Elena Stepanova is a Partner and Head of the Real Estate and Construction practice at CLS.

She has been practicing real estate law for over 15 years. Elena joined CLS in 2005 right after graduation and, 7 years later, having successfully passed all the stages of professional development, became a partner of the firm.

Elena has broad experience in conducting due diligence of land plots in various Russian regions, for purposes of building trade, manufacturing, warehouse, industrial production and other types of facilities. 

Elena has unique expertise in implementing projects tied to providing legal support in filling multifunctional shopping and entertainment centers with tenants on a turnkey basis. Overall, the team of associates under Elena’s guidance has negotiated and signed about fifteen hundred commercial real estate leases.

Elena has experience in providing support for large-scale projects on construction of trade, manufacturing, warehouse, industrial production and other types of facilities on a turnkey basis in different Russian regions.

Many of the transactions implemented by the team under Elena have been recognized as being among the largest and most significant for the market in terms of investments, broad geography or social significance.

Thanks to extensive expertise, deep professional knowledge, high level of implemented projects, as well as the trust and positive feedback from clients about the work of the team headed by Elena Stepanova, the Real Estate and Construction Practice has been taking leading positions in international and national ratings for many years.

Elena’s and her team’s professionalism has been noted by leading international and national ratings. According to studies by Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners experts, clients highly appreciate  Elena’s ability to combine deep legal expertise and understanding of the business particulars.  Clients note that “Elena finds answers to all the questions that arise and in an amazing way combines professionalism and a sincere desire to help.”

In 2020-2024 Elena Stepanova was rated among the TOP 10 Real Estate Lawyers in the CRE-100 rating of the most influential persons on the commercial real estate market.

Areas of practice

• Land Law
• Real Estate
• Construction
• Litigation
• Contract Law

Education:

• Russian State Tax Academy of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation (2005, law degree with highest honors)

Languages:

• Russian
• English