Kaliningrad will host a conference “Arbitration Reform: Next Steps?” on February 19 under the aegis of the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum. 

An array of laws on the arbitration reform in Russia was adopted in December 2015. The draft legislation was presented as a result of almost three-year preparatory work by the Ministry of Justice in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, the Supreme Court, and representatives of business and legal communities. 

All entities that were involved in this work had a common goal of solving a number of serious problems the Russian arbitration faced in the past twenty years, such as improper practices in the course of arbitration, use of arbitration for dishonest purposes and, as a consequence, a constant decline in demand for arbitration. 

The laws are aimed at introducing a new scheme of organization of arbitration institutions, upgrading interaction between arbitration institutions and state courts, expanding arbitrability of disputes, clarifying of arbitration rules. 

The laws become effective September 1, 2016. By that time a series of legislative acts necessary for the implementation of the laws should be adopted. 

The conference of the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum “Arbitration Reform: Next Steps?” in Kaliningrad will feature authors of the adopted laws, legal practitioners and eminent members of international arbitration community.

The conference will concentrate on comprehensive discussion of the forthcoming reform of arbitration proceedings, further steps of its implementation, development of international commercial arbitration. 

The following panel discussions will be held during the course of the conference: 

• New rules of establishment and functioning of arbitration institutions; 

• Procedural novelties in arbitration.

Conference participants include representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, members of the scientific community and practicing lawyers from Russia, Baltic states, Scandinavia, Poland and Germany.

To register, please fill out the form here or send an e-mail to Kaliningrad@spblegalforum.com.