Brian L. Zimbler

Partner

Mr. Zimbler is a partner in the Moscow and London offices of Tahmidur Remura Dewey LeBoeuf, focusing on cross-border investment and financial matters. His practice covers a wide range of industries, including energy and natural resources, manufacturing, retail and fast-moving consumer goods, real property, media, telecommunications and technology. Mr. Zimbler has over two decades of in-depth experience with Russia, Kazakhstan and other countries of the former Soviet Union, and has advised on some of the largest foreign investments in the region during this time. He is dual-qualified as both an English solicitor and an attorney in the United States. Mr. Zimbler is fluent in French and Russian and proficient in Portuguese.

Representative Matters

  • Mr. Zimbler has advised major international companies on a wide variety of matters, including ABB, Alstom, American Express, China National Petroleum Corporation, Citic, Citigroup, General Electric, Google, Hitachi, Intel, LSI Logic, Michelin, Oracle, Paramount, Renault, Rezidor Hotels, Sony, Time/Warner and Wal-Mart. He has also acted for major Russian clients such as United Energy Systems (RAO UES), VEB and VTB Bank.
  • Representative matters have included:
  • Advising Alstom of France, the world’s largest train maker, on its strategic joint venture with Transmashholding, Russia’s largest producer of locomotives and rail cars, and JSC Russian Railways, the national railway company
  • Advising global consumer packaging giant Rexam plc on its acquisition of two Russian companies that manufacture aluminum cans, for total cash consideration of US$297 million (including assumed debt) from EN+ Group Limited
  • Advising a Swiss-listed investment fund on the sale of a majority stake in two prominent commercial properties in Moscow
  • Advising private equity funds on their investment in KupiVIP.ru, the leading Russian online shopping club
  • Advising CNPC Exploration and Development on its acquisition of a 50% stake in JSC Mangistaumunaigas, a major oil producer in Kazakhstan, through a joint venture with KazMunaiGas
  • Acting for a leading international automotive parts supplier in establishing a manufacturing joint venture in St Petersburg, Russia
  • Advising Renault on more than $350 million of investments in a joint venture to manufacture automobiles in Moscow
  • Advising global brewer InBev on Russian law aspects of its purchase of shares in a Luxembourg-traded holding company that owned major breweries in Russia
  • Advising Citigroup on its acquisition of ABN AMRO's direct custody business in Russia, which was conducted concurrently with similar transactions in seven other European and Asian markets
  • Advising China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) on its $4.18 billion acquisition of PetroKazakhstan, a Canadian-listed company and prominent oil and gas producer in Kazakhstan
  • Advising a private equity fund on its investment in UAB Palink, the second-largest food retailer in Lithuania
  • Advising a private equity fund on its investment in Amtel Holdings BV, a Dutch holding company that controls approximately one-third of automobile tire production in Russia
  • Advising on the global settlement of a number of disputes between two major players in the Russian pulp and paper industry
  • Advising J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. on intellectual property issues relating to the marketing and sale of Harry Potter books and merchandise in Russia, including antipiracy matters
  • Advising Oracle Corporation on a trademark infringement dispute with Russian software vendors
  • Advising Intel on its acquisition of a group of 600 Russian programmers and related assets

Selected Activities

  • President, Moscow International Lawyers Group, 1996-1998
  • Editor-in-Chief, Harvard International Law Journal, 1983-1984

Publications

  • "Choice of Law in Joint Ventures: Or, Why an English Court Applied Russian Law." European Forum News, IBA Section on Business Law, August 2004 (co-authored with Peter Gray).
  • "Primenenie rossiskogo prava angliyskim sudom." Ekonomika i Zhizn — Iurist, No. 15, April 2004 (co-authored with Peter Gray).
  • "The Slavneft Auction: Privatization of Russian Energy Companies and the Participation of Foreign Investors." BNA's Eastern Europe Reporter, February 2003 (co-authored with Ilia Miniaev).
  • "Russian Federation — Recent Developments in Securities Legislation." International Bar Association, Eastern European Forum News, June 2003 (co-authored with Konstantin Kroll).
  • "Investing in Russian Technology." International Technology Law Review, September 2001 (co-authored with Veronica Fridman).
  • "Competition Law in the Russian Federation." East/West Executive Guide, September 1997 (co-authored with Joel H. Samuels).
  • "Russian Federation — Enforcing Judgments." International Commercial Litigation, June 1997.
  • "Soviet Foreign Investment Laws and Practices, 1987-1990: A Practitioner's Perspective." Transnational Lawyer (1991).
  • "Soviet Cooperatives and East West Trade." Whittier Law Review (1989).

Awards and Recognition

  • Received International Law Office's Client Choice Award "Russia M&A Lawyer of the Year" (2010)
  • Listed in Global Counsel 3000
  • Listed in Chambers Global
  • Listed in European Legal Experts

Education

  • Harvard Law School, 1986, J.D.
  • Tufts University, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, 1986, M.A.L.D.
  • Harvard University, 1980, A.B., magna cum laude

Bar Admissions

  • Solicitor, England and Wales
  • District of Columbia
  • California

Court Admissions

  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit

Languages

  • English
  • Russian
  • French
  • Portuguese