Maria Petrova represents clients in cross-border inheritance and family disputes, including participation in the preparation of legal opinions for foreign government agencies and companies.

Maria’s experience includes preparing nuptial agreements, maintenance agreements and agreements on the order of communication with children, wills, as well as the required documentation for the creation of personal and inheritance foundations. Maria assists in the structuring of private capital, including as part of inheritance planning and involvement in philanthropic activities, and participates in the preparation of compliance files as part of due diligence and KYC procedures.

Maria also represents clients in cross-border litigation and arbitration on various issues related to sanctions restrictions.

The projects in which Maria participated include:

• Creating a Russian personal foundation to ensure a step-by-step transfer of the client’s business to family members and building a mechanism for financial support of the client’s family members.
• Representing the client’s interests in a lawsuit against European, Swiss and English authorities to remove the client from the sanctions lists of the EU, Switzerland and the UK.
• Protecting the client's interests in a complex cross-border divorce process, taking place in parallel in Russia and the EU countries.
• Representing a Russian legal entity before Swiss courts in relation to the unblocking of funds due to the inapplicability of the EU, Swiss and UK sanctions restrictions.
• Advising one of the largest IT companies on the implementation of a program for the participation of employees in philanthropic activities in Russia.
• Preparing a strategy to protect the interests of a charitable foundation in connection with the risks of application of the UK sanctions.

Prior to joining EPAM, Maria worked in one of the largest Russian law firms.

Maria received a Bachelor’s degree with honors from the International Law Faculty of MGIMO. She also holds an LL.M degree with honors in Comparative Private Law from the University of Edinburgh.

Maria speaks English and French.