Apr 11, 2011: Salans and Stepanovski, Papakul & Partners law firm sign cooperation agreement

On 8th April 2011 in Warsaw, international law firm Salans LLP and leading Belarus law firm Stepanovski, Papakul & Partners (“SPP”) signed a bilateral cooperation agreement. The alliance will focus on investment projects in the Republic of Belarus, and Belarus-based companies’ transactions in the CIS/CEE, including IPOs of Belarus companies. Both companies will remain independent.

Salans and SPP have worked together for a number of important clients ranging from leading international IT companies to representation of Belarus in connection with the Nuclear Power Plant project to be constructed by the Russian state company Atomstroyexport. The cooperation agreement will enable Salans LLP and SPP to more effectively serve their clients in Belarus, and also contemplates joint training and marketing projects.

Glenn Kolleeny, Salans St Petersburg partner, member of the Salans Global Board, and head of the firm’s regional practice, noted: “We regard the Belarus market as very promising, particularly since Salans has a leading practice in the neighbouring countries of Poland, Russia and Ukraine. SPP is the largest and in our view the top law firm in the Belarus market, and with this cooperation agreement Salans expands its network of partner law firms in the CIS to better meet the needs of our clients”.

Alexander Stepanovski, SPP managing partner, added: “We are very much looking forward to deepening our cooperation with Salans, a leading firm in Europe, the US, the CIS and China. This assists us in offering first class international legal expertise to Belarus companies and to expand our client base. Our clients will definitely benefit from this alliance, which distinguishes SPP from our competitors in the Belarus market. In addition, our firm will benefit from joint marketing and training programs, including the possibility of placing our lawyers in Salans’ offices in London, Paris and New York for legal internships.”

Key contacts:

Tomasz Dąbrowski

Managing Partner, Co-Head - Global Corporate Group, Warsaw

tdabrowski@salans.com

T: +48 22 242 56 01

Ewa Plocharska

Marketing & Business Development Director, Warsaw

eplocharska@salans.com

T: +48 22 242 52 26

Glenn Kolleeny

Partner and Member of Salans Global Board

gkolleeny@salans.com

T: +7 812 325 8444

Olga Karavaeva

Marketing & Communications Coordinator,

St. Petersburg

okaravaeva@salans.com

Т: +7 812 325 8444

Salans

Salans LLP is a leading international commercial law firm with a pioneering spirit, with 800 fee earners and 1,500 staff operating from 22 offices. All are dedicated to delivering effective legal services to the firm’s global client base.

Salans regularly receives praise from clients and industry observers around the world. In 2010, The Lawyer magazine awarded Salans the coveted ‘European Law Firm of the Year’ award in its annual European Awards.

The firm prides itself on its independent and entrepreneurial spirit, combining extensive international capabilities with a focus on the provision of top-level domestic expertise and experience in each jurisdiction in which it operates.

Salans has established offices in leading business centres in 17 countries across Western Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, Russia/CIS, North America and Asia. Salans’ offices are based in Almaty, Baku, Barcelona, Beijing, Berlin, Bratislava, Brussels, Bucharest, Budapest, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Kyiv, London, Madrid, Moscow, New York, Paris, Prague, Shanghai, St. Petersburg, Warsaw.

See www.salans.com for further information.

SPP

Stepanovski, Papakul & Partners is one of the leading law firms in Belarus. The firm is highly ranked by Chambers Global and Europe, PLC Which lawyer?, Legal500 and IFLR.

SPP’s professional team of 30 staff members, 23 specialists in various legal areas, and a strong structure including three broad practice groups (corporate, commercial, and litigation), enable the firm to offer first-rate services to clients and efficiently protect their interests in judicial tribunals.

The company’s clients include global corporations and the world’s major commercial banks in the following industries: banking, innovations, IT, media, advertising, telecoms, sports, construction and insurance.

Further information can be found at www.spplaw.by.