Natalia Aristova
B1 Partner Moscow
Legal Services. Expert in corporate, finance and banking law, sanctions compliance, energy and environmental law
Professional experience
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Natalia joined the firm’s Moscow office in 2007 and was promoted to partner in 2022
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She has developed a sanctions compliance practice at B1 and has gained a wealth of experience dealing with EU, US and UK sanctions as well as sanctions imposed by other countries
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Natalia’s clients include large Russian and international companies across multiple sectors, such as oil & gas, mining, power, commodities and FMCG
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She has a proven track record of large complex projects, including the legal due diligence of an energy company’s assets ahead of a deal with one of Russia’s biggest petrochemical corporations and an internal in-depth review of a major domestic energy market player
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Natalia has unique experience conducting legal due diligence of power suppliers, grid companies and power retailers
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She has unparalleled expertise in climate regulation, from issuing to monetizing carbon credits
Competencies
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Sanctions and compliance
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Corporate law and transaction support
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Legal due diligence
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Reorganization and restructuring at the group level
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Energy and environmental law
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Occupational health and safety and licensing
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Government support (special investment contracts, investment protection and promotion agreements, etc.)
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Banking and financial services consulting (banks, microfinance institutions, AML/CFT, etc.)
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Corporate governance optimization/shared services center (SSC)
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Carbon and climate law
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Extended producer responsibility (ERP)
Education
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Graduate of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) with a major in Law
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Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy (CEPMLP), Dundee, UK, master’s degree in Energy Law
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Natalia has been recognized in the Pravo-300 individual ranking of lawyers in the following categories: Natural Resources / Energy, Environmental Law, Sanctions Law
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Extended producer responsibility (EPR): what has changed since 1 January 2026 and how it affects businesses
Federal Law No. 495-FZ of 28 December 2025 “On Amendments to Article 29¹ of the Federal Law ‘On Production and Consumption Waste’ and Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation” (“Law No. 495-FZ”) was enacted on 31 December 2025 to introduce the new EPR transition timeline for importers from non-EAEU countries.
14.01.2026
New U.S. sanctions
On 22 October 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a press release announcing the imposition of new sanctions against Russia. Below is an overview of the new restrictions and licenses.
27.10.2025
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Changes in the regulation of the security of critical information infrastructure (CII)
In 2025, Federal Law No. 187-FZ “On the Security of Critical Information Infrastructure of the Russian Federation” dated 26 July 2017 was significantly amended to strengthen CII technology independence and security. The amendments, introduced by Federal Law No. 58-FZ dated 7 April 2025 (effective 1 September 2025) and Federal Law No. 325-FZ dated 31 July 2025 (effective 1 March 2026), determine CII entities and establish new obligations for them. We highlight the key developments that require companies to promptly adapt their approaches to categorizing CII facilities and building the software mix.
20.10.2025
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Overview of potential restrictions resulting from the 19th EU sanctions package
On 19 September 2025 the European Commission presented member states of the European Union with proposals for a 19th package of sanctions against Russia. At the time of writing the package has not yet been approved by the EU Council and its scope and content remain under discussion. Below is a brief summary of the proposed measures based on public statements made by the EU Commission and individual EU officials as well as information available in the mass media as of 7 October.
07.10.2025
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The Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia is preparing a draft decree to increase environmental fee rates
In early June 2025, Kommersant and RBC reported that the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia was in the process of drafting a government decree proposing increases in the basic rates of the environmental fee (eco-fee) from 2026. The document envisages severalfold increases in eco-fee rates for almost all categories of goods and packaging – depending on the item, rates may go up between 3 and 18 times.
11.06.2025
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Overview of the 17th package of EU sanctions
On 20 May 2025, the EU Council adopted the 17th package of sanctions against Russia. The new measures are primarily aimed at the activities of the so-called "shadow fleet" used to transport Russian oil. In particular, 189 vessels have been added to the list of ships banned from entering the ports of EU member states. In addition, a new EU Regulation has been adopted to counter Russia’s destabilizing actions abroad.
26.05.2025
Draft amendments to strengthen control over foreign investment in "strategic" assets published
The Federal Anti-Monopoly Service has drafted amendments to current laws aimed at strengthening control over foreign investments in business entities and assets of strategic importance for national defense and state security in accordance with Law No. 57-FZ of April 29, 2008 "On the Procedure for Making Foreign Investments in Business Entities of Strategic Importance for Ensuring National Defense and State Security".
23.04.2025
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Sanctions pressure and prosecution risks: important considerations for Russian companies and their employees
There has recently been an increase in regulatory pressure exerted by the EU in terms of monitoring compliance with European sanctions, including by Russian companies controlled by European entities. This may create additional prosecution risks both for the Russian subsidiaries themselves and, especially, for their employees, including senior executives, who are often forced to take foreign sanctions restrictions into account in their activities.
11.04.2025
Taxis under SPIC rules: new localization requirements
Bill No. 481272-8 (amendments to Federal Law No. 580-FZ “Concerning the Organization of the Transport of Passengers and Baggage by Taxi…”), which proposes to toughen the requirements for vehicles used in taxi services, is about to undergo a second reading. The bill was initially submitted to the State Duma in January 2024 but was later sent back for revision. The official text of the amendments has not been published, but the key provisions were disclosed in press. Below is a summary of the possible key changes and their potential impact on the industry.
28.03.2025
Increased responsibility of EU operators to ensure that Russian companies under their control comply with restrictive measures
On 24 June 2024 the EU passed a 14th package of sanctions which significantly increased the responsibility of EU companies to ensure that Russian companies under their control comply with restrictive measures. Specifically, the newly inserted Article 8a of Council Regulation (EU) 833/2014 requires such companies to undertake their best efforts to ensure that their subsidiaries outside the EU do not participate in activities that undermine the application of restrictive measures imposed by the EU. However, the Regulation does not specify precisely what measures must be taken to comply with these requirements, thus causing uncertainty as to what actions may be considered adequate from an EU law perspective.
16.12.2024
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