The Employment practice provides full range of legal services in employment, sports law and dispute resolution, as well as legal representation of employees and employers in court, representing clients in disputes with trade union involvement and companies in labor disputes with top management. The Practice is recommended by the Russian ratings Pravo 300, "Kommersant” and Pravo-300’s "Sympathy rating". Headed by attorney at law and one of the leading lawyers at KIAP, Julia Kirpikova is personally recommended by international ratings Best Lawyers 2021 (Litigation) and Legal 500 EMEA 2020 (TMT, Antitrust law). The clients of the Practice are major Russian and international trade and industrial companies, IT and TMT corporations, investment funds and industrial suppliers, as well as sport champions and well-known sports clubs.
Individual and class disputes resolution:
- Representation of companies and individuals in Russian Courts
- Company’s representation in labor disputes with management
- Disputes resolution on golden parachute payments issues
- Disputes with trade unions
- Cooperation with Federal labor inspectorate and law-enforcement authorities on labor rights protection
Consultations on labor issues:
- Advising companies’ HR management on complicated labor law issues
- Drawing up model and individual labor contracts
- Developing a full package of internal documents and regulations, including in-house manuals
- Personnel audits
Consultations in the field of sports law and arbitration:
- Full range of legal services concerning details of employment, agency, promoter, sponsor, advertising and other types of contracts for sports players, sports clubs, coaches, sponsors, promoters and sports agents
- Complex legal consultations for clients during negotiation with counteragents, sports federations, sponsors, TV-channels and other mass media outlets or advertising agencies with respect to contracts to be signed including concerning planning of or participation in the sports competitions/events on various levels, in Russia and internationally
- Representation of client interests during negotiations/complaints related procedures on pre-trial stages in conflict events, including through mediation
- Complex representation of clients in specialized Russian or international sports courts/courts of arbitration or sports disciplinary/anti-doping committees/commissions including legal representation in the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne
Head of practice
Attorney at law
Attorney at law
Partner
Attorney at law
Attorney at law
Associate
Litigation:
- Representing Direct Group in a number of claims by senior employees against our client for dismissals which involved claims for significant incentive payments as well as compensation for moral injury. All disputes were resolved in our client’s favor.
- Successful settlement of labor disputes involving a major clothes manufacturer and its employees, who had been dismissed due to the employer’s decision and under redundancy procedures. In addition, further representation of the client in court concerning allegations of using leverage over an employee resulting in dismissal.
- Successful representation of a major international trading company in a dispute challenging the dismissal of an employee on the grounds of discrimination and coercion. As the result, employee’s claim was rejected by the court.
- Representation of Houghton in an employment dispute with the company's regional top manager on matters of expungement of a disciplinary record, reversal of termination and recovery of travel and medical expenses from the employer. After protracted litigation, the KIAP's lawyers succeeded in demonstrating that the claims filed were lacking in substance and in exonerating the client completely before the courts of all three instances.
- Representation of an international company in a dispute with one of the senior regional managers. The dispute was settled amicably, with no compensation deducted from the client. The dispute was related to dismissal due to the loss of confidence in the employee.
- Representation of a major Russian company in a dispute with a Chief accountant for recovery of unpaid wages.
- Consulting on employment and labor law issues for Quantel, HBI, Cambridge University Press and other major international clients of KIAP, which operate in Russia, including drafting of employment contracts, and assistance in hiring of highly qualified specialists.
- Drafting of legal opinions for Panalpina Group, Yokogawa and Metro Cash & Carry on various employment matters, including those on available grounds and procedure for disciplinary and criminal action against employees under the Russian legislation, in relations between employer and employees who have children under 3 years old and consulting on the issue of establishment of different working hours for employees.
- Advising international companies on preparation of motivation and bonus programs for senior management.
- Advising on complex procedures relating to dismissals of employees and senior managers of international and Russian companies, including JDA, Qliktech, Quantel and Global Jet.
- Assistance on redundancy procedures for Russian and international companies.
- Assistance during examinations initiated by the State Labor Inspection for companies including Hansa and Global Jet.
- Assistance for Russian companies in relations with trade unions during examinations initiated by trade unions.
- Representation of the Employer in the commission for the investigation of an accident at work.
- Representation of two foreign hockey players who appeared for a Junior Hockey League club in a claim for the recovery of wages and severance pay. That was the Firm's first case to be heard by the Disciplinary Committee of the Kontinental Hockey League.
