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Karina Chichkanova is a partner in Salans' St. Petersburg office and a leading real estate expert in St. Petersburg. Karina has worked in the St. Petersburg office since its founding in 1993. She is also a head of Salans' St. Petersburg real estate practice group. She has extensive experience in general corporate and commercial law, real estate and construction law, and infrastructure issues. Karina is an advisor to leading Russian and international corporate clients with regard to corporate and civil law in Russia, real-estate, foreign investment, acquiring property rights, leasing properties in St. Petersburg, and joint investment agreements. Karina's expertise also enables her to consult on the implementation of new and existing construction/reconstruction projects for multifunction shopping centres, office buildings, hotels, and industrial facilities, as well as on the structuring of real estate transactions.
Karina leads a team of lawyers in a number of international investment projects, including strategic projects in automotive and other sectors in St. Petersburg and the North West Region. In these projects, Karina takes an active role in negotiations with the Government of St. Petersburg and representatives of local authorities. Karina has authored numerous articles on real estate, construction, privatisation, and investment issues.
Since 2002 she has actively participated in international investment conventions and exhibitions, including Exporeal and MIPIM. She was a member of the official St. Petersburg delegation and a legal consultant on investment issues during these exhibitions.
In 2010, Best Lawyers listed Karina among 30 recommended real estate lawyers in Russia, and this year she has received the Real Estate Lawyer of the Year Award 2011 in the Best Lawyers rating (listings published in Vedomosti, a leading Russian daily newspaper, on 3 June 2010 and 16 June 2011, respectively). According to Chambers and Partners 2010 Karina ”… recently acted on some of the city’s top property deals”. Legal 500 2008 named Karina Chichkanova "one of the market's leading real estate practitioners" and also one of the most recommended lawyers in St. Petersburg in 2009.
Recent Experience:
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Legal support in construction and commissioning of the hotel and office centre: Advising a major Maltese hotel developer on acquisition of ownership rights to a hotel complex in St. Petersburg consisting of four buildings for renovation and use as a five-star hotel, conference and retail centre and hypermarket, including the discussion of complex transactional documentation with governmental authorities of the Russian Federation and the City of St. Petersburg and advising on the raising of finance, including the mortgage of the project
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Legal support of construction and commissioning of the hotel complex: Providing advice and assistance to one of Norway's leading property developers, with regard to its acquisition of real estate assets in St. Petersburg, Russia and construction of a four star hotel in St. Petersburg on Liteiniy prospect
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Advising a major Korean automobile manufacturer, and its spare parts suppliers, on several greenfield construction projects in St. Petersburg. Assistance for the client included: DDR on the land plots, legal assistance in connection with drafting construction and equipment supply agreements, schemes of interaction with the suppliers, other matters relating to the construction and operation of the assembly plant, also assisted in negotiations with the City of St. Petersburg regarding the grant of land rights, recognising the project as a strategic for St. Petersburg, zoning, negotiating and drafting the set of agreements with the City of St. Petersburg, including MoU with the City Government. Project value: USD 200 million
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Advising a major Japanese automotive manufacturer on all aspects of a greenfield automotive assembly plant to be established in St. Petersburg, including DDR on the land plot, drafting and negotiation of the buy out of the land plot, legal assistance in connection with the construction issues, schemes of interaction with the suppliers, commissioning of the assembly plant, advice on software contracts and software protection and distribution, employment issues and other matters relating to the construction and operation of the assembly plant, also assisted in negotiations with the City of St. Petersburg regarding the grant of land rights, recognising the project as a strategic for St. Petersburg, zoning, negotiating and drafting the set of agreements with the City of St. Petersburg, including MoU with the City Government. Project value: USD 100 million
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Advising a major UK real estate developer in the acquisition of a major class A business centre, including acquisition of shares and debts from International Financial Institutions as well as the purchase of the City of St. Petersburg's shares in a privatisation tender
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Advising Safebridge Trading Ltd., a company of the Israeli insurance group Menora Mivtachim, and GTC Real Estate Investments Russia, on the acquisition of a property complex in the centre of St. Petersburg that included a number of land plots and buildings for the purpose of subsequent reconstruction
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Advising Raven Russia, the Guernsey-registered AIM listed property investment company, specialising in commercial real estate in Russia, on its USD 216 million warehouse complex acquisition in Shushary, near St. Petersburg
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Advising Gillette in the development of a USD 40 million Greenfield factory project in St. Petersburg, including negotiation of relevant land grant and investment incentives with local authorities; drafting and negotiation of long-term land lease, construction contracts and other related transactions
Career:
- Partner - Salans, St. Petersburg (2008 to date)
- Counsel - Salans, St. Petersburg (2005-2008)
- Associate - Salans, St. Petersburg (1995-2005)
- Of Counsel - AOZT Luna (1994)
- Of Counsel - JV Rosinteks International branch (1991-1993)
- Head of the Law Department - Leningrad Reconstruction Fund (1990-1991)
- Of Counsel - Law Department of Leningrad Furniture Factory (1988-1990)
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