Tag: featured

Russian courts tend to find independent guarantees as quite dependent
By 14 February, 2018 0 Comments Read More →

Russian courts tend to find independent guarantees as quite dependent

In recent Russian dispute resolution practice, judges incline to consider independent guarantees as not completely independent from the underlying secured obligations. This post offers recommendations for both guarantors and beneficiaries to avoid risks that the judiciary practice twists may entail. The use of independent guarantees The independent guarantee is a surety allowing claiming money from the guarantor […]

The enduring saga of Tajikistan’s TALCO dispute
By 15 January, 2018 0 Comments Read More →

The enduring saga of Tajikistan’s TALCO dispute

The Tajik Aluminium Company (or TALCO, also referred as TadAZ) has become the symbol of Central Asian corruption and non-transparency. Tajikistan’s most scandalous industrial asset has undergone through an array of legal challenges – from unresolved offshore mysteries to rapid management switches, from dubious tolling schemes to one of the most expensive litigations in the […]

Appointment of Arbitrators in CIS-related and Other Disputes – Practical Considerations
By 14 December, 2017 0 Comments Read More →

Appointment of Arbitrators in CIS-related and Other Disputes – Practical Considerations

The party’s right to appoint one of the decision-makers is what distinguishes arbitration process from litigation.  It is often said that the most important decision a party will make in any arbitration is the selection of an arbitrator. And indeed, the arbitrators who compose a tribunal are not passive people, who at the end of the process […]

Foreign Investment in the Post-2014 Ukraine: Signs of Improvement?
By 22 November, 2017 0 Comments Read More →

Foreign Investment in the Post-2014 Ukraine: Signs of Improvement?

Foreign direct investment (“FDI“) inflow in Ukraine was drastically reduced after the Euromaidan, the annexation of Crimea and the military unrest in the East of Ukraine. This number fell from $4.5 billion in 2013 to $410 million in 2014. The Ukrainian government faced the difficult task of improving the investment climate in the country. How well has […]

Why Russian courts refused to enforce SCC award against Tecon group company in SPIG s.p.a v ZAO PK Promcontroller

Why Russian courts refused to enforce SCC award against Tecon group company in SPIG s.p.a v ZAO PK Promcontroller

On 2 October 2017, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation refused to recognise and enforce an arbitration award issued in favour of Italian manufacturer SPIG by a tribunal under the Rules of the Arbitration Institution of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (the “SCC“) against indirectly state-owned Russian company Promkontroller. This decision marks the end […]

Housekeeping in Russia since November 2017: registration of permanent arbitral institutions

Housekeeping in Russia since November 2017: registration of permanent arbitral institutions

On 1 September 2016, Russia’s Federal Law on Arbitration (Arbitration Proceedings) and related legislation came into effect. The changes were driven by a desire to overhaul the existing arbitration regime, in favour of greater efficiency, independence and regulation of the arbitral process. One notable reform – and the subject of this article – involves combatting […]

The Impact of Western Sanctions on Russian Energy Companies
By 1 November, 2017 0 Comments Read More →

The Impact of Western Sanctions on Russian Energy Companies

As a response to the Crimean crisis, in March 2014 the United States and the European Union, followed by Albania, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Montenegro and Norway, initiated sanctions on several Russian citizens and businesses. In August 2014 the Russian government responded by ordering an entry ban on several American and Canadian citizens and a total ban on […]

US Court Enforces $140+ Million SCC award in Carpatsky Petroleum v Ukrnafta

US Court Enforces $140+ Million SCC award in Carpatsky Petroleum v Ukrnafta

On 2 October 2017, a Texas federal judge confirmed a $140+ million award issued by a tribunal under the Rules of the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce in favour of Carpatsky Petroleum Corporation (“CPC“) against the Ukrainian oil company, OJSC Ukrnafta. The Texas ruling marks the important end of an award battle […]

The Russian Saga of Lugana: Have the Courts Ignored the Res Judicata Principle?

