A notary public in Berlin refused to authenticate a contract for the sale of an apartment owned by a Russian firm, citing a ban on offering legal advice services to Russian legal persons. The Berlin Regional Court questioned the Court of Justice, which clarified that notary authentication is not covered by the prohibition on providing legal advisory services to Russian legal persons. Notaries do not need to provide legal advice for the procedures of executing an authenticated contract for real estate sale, including transferring the purchase price, cancelling debt, and registering ownership.
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