Laura M. Brank
Partner | London | Washington, D.C.
Laura M. Brank

Laura Brank is a corporate and finance lawyer focused on emerging markets transactions. Over the past 30 years, Ms. Brank has advised multinational corporations, investment funds, banks and multilateral institutions, as well as high net worth individuals, on complex cross-border corporate and finance transactions, as well as on corporate governance and compliance matters across the emerging markets, with a particular focus on Eastern Europe and Central Asia. She has extensive experience in the mining and energy, TMT, life science and manufacturing sectors. Previously, Ms. Brank was the managing partner of Dechert’s Moscow office and remains head of its Russia Practice. Since February 2022, she has acted for dozens of companies exiting the Russian market through third party sales, management buyouts or liquidation of assets. 

Ms. Brank has been recognized in Chambers, ILFR1000, Best Lawyers and Who’s Who Legal and has been named to Legal 500’s “Hall of Fame” in the areas of corporate governance, M&A, finance and compliance. She was the recipient of both M&A Today and Lawyer International’s Commercial, Corporate and M&A Advisor of the Year – 2020 awards. Chambers Europe has variously praised her ability to "see[s] things from the investor's point of view" and her "pragmatic, business-oriented and astute advice", noting that she is “one of the best-known corporate lawyers in the market”, who is “quick and pragmatic, skilful at negotiating positions and good at proposing excellent solutions.” She has also been named in IFLR1000’s Women Leaders and in Legal Media Group’s Banking, Finance and Transactional Guide and the Guide to the World’s Leading Women in Business Law. She has also been listed in Euromoney’s Expert Guides for Women in Business Law and Mergers and Acquisitions. Ms. Brank has also been recognized in The Lawyer’s Hot 100 survey in the area of M&A, a list of 100 lawyers to have excelled in their respective fields. She was also recognized with the 2014 Leadership Award for her significant contributions to cross-border M&A by M&A Advisor. 

Ms. Brank sits on several boards, including the Global Leaders Assembly Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes constructive engagement across borders on global challenges, which she also helped to found together with other graduates from Georgetown University’s Master of Science in Foreign Service program.  She is a member of the executive committee and the board of directors of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia and also served as a director on the U.S.-Russia Business Council's Board of Directors from 2010 and was a member of its executive committee through 2023 until the Council was dissolved.

