Maria is a lawyer qualified under Russian and U.S. law, and a member of the New York State Bar Association. Maria specializes in M&A transactions, joint ventures and general corporate matters. During more than 20 years of practice, Maria has represented clients in various sectors of the economy, supporting both domestic and cross-border projects (including the acquisition and disposal of assets abroad). She also has significant experience in project financing transaction.

Maria's work experience includes representing:

management in relation to a buy-out of a Russian subsidiary of an NYCE listed commercial real estate services firm;

a Russian IT company on incorporation of a joint venture with its client, a major mining company, aimed at development of a digital marketplace required to diversify the clients’ supply chains;

a Russian subsidiary of a European bank on the sale of its 100% share in a top-20 Russian private pension fund;

a consortium of foreign investors on the acquisition of a minority stake in a joint venture for developing and operation of a large-scale LNG-plant in the north of Russia;

a shareholder of a Big Three Russian telecom operator on its joint venture with shareholders of a Russia broadband services provider; and

shareholders on the sale of 100% interest in the largest Russian cell phone retailer.

Maria graduated with honors from the Faculty of Law of the State Academic University for the Humanities in 2002, and received her Master of Laws degree from Columbia University (USA) in 2010.