News
CLS announces new appointments in the Tax and the PPP and Project Finance practices
- Authors: Anna Persiantceva , Ekaterina Smolovaya
- Services: Project financing / Public-Private Partnership, Tax Law
- Date: 20.01.2025
Effective January 1, 2025, Ekaterina Smolovaya, Head of the Tax Practice at CLS, became a Partner. Anna Persiantceva was appointed Head of the PPP and Project Finance practice.
Ekaterina Smolovaya has unique experience in tax law in various jurisdictions, both in consulting and as in-house counsel at major industry companies. Throughout her career at CLS, she has successfully ensured the efficiency and security of her clients' operations by handling complex local and international tax structuring, asset protection, securing business financial objectives, redomiciliation and tax amnesty matters. Ekaterina's significant cases include building international structures for media, neobanking and investment holdings, transport and oil production companies, transfer of assets of major production facilities to Russia, application of tax incentives for companies in industries with high regulatory burden and support of customs and tax audits for major taxpayers in TMT, logistics, construction, manufacturing, etc. Her current practice also includes dealing with geopolitical financial challenges and establishing effective payment structures in the context of customer security and compliance. Ekaterina and her practice are highly recognized by The Legal 500, Pravo-300, Kommersant and Forbes for her work on projects for major corporate clients and high-net-worth (HNW) and ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) private clients.
"Ekaterina's appointment as Partner is well-deserved recognition of her personal qualities and professional achievements. She is among the rare specialists on the market with unique comprehensive expertise in tax and foreign trade issues, currency and customs laws simultaneously. This allows us to take a much broader view of our clients' tasks, solving not only a single problem, but also leveling any related risks. I am confident that Ekaterina's new role in the firm, given her leadership qualities, deep involvement in the client's tasks and personal interest in the success of each project, will give additional momentum to the development of the CLS Tax practice and the firm as a whole," says Vladislav Zabrodin, Managing Partner of CLS.
Anna Persiantceva was appointed Head of the PPP and Project Finance Practice at CLS. For many years, Anna has been ensuring implementation of complex infrastructure projects developing various regions of Russia. Her experience and expertise include drafting and negotiating concession and PPP agreements, working on direct agreements with financing organizations, drafting legislative acts, as well as preparing and supporting private PPP initiatives. With Anna's participation, such large-scale projects have been successfully implemented as the creation of airports in Omsk and Arkhyz, reconstruction of a network of airfields in a number of Russian regions, creation of an inter-university campus in Chelyabinsk Region, financing the reconstruction of Tolmachevo airport and other significant projects. The CLS PPP practice has successfully completed over 150 major infrastructure projects in almost all regions of the country.
"Anna is a highly qualified specialist, always completely immersed in the project, attentive to details and nuances, able to build effective communication and is creative in solving clients' problems, which is particularly important when implementing PPP projects. Over the past year, she has demonstrated strong leadership skills and the ability to manage a team and has made significant contributions to the practice. I am confident that Anna's appointment as the head of the practice is a well-deserved result of her work and an important step for the continued development of the PPP area which has become one of the most recognizable areas for CLS over the 25 years of the firm's work," says Pavel Karpunin, CLS Partner.
The CLS PPP and Project Finance practice is an undoubted leader in the opinion of market participants and is recognized at the top of ratings by Pravo-300, Kommersant, Expert and others. Anna is personally recommended by Pravo-300 for PPP and infrastructure projects. She is an expert of the ROSINFRA platform and a lecturer at the National PPP Center.