International businesses
“We need to resolve a dispute with a Russian partner and understand our options.”
Commercial contracts, debt recovery, negotiations and representation.
INDEPENDENT COUNSEL · ARBITRATOR · ADVOCATE (RUSSIA)
International
perspective.
Russian expertise.
International arbitration, litigation and commercial disputes.
Advice informed by the transactions behind them.
International arbitrationRussian litigationNegotiation & settlement
01 / YOUR MATTER
Where do you
need help?
A dispute rarely arrives with a simple label. Start with the situation you face.
Who I work with01“Our counterparty is not performing.”+
Unpaid invoices, withheld payments, undelivered goods or disputed obligations under a commercial contract.
Assess the position, negotiate a solution and pursue a claim where needed.
COMMERCIAL DISPUTES · SETTLEMENT02“We face an international arbitration.”+
You need to bring or defend a claim, assess an arbitration agreement or decide how to proceed.
Strategic advice and representation through the arbitral proceedings, with enforcement in view.
INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL ARBITRATION03“We need to bring or defend a claim in Russia.”+
A Russian court dispute requires local legal expertise and representation.
Assess jurisdiction and available remedies, prepare the case and represent your interests before Russian state courts.
RUSSIAN COURT LITIGATION04“We need someone to act for us in Russia.”+
You need assistance dealing with a Russian commercial counterparty or public authority.
Advice on the matter, preparation of correspondence and submissions, and representation within an agreed mandate.
LOCAL REPRESENTATION05“Our investment or assets are at risk.”+
A shareholder dispute, a conflict involving Russian assets, or a judgment or award that requires enforcement.
Evaluate remedies and practical recovery prospects, and coordinate the steps needed to protect your position.
SHAREHOLDER DISPUTES · RECOGNITION & ENFORCEMENT06“Can we resolve this without going to court?”+
You want to recover a debt, agree an exit or preserve a business relationship through settlement.
Prepare and conduct negotiations, represent you in mediation and document the agreed terms.
PRE-COURT NEGOTIATION · MEDIATION REPRESENTATION07“We need to appoint an arbitrator.”+
Parties, counsel and institutions need an independent arbitrator with Russian and cross-border experience.
I accept appointments as arbitrator in international proceedings and in Russia. See my arbitrator profile →
ARBITRATOR APPOINTMENTS08“A criminal investigation in Russia affects us.”+
An international business or non-Russian individual needs English-language advice and defence coordination in Russian criminal proceedings.
I assess the business and cross-border context and, where appropriate, assemble a team with experienced Russian criminal-law advocates.
CRIMINAL-LAW ADVICE · DEFENCE COORDINATION02 / WHO I HELP
Your business.
Your advisers.
Direct support.
I work with international clients and their legal advisers on cross-border disputes and matters requiring Russian legal expertise.
Alexander DolyaRussian Advocate · LL.M. · FCIArb
Investors & shareholders
“We need to protect our position in a company or recover assets.”
Shareholder disputes, Russian assets and enforcement matters.
Law firms & in-house counsel
“We need Russian counsel or additional support in an international dispute.”
Focused local advice, representation and coordination with your legal team.
Parties, counsel & institutions
“We need an independent arbitrator with Russian and cross-border experience.”
Corporate and transactional experience, with an understanding of the commercial context of disputes. Appointment enquiries →
03 / MY APPROACH
A strategy with
a practical
purpose.
The starting point is what you need to achieve: recovery, protection, an agreed exit or a workable commercial relationship.
Discuss your objective ↗Understand your position.
Assess the facts, evidence and applicable law, then explain the available options and material risks.
Plan around your objective.
Choose the steps that best serve your objective, from negotiations and interim measures to arbitration or court proceedings.
Keep resolution in view.
Consider settlement, costs, timing and practical enforcement from the outset, and reassess as the matter develops.
Every strategy is grounded in the facts, evidence and applicable law.
Tell me briefly about the matter and any urgent deadline.
enquiry@dolya.pro ↗04 / SELECTED EXPERIENCE
The work
behind the advice.
Disputes, corporate transactions and investments. Selected examples from my practice.
Descriptions are kept general to preserve client confidentiality.
