Dr. Julian Ries, Managing Partner, Head of International Offices, advises clients from various industries, including agriculture, automotive, energy and natural resources on corporate, M&A, and general commercial issues. He has profound experience in restructuring and tax matters. Education: Julian Ries studied law at the Universities of Osnabruck, Kiel (doctorate) and Hanseatic Supreme Land Court, Bremen. He completed his doctoral thesis on Russian corporate law, during which he improved his knowledge of law in emerging markets through internships with Andersen Legal, Moscow, in 1999, and Clyde & Co, Hong Kong, in 2000. He gained admission to the German Bar in 2002. Professional experience: Dr. Julian Ries, Partner and Munich Representative Office of INTEGRITES, advises clients from various industries including agriculture, automotive, energy and natural resources on corporate, M&A, and general commercial issues. He has extensive experience in restructuring and tax matters and mediation services. Prior to joining INTEGRITES in 2015, Julian Ries worked for more than 10 years at major European law firms in Ukraine as co-managing and managing partner of Kyiv offices. At the start of his career, in 2000, he had a four-year tenure at a major local law firm in Bremen. Dr. Julian Ries is a commercial mediator (TENOS AG, Hamburg) and has many years of experience in negotiating in conflict situations within and between enterprises, particularly with intercultural aspects.
Professionals by Last Name
Arvind Rao is August Consulting’s Director and Chief Executive Officer. He has strong strategic and tactical management skills and combines them with a passion to develop services that make a positive difference to Clients. Prior to founding August Consulting, Arvind was heading Corporate Services in Ernst & Young, Mumbai. He has brought together several years of experience in industries as diverse as pharmaceuticals, dyes, advanced plastics, telecommunications and consulting. Arvind has also traveled extensively and his experience of working in Europe gives him an edge. In addition to his rich private-sector experience, Arvind worked in public accounting for Deloitte & Touche in Mumbai. Arvind's experience there included audits of public and private companies, banks, trusts and government agencies entities.Arvind graduated from the University of Mumbai in 1982 and, holds a Degree in Commerce. He is a Chartered Accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. His excellent people management skills helps the Company retain its skilled staff over the years.
I am a partner of Clarkslegal and I head the firm’s construction, engineering and environmental projects group. I love the challenging diversity of my work, ranging from contract drafting and negotiating through to all forms of industry dispute resolution or, more preferably and when appropriate, dispute avoidance. Both I and the wider team are recognised by a number of the legal directories, including Chambers and Partners and Legal 500, as leading construction industry lawyers. In 2018, I was inducted to The Legal 500 Hall of Fame as an elite leading lawyer, for having received constant praise by clients for the last 10 years. I act for all sectors of the industry to include, public and private sector developers and owner/occupiers, main contractors, specialist sub-contractors and professional consultants, whilst our expertise and excellent client service is also recognised through instruction by other law firms, who do not have that expertise, on behalf of their clients. In addition, I am a non-executive director and former past chairman of the Building Services Research and Information Association, an Advisory Board Member of the Confederation of Construction Specialist and co-chair of our international network, (TAGLaw) construction and real estate speciality group. These positions help both me and our team keep abreast of developments and issues in the construction and environmental sectors and which knowledge we reflect in our advice. Project Procurement Strategies: I advise clients on appropriate procurement strategies for new build or refurbishment fit out works, all with the aim of helping them identify and therefore minimise project risks and ensure projects are delivered on time and budget. This advice extends to identifying appropriate standard or bespoke forms of contract to use, timely appointment of the professional design team and any appropriate transfer of risk. I then prepare appropriate project specific terms of contract to reflect the client agreed key commercial and other project specific requirements and objectives, and negotiate and finalise those terms with main contractors and professional consultants alike. Framework Contracts: For those developers that have many repeat capital projects (who I term “serial procurers”!), I advise on the procurement, drafting and negotiating of framework building contracts and consultancy appointments and related mini-tender and call-off contracts. I assist clients with presentations to tendering contractors and consultants to explain the reasons for use of proposed forms of contracts and reasons for any amendments made. This helps to ensure that framework appointments or renewals are completed on time and with a minimum need for negotiation of proposed framework and call-off contract terms. Contract Advice/Negotiation for Contractors and Consultants: I advise contractors and consultants on proposed contract terms at both tender and contract award stages, to help them identify and therefore price or evaluate key contract risks. I will then negotiate on their behalf, often directly with the client, to remove or reduce those risks, and ensure, for example, that they do not take on any uninsured obligations. Surety Documentation: I advise and negotiate on the full range of documentation typically required for significant capital projects, including performance bonds and guarantees, joint venture agreements, novation agreements and collateral warranties. Dispute Avoidance: I help