Today the Russian Reporter magazine published a list of the 100 most distinguished people in Russia in 2011. Dimitry Afanasiev of Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners, is among the top 10 most distinguished Russian lawyers.

"This year, following its merger with Ukrainian law firm Magisters, EPA&P led by Mr. Afanasiev has become the biggest firm in the CIS. This is a crucial step in its expansion into the CIS where, according to Mr. Afanasiev, Russian lawyers may play the same role as the English did in Russia - that of senior partners and mentors. He was no less active inside the country: recently the "Facilitation of Corporate Law Development", a non-profit partnership, was set up with his direct involvement. Its members promise to lend a hand in the creation of a comfortable business environment in Russia. Rumour has it that Afanasiev is close to Russian authorities. He attributes his commercial success to his serving the national interest, but this does not preclude him, for example, from defending BP when they had problems from Russian law-enforcers".

The Top-10 Most Distinguished Russian Lawyers List also includes: Larisa Brycheva, the President's Aide and Chief of the Main State Law Directorate of the Russian President, Nikolay Gorokhov, an attorney-at-law, Pavel Krasheninnikov, Chairman of the Russian Lawyers Association and head of the State Duma's Legislative Committee, Vyacheslav Lebedev, Chairman of the Russian Supreme Court, Andrey Makarov, a State Duma deputy, Sergey Pepeliaev, Managing Partner of Pepeliaev Group, Alexey Shurygin, Judge of the Russian Supreme Court, Anastasia Uderevskaya, an attorney-at-law, and Nikolay Khabarov, Deputy Prosecutor for the Chechen Republic.