The Russian Saga of Lugana: Have the Courts Ignored the Res Judicata Principle?

Russian courts have found themselves in a very controversial position regarding the enforcement of international arbitral awards. It turns out that the courts have enforced two arbitral awards in a dispute between the same parties on the same matter, something which called the res judicata principle into question. The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation […]

Third party funding and its relevance to Russian parties
By 16 October, 2017 0 Comments Read More →

Third party funding and its relevance to Russian parties

См. текст по-русски ниже. Third party funding (also known as commercial funding or litigation funding) involves a third party which has no connection to a dispute putting up funds to run a dispute in exchange for a share of the damages. It is typically non-recourse which means that, unless the recipient is successful in its […]

A roundtable on international arbitration in Russia in Hamburg planned for October
By 15 September, 2017 0 Comments Read More →

A roundtable on international arbitration in Russia in Hamburg planned for October

The Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law will host a CIS Roundtable, a regular discussion forum on legal, political and societal developments in the post-Soviet region. The Roundtable takes place on 5 October 2017 at 4:00 p.m. Dr. Dmitry Davydenko will be speaking on the topic “International arbitration in Russia under the new legislative framework”. The organiser […]

Posted in: Events
New Book: The Law and Practice of International Arbitration in the CIS Region

New Book: The Law and Practice of International Arbitration in the CIS Region

CIS Arbitration Forum authors and other experts from the region teamed up to produce the first comprehensive overview of commercial arbitration in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region. The Law and Practice of International Arbitration in the CIS Region edited by Kaj Hober and Yarik Kryvoi provides a country-by-country analysis of regulation and practice […]

Sanctity of the contract upheld in Swedish arbitration
By 10 July, 2017 0 Comments Read More →

Sanctity of the contract upheld in Swedish arbitration

In a recent award rendered under the Rules of the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce, the Arbitration Panel held that “the wording of the contract must be complied with”, if it “does not include any exceptions”. The Panel also drew a line in determining the basis for calculation of limitation period according […]

Global Pound Conference Moscow – from “inside” to insight
By 27 June, 2017 0 Comments Read More →

Global Pound Conference Moscow – from “inside” to insight

The Global Pound Conference previously announced by CIS Arbitration Forum took place in Moscow on 21 June 2017. The event aimed to contribute to the development of 21st century commercial and civil dispute resolution tools at Russian domestic, regional and international levels. The attendees mostly included providers of non-adjudicative dispute settlement procedures, such as mediation. This […]

Posted in: Events
News from Stockholm: Gazprom v Naftogaz – 0:1
By 26 June, 2017 1 Comments Read More →

News from Stockholm: Gazprom v Naftogaz – 0:1

On January 2009, Gazprom and Naftogaz signed a confidential long-term gas sales agreement (the “Contract“) for 2009-2019. Some in the media declared that the Contract included an oil-linked formula for the gas price, a “take-or-pay” clause and a price review clause. Five years later, Gazprom finds itself claiming USD 4.5 billion in unpaid debts for natural […]

Arbitration of corporate disputes: novelties and new tools for legal practitioners

Arbitration of corporate disputes: novelties and new tools for legal practitioners

Russia has made significant steps towards developing and harmonising its arbitration institutions and processes with international practice. Experts at the section of the Saint-Petersburg Legal Forum (SPLF) 2017 devoted to arbitration of corporate disputes on 19 May 2017 formed an impressive board of legal practitioners dealing with arbitrations in Russian and foreign arbitral institutions. Speakers from […]

Belarus may face an ICSID claim for the first time
By 12 June, 2017 0 Comments Read More →

Belarus may face an ICSID claim for the first time

Over the entire period of its independence Belarus has never been a respondent in an investor-state dispute. This remains so despite the fact that the country adheres to an active policy of investment promotion. According to public data in the first quarter of 2017 the leading investment partners of Belarus originate from the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Cyprus […]