  • IPG Photonics on the sale of IRE-Polus, its wholly owned subsidiary in Russia, to a company owned by Softline Projects LLC and former management, for $51 million which involved numerous regulatory approvals, both in and outside of Russia.
  • Barn BV on the sale of RN Bank to a Russian buyer which required approval by the Russian president. 
  • RCI Bank & Services on the sale of its leasing operations in Russia to a Russian buyer.
  • PPG Industries on its divestiture of its three companies in Russia manufacturing industrial paint products.
  • Arconic, a US-listed light weight metals engineering and manufacturing company, on the sale of several Russian companies to a Russian buyer, the purchase price of which was guaranteed by a Swiss entity.
  • European Bank of Reconstruction and Development on numerous transactions over the years including its recent disposal of shares in a Dutch SPV and an investment in a Polish company.
  • Kinross Gold on numerous M&A deals in emerging markets in the Former Soviet Union and in South America with a combined total value of over US$4 billion, including its recent divestiture of all of its Russian holdings, one of the first transactions approved of by a newly formed Russian Government Commission. 
  • Samsonite, a major US retailer and manufacturer, on its successful exit from the Russian market via a sale to management.
  • ABBYY Plc on its cross-border acquisition of TimelinePI Inc., a software company that provides a process intelligence platform empowering users to understand, optimize and monitor business processes.
  • A leading global business consulting firm on a highly complicated management buyout by partners in its Russian subsidiary.
  • An international business travel management company on the sale of its travel services business in Russia to a Russian buyer.
  • A leading European satellite provider on a joint venture with a Russian partner.
  • A private investment company on its divestiture of a significant stake in an oil and gas joint venture company.
  • PepsiCo and the Pepsi Bottling Group on several acquisitions, including on its US$1.4 billion acquisition of a 75.53% stake in JSC Lebedyansky, a juice producer in Russia.
  • Mechel, the Russian metals and mining conglomerate, on its sale of Bluestone Coal Corporation, a U.S. coal mining company.
  • Update on the Sanctions Landscape – Overview of Recent US and UK sanctions – AEB (Association of European Businesses) webinar (2 July 2024)
  • Sanctions Update - webinar - AmCham (The American Chamber of Commerce in Russia) (18 June 2024)
  • Regulatory enforcement on Russia sanctions from an EU, UK and US perspective – C5 European Forum on Global Economic Sanctions (5 June 2024)
  • How to do business better along the Middle Corridor – The 8th Annual Trans-Caspian Forum (21 May 2024)
  • Crisis update: Sanctions and Countermeasures. Update on the Sanctions Landscape – AEB (Association of European Businesses) webinar "US Sanctions: Overview of Recent OFAC and BIS Actions" (27 March 2024)
  • Panel discussion: Freedom from Cultural Bias – From Cultural Competence to Cultural Humility? – CPR Institute: 2024 Annual Meeting (6 March 2024)
  • Sanctions Update, Review of US and EU Sanctions - Update on US sanctions against Russia – AmCham Russia in conjunction with CCI France Russie (4 March 2024)
  • Russia Sanctions and Exiting Russia - Navigating the complex and everchanging Russia sanctions landscape – Joint seminar with Gorrissen Federspiel in Copenhagen (23 February 2024)
  • Crisis Update: Sanctions and Countermeasures - Latest US Sanctions  – AEB webinar (26 December 2023)
  • Sanctions Update, Latest US Sanctions – AmCham Russia (22 November 2023) 
  • Panel: De-Globalization Impacts on Dealmaking: Challenges and opportunities in cross-border M&A – M&A Dealmakers Forum in New York. (20 September 2023)
  • Sanctions Update: Latest US sanctions and comments on the Canadian sanctions – AmCham Russia (3 August 2023)
  • Crisis update: Sanctions and Countermeasures. Update on the Sanctions Landscape – AEB (Association of European Businesses) webinar with Andris Ivanovs  “US Sanctions: Overview of OFAC and BIS Latest Actions” (5 July 2023)
  • Sanctions Update, Russia Sanctions: Recent Developments – AmCham Russia (5 June 2023)
  • Crisis update: Sanctions and Countermeasures. New in Presidential and Government Approvals – AEB (Association of European Businesses) webinar “OFAC View on Exit Tax” (26 April 2023)
  • Women, Influence & Power in Law UK (WIPL UK) Moderating Roundtable: Identifying and Developing M&A Soft Skills – ALM and Law.com International Conference (London) (8 March 2023)
  • Sanctions Update – AmCham Russia (25 January 2023)
  • Crisis update: Sanctions and Countermeasures. Update on the US and EU Sanctions Landscape – AEB (Association of European Businesses) webinar "US Sanctions: Overview of OFAC's Latest Regulations" (20 January 2023)
  • Understanding Risks related to Sanctions against Russia – AmCham Uzbekistan (Virtual Panel) (October 31, 2022)
  • Decoding Washington: Update on the U.S. Policy Debate and Sanctions Towards Russia – AEB webinar "Crisis Update: Sanctions and Countermeasures" (October 26, 2022)
  • Briefing on Russian related Sanctions and Exports – U.S.-Turkey Business Council's (October 6, 2022)
  • Russian Related Sanctions and Export Controls – AmCham Legal Committee (October 4, 2022)
  • Economic Review: Trends in the Current Reality / Russia's technical default: What does it mean? –  AmCham (July 6, 2022)
  • Navigating Russian Sanctions 2 – STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners) (June 24, 2022)
  • Russia Sanctions Panel - The impact of Russian counter sanctions – (Women in Investigations Network) (May 23, 2022)
  • Economic Sanctions Course for Pericles Center for International Legal Education (May – July 2022)
  • Navigating Russian Sanctions – STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners) (May 19, 2022)
  • New sanctions against Russia – AmCham Sanctions Briefing (April 13, 2022)
  • Sanctions Imposed on Russia – an update – Academy & Finance (April 12, 2022)
  • Crisis Update: Sanctions and Countermeasures – AEB (Association of European Businesses) (March 25, 2022)
  • MSFS & GLAF Panels on Economic Sanctions: Russia-Ukraine Crisis (March 22, 2022)
  • Russia/Ukraine Briefing Call – BCIU (Business Council for International Understanding) (March 3, 2022)
  • The geopolitical uncertainty and its possible consequences – AEB (Association of European Businesses) (February 4, 2022)
  • Sanctions Briefing – AmCham (January 19, 2022)
  • New US/EU and UK Sanctions on Russia – AmCham Geopolitical & Sanctions Briefing (February 24, 2022)
  • Economic Sanctions Course for Pericles Center for International Legal Education (November 8, 2021)
  • Sanctions Briefing – AmCham (October 28, 2021)
  • Latest Sanctions Developments and Their Impact on the Mining Sector – Mining Council: (Dechert Presentation at the 70th Online Meeting) (July 1, 2021)
  • Sanctions Briefing – AmCham (February 3, 2021)
  • CBW Sanctions Round 2 – AmCham Briefing (August 2019)
  • Compliance risk management in international trade and trade finance – ICC Russia seminar (June 20, 2019)
  • Identifying the source of wealth in the Russian context and strategies to avoid sanctions and risks for banks — Academy & Finance's Russia & CIS Private Clients Conference, Zurich (May 9-10, 2019)
  • Update on Sanctions – AmCham Board of Directors Meeting (March 30, 2019)
  • Business Briefing – RBCC (February 26, 2019)
  • WIOML Conference  — Sintra, Portugal (June 27, 2018)
  • Impact of recent U.S. sanctions on Russian oligarchs and top government officials, how to detect corruption and money laundering techniques used by PEPS,  and U.S. and UK investigations on financial institutions — Academy & Finance's Russian PEPS and Oligarchs Seminar, Zurich and Geneva (June 19-20, 2018)
  • Recent U.S. sanctions developments affecting Russian PEPs and oligarchs and what the consequences are in practice and what further steps are expected - Academy & Finance's Russia & CIS Private Clients Conference, Zurich (May 15-16, 2018)
  • U.S. sanctions - AmCham Russia Sanctions Briefing, Moscow (April 11, 2018)
  • U.S. Sanctions - AmCham Russia Sanctions Briefing, Moscow (January 31, 2018)
Services Industries
    • University of Maryland, Munich, B.A.
    • Georgetown University Law Center, J.D.
    • Georgetown University Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, M.S.
    • New York
    • District of Columbia
    • Registered Foreign Lawyer, England and Wales
    • English
    • Russian
    • Russian Arbitration Center at the Russian Institute of Modern Arbitration, Financial Disputes
    • American Chamber of Commerce in Russia, Board of Directors and Executive Committee
    • International Bar Association