From Cologne to Moscow, such is the path followed by our member Thomas Brand. After a childhood experience in the Russian capital, an adult Thomas was able to rebond with Moscow when he became one of the leading legal council to foreign investors there. Here are his insights and advice for anyone willing to follow in his footsteps.
Who are you, Thomas?
I am a German lawyer, but I have been practicing Russian law in Moscow for almost 16 years. In my lawfirm, we mostly advise German-speaking clients investing in Russia. I have a team of 14 lawyers, mostly Russian but all of them are also able to speak German and English. Our focus is really on foreign investors.
How did it happen?
This is a lifelong story! My father was a journalist and he worked as correspondent for a German television channel in Moscow for four years, between 1978 and 1984. I was a child at the time and I was living with him in Moscow, where I acquired some proficiency in Russian language. My family then came back to Germany where I studied law in the University of Bonn. During my student years, I remembered how I used to speak Russian as a child and I decided to refresh my knowledge of this language. Then, I was offered an internship in a lawfirm in Moscow, which I accepted. Back in Germany, I started practicing law in a firm in Cologne. They had an office in Moscow and, in 1998, asked me if I wanted to be transferred there. I accepted, and I subsequently worked for other German lawfirms in the Russian capital. In 2009, I decided to open my own lawfirm.
What do you like the most about your work in Moscow?
It is a very interesting market, and a very huge one too. Russia is an immense country with a big population. Even if it is going through some hard times economically and politically, it remains a massive market. There are many German companies in Russia. Their chairmen enjoy the opportunity to speak with me in their native language about local issues, business, the tax system, etc. There is something about a common language that brings more trust. As a foreign lawyer, I have an advantage over Russian lawyers when it comes to work with German firms.
I also identified a need for foreign investors to have an accountant they trust, so I created a sister company, KDK Accounting, which offers bookkeeping services to my clients.
What is your advice to a lawyer who would like to settle in a foreign country?
Obviously, you need very good language skills. But there is more than just knowing the local language, you need a deep understanding of the culture of the country you are moving to. You must be able to do more than translate local rules, you must be able to, let's say, transfer them to your client. A Russian lawyer could learn German and translate his work to a German investor, but I can do more: because I know how German people think, I can explain the Russian legal system to them with a vocabulary, with examples, and analogies, that are familiar to them.
