From Protecting an App Against Clones to Subsoil Use: 10 Business Matters Handled by REVERA in Two Weeks
- Intellectual Property Protection
- Dispute Resolution
- Regulatory Advice
- Subsoil Use
- Advertising
- Retail and E-commerce
- Restrictions on the Export of Equipment
- Corporate Law and Procedures
The value of legal work is not always measured by the size of a transaction or the prominence of a precedent. Sometimes, it lies in an in-depth understanding of the regulatory environment of a particular industry, the protection of a client’s interests both in and out of court, and the proper establishment, ongoing support or liquidation of corporate structures.
Over the past two weeks, the REVERA team has helped clients protect an application against clones, develop a legal position in a major dispute, prepare to operate in a regulated industry, and establish and close corporate structures across several jurisdictions.
Recognise your situation? Contact us, and we will discuss the details.
| REVERA has a presence in Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, the UAE, Serbia, Cyprus and Poland. |
Intellectual Property Protection
We prepared and submitted complaints concerning infringements of copyright, trademark rights and the rules of Google Play and the App Store in order to remove applications that copied the client’s product.
Clones in app stores result not only in lost revenue but also in reputational risks: users may believe that they are using an official application, encounter bugs or fraudulent functionality, and associate the resulting negative experience with the client’s brand.
Submitting complaints directly to the platforms makes it possible to restrict the distribution of copies without first obtaining a court judgment, making the protection of rights and restoration of user trust faster and less costly.
Dispute Resolution
In Kazakhstan, we represented a client in a series of court proceedings seeking to invalidate transactions, with the value of the claims amounting to approximately USD 7 million.
Following the presentation of our legal position and the implementation of the procedural strategy, the claimant applied for the statement of claim to be returned before the court retired to consider its decision.
The claimant’s withdrawal of the claim at that stage eliminates the risk of the same claim being brought again on the same grounds, saves several months of litigation and reduces the legal costs that would otherwise have arisen during the subsequent stages of the proceedings.
Regulatory Advice
Subsoil Use
We prepared a legal study for a non-resident client concerning the regulatory framework governing subsoil use in Kazakhstan, including the permits, procedures and restrictions that must be taken into account when entering the industry.
Subsoil use is one of the most heavily regulated sectors. A mistake during the permitting process may cost the client not only money but also the project itself. Understanding the applicable rules before entering the industry allows the client to budget sufficient time and funds in advance, rather than facing a refusal from the regulator after investments have already been made.
Advertising
We advised a manufacturing company on the use of its counterparties’ trademarks for advertising purposes on its own website.
A properly structured legal framework, including the identification of permitted forms of use of the relevant designations and the requirements applicable to consents from rights holders, together with the necessary consent, allows the client to showcase its partnerships and its counterparties’ products without creating grounds for disputes or regulatory claims.
Retail and E-commerce
We provided a major electronics supplier with recommendations regarding the required set of documents and the requirements applicable to them, with a view to ensuring compliance with applicable legislation and protecting consumer rights.
For a major supplier, an error in documentation constitutes a systemic risk: the same inaccuracy may be replicated across the entire product range and result in numerous consumer claims or an inspection by a regulatory authority.
Restrictions on the Export of Equipment
We prepared a clear procedure for a client to follow when obtaining approvals for the transit and export from the territory of the Eurasian Economic Union of certain types of equipment.
Exporting equipment without complying with the applicable approval procedure may result in the equipment being refused export clearance at the border, as well as fines and additional costs.
A step-by-step procedure removes this uncertainty and allows the client’s logistics team to plan the relevant timelines rather than respond to issues as they arise.
Corporate Law and Procedures
In Georgia, we registered a company, opened bank accounts and obtained Virtual Zone Person status for it on a turnkey basis, from incorporation through to full operational readiness with access to the relevant tax benefits.
Virtual Zone Person status may provide tax advantages in respect of IT products created by a Virtual Zone Person and supplied outside Georgia. However, the availability of these benefits depends on the company’s actual operating model.
In Belarus, we opened a representative office of a foreign company and supported the entire process, from obtaining the relevant permit and opening bank accounts to completing all necessary post-registration procedures.
End-to-end support throughout the entire process allows the client to commence operations without interruptions between the individual stages.
We assisted with the liquidation of a business. Although liquidation is a standard procedure, it requires competent legal support at every stage.
Even a “standard” liquidation carries risks for shareholders and directors: outstanding obligations or procedural errors may arise after the business has already ceased operating. Legal support at every stage helps minimise the risk of adverse consequences for the beneficial owners after the liquidation has been completed.
We also helped a client close a representative office by completing the required tax and other inspections.
Completing the relevant inspections during the closure process enables the client to cease operations in the jurisdiction without outstanding obligations or the risk of subsequent claims.
Are you entering a new jurisdiction, facing a claim or seeking to assess regulatory risks before launching a project?
Contact us at info@revera.legal, and we will discuss how we may assist.
The information was collected and prepared by Sergey Suschenya, Head of the Industry Projects Sub-Practice.
For expert comments: PR_revera@revera.legal
