to a successful Olympics.

Are there any trends you've witnessed within this practice area in the last year, and what trends do you emerging in the coming year?

Generally, the economic news coming out from Russia is not good. No doubt, the European Union and United States’ sanctions on the Russian government have made an impact. As a result, multi-national investors are hesitant to enter the Russian market and those who do not have a long-term strategy with respect to Russia are leaving as well.

But interestingly, Russian investors are replacing the previous international investors, so we see a process where Russians are taking up more of their own market. And those foreign investors who do have a long-term strategy in the Russian market are strengthening their positions here, because competition is lower and they're able to take over interesting assets at an acceptable price. For example, IKEA, Auchan, Leroy Merlin, PPF Investments are very strong on the local market. Hines is an American investment fund that's staking investments in Russia. These are investors who are committed to the local market and they are extremely successful here.

In what way has technology affected the real estate market?

Many people would say that technology is encouraging further growth, further development, but I would disagree that this is the full story. Based on what I see in the media, more and more reporting and analysis is being done about the expectation of a new global crisis in the coming years, much like what happened in 2008. The economic crisis before that happened in 1998 in East Asia. As a commercial lawyer, I appreciate that we should all exercise caution. I'm not an investment banker—I should be conservative in making decisions.

I do not expect that the Russian market would be dramatically affected by an upcoming recession, because we have already been partially isolated from the global financial markets, and operating under a sanction regime for the last three or four years. Despite our limited international financing, we have managed to survive and develop.

I think that's what's on everyone's mind is the future. Will there be another crash? What might happen? If you read one set of reports, it's going to happen today, and the next set says next week, and it's going to be this market, that market. It’s impossible to know for sure. You must have a strategy for the long term so that when something does happen, you can survive it.

Related Articles

Announcing The Best Lawyers in Germany™ 2023


by Best Lawyers

The results include an elite field of top lawyers and firms from Germany.

Black, red and yellow stripes

Announcing The Best Lawyers in Switzerland™ 2023


by Best Lawyers

The results include an elite field of top lawyers and firms from Switzerland.

Red flag with white cross

Announcing The Best Lawyers in Austria™ 2023


by Best Lawyers

The results include an elite field of top lawyers and firms from Austria.

Red and white stripes

Announcing The Best Lawyers in Italy™ 2023


by Best Lawyers

The results include an elite field of top lawyers and firms from Italy.

Green, white and red stripes

Announcing the 2022 Best Lawyers in Colombia™


by Best Lawyers

The results include an elite field of top lawyers and firms.

Announcing the 2022 Best Lawyers in Colombia™

Announcing the 2022 Best Lawyers in South Africa™


by Best Lawyers

The results include an elite field of top lawyers and firms.

Announcing 2022 Best Lawyers in South Africa

Announcing the 2022 Best Lawyers™ in Switzerland


by Best Lawyers

The results include an elite field of top lawyers and firms.

Announcing the 2022 Best Lawyers™ in Switzerl

Announcing the 2022 Best Lawyers™ in Germany


by Best Lawyers

The results include an elite field of top lawyers and firms, including our inaugural Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch recipients.

Announcing the 2022 Best Lawyers™ in Germany

Announcing the 2022 Best Lawyers™ in Austria


by Best Lawyers

The results include an elite field of top lawyers and firms.

Announcing the 2022 Best Lawyers™ in Austria

Announcing the 2022 Best Lawyers™ in Russia


by Best Lawyers

The results include an elite field of top lawyers and firms.

Announcing the 2022 Best Lawyers™ in Russia

Announcing the 2022 Best Lawyers™ in Australia


by Best Lawyers

The results include an elite field of top lawyers and firms.

Announcing the 2022 Best Lawyers™ in Australi

The 2021 Best Lawyers in Canada


by Best Lawyers

Featuring the top legal talent in Canada.

Best Lawyers Canada 2021 Homepage Image

Announcing the 2021 Best Lawyers in South Africa


by Best Lawyers

For the 12th Edition, Best Lawyers recognizes the top 2 percent of practicing lawyers in the nation.

2021 Best Lawyers in South Africa

Announcing the 2021 Best Lawyers in Mexico


by Best Lawyers

For the twelfth year, honoring the top lawyers and firms in Mexico.

2021 Best Lawyers in Mexico

2021 Best Lawyers International


by Best Lawyers

Featuring the top legal talent from around the globe.

