13.05.2023
12:15–13:45
Investments and Dispute Resolution within BRICS
Congress Centre, conference hall D4
In recent years, BRICS countries have been expanding their trade and economic ties, as overall mutual investment increases. The unilateral economic measures that are being imposed by Western countries have only helped to strengthen this trend. At the same time, there is a growing need to unify legal regulation to ensure there are guarantees for the rights and interests of investors and states within BRICS. In addition, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) is currently discussing ways to reform the international system for resolving disputes between investors and states. This discussion is taking place primarily because states are dissatisfied with the ‘pro-investor’ approach of investment arbitration, including the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), and are looking for ways to reform this system to ensure the more equitable balance of interests of states and investors in dispute resolution. What opportunities are these to unify the legal regulation of BRICS countries in the protection of investors’ rights? Is it possible and advisable to establish an international BRICS arbitration centre for the impartial and independent resolution of commercial disputes? What is the role of government incentives for investment and development institutions in the BRICS countries?
Moderator
Sergey Belov
Dean of the Faculty of Law, Head of the Department of Constitutional Law, St Petersburg University
Panellists
Alexander Grebelsky
Managing Partner, Grebelsky and Partners; Senior Lecturer, Department of Private International and Civil Law, MGIMO University
Julia Dragunova
Acting Head of Section for Representation of the Russian Federation in International Trade Law Organisations, Legal Department, Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation
Ivan Zykin
Acting Chairman, International Commercial Arbitration Court at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation
Yuriy Korsun
Deputy Chairman, VEB.RF
Kumar Prashant
President, The Bar Association of India
Broadcast

Sergey Belov
Dean of the Faculty of Law, Head of the Department of Constitutional Law, St Petersburg University

Alexander Grebelsky
Managing Partner, Grebelsky and Partners; Senior Lecturer, Department of Private International and Civil Law, MGIMO University

Julia Dragunova
Acting Head of Section for Representation of the Russian Federation in International Trade Law Organisations, Legal Department, Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation

Ivan Zykin
Acting Chairman, International Commercial Arbitration Court at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation

Yuriy Korsun
Deputy Chairman, VEB.RF
Entered into office: 25 April 2018
Born: 29 May 1970, Leningrad.
Education
Business School – A.B. Freeman School of Business, University – Tulane University, 1999; MBA, Finance and Financial Management.
Saint Petersburg State University (LSU), 1995; School of Languages.
Employment History
1990 – 1994: IT Manager, SGS S.A.
1995 – 1997: Corporate Account Manager, Xerox Corporation
1997 – 2000: Business Consultant, Headquarters for Developing, Xerox Corp., USA
2001 – 2005: – Corporate Account Manager, Citibank.
2005 – 2007: Corporate Director, ABN AMRO
2007 – 2009: Head of Structured Finance Division, Alfa Bank
2009 – 2018: Managing Director and Head of Structured Finance Division, PAO Sberbank
Since April 2018 – Deputy Chairman, Vnesheconombank.
Born: 29 May 1970, Leningrad.
Education
Business School – A.B. Freeman School of Business, University – Tulane University, 1999; MBA, Finance and Financial Management.
Saint Petersburg State University (LSU), 1995; School of Languages.
Employment History
1990 – 1994: IT Manager, SGS S.A.
1995 – 1997: Corporate Account Manager, Xerox Corporation
1997 – 2000: Business Consultant, Headquarters for Developing, Xerox Corp., USA
2001 – 2005: – Corporate Account Manager, Citibank.
2005 – 2007: Corporate Director, ABN AMRO
2007 – 2009: Head of Structured Finance Division, Alfa Bank
2009 – 2018: Managing Director and Head of Structured Finance Division, PAO Sberbank
Since April 2018 – Deputy Chairman, Vnesheconombank.

Kumar Prashant
President, The Bar Association of India
Prashant Kumar was President of LAWASIA from 2015-2017. A policy economist turned lawyer, Mr Prashant Kumar specialises in constitutional law, commercial and civil matters, arbitration and intellectual property, as well as matters relating to information technology law, infrastructure agreements, public-private partnerships and anti-dumping laws.
Mr Kumar's law firm seconded three domain consultants to the Asian Development Bank led project team to carry out IT reform in the Delhi judiciary as a pilot project in 2003-2005 and he actively engages in assisting infusion of technology in judicial systems on informal basis.
P Kumar, Profile
He has taken keen interest in using technology to carry out legal processes and his firm has developed and worked successfully IT based dispute resolution model for resolving mass auto loan disputes in which statements of claim and documentation is generated in a fully automated manner involving a range of legal and fact variations. Arbitrators are also made available award assist programme, which produces a template award which arbitrators can validate, improve and utilise as a base to pass an appropriate award.
Mr Kumar heads KPA Legal, a boutique law firm with a clientele that includes MNCs and major corporate houses in India.
Mr Kumar is a Life Member of both the Bar Association of India and the Supreme Court Bar Association. He has held various positions in the Bar Association of India and currently serves as its President Elect.
Mr Kumar's law firm seconded three domain consultants to the Asian Development Bank led project team to carry out IT reform in the Delhi judiciary as a pilot project in 2003-2005 and he actively engages in assisting infusion of technology in judicial systems on informal basis.
P Kumar, Profile
He has taken keen interest in using technology to carry out legal processes and his firm has developed and worked successfully IT based dispute resolution model for resolving mass auto loan disputes in which statements of claim and documentation is generated in a fully automated manner involving a range of legal and fact variations. Arbitrators are also made available award assist programme, which produces a template award which arbitrators can validate, improve and utilise as a base to pass an appropriate award.
Mr Kumar heads KPA Legal, a boutique law firm with a clientele that includes MNCs and major corporate houses in India.
Mr Kumar is a Life Member of both the Bar Association of India and the Supreme Court Bar Association. He has held various positions in the Bar Association of India and currently serves as its President Elect.