Monday, March 5
Contractual obligations
Vesta vs Rosneft, Yukos Capital S.a.r.l
Vesta investment company, Rosneft shareholder, seeks to invalidate four loan contracts worth $377.03 million between Luxemburgs Yukos Capital S.a.r.l and Yuganskneftegaz.
According to Vesta, the loans in dispute were issued to Yuganskneftegaz in violation of the law. The contracts were signed in July-August 2004 and set to mature in 2007.
The lawsuit was submitted against Yukos Capital S.a.r.l. and Rosneft, to which Yuganskneftegaz, a former YUKOS subsidiary, was later adjoined.
The lawsuit was filed in 2007, but its consideration was suspended until end of the criminal case against former YUKOS head Mikhail Khodorkovsky.
Intellectual Property
Nestle vs Unilever
Ninth Commercial Court of Appeals
Nestle Russia, Nestles subsidiary, believes that Unilevers "No magic!" advertising slogan discredits the products produced by Nestle under the Maggi brand, since Maggi and "magiya" (magic in Russian) sound similar. Nestle believes that Unilever's ad is an act of unfair competition, touching upon Nestle's business reputation.
Nestle SA concern was established in 1866 by Swiss pharmacist Henri Nestle. Nestle owns 14 factories in Russia and produces a wide range of food products.
Unilever is one of the world's leading consumer goods manufacturers. The company has been operating in Russia since 1992.
Competition law
Ru-center vs Federal Antimonopoly Service
Ninth Commercial Court of Appeals
The antimonopoly watchdog concluded in July 2011 that Ru-Center violated a domain registration law while registering domains in .rf (.рф) zone and fined it $7.8 million.
Ru-Center filed a lawsuit and in November 2011 the antimonopoly service's resolution was revoked. The watchdog now appeals the ruling.
Ru-Center is one of the largest Russian registrars, which serves two million domain names
Tuesday, March 6
Contractual obligations
ST Development vs Moscow Government
The plaintiff, businessman Shalva Chigirinsky's ST Development, seeks to recover $151.430 million in losses sustained as a result of its efforts to honor a contract to rebuild the Rossiya Hotel in Moscow, as well as a relevant investment contract.
ST Development, the project's major investor, started dismantling Rossiya hotel in February 2006. The developer planned to build a new multi-purpose complex designed by British architect Norman Foster. However, the company had to freeze the project after Chigirinsky faced serious financial troubles in 2008.
