Corporate Legal Services and Commercial Litigation FAQ

1. What legal services do you provide?

BRACE Law Firm provides high-end legal counsel to both domestic and international enterprises. Our primary practices comprise complex commercial litigation, public and corporate procurement, antitrust law and unfair competition mitigation, cross-border transactional structuring, and sanctions compliance. Furthermore, our cross-disciplinary expertise covers day-to-day corporate maintenance, corporate law, tax advisory and tax disputes, labor and employment law, and intellectual property protection.

1. How can we submit a request for legal counsel?

You may alternatively contact our offices via telephone, schedule a consultation through our Telegram chat-bot (our team will respond during standard business hours), or transmit an email outlining your matter to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

If your matter is extensive and requires rigorous legal analysis, we recommend submitting an email detailing the core facts, attaching relevant documentation, and specifying your legal objectives.

1. How should we transmit electronic files (document scans, audio/video recordings, text documents, etc.)?

For files under 30 MB, you may transmit them directly to our corporate email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If the data volume exceeds 30 MB, we recommend uploading the materials to a secure cloud storage system and providing a link for file retrieval and review.

1. What is the standard procedure for the onboarding and execution of legal matters?

Generally, our legal engagements follow a structured lifecycle:

1. Initiating contact via email (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), our Telegram chat-bot, or by calling +7(499)755-56-50.

2. Performing a preliminary conflict and matter analysis, followed by an intake call to discuss the parameters of the request.

3. Executing a formal legal services agreement upon mutual alignment. Where necessary, we conduct comprehensive legal due diligence or formal evaluation, and secure a power of attorney for client representation.

4. Managing project execution. For dispute resolution matters, our litigators draft and file requisite pleadings and provide robust courtroom representation.

5. Providing regular status updates at each material stage of the engagement.

6. Delivering final work products alongside closing documentation and formal billing details.

1. Do you offer retained corporate legal services or ongoing outside general counsel?

Yes, we provide comprehensive retainer-based corporate counsel across our core practice areas. Should a highly specific matter fall outside our core specializations, we will promptly notify the client.

1. Can your firm provide legal representation and advisory services remotely?

The majority of corporate legal services are independent of physical geography and can be seamlessly delivered remotely. Our track record includes numerous successful cross-border and remote resolutions across various practice areas.

However, certain contentious matters or interactions with specific regulatory bodies inherently depend on physical location or the jurisdiction of the decision-making authority, which may preclude remote execution due to objective procedural constraints.

1. We maintain internal in-house counsel. Is it justifiable to retain an external law firm?

Retaining outside counsel is typically vital when a matter demands highly specialized expertise or niche practice experience that in-house legal departments may lack. Furthermore, external engagement is highly effective for managing complex, large-scale mandates, alleviating workloads to allow internal teams to focus on core operations, or securing independent, objective legal assessments.

1. Are initial legal consultations provided free of charge?

Because providing actionable legal advisory requires a meticulous analysis of facts and laws, it demands a significant expenditure of professional billable hours. Attorneys dedicate specialized time to evaluate case specifics, audit source documents, and articulate precise answers. The cost of a legal professional's time directly correlates with their seniority and specialized expertise.

Within the legal market, a prevailing rule applies: if a firm does not charge transparently for an initial consultation, the cost is invariably recaptured through alternative billing mechanisms, often resulting in higher overall expenditures for the client. Furthermore, businesses that rely on superficial, "free" legal assessments frequently suffer severe long-term commercial setbacks due to flawed initial guidance. As the Prussian military theorist Carl von Clausewitz famously noted: “Strategic blunders can never be compensated for by tactical successes.” To prevent irreversible strategic missteps, securing a rigorous, professional legal analysis and selecting the correct statutory defense mechanism from the outset is paramount.

We operate with absolute financial transparency. When a matter requires a deep legal audit and formal written opinion, we notify the client and isolate the fee for this service. In return, we guarantee an exhaustive assessment of all legal nuances, top-tier professional acumen, and an objective, unvarnished evaluation of your case prospects.

