Varun Gupta’s practice focuses on U.S. and international capital markets transactions, cross-border mergers and acquisitions and general corporate matters. As a U.S.-qualified attorney based in Moscow since 2003, Mr. Gupta has played a leading role in the development of the Russian equity capital market through his work on various landmark IPOs, including listings of leading Russian companies on the New York Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange.

Mr. Gupta has been recognized as a leading capital markets lawyer in Russia by legal directories such as Chambers Global, Legal 500, IFLR1000, PLC Which Lawyer?, Best Lawyers and Vedomosti newspaper.

Mr. Gupta’s major equity capital markets transactions include representing—

• Mechel, a leading mining and metals group, on its $528 million SEC-registered offering of preferred shares on RTS/MICEX
• Federal Grid Company, the operator of Russia’s national unified electricity transmission grid system, on its listing of GDRs on the London Stock Exchange
• Mechel on its $251 million SEC-registered IPO and listing of preferred shares in the form of ADRs on the New York Stock Exchange
• Renaissance Capital and VTB Capital as joint bookrunners on the $200 million IPO and listing of preferred shares on RTS/MICEX of Bank Saint Petersburg, one of the largest banks in the Northwest region of Russia
• Deutsche Bank and Renaissance Capital as joint bookrunners on the $365 million IPO and listing on RTS/MICEX of M.video, a leading Russian consumer electronics retail chain
• Deutsche Bank and Renaissance Capital as joint bookrunners on the $274 million IPO and listing on RTS/MICEX of Bank Saint Petersburg Sitronics, a leading provider of telecommunications, information technology and microelectronic solutions in Russia and the CIS, on its $402 million IPO and listing on the London Stock Exchange
• VTB Bank, Russia’s second-largest bank, on its $8 billion IPO and listing on the London Stock Exchange
• Sistema-Hals, a real estate development company, on its $432 million IPO and listing on the London Stock Exchange
• Comstar–United TeleSystems, a leading supplier of integrated telecommunication solutions in Russia and the CIS, on its $1.06 billion IPO and listing on the London Stock Exchange
• Novatek, Russia’s largest independent gas producer, on its $966 million IPO and listing on the London Stock Exchange
• Sistema, the largest public diversified financial corporation in Russia and the CIS, on its $1.56 billion IPO and listing on the London Stock Exchange
• Mechel Steel Group, a leading mining and metals group, on its $335 million SEC-registered IPO and listing on the New York Stock Exchange
• The Seventh Continent, one of the largest supermarket chains in Russia, on its $80 million IPO and listing on RTS
• Kalina, a leading Russian cosmetics producer, on its $52 million IPO and listing on MICEX
• Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods, the largest manufacturer of dairy products and a leading producer of juices and beverages in Russia and the CIS, on the establishment of a Regulation S GDR facility and sale of $32 million in GDRs.

Mr. Gupta’s major debt capital markets transactions include representing—

• Citi, Goldman Sachs and UBS as joint lead managers on dual currency $500 million and €700 million Rule 144A/Regulation S Eurobond issues by Transneft, the operator of Russia’s national oil pipeline network, listed on the Irish Stock Exchange
• Sistema on its $3 billion Rule 144A/Regulation S Guaranteed Debt Program, listed on the London Stock Exchange
• Sitronics on its Regulation S offering of $200 million 7.875% notes due 2009, listed on the London Stock Exchange
• Mobile TeleSystems, the leading telecommunications group in Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, on its Rule 144A/Regulation S offering of $400 million 8.00% notes, listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange
• Sistema on its Rule 144A/Regulation S offering of $350 million 8.875% senior notes, listed on the London Stock Exchange
• Mobile TeleSystems on its Rule 144A/Regulation S offering of $300 million floating rate notes, listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange
• Mobile TeleSystems on its Rule 144A/Regulation S offering of $400 million 8.375% notes, listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange.

Mr. Gupta’s major corporate/M&A transactions include representing—

• Russian private equity fund on an investment into a U.S. biotech startup
• Sistema on the sale of a 25% interest in its subsidiary Detsky Mir, through an additional share issue, to Sberbank for RUB 3.4 billion
• Interros on a shareholders' agreement with Société Générale in relation to their respective shareholdings in Rosbank, the largest privately owned bank in Russia
• Mechel on its acquisition of the coking coal assets of Bluestone Group, a U.S. mining company, for aggregate consideration of $436 million in cash, 83.3 million preferred shares of Mechel, $132 million of assumed debt and certain future contingent payments in respect of coal reserves
• Atomredmetzoloto (ARMZ), the Russian state-owned uranium mining company, on its acquisition of a 19.9% interest in Uranium One Inc., a Canadian public company and sale of its 50% interest in Karatau Uranium Mine in Kazakhstan
• Svyaznoy, one of Russia's largest retailers of mobile phones, services and accessories, on its joint venture with Mobile TeleSystems
• Sistema in connection with the restructuring of its shareholders’ agreement with Allianz AG in respect of ROSNO, a Russian insurance company
• Mechel Steel Group, a leading Russian mining and metals group, in its $870 million disposal of its shareholdings in Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works (MMK)
• Sistema in connection with the restructuring of its shareholders’ agreement with Deutsche Telekom in respect of Mobile TeleSystems.

Prior to joining Akin Gump, Mr. Gupta was a partner in Moscow offices of international law firms, and he started his career at the New York office of an international law firm.

Prior to his legal career, Mr. Gupta practiced as a CPA with Ernst & Young LLP in Atlanta, Georgia.