About

In supporting the activities of RUSAL, the Moscow-headquartered aluminium company, Charles Anderson and his team of two in Switzerland has allowed the business to penetrate new markets, streamline relations with counterparties as well as supporting several key new trade financings for the group which are a lucrative source of finance. RUSAL was established in 2007 following a merger between RUSAL, SUAL Group and Glencore Switzerland, some of the world’s top aluminum companies, creating what is now the second largest in the world. The Swiss market has become increasingly important to the RUSAL Group with some exciting new developments, which has provided great challenges and opportunities for the legal team supporting them. When discussing the achievements of the legal department, Anderson says ‘the tangible benefit has been in assisting with a range of complicated legal and regulatory issues which are a feature of new markets, these new markets being critically important to the group in its search for improved revenues’. Being in a field that’s heavily influenced by environmental challenges has come with its uncertainties: ‘A poor macroeconomic environment has made it very challenging for aluminum producers including RUSAL. In addition to that the imposition of sanctions has made matters challenging for a business with a substantial market in Russia and the CIS’. From this, it has been key to significantly expand the regulatory and compliance support to the Swiss entities within the group and to service the expanding marketing, sales and trading operation. The team has been the legal minds behind the impressive institution of proper compliance and regulatory controls in the last few years.