On 5 December 2008 the Russian National Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce – the world business organization (ICC Russia) held the conference “ICC International Arbitration Court: Opportunities for Russia” on the occasion of the visit of the delegation of the International Arbitration Court to Moscow. The conference was attended by Ilya Nikiforov, the Managing Partner of the Saint Petersburg office of EPAM.

The event was intended to show the Russian audience the specific nature and the proceedings of the ICC International Arbitration Court and to display expert opinions on the latest trends in international arbitration practice. Enforcement of resolutions in Russia rendered by international arbitration will be a focal point of the event. The conference concluded with a mock arbitration hearing of the ICC International Arbitration Court.

The conference was attended by Anton Ivanov, the Chairman of the Supreme Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation, and Alexander Komarov, the Chairman of the ICC Russia Arbitration Commission, the Chairman of the International Commercial Arbitration Court of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, as well as heads of Legal Departments of Russian and Western holdings, manufacturing companies, banks and international trade companies, representatives of Russian courts, and partners of leading law firm and associations.

In the second session “Arbitration Panel and Procedure”, reporters described the procedures for nomination and selection of arbitrators, review the standards of independence of the arbitrators, their role and duties in the hearing. Ilya Nikiforov, gave the presentation on “Independence of Arbitrators and Recusal of Arbitrators”.