Discuss a similar matterCorporate control dispute
Represented a client in a cross-border dispute over control of an asset valued in the tens of millions of US dollars. The client secured control and subsequently completed a sale of the asset.
Asset protection and international restructuring
Represented a client in a dispute involving asset protection, international restructuring and litigation across several jurisdictions. Freezing counterparty assets helped secure a prompt settlement of one part of the dispute. The wider dispute was subsequently settled on terms securing the client’s financial interests.
Corporate consolidation
Led the legal work on the successful consolidation of more than ten operating companies into a single company with a regional branch structure and tens of thousands of shareholders.
International acquisition exceeding US$1 billion
Acted as lead legal counsel on a cross-border project involving the acquisition and delivery of industrial equipment, with a total value exceeding US$1 billion.
Investment structuring
Advised a client on the structuring of a cross-border investment involving several hundred million euros.
05 / ARBITRATOR APPOINTMENTS
A commercial
perspective.
I accept appointments as an arbitrator in international proceedings and in Russia.
Enquire about an appointment Professional backgroundMy work in corporate transactions and disputes gives me an understanding of both the agreements parties make and the disagreements that can follow.
- Commercial context
- Commercial contracts, shareholder relationships, mergers and acquisitions, and cross-border investments.
- Professional foundation
- More than 30 years across consulting, private practice and senior in-house legal roles. Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators; LL.M. with distinction, University of Manchester.
- Appointment enquiries
- Please include the names of the parties and counsel, the nature of the dispute and any relevant timetable, so that availability and potential conflicts can be considered.
06 / ABOUT
About Alexander Dolya
I am a Russian advocate focusing on international arbitration and litigation, particularly in matters involving Russia. I advise and represent clients in disputes and also accept appointments as an arbitrator.
My career spans more than 30 years across consulting, partnership roles in law firms, and senior in-house legal positions. Much of that experience has been in corporate and transactional work, including mergers and acquisitions.
That background informs how I approach disputes. Having worked on transactions as well as contentious matters, I understand how agreements are negotiated, why particular risks are accepted, and the business decisions behind the legal arguments.
I work with businesses, investors and their legal advisers. Depending on the matter, that may involve assessing a dispute, negotiating a resolution, representing a client in proceedings, or coordinating the Russian aspects of a wider international case.
Clients deal directly with me. I aim to give clear advice on the available options, explain the practical difficulties, and agree on the next steps.
I hold an LL.M. with distinction from the University of Manchester and am a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.
07 / PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
Built through
practice.
Experience in private practice and senior in-house roles provides both a disputes perspective and an understanding of commercial decision-making.
QUALIFICATIONS
LL.M. with distinction, University of Manchester
Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
Advocate, Bar Association of the City of Moscow
DZ Group · Moscow
Advocate; Head of International Dispute Resolution Practice
Burlingtons · London / Moscow
Head of Russian Practice
Juris Law Office · Moscow
Partner
International and in-house foundation
PricewaterhouseCoopers; Head of Legal roles at SUN Interbrew and Gamma Group Investment Bank
08 / ARTICLES
Writing &
perspectives.
Practical perspectives on international disputes and Russian legal matters.
View all articles →· ALEXANDER DOLYA
Serving Foreign Judicial Documents in Russia in 2026
Practical options for U.S. and other foreign proceedings
Read article →09 / DZ GROUP
Independent counsel.
The right team.
I am a member of the Moscow Collegium of Advocates “Dictatura Zakona” (DZ Group) and Head of its International Dispute Resolution Practice.
You instruct your advocate.
Your engagement identifies the advocate responsible for your matter. Membership of the Collegium supports administration and professional cooperation while preserving independent judgment and your freedom of choice.
Your matter determines the team.
When another specialism is required, I can involve an appropriate advocate from DZ Group or elsewhere in Russia, subject to your instructions and the needs of the case.
Language, business context and Russian defence.
For criminal investigations or proceedings involving international businesses or non-Russian individuals, I provide the English-language interface and commercial perspective and can coordinate with experienced Russian criminal-law advocates, including DZ Group colleagues with law-enforcement and supervisory backgrounds.
ONE POINT OF CONTACTIndependent advice. A team selected for your matter.Discuss a Russia-related matter ↗