Russian civil procedure does not, as a general rule, impose mandatory legal representation on foreign creditors pursuing asset recovery in Russian courts. A foreign legal entity may act through an authorised representative under a power of attorney. Where an asset recovery strategy intersects with the OFAC sanctions framework — because the debtor, its assets, or the transaction chain involves US-designated parties — the representation question shifts from Russian procedural choice to a matter of US regulatory obligation, which lies outside Russian law entirely.
Under Russian arbitrazh procedure, parties may participate directly or through a representative; the law does not compel a party to retain an advokat or any particular class of legal professional. The firm's Asset Tracing & Recovery practice (/practices/asset-tracing-recovery/) regularly acts for foreign creditors navigating this dual framework. Where OFAC blocking provisions or licence conditions apply, substantive activity — including instructing counsel, transferring enforcement proceeds, or settling a claim — may require a specific OFAC licence before it can lawfully proceed. That analysis is a matter of US law, not Russian law. Vetrov & Partners is a Russian-qualified firm; for the US-law dimension, we coordinate with trusted US-qualified advisers.
In practice, foreign creditors operating under active OFAC constraints rarely proceed without Russian legal counsel, not because Russian law requires it, but because coordinating enforcement steps — interim measures, asset freezes, creditor meetings in insolvency proceedings — through qualified counsel substantially reduces the risk of inadvertent procedural missteps and licence-compliance gaps. The intersection is examined in the firm's analysis of the OFAC sanctions overlap with Russian asset recovery strategy (/insights/atr-pb-009-ofac-sanctions-intersection-with-russian-asse/).
Creditors assessing whether their specific recovery strategy engages both Russian procedural requirements and OFAC obligations benefit from early dual-track analysis: Russian enforcement counsel confirming the procedural position, and US-qualified advisers confirming the licence position. Starting that analysis before enforcement steps are taken preserves the widest range of options.
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— Elizaveta Razina Senior Lawyer, Practice Lead — IP Enforcement, Vetrov & Partners vetrovpartners.com/razina/
Elizaveta Razina leads the firm's intellectual property practice, representing foreign trademark owners in infringement proceedings before Russian state courts and the IP Court. She has been with the firm since 2012 and holds a degree from Novosibirsk State University (2013).
This publication is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice under Russian or any other applicable law. The information herein should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional legal counsel tailored to your specific circumstances. Vetrov & Partners is a Russian-qualified law firm. For matters governed by foreign law or requiring local admission in another jurisdiction, we collaborate with trusted counsel in the relevant jurisdiction. For advice regarding your particular situation, please contact info@vetrovpartners.com.