“Government procurement attorney” (yurist po goszakupkam) does not appear in any academic degree. Yet these are the professionals who resolve the issues on which a contract — and an entire business — may depend.
The Distinctive Nature of Government Procurement
Public contracting involves billions of rubles annually: the Crimean Bridge, infrastructure for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the Vostochny Cosmodrome, pharmaceuticals for the public health system. A fixed roster of electronic trading platforms, a steadily growing field of competitors.
How government procurement differs from ordinary commercial activity:
- Counterparties are selected on a competitive basis (the principal criterion is price)
- A signed contract may be modified only on a narrow set of grounds
- The contracting authority holds a right of unilateral termination (on grounds provided in the Civil Code)
- Protection of competition is mandatory: goods must have market equivalents
- Public oversight is exercised by numerous control bodies in each region
- Violations expose both the contracting authority and the participant to administrative and criminal liability
What a Government Procurement Attorney Is
This is not a recent law school graduate. A skilled specialist has practical experience in all three roles: contracting authority, procurement participant, and supervisory body. Only then do they understand the logic of the entire system.
Veritas attorneys have worked in government procurement for many years and develop practical guidance based on real cases — including construction contracts, which account for more than half of all our disputes in this area.
What We Offer
Regional Representation in the Urals
Moscow and St. Petersburg companies frequently participate in Urals-based tenders. For efficient on-the-ground representation, they need a local attorney. We represent participants and contracting authorities before the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS), courts at all levels, in negotiations, and at goods acceptance — and are available to travel anywhere in the Urals region.
Modern electronic systems of the arbitration courts and videoconference technology make remote representation no less effective than personal attendance.
Retainer Arrangement
Maintaining a dedicated government procurement specialist on staff is expensive. A retainer agreement with Veritas gives you access to a government procurement attorney as needed: even a plan covering ten matters per month provides full legal coverage. Our team also includes specialists in civil, labor, and land law.
One-Time Consultations
Government procurement is unpredictable — a question can arise at any moment. An oral or written consultation on a specific situation costs far less than the consequences of a mistake. We are also approached by in-house attorneys at organizations who lack specialized expertise in this area.
Procurement in Construction
This is our flagship practice: more than half of all our procurement consultations and disputes involve construction contracts. Restrictions on modifying scope, acceptance of completed work, pre-litigation claims — we know the specifics of this field from the inside.
Won a tender and run into problems during performance? Or planning to participate and want to assess the risks? Contact us — we will provide an assessment promptly. In government procurement, timing is everything.