1. How are the fees for your legal services structured?

Legal fee structures depend on a variety of parameters, including the complexity of the transactional documentation, the specific nature of the litigation, the anticipated billable hours, and other project-specific nuances.

Depending on the mandate, we utilize (a) fixed-fee arrangements, (b) corporate retainers, (c) billable hourly rates, (d) contingency fees (“success fees”), or (e) blended fee structures. Detailed breakdowns are accessible in our Fee Schedules section.

1. What are the standard payment terms for legal fees? Do you accept deferred billing?

Generally, our legal services are performed on a retainer or advance-payment basis. However, depending on the scope of the engagement and client creditworthiness, we may consider deferred payment milestones or structured installment options.

1. Is the total cost of legal representation predictable?

Providing precise, transparent budget projections and maintaining regular run-rate updates is a core operational priority. We proactively discuss and align on applicable billing rates, cap limits, phase-by-phase cost projections, and anticipated disbursements prior to initiating work.

1. What disbursements and litigation costs can arise during commercial disputes?

Typical litigation disbursements encompass statutory court fees (where applicable), professional legal representation fees, and notary costs for powers of attorney. Should the matter necessitate attorney travel, associated travel and lodging expenses will apply. We identify and disclose all anticipated expenditures in advance based on the procedural strategy and subject matter of the dispute.

1. Are legal fees and litigation costs recoverable upon successful resolution?

Under standard procedural codes, the prevailing party is entitled to recover reasonable litigation costs from the losing adversary. Accordingly, we systematically file motions for the shifting of litigation expenditures (including statutory fees, legal counsel fees, and expert witness costs). However, courts assess fee-shifting petitions under a standard of “reasonableness,” meaning judicially awarded cost recoveries may be lower than actual out-of-pocket expenditures.

1. Do you guarantee a successful outcome in commercial litigation?

While we deliver highly calculated outcome assessments based on robust evidence evaluation and judicial precedents, we never issue absolute outcome guarantees. Final adjudications are exclusively determined by the competent court or regulatory body, not the representing advocate. Consequently, guaranteeing a 100% successful outcome violates elite professional standards and constitutes an unethical practice.

1. Is a power of attorney required for courtroom representation?

Yes, a formal power of attorney (POA) is statutorily required. Depending on the client’s corporate structure and jurisdiction, the POA must either be executed under corporate seal and authorized signature or formally notarized.

1. What is the typical duration of commercial litigation in a court of first instance?

Pursuant to Article 152(1) of the Commercial Procedure Code of the Russian Federation (APC RF), commercial disputes should be adjudicated within a period not exceeding six months from the date the claim is filed. This statutory timeframe encompasses pre-trial preparation and final judgment delivery, unless otherwise provided by the code.

In practice, standard commercial lawsuits litigated in the court of first instance typically span between four months and one year, factoring in procedural continuances, adjournments, or stays (excluding expedited/summary proceedings). Sophisticated, high-stakes disputes can extend beyond twelve months. The exact timeline is governed by various evidentiary complexities, some of which may be latent at the inception of the lawsuit.

1. What are the principal phases of commercial litigation?

Typically, a commercial dispute traversing pre-trial and first-instance proceedings advances through the following phases:

• Deep evidentiary audit and formulation of the core legal strategy;
• Execution of mandatory pre-trial protocols, including drafting and serving formal demand letters or claims;
• Drafting, structuring, and filing the formal complaint or statement of claim with the court;
• Judicial scheduling and preliminary hearings;
• Active oral advocacy and representation across trial hearings in the court of first instance;
• Procurement of the final judgment and execution writs.

The exact duration of each phase is bounded by statutory limits, and counsel's ability to accelerate these procedural timelines is naturally constrained by judicial discretion.

Furthermore, final judgments are subject to appellate, cassation, and supervisory review, or modification based on newly discovered facts.

1. What geographic jurisdictions does your law firm cover?

Our main practice centers on Moscow and the Moscow Region; however, our litigators and corporate advisors regularly represent client interests across other regional jurisdictions throughout Russia, the EAEU, and international markets.