Ms. Litvinova is a managing partner in the St. Petersburg office of DLA Piper. Ms. Litvinova is widely recognized as one of the most experienced legal advisors in the North-West region of Russia and is a highly recommended lawyer in St. Petersburg according to Chambers Europe in 2007 and in 2008. She is the head of Real Estate and Regulatory practices, and possesses well-established working relations with governmental structures on regional and federal levels. She has coordinated legal assistance for numerous major regional investment projects, including the negotiation of tax and other investment incentives. She has advised multinational clients on legal and taxation matters concerning investment structures, development of green- and brownfield manufacturing sites, negotiation of regional tax and customs concessions and subsequent operational issues. Ms. Litvinova helps influence law and regulation, advises on regulatory requirements, and assists in negotiations with different levels of authorities on behalf of her clients to achieve a desired solution in the framework of current legislation. She has led numerous legislative initiatives aimed at improving investment climate and has drafted and negotiated much of the regional concession legislation. Olga has been heavily involved in M&A projects, including the largest transaction on real estate in North-West region. She has coordinated a number of restructuring projects that have drawn upon her corporate, tax and regulatory expertise. Ms. Litvinova started her career with Andersen, and became the first Russian woman to achieve partner status at the firm. In 2002, when Andersen combined its Russian operations with Ernst & Young, Ms. Litvinova took over the position of an Office Managing Partner at Ernst & Young in St. Petersburg and was the first local partner appointed as Office Head. Ms. Litvinova is a co-chair of the Advisory Board of SPIBA (St. Petersburg International Business Association). She is frequently invited to speak at international and regional conferences on Russian investment, regulatory, and tax issues. At DLA Piper, Ms. Litvinova is responsible for the further development of the North-West practice, which is recognized as premium in the region. In addition, she has a number of country-wide responsibilities, including, in particular, the further enhancement of regulatory, customs, and IP/IT specialities for DLA Piper in Russia. Ms. Litnova completed a degree in law and social studies at Herzen Russian State University and a postgraduate law degree from St. Petersburg State University. She is a member of the St. Petersburg Bar Association and is fluent in Russian and English.