Interview with ICSID Secretary-General Meg Kinnear: ICSID and the CIS region

Interview with ICSID Secretary-General Meg Kinnear: ICSID and the CIS region

CIS Arbitration Forum continues its series of interviews with representatives of major international arbitration institutions working on disputes related to Russia and the CIS region. This month Professor Yarik Kryvoi interviewed Meg Kinnear, who since 2008 has been the Secretary-General of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) at the World Bank. Ms Kinnear shared her […]

State immunity and state-owned enterprises: a recent dispute involving Moldova

State immunity and state-owned enterprises: a recent dispute involving Moldova

In a recent judgment (27 January 2017), the Court of the Southern District of New York ordered state enterprise Moldovagaz S.A and the Republic of Moldova to pay USD 27 million to Gater Assets Limited. The judgment raises certain issues regarding the state’s liability for state-owned enterprises’ commercial activities. Given that the Government of Moldova has never been party […]

New Rules of the Game for Arbitral Institutions in Russia

New Rules of the Game for Arbitral Institutions in Russia

The new Russian Arbitration Law has already been in force for eight months. One of the most significant changes that the new Law introduced concerns the authorisation requirement for arbitral institutions. At the beginning of May 2017, the Government of the Russian Federation released its first decision on the granting of authorisation to act as a permanent […]

The VII Saint Petersburg International Legal Forum: 16–20 May 2017
By 31 March, 2017 0 Comments Read More →

The VII Saint Petersburg International Legal Forum: 16–20 May 2017

Each year the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum brings together ministers of justice, chairpersons of constitutional courts, secretary generals of international organisations, heads of leading law firms, chief legal officers of major companies, representatives of state regulators, international organisations and law schools from over 80 countries. CIS Arbitration Forum is an information partner of this […]

Posted in: Events
Round-Up of Investment Arbitrations Against CIS States: Recent Developments

Round-Up of Investment Arbitrations Against CIS States: Recent Developments

In the December 2016 – March 2017 period, some major procedural developments occurred in several pending and concluded investment arbitrations against CIS states. In some of these pending disputes, arbitral tribunals have asserted jurisdiction over the investors’ claims, addressing noteworthy issues such as: provisional application of the Energy Charter Treaty, application of BITs to investments in Crimea and corruption […]

Money Laundering Allegations by Kyrgyzstan against Latvian Investor Resurface in Paris Cour d’Appel
By 28 February, 2017 0 Comments Read More →

Money Laundering Allegations by Kyrgyzstan against Latvian Investor Resurface in Paris Cour d’Appel

In a recent judgment (21 February 2017), the Paris Cour d’Appel annulled the USD 15 million arbitral award in Valery Belokon v The Kyrgyz Republic rendered by the UNCITRAL tribunal against Kyrgyzstan under the 2008 Latvia-Kyrgyzstan BIT. The arbitral tribunal had previously rejected the allegations by Kyrgyzstan that the Claimant had, through its investment, Manas Bank, […]

ICAC’s new “kompetenz-kompetenz” dilemma in domestic arbitration
By 22 February, 2017 0 Comments Read More →

ICAC’s new “kompetenz-kompetenz” dilemma in domestic arbitration

Since 27 January 2017, due to the profound Russian arbitration law reform effective from 1 September 2016, the ICAC at the Russian CCI (the “ICAC”) may also deal with domestic (non-international) arbitration. The question arises as to whether the ICAC may now resolve internal disputes under pre-reform arbitration clauses: at the time of their conclusion […]

Belarusian law firm wins doping case in the Court of Arbitration for Sport

Belarusian law firm wins doping case in the Court of Arbitration for Sport

On 23 January 2017 the Court of Arbitration for Sport rendered an award on doping case CAS 2016/A/4708 Belarus Canoe Association & Belarusian Senior Men’s Canoe and Kayak team members v International Canoe Federation. The appeal filed by the Belarus Canoe Association (the “BCA“) and the Belarusian senior men’s canoe and kayak team members against the decision […]

Posted in: Uncategorized
New rules of the ICAC at the Russian Chamber of Commerce: what has changed for international disputes?

