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Biography “A rising star, who is personable and hard-working” and “dynamic practitioner” ( Chambers Global), Vasily Kuznetsov has been representing domestic and international clients in major litigations and arbitrations since 2002, including in commercial cases involving the recognition and enforcement in Russia of foreign judgments and awards.
Notable Representations
Represented the Bank of New York Mellon as respondent before the City of Moscow Arbitrazh Court in a $22.5 billion claim brought by the Federal Customs Service of the Russian Federation, the largest case ever heard by a Russian state court, in which the claimant sought the first ever application of the U.S. RICO Act in Russia. On 21 October 2009 the parties entered into an out-of-court settlement agreement. Under this agreement the Federal Customs Service withdrew its claim and the Bank of New York Mellon was obliged to pay $14 million in legal costs.
Represented Russian uranium seller Tenex as defendant in a $1 billion international arbitration (Stockholm) regarding the alleged non-delivery of nuclear materials, with a final award entirely in favor of Tenex, and also in the Svea Court of Appeal, again with a final award entirely in favor of Tenex.
Represented Gazpromexport, a Russian gas exporter in a multimillion-dollar arbitration over payments for gas.
Represented Société Générale as agent together with the 10-bank syndicate prior to and in a default situation and insolvency regarding a $1 billion loan to Yukos Oil Company secured over oil export receivables. The syndicate was also represented as claimant in a court case versus Yukos Oil Company as respondent, resulting in the first ever recognition by a Russian court of a ruling by the High Court of England and Wales, allowing the banks to file for Yukos’s bankruptcy.
Represented Erdenet Mining Corporation, a major copper producer, in a number of multimillion-dollar London Metals Exchange arbitrations regarding supplies of copper concentrate.
Represented a major international car producer in a number of litigations against Russian consumers that sought, inter alia, replacement of allegedly defective cars or recovery of the purchase price thereof.
Represented Moscow Narodny Bank as defendant in proceedings involving the Central Bank of Russia and Vnesheconombank and initiated by Vneshtorgbank seeking to deem a chain of English law deposit and sub-participation agreements as a sham and invalid under Russian law.
Represented a major pharmaceutical company in a post-acquisition FCPA investigation related to its target's activities in Russia and the CIS.
Represented a major international bank in a post-acquisition internal investigation of the activities of the Russian target bank and its employees (in the context of a related arbitration with the previous owners of the target bank).
Represented an international investment bank in an investigation of alleged fraud committed by one of its employees against the bank and its clients (and in several related arbitrations with its clients and in a labor litigation with the employee in question).
Represented NVIDIA, a leading U.S. producer of visual computing technologies, in a white-collar criminal investigation regarding leakage of highly confidential information, which involved interviewing employees of the client and its Russian business partner.
Represented a leading multinational chemicals producer on its internal investigation of potential fraud by employees of its Russian subsidiary.
Represented an international investment consortium on Russian anti-corruption legislation in the context of a number of court cases in The Netherlands (as well as acting for the consortium in those cases).
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