Best Lawyers International 2021

Announcing the 2021 Best Lawyers in Portugal


by Best Lawyers

The results include an elite field of top lawyers and firms.

2021 Best Lawyers in Portugal

Trending Articles

2025 Best Lawyers Awards Announced: Honoring Outstanding Legal Professionals Across the U.S.


by Jennifer Verta

Introducing the 31st edition of The Best Lawyers in America and the fifth edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America.

Digital map of the United States illuminated by numerous bright lights

Unveiling the 2025 Best Lawyers Awards Canada: Celebrating Legal Excellence


by Jennifer Verta

Presenting the 19th edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada and the 4th edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Canada.

Digital map of Canadathis on illuminated by numerous bright lights

Legal Distinction on Display: 15th Edition of The Best Lawyers in France™


by Best Lawyers

The industry’s best lawyers and firms working in France are revealed in the newly released, comprehensive the 15th Edition of The Best Lawyers in France™.

French flag in front of country's outline

Presenting the 2025 Best Lawyers Editions in Chile, Colombia, Peru and Puerto Rico


by Jennifer Verta

Celebrating top legal professionals in South America and the Caribbean.

Flags of Puerto Rico, Chile, Colombia, and Peru, representing countries featured in the Best Lawyers

Announcing the 13th Edition of Best Lawyers Rankings in the United Kingdom


by Best Lawyers

Best Lawyers is proud to announce the newest edition of legal rankings in the United Kingdom, marking the 13th consecutive edition of awards in the country.

British flag in front of country's outline

Unveiling the 2025 Best Lawyers Editions in Brazil, Mexico, Portugal and South Africa


by Jennifer Verta

Best Lawyers celebrates the finest in law, reaffirming its commitment to the global legal community.

Flags of Brazil, Mexico, Portugal and South Africa, representing Best Lawyers countries

Prop 36 California 2024: California’s Path to Stricter Sentencing and Criminal Justice Reform


by Jennifer Verta

Explore how Prop 36 could shape California's sentencing laws and justice reform.

Illustrated Hands Breaking Chains Against a Bright Red Background

Announcing the 16th Edition of the Best Lawyers in Germany Rankings


by Best Lawyers

Best Lawyers announces the 16th edition of The Best Lawyers in Germany™, featuring a unique set of rankings that highlights Germany's top legal talent.

German flag in front of country's outline

Celebrating Excellence in Law: 11th Edition of Best Lawyers in Italy™


by Best Lawyers

Best Lawyers announces the 11th edition of The Best Lawyers in Italy™, which features an elite list of awards showcasing Italy's current legal talent.

Italian flag in front of country's outline

Tampa Appeals Court ‘Sends Clear Message,” Ensuring School Tax Referendum Stays on Ballot


by Gregory Sirico

Hillsborough County's tax referendum is back on the 2024 ballot, promising $177 million for schools and empowering residents to decide the future of education.

Graduation cap in air surrounded by pencils and money

Find the Best Lawyers for Your Needs


by Jennifer Verta

Discover how Best Lawyers simplifies the attorney search process.

A focused woman with dark hair wearing a green top and beige blazer, working on a tablet in a dimly

Key Developments and Trends in U.S. Commercial Litigation


by Justin Smulison

Whether it's multibillion-dollar water cleanliness verdicts or college athletes vying for the right to compensation, the state of litigation remains strong.

Basketball sits in front of stacks of money

Woman on a Mission


by Rebecca Blackwell

Baker Botts partner and intellectual property chair Christa Brown-Sanford discusses how she juggles work, personal life, being a mentor and leadership duties.

Woman in green dress crossing her arms and posing for headshot

Best Lawyers Celebrates Women in the Law: Ninth Edition


by Alliccia Odeyemi

Released in both print and digital form, Best Lawyers Ninth Edition of Women in the Law features stories of inspiring leadership and timely legal issues.

Lawyer in green dress stands with hands on table and cityscape in background

The Human Cost


by Justin Smulison

2 new EU laws aim to reshape global business by enforcing ethical supply chains, focusing on human rights and sustainability

Worker wearing hat stands in field carrying equipemtn

Beyond the Billables


by Michele M. Jochner

In a recently conducted, comprehensive study, data reveals a plethora of hidden realities that parents working full-time in the legal industry face every day.

Women in business attire pushing stroller takes a phone call