Why is it Important to Hire a Real Estate Attorney?

Investing is a new land or a building is probably one of the highest financial commitments in your life. Real estate transactions are stressful, demanding and complicated. In the recent years an increasing number of Russians as well as foreign investors have been actively involved in the real estate market. Though the economic growth of the country has been in favor of this industry, the classic problems of real estate still continue to haunt buyers as well as the sellers.

In order to mitigate the legal problems and speed up the process considerably, the assistance of a Russian attorney specializing in real estate law is recommended. Listed here are the top reasons why you must hire a real estate attorney in Russia.

Real estate agents have limited knowledge in legal issues

Most investors in Russia believe that real estate can guide both sellers and buyers through the entire property transaction. This however is not true. Agents may have mastered all knacks and tricks of the industry but when it comes to litigation issues in a property, a Russian lawyer is the right person to seek help from.

Real estate lawyers are not biased

Unlike the real estate agents, a Russian attorney is never biased in offering legal advice. Whether you are hiring a closing attorney while buying a land or taking the help of a real estate attorney for a high-end property, they will ensure all documents and processes are thoroughly reviewed to your best interests.

Real estate transactions demand much paper work

All real estate transactions involve a whirlwind of paper work that needs to happen along with other functions like scheduling inspections, dealing with repairs and negotiating with sellers. In such situations it is much better to have authorized help to assist you with the paperwork.

Real estate transactions are dispute-prone

Real estate transactions involve a lot of people and mistakes can occur with any one of them. Some of these issues can cost you a lot of time and money, and sometimes the property itself. For instance, while purchasing a home you may encounter issues like illegal tenants, unwarranted in-law units or issues with the property title records. With a Russian lawyer who is well-versed with real estate laws, any problem, big or small can be handled smoothly.

Real Estate Lawyers review all documentation

Reviewing documentation is the most important function of a real estate attorney. Peculiar situations such as buyers asking to rent the apartment for a while before being obliged to buy it or the use of uncommon language in your mortgage papers can arise during the purchase process. Legal assistance is essential to ensure all issues relating to documentation are discovered and resolved.

Five Smart Tips for Conducting Due Diligence

If you are an investor looking at a potential acquisition target in Russia or planning to invest in a joint venture with a Russian legal entity, you might need the help of reliable lawyers Russia to ensure that you are risk free and left with no financial liabilities at the end of the transaction. Here are a few tips that you must remember during a due diligence.

Channelize the human capital

Several business studies have reported that failing to manage the human capital of an organisation is the most common reason for merger and acquisition failures. During the diligence process, the lawyers Russia must take the effort to clearly communicate all changes, offer job and other benefits assurance and thus make certain that the talent pool is retained.

Dig deeper into the available information sources and IT systems

Information and technology form the backbone of any business. Therefore the team hired to perform the due diligence must ensure that the buyer’s existing technology infrastructure can be integrated seamlessly into that of the seller. There must be no loss of vital data and the cost of the process must be kept at the minimum level. This cost must be considered while obtaining the financing for the purchase.

Unravel all liabilities

Liabilities in any form can hamper the profitability of the transaction considerably. Hidden liabilities come in the form of environmental issues, legal claims from employees and so on. The due diligence team must work with the management as well as the employees to unravel any form of hidden liability.

Look beyond the balance sheet

Financial statements are a great way to have a complete idea about the assets of the seller. However to know the complete status of the assets along with their quality, the buyer must invest sufficient time and effort to analyse the degree of depreciation of the buildings, equipment, plants and the inventory. A experienced due diligence team will think beyond analysing financial statements and will actually guide you through to obtain first-hand information about the firm’s assets.

Analyse the supply-side and demand –side relationships

In any type of business and especially in the industrial sector, the relationship that a firm holds with its supply chain partners vastly influences its success rate. Strong supplier associations and the good will to attract customers are important strengths of a company. Any discrepancy in these factors must be analysed during the due diligence. No matter what ever type of firm you pick up from the company register Russia, for successful business collaboration either in the form of mergers and acquisitions or joint ventures and franchisees, a well-experienced due diligence team must assist you to minimize all types of risks and keep you away from any potential litigation issues.

