Companies in the consumer goods and retail sector confront the global challenges of an economic slowdown, an increasingly competitive environment and a growing regulatory burden. A fundamental understanding of these commercial, competitive and compliance pressures together with a unique international network means AstapovLawyers is ideally placed to help clients meet these challenges and achieve their strategic objectives.

Our experience includes advising on:

• mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic alliances;
• strategic growth and divestments;
• commercial relationships including logistics, distribution, packaging, manufacturing and transitional service arrangements;
• franchising;
• IT procurement, e-commerce and home shopping arrangements;
• multi-jurisdictional and domestic competition / antitrust issues;
• maximizing protection for brands and other intellectual property assets and managing risk of intellectual property infringement;
• employment, pensions and share schemes;
• consumer finance, such as credit sale, store-cards and credit cards;
• consumer law including domestic and international product liability risk management and safety issues affecting manufacturers, importers and retailers;
• dispute resolution solutions, often in the context of ongoing commercial and regulatory relationships;
• environmental and sustainable development issues arising at all stages of the product life-cycle;
• compliance with a broad spectrum of legal and regulatory requirements, including data privacy, trade control and sanctions, anti-money laundering and bribery/corruption regimes;
• the full range of debt finance arrangements and securitization structures;
• real estate matters and disputes, etc.

Among our key clients in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) & Retail industry are: ARBAT PRESTIGE, AAA AUTO, NEMIROFF, DETSKIY MIR, SOYUZ VIKTAN, DANONE / NUTRICIA, AVERY DENNISON, ALTICOR / AMWAY, and CERSANIT.