Main Conference of RIAC 2026

22 September 2026

The Carlton, Moscow

RIAC continues to grow as a platform bringing together both the Russian legal community and international practitioners to engage in discussion of fundamental and pressing issues in international commercial arbitration.

The RIAC 2026 Main conference, as the flagship event of the Congress, will feature world-renowned speakers and focus on timeless questions of arbitration that remain relevant regardless of changing legislation or global developments.

The Сonference will open with a Dialogue designed to set the intellectual tone for the sessions that follow and to highlight the key themes of the overall programme. The session will feature leading experts in international arbitration:

• Prof. Dr. Mohamed Abdel Wahab, Founding Partner and Head of International Arbitration, Construction and Energy Groups, Zulficar & Partners Law Firm, President of the Subcommittee on International Arbitration of the Board of the Russian Arbitration Center;
• Dr. Roman Khodykin, Partner, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner Law Firm.

Session I. The Story of Arbitration: Who Writes, Who Tells, Who Believes?

A central theme of the session is the question of who shapes the rules and narratives of arbitration. Is the procedural framework still largely a product of Western legal traditions, or is there space for broader inclusion of diverse legal cultures and approaches? If so, how can such inclusion be achieved without being perceived as a departure from established standards? Taking a historical perspective, the discussion will consider whether arbitration today can meaningfully be described as truly international, delocalised, or increasingly shaped by regional dynamics.

The session will also examine whether arbitration has remained faithful to its original promise of efficiency, or whether, in seeking to avoid procedural challenges and ensure enforceability, it has gradually come to resemble formal court litigation.

Ultimately, the discussion aims to offer a clearer view of where arbitration is heading and whether meaningful changes are needed for its future development.

Speakers:

• Dr. Nasser Mehsin Al-Adba, Managing Partner, Head of Arbitration department, Omani & Partners;
• Dr. Victor Leginsky, Independent Arbitrator, Mediator, FCIArb;
• Giulio Palermo, Partner, Archipel;
• Dr. Pinky Anand, Senior Advocate at the Supreme Court of India and judge of the Bahrain International Commercial Court (BICC);
• Andrey Gorlenko, Partner, Head of International Dispute Resolution, Ivanyan and Partners.

Moderator: Vladimir Talanov, Partner, EPAM Law Offices.

Session II. When Parties Choose, but Not Decide: Limits to Party Autonomy.

This session will focuse on legal and practical constraints limiting party autonomy in determining different aspects of arbitration procedure. The session will explore how courts and tribunals balance respect for party autonomy with the need to uphold mandatory rules, public policy considerations, and the integrity of the legal system.

Drawing on comparative legal analysis and recent developments in judicial and arbitral practice, the session aims to provide a nuanced and practical understanding of party autonomy as a cornerstone of international commercial arbitration – one that is fundamental and sacred, yet not unlimited.

Speakers:

• Dmitry Dyakin, Partner, Head of Dispute Resolution, Dyakin, Gortsunyan, Partners;
• Ali Al Hashimi, Global Advocacy & Legal Counsel, Global Advocacy and Legal Counsel;
• Andrey Panov, Partner, Head of International Arbitration and Litigation, Denuo;
• Dr. Paul Key, KC, Essex Court Chambers;
• Dr. Christopher To, Independent Arbitrator, Mediator, Adjudicator.

Moderator: Ana Stanič, Director, E&A Law Limited, member of the PCA Court of Arbitrators.

Session III. Who Has the Final Word? Jurisdiction and the Reach of Kompetenz-Kompetenz.

Although widely recognised as a fundamental rule empowering arbitral tribunals to rule on their own jurisdiction, practical operation of Kompetenz-Kompetenz principle varies, particularly in systems where courts retain an active or even decisive role. Against this backdrop, the session will offer a comparative overview of who ultimately leads in determining jurisdiction – courts or arbitral tribunals – and how concurrent jurisdiction operates in practice.

Particular attention will be paid to the extent to which courts may mandate or pre-determine the existence of arbitral jurisdiction, and how such interventions interact with the authority of arbitral tribunals. The session will also explore under what circumstances the powers of arbitrators may be revived following judicial involvement, and whether this may require the dispute to be reconsidered by a differently constituted tribunal.

Speakers:

• Ahmed Ibrahim, Independent Arbitrator, Founder of Ibrahim ADR;
• Dr. Dmitry Kaysin, Partner, Co-Head of Dispute Resolution Practice, Asari Legal;
• Kelvin Poon, Deputy Managing Partner, Head of International Arbitration, Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP;
• Dr. Wei Sun, Managing Partner, Zhong Lun Law Firm;
• Jean-François Tossens, Partner, Hanotiau Tossens Goldman Gonne.

Moderator: Olga Tsvetkova, Managing Partner, Brevia Law Office.

Terms of participation

Participation in the RIAC 2026 Main conference is paid. The cost of participation is 45 000 rubles. If you register before July 31, there is a special price of 35,000 rubles. Participation in the conference will be free for in-house lawyers.

Registration for the Main conference is available via the link.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact the Organiser by email: riac@centerarbitr.ru.