Tips to protect your Intellectual Property in Moscow

Conserving intellectual property is a mandatory business need for start ups as well as for well established organisations. Rapid growth in technology and the ease of access to information has caused a steady increase in the need to protect unique product ideas and business strategies.

Here are some tips to help organisations to better safeguard their intellectual property in Moscow.

Keep up the secrecy

IP owners must not leak any information about the idea even during the developmental stages. Your competitors must have no inkling about the work in progress and under no circumstances will you discuss the product or idea in a public platform. A law firm in St.Petersburg states that most ideas die at the nascent stage due to failure of maintaining secrecy.

Record your idea along with relevant evidence

The first step to protect your IP in Moscow would be to legally register it with the help of a Moscow Attorney. Prior to this the owner of the IP must check for any duplication issues and then register it with all details possible. Your idea must be accompanied by relevant and original documents that establish you as the sole creator of the idea.

Draw well-written NDAs

Your ownership of the IP must be exhibited in all documents relating to the idea. Invest your time and thought while drawing non-disclosure agreements with your partners and employees. Documents such as employee agreements, client contracts and partnership agreements must carry the required clauses to protect your IP. Moscow Law firms will be able to best help you with these requirements.

Take professional help

It does not matter if you choose to work with a law firm in St. Petersburg or Moscow, what you need is an attorney who is specialized in dealing with intellectual property in Russia. Research well and finalize on a Moscow attorney or any other part of Russia to assist you smoothly in establishing your patents and trademarks.

Investing in patents and copyrights

While the initial investments for protecting your IP may seem exorbitant, the value of your money will shine through your patents and copyrights in the long term. Of course, business giants like Google and Apple would not invest billions of dollars if they were uncertain about the benefits.

Innovation is an art and so is the technique to monetize your innovation. Take the right steps in finding the right Moscow law firm to protect your IP and reap the financial benefits of your innovative skills.

Guide to Investing in Real Estate in Russia

Russia is proving to be an attractive market for investors in the real estate sector. The rising property prices and the estimated growth in the years to come is a great motivation for investors across the world to consider this hot property market for investments. Many global investors believe that Russian real estate markets are stronger than their European counterparts and have tremendous potential. With the right guidance from Russian lawyers, you can get an excellent investment opportunity as a foreign investor in Russia.

The Capital

Moscow is considered to be one of the most sought after destinations for commercial real estate investments as it offers a great appreciation. The population of Russia is going for a million-plus and this has led to the high demand for residential properties as well. However, before making any investment in Russian properties, it is important to consult a Russian attorney so that you can be clear about the Russian real estate laws and you can get the best from your investment.

The Boom in Investments

A number of foreign institutions like the Deutsche bank Germany have invested $ 500 million for Russian real estate investment. One of the biggest foreign investment in Russia is the Great Domodedovo, a new development project being undertaken near Moscow. These factors have led to various investors come to visit the country and talk to Russian lawyers about making their commercial or residential property investment.

Points to remember while investing in real estate in Russia

• The real estate laws in Russia are slightly different from those in the US or Europe. It is therefore important to thoroughly understand the market scenario and laws with the help of a Russian attorney before you take a final decision.

• The Russian real estate is classified as per the use of the property e.g. leasing, permanent ownership of apartment, ownership of building, certificate of ownership and so on.

• The mortgage laws have undergone various changes in the last few years to welcome investors and this has led to various documentation processes that must be duly completed

• There are different registration laws for immovable property that must be abided by if you want to purchase a property in Russia

• Leases are given to foreign entities for either land, apartments or buildings depending on the requirements and the law that applies

The Russian real estate markets have become a buyer’s market since the last 10 years and therefore, many global investors are looking at this country with a lot of aspirations and opportunities.