On 21 September 2026, the Russian International Arbitration Congress (RIAC‑2026) hosted the ICC Russia event titled The Anatomy of a Cross‑Border Dispute. KIAP Law Firm served as the general partner for the second session, entitled “Beef à la Russe: The Battle for Jurisdiction”.
The session unfolded in a vibrant “battle” format: speakers were given limited time to present well‑reasoned arguments both in favour of and against the current enforcement approach in disputes involving sanctions. The dynamic nature of the debate captivated the audience — participants followed the discussion with keen interest, and the event left a strong impression on all attendees. This format effectively highlighted the contrasting viewpoints and enabled a deeper exploration of highly sensitive issues.
Key topics under discussion included:
- the Lugovoy Law and its international counterparts;
- joint and several liability of group companies for compliance with sanctions;
- nationality and impartiality of arbitrators;
- whether Russia is experiencing a golden era of arbitration;
- disputes related to the freezing of National Settlement Depository (NSD) accounts, and others.
Stepan Sultanov, Partner and Head of the International Commercial Arbitration Practice at KIAP Law Firm, acted as both moderator and a participant in the debate. The event was hosted by Boris Bashilov, Ph.D. in Law, Editor‑in‑Chief of Corporate Lawyer magazine.
The debate featured the following speakers:
- Andrey Panov (Denuo);
- Sergey Usoskin (Usoskin Arbitration);
- Sergey Saveliev (Saveliev, Batanov & Partners);
- Mikhail Sondor (EuroChem);
- Yuri Bashmakov (E L W I);
- Sergey Glandin (BGP Litigation);
- Vadim Vunukaynen (Dyakin, Gortsunyan & Partners);
- Anastasia Ryabova (KIAP).
Following the debate, the International Commercial Arbitration team at KIAP unveiled a major update to its study on the application of Articles 248.1 and 248.2 of the Russian Arbitration Procedure Code (the Lugovoy Law), prepared jointly with the Lugovoy Law Working Group. The research covered the entire body of court practice on the Lugovoy Law from March 2020 to the end of July 2026, encompassing a total of 853 cases. As part of the project, the research team introduced a new metric — the LASI index — to track the share of granted applications under the Lugovoy Law.
The study is available in both Russian and English on our website in the Analytics section, or via the link provided below.
About the Lugovoy Law. Introduced in 2020, Articles 248.1 and 248.2 of the Arbitration Procedure Code of the Russian Federation constitute the Lugovoy Law. Article 248.1 enables the transfer of disputes to Russian jurisdiction where foreign sanctions are involved. Article 248.2 allows for an injunction prohibiting litigation abroad and provides for penalties in the event of a breach.
KIAP sincerely thanks the organisers of RIAC‑2026 — the Russian Arbitration Centre at the Russian Institute of Modern Arbitration — as well as the ICC Russia team for the opportunity to be part of such a significant professional event. Special thanks go to the session’s speakers for their sharp, substantive arguments and their willingness to openly address complex legal issues. We also thank all participants for their engagement, the lively discussion, and the valuable professional insights — it is precisely this kind of exchange that makes industry platforms truly worthwhile.
For more details about the Congress, please follow the link.
