Expertise/Contract Law

Service

Contract Management on Retainer

The contract-related tasks that arise in a company every month are passed to a lawyer on an ongoing basis within an agreed volume, and the company's background does not have to be explained afresh.

We are most often instructed by:

  • Companies without an in-house contracts lawyer
  • Companies with an in-house lawyer that pass on some of their contract-related tasks
  • Legal departments that need additional resources

The information on this website is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute a public offer.

What the Service Includes

Timing and Fees
–timing on request
from ₽fee on request

Timing and fees are indicative and are confirmed when the engagement is agreed.

01 / Overview
Retainer format

Contract management on retainer is designed for regular contract work where new tasks arise constantly and their full range cannot be determined in advance. In the course of a month, these include new contracts, counterparties' drafts, amendments to existing documents, performance issues or pre-trial claim correspondence.

In ongoing work, the lawyer gradually builds up knowledge of the company: its contract processes, standard commercial terms, acceptable deviations, approach to liability and internal approval procedure.

Regular work brings recurring situations to light. If the same term repeatedly causes disagreement, or the same issue arises in the performance of different contracts, the solution is incorporated into the standard form or the company's internal procedures.

02 / Outcome
Service Outcome
  • Service arrangementsThe volume of work, communication channels, priorities and response times, agreed before support begins.
  • Prepared documentsContracts, drafts, disagreement protocols, letters and replies on current tasks.
  • Updated standard formsThe company's contracts and forms, reflecting solutions that recur in day-to-day work.
  • Written answersAdvice on current issues and materials for resolving disagreements arising in the performance of contracts.
  • Report on work performedA periodic summary of tasks, the volume used and open issues.

The outcome of the service is the work performed within the scope agreed with the client.

03 / Projects
Selected Projects
01 / 05

Joint activity

Distribution partnership between English, Kazakh and Chinese companies

Challenge

English, Kazakh and Chinese companies were forming a partnership for joint activity in distribution. The relationship between the participants was worked out under the law of England and Wales.

What was done

The arrangements for conducting the joint activity, the distribution of economic results, decision-making and changes in the membership of the partnership were worked out. The work included participation in drafting and negotiating the documents, taking into account the interests of participants from three jurisdictions.

Financing structure

Co-investor obligations and security in a grain elevator construction project

Challenge

Funds from several co-investors were being raised to build a grain elevator. Their obligations had to be combined into a single financing structure.

What was done

A comprehensive structure was developed combining the investors' obligations with security and option mechanisms. The procedure for providing funds, the interrelationship between the individual elements of the transaction and the terms defining the parties' rights under different project implementation scenarios were agreed.

Cross-border transaction

Contractual relationship between Russian and Kazakh companies under the law of England and Wales

Challenge

A Russian and a Kazakh company were entering into a transaction whose documents were governed by the law of England and Wales.

What was done

The work included advice on the structure of the contractual relationship and participation in drafting and negotiating the terms of the transaction. Specific issues were worked out in the light of the chosen governing law and the involvement of parties from different jurisdictions.

Foreign trade contract

Negotiating a Chinese-law contract for the supply of production equipment

Challenge

Participation in advising the Russian party on a transaction for the supply of production equipment governed by Chinese law. Advisers from China were engaged on matters of Chinese law.

What was done

The terms of the contract were negotiated, and specific issues relating to the Russian and Chinese parts of the transaction were coordinated. The comments of the Chinese advisers were taken into account in working out the contractual terms and the final version of the documents.

Contract review

Pre-signing review of contracts for the international sale of goods

Challenge

A Chinese company required a legal review of contracts for the international sale of goods between China and Russia. Such contracts carry risks of inconsistency in the governing law, delivery terms and dispute resolution mechanisms.

What was done

The review covered the governing law, delivery terms (Incoterms), the dispute resolution procedure and the currency and tax aspects of the contracts. The risks identified were eliminated before signing.

04 / Questions
Frequently Asked Questions

Response and completion times are set when the format of support is agreed. Different times are set for different categories of tasks, depending on their complexity and urgency.

Before the agreed volume is used up, the client is informed of the current workload, and the way forward is decided together with the client.

Some non-urgent tasks are carried over to the next period, or additional volume is agreed separately.

This depends on the service model chosen and is set out in the engagement agreement.

One arrangement applies to companies with an uneven workload and another to companies with a steady workload. The terms are set in advance so that the volume of support and the fees for it are predictable for both parties.

Yes. All day-to-day contract-related tasks, or certain categories of them, are passed to the external team, while the in-house lawyer retains management and other areas that require constant involvement within the company.

Major transactions, court disputes, inspections, complex projects and other matters that differ substantially from regular contract work in scope or complexity are assessed separately.

The list of exclusions and the procedure for agreeing additional work are set out before support begins.

Yes. The initial volume is set on the basis of the current number of contract-related tasks and is then adjusted after several periods of support.

If the number of tasks rises or falls from month to month, the format of support is revised to meet the company's actual needs.

An hourly rate, a fixed fee or a combined model is used. The fee is determined by the time actually spent, the complexity of the matter and the overall timeframe of the project, and is agreed before work begins.

Key Contacts
Deni Murdalov Deni Murdalov Partner, PhD (Law), LL.M. Ilya Smirnov Ilya Smirnov Partner

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Other Services in This Practice
Concluding, Amending and Terminating Contracts Foreign Trade Contracts Commercial Models and Contract Structuring Systematic Contract Management Sanctions Compliance Licensing Trade Secrets and Confidentiality Documents and Consultations

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