Pricing for business defense
The budget is calibrated to the mathematical expectation of losses — the realistic estimate of the damage the client may incur — rather than to procedural presence in court. A reasonable defense budget is 5-15% of that expected loss; the remaining economic value is captured through a success fee on amounts preserved.
All amounts are in Russian rubles (RUB). Practice is conducted remotely across Russia and on-site in Moscow.
Base rates
Hour of expert work
Case review, analytical work with databases and case law, strategy development, ad hoc consultations outside a fixed engagement.
Court day or day of investigative actions
Representation during questioning at the Federal Tax Service or Investigative Committee, or attendance at complex court hearings requiring full-day preparation and presence.
Engagement models
Four standard engagement formats. Each is structured as a fixed fee for predictability; the success fee captures the upside on amounts preserved.
Strategic audit of the situation
Risk map across tax, criminal, and bankruptcy planes. Case-law analysis. Probability calculations for each scenario. Deliverable: a written strategic memorandum with a prioritized action plan.
Credited in full toward the first payment under any subsequent engagement contract.
Ongoing crisis management
Monthly representation during an on-site tax audit or pre-investigation check by the Investigative Committee. Coordination of witness statements, documentary submissions, and tax-authority interactions throughout the audit cycle.
Project-based court defense
Bankruptcy proceedings, subsidiary liability claims against directors and beneficiaries, appeals of tax-authority decisions. Base fee covers preparation and representation for one court instance.
Success fee: 3-10% of the amount preserved (reduction of additional tax assessment, claims dismissed, subsidiary liability not imposed).
Preventive capital protection
Isolation of beneficiary assets from corporate, tax, and subsidiary-liability risks. Structuring through closed-end mutual investment funds, personal foundations, and other legitimate vehicles. Long-term engagement with phased deliverables.
How the success fee is calculated
The success fee is paid on amounts with a clear monetary measurement, confirmed by a final judicial act or a decision of the tax authority:
- Reduction of additional tax assessments, penalties, and fines on appeal of an on-site audit decision.
- Subsidiary liability claims dismissed against the director or beneficiary.
- Creditor claims dismissed or substantially reduced in a bankruptcy estate the client controls.
- Disputed transactions upheld against challenge in bankruptcy.
The success fee is documented in a separate annex to the engagement contract, with explicit identification of the amount to which the percentage applies. Payment occurs after the relevant judicial act enters legal force.
Principles of financial decisions
A defense budget is rational when it sits at 5-15% of the realistic expected loss. Anything substantially below underweights the risk; anything above is rarely commercial.
Where the result is monetarily measurable, the economic value is split: a base fee covers the work done; the success fee captures the value of the result.
The strategic audit is always the first step before a litigation engagement. It removes information asymmetry: the client learns what the realistic outcome distribution looks like before committing to a long retainer.
Frequently asked
How is the budget for legal defense calculated?
As a share of the mathematical expectation of losses — the realistic estimate of the financial damage the client may incur. A reasonable defense budget is 5-15% of that expected loss. The remaining value is captured through the success fee on amounts preserved.
Is a success fee permitted in tax and bankruptcy matters?
Yes. Russian law and case law allow a success fee in civil and tax matters when the result has a measurable monetary value: amounts removed from additional tax assessments, claims dismissed in bankruptcy, subsidiary liability not imposed. The success fee is documented separately and paid after the result is confirmed by a final judicial act.
Does the strategic audit fee get credited toward further work?
Yes. The strategic audit fee is credited in full toward the first payment under the engagement contract for project defense or ongoing representation. If the client decides not to proceed, the audit remains a standalone deliverable.
Are there fixed fees instead of hourly rates?
Yes. For court defense, ongoing crisis management, and preventive capital protection, work is structured around fixed engagement fees. The hourly rate applies to ad hoc consultations and discrete analytical tasks outside a fixed engagement.
Request a strategic audit
The audit produces a written risk map and probability assessment within 5-7 business days. Fee credited toward the subsequent engagement.
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