Belskiy & Partners Wins Cassation Appeal in Fire Safety Systems Dispute

Belskiy & Partners successfully represented one of Russia’s largest retailers in a dispute over the quality of fire protection systems installed at a major logistics complex.

The team, led by Junior Partner Konstantin Shorygin, secured a reversal of earlier court decisions at the cassation stage in arbitration proceedings against the contractor. The lower courts had previously ruled in favor of the contractor and awarded payment for the works.

Before the cassation court, the firm refocused the case on a key issue: whether the installed system met contractual requirements and mandatory fire safety regulations. The court agreed that it did not.

The court found that the system’s deficiencies were material and affected core safety requirements. As a result, the works could not be considered properly completed, and the contractor was not entitled to payment.

This decision reinforces a clear principle: compliance with mandatory safety standards takes priority over formal completion of works.

In an area where regulation and court practice remain inconsistent, the ruling provides useful guidance for assessing fire safety systems at large logistics facilities and is likely to influence similar disputes in the retail sector.