New rules of the ICAC at the Russian Chamber of Commerce: what has changed for international disputes?

Russian arbitration legislation reform has triggered a large-scale revision of regulations of arbitral institutions. One of the oldest arbitral institutions in Russia, the International Commercial Arbitration Court at the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (the “ICAC”), has adopted new regulations and rules, including new rules on resolving international commercial disputes. Previous rules came into […]

ASCOM case: Kazakhstan’s request to set aside is rejected, the SCC award “was not fraudulent”
By 10 January, 2017 0 Comments Read More →

ASCOM case: Kazakhstan’s request to set aside is rejected, the SCC award “was not fraudulent”

On 9 December 2016 the Svea Court of Appeal (Sweden) rejected Kazakhstan’s request for the award in Anatolie Stati, Gabriel Stati, Ascom Group SA and Terra Raf Trans Trading Ltd v Kazakhstan (Arbitral Award in SCC Case No. V (116/2010) the “Award“) to be set aside, finding Kazakhstan’s allegations regarding a presentation by investors during the […]

English Court of Appeal upholds arbitration award in a complex Moscow mall dispute

English Court of Appeal upholds arbitration award in a complex Moscow mall dispute

In its recent judgment, the English Court of Appeal (the “Court“) decided to uphold the arbitration award in a dispute between a former Russian MP Ashot Yegiazaryan and his business partner Vitaly Smagin. The case was rather complex as the arbitration proceedings involved two arbitration agreements based on two separate contracts, one of which was not […]

CIS Regional Conventions on Cross-Border Litigation and Its Application by Russian Courts
By 9 December, 2016 0 Comments Read More →

CIS Regional Conventions on Cross-Border Litigation and Its Application by Russian Courts

Recognition and enforcement of foreign court judgments in Russia generally require the existence of a treaty between the issuing state and the recognising state; otherwise, the principle of reciprocity applies. On the CIS level this procedure is relatively facilitated by a number of conventions. This post looks at the main features of these CIS regional […]

Paris court confirms state companies’ use of investment arbitration under Russia-Ukraine BIT (Ukraine v Tatneft)

Paris court confirms state companies’ use of investment arbitration under Russia-Ukraine BIT (Ukraine v Tatneft)

On 29 November 2016 the Paris Court of Appeal (the Court) decided to uphold the arbitration award in the long-lasting dispute between Russian oil firm PJSC Tatneft (the Tatneft) and Ukraine. In this case, Ukraine unsuccessfully tried to set aside the $112m investment treaty awards in favour of Tatneft. The main issue in the case was […]

Russian Investors Turning More Frequently to Investment Arbitration
By 22 November, 2016 0 Comments Read More →

Russian Investors Turning More Frequently to Investment Arbitration

In 2016 the Russian Federation has most commonly appeared on the host state’s end of investor-state disputes, facing numerous arbitration claims brought in relation to the events in Crimea. However, quite recently Russia has also become more involved as a home state, with Russian investors becoming more active in investor-state disputes. This post highlights the […]

No education – no representation. Russian Constitutional Court decides on legal education requirement for administrative proceedings

No education – no representation. Russian Constitutional Court decides on legal education requirement for administrative proceedings

Until quite recently Russian procedural law has had no particular requirements as to parties’ representatives in non-criminal legal proceedings. This situation started to change in 2015 when the Russian Parliament approved the new Code of Administrative Procedure (the “Code“). These changes, which quickly turned out to be controversial, became part of the larger dispute on the so-called […]

Recent Investment Arbitration Disputes involving CIS States
By 17 October, 2016 0 Comments Read More →

