Abstract Hendley 9710272 Soviet-era methods for doing business in Russia which relied on formal enforcement of contractual obligations by industrial ministries and communist party officials have been destroyed. The legal infrastructure that is ostensibly necessary for a market economy has been put into place. Whether these new laws and legal institutions that draw more from Western than Russian experience are actually being used remains open to question. This research will answer two basic empirical questions. First, how do Russian industrial enterprises do business under these conditions? Second, under what circumstances do they us law to protect and/or advance their interests? This research will explore these questions using six detailed case studies of Russian industrial enterprises. Three hundred enterprises are being surveyed and will form the sampling frame and the broadbased background for the case studies to be chosen. Factors to be taken into account in choosing cases include the product mix, corporate structure, size, and propensity to litigate. Observations and semi-structured interviews with managers will be used to collect the in-depth case data. Results will fill a void in the extant literature by providing answers to questions about the implementation of law where the newly relaxed atmosphere in Russia makes this research possible, and the transition makes it timely. %%% Soviet-era methods for doing business in Russia which relied on formal enforcement of contractual obligations by industrial ministries and communist party officials have been destroyed. The legal infrastructure that is ostensibly necessary for a market economy has been put into place. Whether these new laws and legal institutions that draw more from Western than Russian experience are actually being used remains open to question. This research will answer two basic empirical questions. First, how do Russian industrial enterprises do business under these conditions? Second, under what ci rcumstances do they us law to protect and/or advance their interests? This research will explore these questions using six detailed case studies of Russian industrial enterprises. Three hundred enterprises are being surveyed and will form the sampling frame and the broadbased background for the case studies to be chosen. Factors to be taken into account in choosing cases include the product mix, corporate structure, size, and propensity to litigate. Observations and semi-structured interviews with managers will be used to collect the in-depth case data. Results will fill a void in the extant literature by providing answers to questions about the implementation of law where the newly relaxed atmosphere in Russia makes this research possible, and the transition makes it timely. ***