clients to prevent or mitigate any dispute and its escalation and so maintain business continuity and, where appropriate, preservation of ongoing business relationships. I have done this, for example, by chairing monthly meetings of the client’s or contractor’s project team at practical completion, advising on strategies that ensure earliest possible completion for the works and minimise resultant risks or liabilities. My strategic commercial and legal advice therefore helps clients to identify and manage project risks, often considerably before practical completion is achieved. Dispute Resolution: My colleagues and I proactively seek to manage and resolve disputes and so help our clients avoid or reduce exposure to unwanted litigation risks and costs. I advise clients across the entire construction sector in relation to disputes under all standard industry contracts (including all forms of JCT and NEC contracts), bespoke building contracts and consultant appointments on issues arising as a result of defective and/or late design, defective works, failure to carry out and complete work, failure to properly supervise and/or project manage works, negligent certification and wrongful suspension or termination of work. In addition, we help to mitigate or resolve any dispute through all forms of alternative dispute resolution, including direct party to party negotiations, mediations and star chambers. I undertake all my own advocacy at mediations and do not appoint barristers, avoiding unnecessary and duplicated costs. Other forms of dispute resolution on which I advise and help to implement include expert determination, for example, to help identify cause and responsibility for defects, and partnering workshops. In addition, we regularly undertake adjudication and again we prepare all relevant submissions and undertake our own advocacy without instructing barristers. An adjudicator’s decision can be used to help resolve an important point of principle and which in turn will resolve either an entire dispute or single elements of a dispute, sometimes together with other ongoing negotiations. We also enforce adjudicator’s decisions through issue of High Court proceedings and undertake other litigation or arbitration work when, for whatever reason, in the best interests of the client. In-house Support and Workshops: I am regularly asked to help clients’ in-house estates, legal or QS/project management teams through provision of workshops and other training on specific issues. Recent examples of topics we have trained clients on include the impact of BIM on contract terms and the pros and cons of using JCT or NEC standard forms of contract. Additionally, we provide in-house support through secondment to help client project teams deliver and manage out key risks to any ongoing projects. This can help to ensure that project programmes and projects are met and save clients from unnecessary exposure to risks and additional costs. What others say about me: "David Rintoul has been described as "practical and knowledgeable" - The Legal 500 "David is an astute strategist who is adept at instantly getting to the heart of the matter" - Chambers & Partners
Services: Corporate, Legal Services, Real Estate
TAX LAW For close to 15 years, Fabrice Rymarz has been advising French and international groups and investment funds on the tax aspects of their transactions in France. Fabrice has also developed deep experience in the taxation of associations, trade unions and foundations and advises them on their tax matters and in their relations with the tax authorities. AREAS OF EXPERTISE – Real estate transactions – Mergers & Acquisitions – Restructurings – Project finance – Cross-border cash flows – Taxation of non-profit organisations – Assistance with tax audits and litigation CAREER PRIOR TO JOINING RACINE – PwC – Allen & Overy – Dentons – Arthur Andersen EDUCATION Master (DEA), Tax (Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne)
Área: Corporate/M&A, Banking and Payment Systems, Capital Markets, Corporate Finance, Food and Agribusiness, Commercial Contracts, and International Business Transactions José Romeu Amaral is one of the founding partners and head of Corporate/M&A and Capital Markets area. His practice is diverse, with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions and energy projects in Latin America. He has also represented clients in transactions in the Middle East, Europe and Asia. Mr. Amaral has recently represented Brazil Wind S.A. in connection with the sale of its equity stake in BW Guirapá I to Ferbasa S.A.; Centrales Hidroelectricas de Centroamerica in its sale of Centrales Hidroelectricas de Nicaragua to Disnorte; Rouar S.A. (Uruguay) in its financing structure; Magazine Luiza on corporate law and in its shareholders meetings; Vale Fertilizantes S.A. on corporate law; Unyleya Editora e Cursos S.A. in many M&A transactions. Mr. Amaral is Professor at Insper on Corporate Finance Law, Corporate Law, and Capital Markets. He received a Master Degree from University of Sao Paulo in 2014, a LLM from Northwester Pritzker School of Law in 2008, a LLM in Corporate Law from Mackenzie University in 2005, and a MBA from Unicamp in 2004. He has written many articles and books about Corporate Law and Capital Markets. He published a book about the "Legal Regime of Debentures", and articles about "Commercial Paper", "Concept of Public Offering as Securities", "Protection of Creditors in the Sociedade Anônima", "Quorum in the Sociedades Limitadas", "Shareholders´rights", and many others. Recently, Mr. Amaral has been working as an international expert for the Reform of the Mozambique Commercial Code, which is supported by the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Trade of Mozambique, and the U.S. Agency for International Development. Mr. Amaral is the executive officer and member of the Editorial Board of the Corporate and Securities Law Journal, as well as the member of the Brazilian Institute of Corporate Law.
Services: Banking, Corporate, Legal Services, Mergers & Acquisitions