Summer Academy “International Arbitration in Russia and the CIS”
From 5th to 10th of August 2019 Russian Arbitration Center held the first Summer Academy “International Arbitration in Russia and the CIS”. 75 applications for participation in the Academy were filed and only 20 of them have been selected (among which are applicants from Minsk, Moscow, Omsk, Saint Petersburg and Vladivostok). To be selected as a participant of the Academy, it was required to have at least 2 years of working experience and to be interested in dispute resolution. Moreover, candidates for the Summer Academy were asked to elaborate on two issues: first, on their professional activities and, second, on the ADR trends in Russia and the CIS.
Lectures and workshops were conducted by prominent experts in the field of arbitration and ADR – partners and associates of the largest Russian and international law firms, including E. Mazetova, M. Galperin, J. Kalish, Y. Babichev, R. Zaitsev, D. Parchajev, A. Yadykin, A. Panov, A. Dudko, E. Chilikov, D. Andreev, E. Vanas-Metzler, D. Kaysin, A. Grishchenkova, K. Udovichenko, N. Gulyaeva, G. Lambrou, S. Alekhin, I. Rachkov, N. Kislyakova, M. Zhurava, E. Kuznetsov, S. Morozov. Some of the classes were taught by the representatives of the Russian Arbitration Center – namely, by Executive Administrator Andrey Gorlenko and Legal Counsel Martin Kroll.
During the classes the speakers of the Academy covered a wide range of topics, including arbitrability of disputes, drafting of arbitral agreements and mediation. Natalia Gulyaeva (Hogan Lovells) delivered a lecture on IP arbitration, whereas Anna Grishchenkova (KIAP) brought light to the issues of selection and appointment of arbitrators and work with evidence and experts in international commercial arbitration.
Several classes were conducted in English. For instance, Deputy Secretary General of VIAC Elisabeth Vanas-Metzler told about activities of Vienna International Arbitration Centre, which has recently been authorized to administer arbitration in Russia. George Lambrou (Keystone Law) compared civil and common law approaches to international commercial arbitration.
At the conference “Arbitration in the CIS States” seven foreign experts talked about the latest tendencies and specifics of arbitration development in the states of the CIS: Maryia Zhurava (Danilevich Law Office, Belarus), Andrey Bychkov (Ilyashev and Partners, Ukraine), Sophie Tkemaladze (Georgian Association of Arbitrators, Georgia), Mushegh Manukyan (Three Crowns (USA), Armenia), Edward Kuznetsov (Marine Legal Bureau, Latvia), Natalia Alenkina (American University of Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan), Denis Parchajev (Motieka & Audzevicius, Lithuania).
As a part of the final day of the Academy, participants had a chance to apply their new knowledge in practice during an arbitration moot court. This event was a model of real arbitration proceedings: organizers offered participants of the Academy to create teams, study the case, prepare a legal position and present it before an international arbitral tribunal, comprising of George Lambrou (UK), Natalia Alenkina (Kyrgyzstan) and Egor Chilikov (Russia). Afterwards participants received a feedback on their presentations from the arbitrators.
On Saturday evening the moot court was followed by a reception, where participants of the Academy had a chance to discuss the results of the event, and organizers of the Academy handed out certificates and gifts from the partners of the Academy.
Feedback of the participants of the Summer Academy:
“I liked a lot how everything was organized. Even if we compare it to the university education, here we had more practice and more intensive courses. Speakers have great experience since most of them are partners of law firms, and they are delighted to share it. This way participants acquire skills that are more practical. Delivered theoretical information is up to date, while it tends to be outdated in universities. And I liked the management of the Academy: the building is very commodious, all the relevant materials are sent by email on a daily basis and all the participants are provided with beverages (water and coffee).
Kaysin (Dmitry Kaysin, EPAM) conducted a very interesting class. Although the participants were provided with relevant material for preparation, we still made mistakes, but this is what stands out, because if you make mistakes, this makes you remember the right answers”.
Arina Guryanova, Solo practice in dispute resolution in Russian state courts
“I am dealing with dispute resolution in state courts and I want to note that I was excited to attend this course, even though international arbitration is not my domain, I am only indirectly related to it. Nevertheless, it was very useful broadening horizons wise. I would particularly like to highlight the lectures by Anna Grishchenkova. They were the most interesting, memorable and practically applicable for me. Thank you for this opportunity and for organization of such an event”.
Gleb Gavrilin, Associate at “Gurichev, Malinin and Partners”
Russian Arbitration Center expresses gratitude to the partners of the Summer Academy: Egorov, Puginsky, Afanasiev & Partners, Monastyrsky, Zyuba, Stepanov & Partners, Hogan Lovells, Beiten Burkhardt, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner Russia, Petrol Chilikov, Dentons Law Firm, KIAP, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Nektorov, Saveliev & Partners – NSP, Regionservice Law Firm , Marine Legal Bureau.
Special gratitude to our information partners: CIS Arbitration Forum, Zakon.ru, Legal Insight Magazine, LF Academy, The Paragraph Magazine Russia.
Follow the link for the photographs.
Information on the Second Summer Academy at the Russian Arbitration Centre will be published in May 2020.