Recent Investment Arbitration Disputes involving CIS States

The period of July–October 2016 has seen several developments in the field of Investor-State Dispute Settlement in the CIS region. The arbitral tribunals in these cases will further address issues such as: the succession of the former Soviet republics to USSR investment treaty obligations, the mandatory nature of local courts’ litigation provision in the Turkmenistan–Turkey […]

Commercial Dispute Resolution in Eastern Europe: Debugging the Mechanisms
By 28 September, 2016 0 Comments Read More →

Commercial Dispute Resolution in Eastern Europe: Debugging the Mechanisms

One may compare arbitration with a car: it may be luxurious or modest, but to run it you always need four properly functioning wheels: arbitral institutions, parties, arbitrators and state courts. Tetiana Slipachuk, managing partner of Sayenko Kharenko law firm, reminded us of this while moderating the first arbitration section of the first Eastern European […]

Moldova: a Summary of Investment Arbitration History
By 23 September, 2016 0 Comments Read More →

Moldova: a Summary of Investment Arbitration History

The Republic of Moldova is a party to numerous multilateral investment treaties including the Energy Charter Treaty (“ECT“) and the ICSID Convention, which came into force for Moldova on 4 June 2011. Moldova has also signed bilateral investment treaties (“BITs“) with 43 countries. This article presents a short overview of known investor-state cases brought against Moldova. Cases initiated by Yuri Bogdanov  Russian citizen […]

Russia fights Ukraine over “Yanukovych debt”
By 9 September, 2016 0 Comments Read More →

Russia fights Ukraine over “Yanukovych debt”

The slowly developing Russia-Ukraine $3 billion sovereign debt dispute got a sudden new development when, at the end of July 2016, Russia requested the London High Court make an expedited ruling on the dispute. Following that, on 8 September 2016, the High Court scheduled the hearings for the dispute for 17-20 January 2017. The debt The history of this […]

Counterclaims in Oxus Gold v Uzbekistan: Is Investor-State Arbitration Still a One-Way Road?

Counterclaims in Oxus Gold v Uzbekistan: Is Investor-State Arbitration Still a One-Way Road?

The arbitral tribunal in Oxus Gold Plc v The Republic of Uzbekistan in the final award that became publicly available in April 2016 rejected all counterclaims raised by the host state against the British investor. The award, rendered by Prof Pierre Tercier, Prof Brigitte Stern and Hon Marc Lalonde (issuing partial dissent on another legal issue) […]

Opposite Results in Two SCC Emergency Arbitrations (Evrobalt v Moldova and Kompozit v Moldova)

Opposite Results in Two SCC Emergency Arbitrations (Evrobalt v Moldova and Kompozit v Moldova)

Two recent Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (“SCC“) emergency arbitration awards in investment arbitrations against the Republic of Moldova, with different conclusions based on a similar factual and legal background, inject uncertainty regarding the interpretation of conditions for granting interim relief in investment arbitration, while reaffirming positions on certain long-debated issues. Practical implications The messages to […]

Russian court rules on foreign currency use in real estate transactions

Russian court rules on foreign currency use in real estate transactions

On 18 July 2016 the Commercial Court of Moscow region refused to confirm the settlement agreement between PAO Vimpel-Communications and PAO Tizpribor in the year-long dispute between the two companies. The outcome of this case may have significant consequences both for Russian real estate, says The Property Sourcing Company, in particular for the use of […]

Interim Relief Against the Host State: Analysis of Emergency Awards against Moldova

Interim Relief Against the Host State: Analysis of Emergency Awards against Moldova

Applications for interim relief have become a frequently used procedural tool among foreign investors arbitrating against CIS states. Emergency arbitration proceedings under the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC) Arbitration Rules are particularly in demand: at least four applications for interim reliefs against CIS states have been filed since 2014 (TSIKInvest v Republic of Moldova; JKX Oil & […]