Criminal Defense Firm
a.kasatkin@criminaldefense.ru
2002 Moscow University of Consumer Cooperation, First-Class Honours.
2020 Department of Higher Professional Education at the All-Russian State University of Justice (RLA of the Ministry of Justice of Russia), Mediation.
20 years’ investigations and defence experience in business, corruption, and white-collar criminal cases, including 8 years working in the Public Prosecution Service of the Russian Federation and the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation.
2014–2019 Co-Founder and Senior Partner at ZKS Law Firm.
2020 – Alexey withdrew from ZKS and founded Criminal Defense Firm along with Alexey Novikov and other partners.
Expertise:
- Defending and representing individuals and legal entities
- Defending business against law enforcement agencies at the pre-court stages of criminal proceedings, including pre-investigation checks and unscheduled inspections
- Protecting businesses from fraud and illegal takeovers
- Employing mediation to resolve disputes.
Member of the RF Ministry of Economic Development Expert Board for Reducing Business-Related Criminal Law Risks, Expert of Centre for Criminal Law and Enforcement of Court Orders of Business Russia, an All-Russia Public Organization, member of the Advisory Board of the Federation Council’s Committee for Constitutional Legislation and State Building on Criminal Law, Criminal Proceedings, Penal and Administrative Law, Leading Expert of Moscow Business Rights Commissioner Pro Bono Publico.
Receipt of awards and commendations from the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation (2004) and the Chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation (2010). Member of the Moscow Chamber of Advocates since 2011.
Alexey Kasatkin holds his position in the Best Lawyers rating in Criminal Defense. He also entered Band II of Pravo.ru-300 recommended lawyers ranking in nomination ‘Criminal Law’, and Kommersant Best Lawyers ranking in Criminal Law: White-Collar Crimes.
Alexey’s select project experience:
- Defending a civil servant accused of abuse of office in the performance of the Ministry of Health state programme funded by regional and federal budgets of over 1 bn rubles.
- Defending interests of an ex-head of one of the military strategic enterprises of the Russian Federation accused of accepting a bribe and items of corrupt payment in the performance of state procurement on over 8 bn rubles.
- Defending a businessman accused of accepting a commercial bribe in an especially large amount in a criminal case initiated by the opponents in order to possess assets on over 4 bn rubles.
- Defending a co-owner of a high-net business accused of embezzlement in an especially large amount. The advocate secured the termination of the criminal case on the basis of an absence of corpus delicti.
- Defending the general director of a medium-sized business alleged to have embezzled a significant amount of funds in the performance of a government contract. Following complaints by the defence with regard to interim measures, the decision on seizure of assets was reversed. The criminal case was referred for further investigation.
- Defending a local politician with a medium-sized business wrongly accused of two instances of embezzlement of a significant amount of money (in excess of 100 million roubles). The defence succeeded in having his actions requalified as less serious offences and reducing the penalty to a fine of 80,000 roubles.
- Defending an advocate wrongfully accused of embezzlement in an especially large amount. The defence’s actions resulted in a restraining order in the form of long-term custody being changed to house arrest, and then to travel restrictions. The prosecutor remanded the criminal case twice to redress infringements. The legal support has been provided pro bono for three years now.
- Defending a former law enforcement officer wrongfully accused of extortion in an especially large amount in collusion with a group. The defence’s appeal resulted in the Presidium of the Moscow City Court reversing the guilty verdict, the case was remanded to the prosecutor. The legal support has been provided pro bono for five years.
- Defending a law enforcement operating officer alleged to have embezzled budget funds in an especially large amount (over 1 bn rubles) in collusion with a group.
- Representing the victim of a legal entity’s criminal actions (damages in excess of 100 million roubles). The defence’s persistent and aggressive strategy resulted in the case being referred to a superior investigative authority and the escalation of the investigation.