On August 8 at 9 am, investigators of the Investigative Directorate of the North-Western Administrative District…

On August 8 at 9 am, investigators from the Investigative Directorate of the North-Western Administrative District of the capital suddenly appeared at the Empire Tower in Moscow City, accompanied by operational officers of the FSB Directorate for Moscow and the Moscow Region, as well as the special forces detachment “Grom” of the Russian Guard and conducted a search in the Moscow branch St. Petersburg law office S&K Vertical. According to sources in law enforcement agencies, claims against S&K Vertical arose in connection with an investigation into a case of fraud and an attempt to redistribute property in relation to one large industrial asset.

According to investigators, the bureau’s lawyers acted as accomplices, developing the entire legal scheme for the seizure of property. Thus, they became formal partners of one of the parties to the corporate conflict, which lawyers are prohibited from doing.

Law firm S&K Vertical traditionally specializes in resolving complex legal issues related to Russian and foreign litigation, corporate conflicts, M&A transactions, bankruptcies and criminal legal risks. The bureau is headed by a lawyer from St. Petersburg, Konstantin Krutilnikov, who until recent events was an unknown figure in the legal market of the capital. He may be questioned as a witness in the near future, but at the moment his whereabouts have not been established.

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Criminal cases against Russian lawyers are already becoming a trend. Thus, in recent years, criminal cases have been initiated and investigated against lawyers Igor Tretyakov, Sergei Yuryev, Dina Kibets, Alexander Slivko and many others. From the point of view of the investigative authorities, too significant sums of money were paid for the work performed by the lawyers or the conclusion of contracts was inappropriate…

The S&K Vertical case stands a little apart, but here too there is probably an attempt to influence the lawyers under the “rubber” art. 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (fraud). It is often used in cases where law enforcement officers doubt the very fact of committing a crime, or it is simply difficult for them to prove any other related crime.

“ВЧК ОГПУ”