Denis Uvarov

Denis advises on industrials and manufacturing transactions, including acquisitions, divestitures, and strategic investments, supporting leading global companies such as UralChem, Uralkali, Glencore, and Volkswagen in complex cross-border deals.

• Advised UralChem on the US$2.9bn acquisition of a 20% stake in Uralkali and related arrangements with Onexim Group, the acquirer of another stake in Uralkali.
• Advised Glencore on the US$3.1bn sale of an aggregate 49.99% stake in its agricultural business to Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (40%) and to British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (9.99%).
• Advised Volkswagen on its sale of the Volkswagen and Scania Russian businesses to a local investor.
• Advised the controlling shareholder on the US$6.32bn sale of its entire stake in Uralkali, a leading global potash fertiliser manufacturer, to a consortium of investors.
• Advised Uralkali on the acquisition of 50% in FertGrow S.A., one of the leading fertiliser producers in Brazil.

Denis advises telecoms and technology clients on high-value transactions, including joint ventures, acquisitions, and strategic partnerships, supporting leading firms like Ant Financial, Sberbank, Rostelecom, MegaFon, and Otkritie.

• Advised Ant Financial (Alipay) on setting up an e-payments joint venture in relation to financial and digital payment services between Alipay, USM, Mail.ru, MegaFon, and a sovereign wealth fund.
• Advised Sberbank on the acquisition of a 45% stake in Yandex Market B.V. and setting up a US$1bn e-commerce joint venture with Yandex N.V. on the Yandex.Market platform, a leading Russian 1P and 3P marketplace.
• Advised Rostelecom on its US$7.4bn joint venture with Tele2 Russia, creating the fourth leading Russian telco.
• Advised MegaFon, a leading Russian telco, on the US$270m acquisition of NetByNet group of companies, a fixed broadband internet, digital TV and IP telephony operator.
• Advised Otkritie Holding on a tender offer to purchase up to 55% of the outstanding class B ordinary shares of Nasdaq-listed QIWI plc.

Denis advises on life sciences clients on corporate transactions, including acquisitions and spin-offs, supporting leading companies such as Pharmstandard, Sanofi, and Lupin in the Russian pharmaceutical and generics markets.

• Advised Pharmstandard, the leading Russian pharmaceutical company, in relation to a spin-off of its OTC business.
• Advised Sanofi on its acquisition of a major Russian insulin manufacturer.
• Advised Lupin on the acquisition of a Russian generics manufacturer.

Denis advises financial services clients on private M&A, foreign direct investments, and private equity, providing guidance in cross-border acquisitions, joint ventures, and strategic shareholder arrangements across Russia and Turkey.

• Advised Sberbank on the US$3.5bn acquisition of Denizbank, one of the largest banks in Turkey, from Dexia Group.
• Advised Sberbank on the US$1bn acquisition of Troika Dialog, the largest independent investment bank in Russia.
• Advised AXA on the US$1bn acquisition of 37% of RESO Garantia, one of the largest Russian insurance companies, and related shareholders’ arrangements.
• Advised Ant Financial (Alipay) on setting up an e-payments joint venture in relation to financial and digital payment services between Alipay, USM, Mail.ru, MegaFon and a sovereign wealth fund.

Denis advises on food and beverage businesses on acquisitions, joint ventures, and strategic mergers, supporting leading companies such as PepsiCo, Nestlé, and Victoria Group in complex cross-border deals.

• Advised PepsiCo on the US$6bn acquisition of Wimm-Bill-Dann, a leading Russian food and beverage company.
• Advised Nestlé on its 50:50 joint venture (Froneri) with PAI to merge in certain jurisdictions Nestlé’s ice cream and frozen food business with R&R Ice Cream, the third-largest ice cream producer in Europe.
• Advised the selling shareholders on the US$680m sale of 100% of Victoria Group to Dixy Group, a direct competitor, in consideration for cash and shares of Dixy Group, and the resulting shareholders’ arrangements.

Denis advises on energy and natural resources transactions, including joint ventures, mergers, and demergers, supporting leading global companies such as Rosneft, BP, SUAL, Polyus Gold, and Evraz in complex cross-border deals.

• Advised Rosneft on its joint venture with Sonatrach, the Algerian state-owned oil and gas company, in relation to exploration and development of Block 245 South in Algeria.
• Advised BP on its US$20bn joint venture with Alfa, Access and Renova to form TNK-BP, one of the largest private oil companies in the world.
• Advised SUAL on the US$30bn merger between RUSAL, SUAL, and the aluminium and alumina assets of Glencore to create UC RUSAL, the world’s largest aluminium producer.
• Advised J.P. Morgan Securities Ltd. on the re-domiciliation of Polyus Gold International Limited by means of a Jersey scheme under a premium London listing.
• Advised LSE-listed Evraz Plc on the US$4bn proposed demerger of its metallurgical coal business.