Important Changes to the Real Estate Registration Procedure Effective March 1, 2025
Starting March 1, 2025, Federal Law No. 487 will come into force, introducing mandatory electronic interaction for legal entities with Rosreestr (the Federal Service for State Registration, Cadastre, and Cartography) when submitting applications for cadastral registration and rights registration. Exceptions include transactions involving individuals (except shared construction agreements, DDU), and some legal entities allowed to use paper applications until 2026. The law also requires mandatory registration of land plot boundaries in the Unified State Register of Real Estate (EGRN) for transactions involving those plots and buildings located on them.
Remote Participation in General Meetings of LLC Members
Starting March 1, 2025, new requirements for holding general meetings of limited liability company (LLC) members come into effect: in-person participation must be ensured unless otherwise specified in the charter; meeting notifications must include procedures for remote participation and identification; broadcasting and recording of meetings is mandatory; voting will be deemed invalid in case of technical failures (Federal Law No. 287-FZ).
Appointment and Termination of Sole Executive Body in LLCs Under Presidential Decree No. 618
The Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation clarified that the procedure for transactions in LLCs set out by Presidential Decree No. 618 of September 8, 2022, does not apply to the appointment or termination of powers of the sole executive body (general director, president) of an LLC under the Labor Code. However, to conclude a contract by a commercial organization or individual entrepreneur to transfer the powers of the sole executive body of an LLC, approval from the Government Commission is still required.
Russian Court Denied Enforcement of Arbitration Award Due to Claimant's Unfriendly Status
The Arbitration Court of the Novosibirsk Region refused to recognize and enforce the decision of the Singapore arbitration tribunal in a case between Estonian company AMSTRADshipping OU and Russian JSC "Novosibirskhleboprodukt". The court justified its refusal by stating that the claimant is registered in an unfriendly jurisdiction — Estonia — which, according to the court, violates the public order of the Russian Federation. This approach contradicts a recent position of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, which previously indicated that legality and substantiation of claims are more important than the claimant’s country of origin.
Intellectual Property Court Upheld Termination of Legal Protection for Ericsson Trademarks
On February 12, 2025, the Intellectual Property Court dismissed the cassation appeal of Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson and upheld the decision on early termination of legal protection for the company’s trademarks in Russia. The claim was filed by LLC "R-Klimat" on the basis of non-use of the trademarks in relation to heating, cooling, and ventilation devices (Class 11 of the Nice Classification). Ericsson failed to prove actual use of the trademarks during the prescribed three-year period. The court also rejected the company’s arguments regarding obstacles to use, including sanctions, and allegations of the claimant’s bad faith.