It is Time for Arbitration: Notes from the Conference

The conference was organised by LF Academy and Arbitration Center at ANO “Institute of Modern Arbitration”.

More than 120 participants, including lawyers, business representatives and scholars, attended the conference. Opening speech was given by Mikhail Galperin, vice-minister of justice. He highlighted the main reasons for arbitration reform and discussed the new legislation and future development of arbitration in Russia.

During the first session the major practical issues arising from application of the new legislation were analysed. The speakers elaborated on arbitration agreements, arbitration rules, enforcement of foreign arbitral awards and such newly introduced procedures, as assistance and control of arbitration by state courts, request for evidence, annulment of arbitral awards due to violation of public order. Arbitrability of disputes arising out of state contracts was also discussed. The audience found these issues highly involving, which is why the discussion continued in from of questions and answers.

The presentations were given by Andrey Gorlenko (Executive Administrator at Arbitration Center), Maria Erokhova (Attorney at Delcredere), Sergey Kosorukov (Partner at Reznik, Gagarin and Partners), Roman Zaitsev (Partner at Dentons) and Ilia Rachkov (Partner at King&Spalding). The session was moderated by Elena Borisenko (Member of board of directors and first vice-president of Gazprombank).

The second session concerned the most complex aspects of Russian and international arbitration. In particular, arbitration of corporate disputes with its derivative actions, future of multi-parties and multi-claims as well as financing of international commercial arbitration by third parties were analysed by Andrey Panov (Senior Associate at Norton Rose Fulbright), Dmitriy Stepanov (Partner at Egorov, Puginskiy, Afanasiev and Partners), Anton Asoskov (Professor at Moscow State University), Tatiana Menshenina (Partner at Withers LLP, London). The session was moderated by Ruslan Ibragimov (Member of board of directors and vice-president of corporate and legal department at PAO “MTS”).

Gernandt Johan (President of Arbitration Institute at Stockholm Chamber of Commerce in 2006-2012) was an honoured guest at the conference. He analysed the main tendencies of international arbitration on the basis of new rules of Arbitration Institute at Stockholm Chamber of Commerce.

The main part of the conference was concluded by the presentation of Arbitration Center. Andrey Gorlenko described the corporate structure of Arbitration Center, functions of its organs and presented the list of recommended arbitrators. During the presentation Yuriy Pilipenko (President at Federal Chamber of Attorneys) and Viktor Baciev (President at Taxes.Support) gave their speeches.

The conference was terminated by mini-performance on life of lawyers prepared by Cultural and Educational Project “Support” and actors of Theatre on Malaya Bronnaya. Arbitration Center plans to organise a conference on international commercial arbitration, various seminars and business-breakfasts on complex practical issues of arbitration. Arbitration Center will participate in Saint-Petersburg Legal Forum sessions on alternative dispute resolution.

Arbitration Center team is enormously grateful to speakers, colleagues from LF Academy and all participants for making the conference highly professional and involving.

The video record of the conference will be available soon on LF Academy website.