The regular meeting of the Arbitration Association’s Board was held on October 3, 2018. A number of the decisions were made by the Arbitration Association’s Board at the meeting, namely:
1. The first item on the agenda was devoted to the elections of Chairman and Vice-Chairmen of the Arbitration Association’s Board. Vladimir Khvalei, Partner of the Moscow office of the international law firm Baker McKenzie, was re-elected as the Arbitration Association’s Board Chairman. Alexander Khrapoutski and Andrei Korelsky were elected as Vice-Chairmen of the Arbitration Association’s Board.
Vladimir Khvalei, Partner of the Moscow office of the international law firm Baker McKenzie, where Vladimir heads the firm’s CIS Dispute Resolution Practice Group. Vladimir has wide experience participating in litigation in Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Ukraine, as well as in international arbitration cases in accordance with the arbitration rules of the ICAC, UNCITRAL, ICC, SCC, LCIA and other arbitration institutions, both as a party counsel and arbitrator. Vladimir is included in the list of arbitrators of arbitral institutions in Austria, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Dubai, Hong Kong, Kuala-Lumpur etc.
Alexandre Khrapoutski, Partner of “Sysuev, Bondar and Khrapoutski SBH” Law Offices. Alexandre is involved in international commercial arbitration since 2000. He participated in more than 50 arbitral proceedings as chairman of tribunal, sole arbitrator, party-appointed arbitrator and counsel. He also is recommended arbitrator of the ICSID, IAC at the BelCCI, VIAC, KLRCA, VCCA, the Court of Arbitration "Lewiatan", ICAC at the Ukrainian CCI. Alexandre is member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators MCIArb.
Andrey Korelskiy is attorney at law, Managing partner and founder of the law firm “Korelsky, Ischuk, Astafiev and Partners” (KIAP), Andrey heads the litigation practice. Comes highly recommended in all the leading international legal directories such as Chambers Europe, Chambers Global, Legal 500 EMEA and Best Lawyers. He has 18 years of experience in supporting major litigations. Andrey's core specialisation: dispute resolution, bankruptcy and international commercial arbitration. Andrey is Associate Member of The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb).
The Russian Arbitration Association would like to sincerely thank Ilya Nikiforov and David Goldberg, who previously acted as Vice-Chairmen of the Arbitration Association’s Board and made an invaluable contribution to the development of the Association. The Association is happy to welcome new Vice-Chairmen and wish all their initiatives to be successful.
2. The Association’s Board approved the budget estimate for 2017/2018 and the Association's Annual Report for 2017.
3. The following structure of the Arbitration Association’s bodies was approved by the decision of the Association’s Board:
a. The Association’s Development Department headed by the Director, Alexandra Brichkovskaya;
b. The Association’s Publications Department coordinated by the Head of this Department, Dmitry Artyukhov;
c. Expert Council (previously named the Arbitrators’ Nominating Committee), composed of Alexey Dudko, Ekaterina Kobrin, Evgeny Raschevsky, Galina Zukova, Gleb Sevastyanov, Stepan Guzey and Tamara Abova.
The members of the Board also approved the job instructions for the Development Department’s Director and the Publications Department’s Head.
4. As the Arbitration Association decided to apply for a license of a permanent arbitration institution (hereinafter – PAI at the Arbitration Association), the Association’s Board approved the following structure of bodies of the PAI at the Arbitration Association:
a. Executive Secretary of the PAI at the Arbitration Association;
b. The Arbitrators’ Nominating Committee of the PAI at the Arbitration Association.
Roman Zykov was elected as the Executive Secretary of the PAI at the Arbitration Association. Mr. Zykov will combine this position with the duties of the Association’s Secretary General.
5. The final item on the agenda was the Board’s decision to create the following new Working groups of the Arbitration Association:
a. Working Group on Investment Arbitration;
b. Working Group on Mediation;
c. Working Group on Monitoring of compliance with professional ethics by attorneys in arbitration
Working Group on Investment Arbitration
The aim of the working group is to monitor the latest trends in the field of development and improvement of effective mechanisms for resolving investment disputes.
Taking an active position in the systematization and development of investment case law, the synthesis and introduction of best international practices in the area of administration and arbitration of investment disputes.
Development of proposals in order to improve legislation on the protection of investments and the implementation of innovations in international instruments (for example, the BIT model and others).
Action plan:
1. Formation of the Working Group (5-7 people);
2. Meetings of the Working group 2-3 times per year;
3. Making recommendations as necessary;
4. Preparation of an annual report once a year.
The group is headed by Dmitry Dyakin, Partner, Co-Head of the Litigation Practice, “Egorov, Puginsky, Afanasyev and Partners” (EPAM).
Working Group on Mediation
The aim of the Working group is an analysis of legislation, court practice and foreign experience with regard to extending the scope of application of conciliation procedures (mediation), the use of conciliation procedures in resolving disputes with government bodies and qualification requirements for mediators.
Making recommendations on amendments to the Russian legislation on mediation (Federal Law No. 421600-7 “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation in connection with the Improvement of Conciliation Procedures” adopted by the State Duma of the Russian Federation in the first reading on June 13, 2018).
Interaction with the Interdepartmental Working Group on Improving the Regulation of Conciliation Procedures (Mediation), established under the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation in August 2018, by way of elections and nominating the RAA’s representatives from among the members of the RAA’s Working group.
Action plan:
1. Formation of the Working Group (5-7 people);
2. Meetings of the Working group once a month;
3. Making recommendations as necessary;
4. Preparation of an annual report once a year.
Working Group on Monitoring of compliance with professional ethics by attorneys in arbitration
The aim of the Working group is the analysis of compliance by attorneys with the norms of professional ethics when participating in arbitration proceedings.
Cooperation with the Russian Federal Chamber of Lawyers on developing standards for the conduct of attorneys in arbitration proceedings, detecting of professional ethic rules’ violations and imposing possible sanctions. The analysis of foreign legislation and court practice related to this issue.
Making proposals for improving Russian legislation governing potential professional ethics rules’ violations by attorneys at law and, in the future, by counsel who do not have bar admission.
Action Plan:
1. Formation of the Working Group (5-7 people);
2. Meetings of the Working group once a month;
3. Making recommendations as necessary;
4. Preparation of an annual report once a year.
The Working group is headed by Andrey Korelsky, Managing Partner, “Korelsky, Ischuk, Astafiev and Partners” (KIAP).
If you want to join any of the RAA’s Working groups, please contact the RAA’s Program Coordinator Victoria Gladysheva victoria.gladysheva@arbitrations.ru.
