Moscow, 3 May, 2011 – Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners announces the appointment of Natalia Korosteleva, Head of the Firm’s Antitrust Practice, as Partner. 

Natalia Korosteleva has worked with Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners since 2006 managing the entire range of antitrust regulation matters, assisting in international M&A transactions, and representing clients in Russian courts in their disputes with both federal and municipal antitrust authorities. 

Natalia is a member of the Promotion of Competition Non-Profit Partnership; she sits on a number of expert councils at the Federal Antitrust Service (FAS) of Russia, and is actively involved in antitrust lawmaking. Natalia has been recommended as a leading expert in antitrust laws by Chambers Europe, an authoritative international guide. 

Natalia graduated from the Law Department of the Krasnoyarsk State University and the Russian State Tax Academy. She completed training at the International Law Institute, Washington D.C., USA and before joining the Firm, held executive positions in law departments of a number of major Russian companies. 

The Antitrust Practice at Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners now totals twenty lawyers and is the largest in Russia. It was recognized as the best in Russia (Lawyers World Law Awards 2011) and is recommended by such guides as Chambers Europe, Who’s Who Legal, PLC Which Lawyer and Best Lawyers. Furthermore, as many as four partners of the Firm have been recommended as antitrust law experts in Russia by Chambers Europe guide – more than in any other firm. 

The success of the Antitrust Practice at EPA&P is attributed to its participation in major benchmark transactions and antitrust disputes in the market as well as to its extensive lawmaking experience in the field of competition law. Many of the proposals made by the Firm’s Antitrust Practice experts were incorporated in the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition”, Russian Administrative Offence Code and Russian Criminal Code. Today the Firm’s lawyers are involved in the drafting amendments to the Law on Foreign Investment into strategic companies and a draft order to be issued by the Plenum of the Supreme Arbitrazh Court on antitrust regulation matters. 

“Natalia's promotion is a result of her achievements in developing our antitrust practice whose clients currently include major Russian and foreign companies. Natalia has convincingly demonstrated that she is worthy of becoming a Partner at a leading national law firm”, said Dimitry Afanasiev of Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners in the wake of her appointment. 

“In the recent years our Firm’s antitrust practice has gained substantial experience. We will use this foundation to build a leading Antitrust Practice in Russia”, said Natalia Korosteleva.