Tax law and transfer pricing

Thomas joined the company in 2019 as Partner for legal and tax. Thomas is a German lawyer, ranked among top lawyers in franchising and is regularly included into the “Best Lawyers in Russia” rating. He specializes in manufacturing localization (greenfield & brownfield), joint ventures, M&A, franchising & distribution, bankruptcy and restructuring. Thomas advises businesses from a wide range of industries, including machinery, construction and engineering, automotive, logistics, chemicals, mining, energy and utilities, pharmaceuticals, food, real estate, agriculture, fashion, and IT. Prior to joining SCHNEIDER GROUP, he was Partner in the international law firm Noerr. He holds a doctorate in Law from Freie Universität Berlin. Thomas speaks German, English and Russian.

Sergey provides legal and tax advice to Belarusian and international businesses. He focuses on corporate and commercial law, taxation, business setup and restructuring, as well as investment projects and supports company clients in mergers and acquisitions. Prior to joining SCHNEIDER GROUP, Sergey worked for one of the Big Four companies in Belarus, where he gained significant experience in legal advice for clients in various industries, including construction, oil and gas, logistics and transportation, retail, pharmaceuticals and IT. Since 2006, Sergey has been collaborating with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the World Bank on the “Doing Business in...” project. Sergey has more than 15 years of professional experience. He is a licensed lawyer and tax consultant. Sergey speaks Russian, Belarusian and English.

Sofia joined the company in 2024 as Head of Tax & Currency Control Practice. She has over 10 years of experience in advising on various methodological issues of Russian and international legislation. Previously Sofia performed the same tasks in restructuring of large holding companies, including reorganisation of the holding structure, structure of financial, investment and other operations in order to optimise the tax burden. She has participated in projects to investigate company transactions to identify tax risks, in particular with respect to transactions involving the sale of shares / stakes, debt financing transactions, transactions with foreign group companies (concept of beneficial owner of income, tax residency), validity of costs for intra-group services, etc. She also participated in projects involving the investigation of tax risks. She graduated from Lomonosov Moscow State University with a degree in economics and management. Sofia speaks Russian and English.

Anna joined SCHNEIDER GROUP St. Petersburg office in 2020. She has more than 10 years of professional experience at the international law firms.  Anna is a leading legal advisor in St. Petersburg. She specialises in financial and tax planning and provides legal support in manufacturing and real estate investment projects, manufacturing localisation, and infrastructure projects. She advises SCHNEIDER GROUP’s clients on clients law, IT regulations, foreign trade and financing, M&A, and international legal agreements.  For many years, Anna  has been heading the legal & tax committee of the Association of European Businesses (AEB) in St. Petersburg. She participates in the tax and financial reporting committee of the German-Russian Chamber of Commerce (AHK). Anna has been ranked among Russia's top lawyers for 2025 by Rossiyskaya Gazeta and was recognized as one of the leaders in the "Tax Law" category. Anna was also recognized in Kommersant’s 2026 ranking of Russia’s top lawyers and was named a leader in the category “Tax Law: Tax Advisory.”  She graduated with a degree in Law from St. Petersburg University.

Irakli Pipia was appointed Head of the Tbilisi office in November 2024. He is responsible for the development and delivery of services provided by the local office, including accounting outsourcing, finance, tax and legal consulting, compliance, interim management, and business setup. Before joining SCHNEIDER GROUP, Irakli served as a Senior Associate at Dentons Georgia for more than seven years managing corporate, commercial, and real estate matters. Prior to that, he worked as an Associate at DLA Piper Georgia for almost ten years. His experience includes the acquisition and transfer of rights to land plots and buildings, leasing office premises, and registering rights to immovable and movable property (including the lease and registration of civil aircraft). He conducted pre-acquisition due diligence, secured various licenses and permits, and represented clients in establishing and liquidating subsidiaries and representative offices of foreign companies in Georgia. Irakli has extensive experience concerning corporate documentation for international clients seeking to establish their presence in Georgia. He advised clients ranging from local companies to some of the world’s largest multinational corporations on a wide range of legal matters. Irakli is recognized as a Notable Practitioner by IFLR 1000 (2024) and as a Rising Star in Commercial, Corporate and M&A, as well as Real Estate and Construction, by Legal 500 EMEA 2019 - 2024. He graduated from Tbilisi State University with a specialization in law and holds an LLM from Central European University (Hungary). Irakli speaks Georgian, English, and Russian.

Nilufar Khamidova joined SCHNEIDER GROUP in June 2025. She has over 17 years of professional experience in accounting and taxation, including in the energy, auto industry, consulting, and FMCG sectors. Before joining the company, she held senior roles at leading firms such as KPMG and AKSA Enerji, specializing in tax risk assessment, transaction support, and corporate restructuring. Nilufar is a certified tax consultant in the Republic of Uzbekistan and a member of the Chamber of Tax Consultants of the Republic of Uzbekistan, with extensive experience advising both local and international clients. She has rich experience in conducting tax due diligence for M&A transactions, supporting investors throughout all deal stages — from pre-transaction planning to post-deal integration. Nilufar holds a Master’s degree in Economics from the Tashkent State University of Economics. She is fluent in Russian, English, and Uzbek.

Mariya joined SCHNEIDER GROUP in 2018. She advises the company's clients on local and international taxation, provides accounting and tax review services, assists SCHNEIDER GROUP’s clients during tax audits, supports them with filing appeals for tax refunds, reviews and drafts investment agreements.  Mariya has more than 15 years of professional experience, including working at PwC. She earned her master's degree in Business Administration from KIMEP University.

Olga began working for the company in 2015. She is an expert in international taxation with almost 10 years of professional experience gained in consulting companies in Russia and Germany. Olga advises Russian and international businesses on cross-border investment, corporate and indirect taxation, personal taxation, transfer pricing, international tax planning and structuring. Olga holds a degree in Taxation, Audit and International Taxation from Universität Hamburg in Germany. She is certified tax consultant of the Moscow Chamber of Tax Consultants since 2011. Olga speaks German, Russian and English.