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Business programme
19 –21 May 2025
International Law in a Changing World
The Ecosystem: Environment and Law
The Legal Basis Underlying Economic Growth
Law and Society
Dispute Resolution
Effective Law for an Effective State
Legislative Development
Digitalization in Law
The Age of Heroes – The Rights of Heroes
The Legal Community: Education, Profession, and Calling
Events on the Sidelines of the Forum
International Law in a Changing World
The Ecosystem: Environment and Law
The Legal Basis Underlying Economic Growth
Law and Society
Dispute Resolution
Effective Law for an Effective State
Legislative Development
Digitalization in Law
The Age of Heroes – The Rights of Heroes
The Legal Community: Education, Profession, and Calling
Events on the Sidelines of the Forum
09:00
20.05.2025
20.05.2025
09:30–11:00
09:30–11:00
Broadcast Current Issues in Combating International Cybercrime
Congress Centre, conference hall B1 (2nd floor)
The modern cyber threats that have engulfed Russia and the rest of the world urgently require a deep analysis of measures to counter various types of fraud, both at the domestic and interstate levels. In addition, close attention should be paid to legal norms and technical solutions that aim to strengthen international cooperation in the global war on cybercrime. What is currently preventing us from countering cybercrime at the interstate level and how can these obstacles be overcome? What steps need to be taken to ensure more effective cooperation between states in combatting cybercrime?
09:00
20.05.2025
09:30–11:00
09:30–11:00
Broadcast Western Legal Aggression Against Russia: Current Challenges and Countermeasures
Congress Centre, conference hall D2
International law has long defined aggression as “the use of armed force by a state against the sovereignty, territorial integrity, or political independence of another state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Charter of the United Nations”. Even though this definition remains valid, albeit not legally binding, it may seem excessively narrow and does not always reflect the realities of the 21st century, especially with regard to the subjects, forms, and nature of such aggression. Indeed, attacks on the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of states increasingly occur without the use of armed force. Military action is being replaced by so-called lawfare, where the abuse of legal norms as well as legislative, executive, and judicial jurisdiction are used as a means to defeat an enemy. However, the very concept of ‘legal aggression’ has not yet been conceptually defined in domestic doctrine. This term is not mentioned in international law, national legislation, or doctrinal documents as a possible method of international aggression that is comparable with the use of military force. The events of recent years have shown that neither individual states of the so-called collective West nor international organizations, primarily NATO and the EU, bear any international legal responsibility for their aggressive actions towards Russia through the abuse of law, although the phenomenon of such abuse (chicane) is historically prominent in national legal systems. The discussion participants will examine various aspects of the abuse of national and international law as a way of committing aggression. What is the role of international organizations, courts, and arbitration courts that can be used to legitimize illegal attacks on the Russian Federation, Russian individuals and legal entities, and their property? Can we assess the damage caused by aggressive lawfare? What kind of legal responsibility is there for such illegal actions at the national and international level? What can we do to develop mechanisms to counter this type of international aggression?
09:00
20.05.2025
09:30–11:00
09:30–11:00
Broadcast Issues of Compliance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea
Congress Centre, conference hall D3
The 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea is a universal international treaty and a key element of the modern international law system. The Convention aims to regulate the legal status of the World Ocean, while balancing the interests of both large industrialized states and developing nations as well. The legal classification of maritime spaces that was finally enshrined with the adoption of the Convention made it possible to clearly define the rights of states with respect to maritime spaces, establish their legal status, and develop and secure the proper enforcement of laws for each space in order to maintain this legal order in the World Ocean. What are some of the main problems with the Convention and its law enforcement practices? How effective is the current system of legal support for navigation along the Northern Sea Route? How can we combat unilateral illegal restrictive measures that are applied in maritime? What is the current international legal policy of World Ocean states that are not parties to the Convention? How are the rights to lay submarine cables and pipelines in the open seas regulated?
09:00
20.05.2025
09:30–11:00
09:30–11:00
Broadcast Construction and Maintenance of Real Estate Facilities: Conflicts, Stakeholder Interests, and the Limits of Exercising Rights
Congress Centre, conference hall А (3rd floor)
Existing legislation governs relationships between developers, contractors, investors, owners, management companies, and the government, but conflicts are still inevitable. What mechanisms help find a balance between the commercial interests of participants and public interests, including compliance with regulations? Where are the limits for participants to exercise their rights, and how can we avoid abuses?
09:00
20.05.2025
09:30–11:00
09:30–11:00
Broadcast Law and Biotechnology: Synergy in the Bioeconomy Era
Congress Centre, conference hall B2 (2nd floor)
The rapid development of biotechnologies could expand the ability to use living organisms and their systems or functional products and thus help to achieve Russia’s goal of ensuring technological leadership. Biotechnologies are actively developing and being introduced in various fields: medicine, healthcare, agriculture, industrial production, including the food industry, energy, and ecology. The system used to regulate relations in the application of biotechnology is in the initial stage of its formation and is fragmented. The development of the bioeconomy makes it crucial to construct a system that can effectively regulate these relations, which ensures the safe creation and use of biotechnologies and compliance with ethical requirements. Institutional instruments that meet modern challenges need to be developed to increase the pace and efficiency of biotechnology research and ensure the integration of the achievements made in various branches of science, such as microbiology, biochemistry, bioinformatics, and genetics, on the one hand, and to protect fundamental human values, on the other. Biotechnological achievements and the ethical, economic, and social consequences of their application in various fields determine the specifics of legal regulation both in terms of intellectual property rights and in other areas of jurisprudence. What are the most effective forms and methods of regulating public relations in biotechnologies? What areas of legal regulation need to be adjusted to achieve Russia’s goal of achieving technological leadership in the field of biotechnologies?
09:00
20.05.2025
09:30–11:00
09:30–11:00
Broadcast Legal Regulation of Media Activities: Modern Challenges
Pavilion F, conference hall F20 (2nd floor)
The media market and its digital ecosystem is rapidly growing and expanding in Russia and around the world. Messengers, social networks, and other new media are actively developing and acquiring the attributes of media. Popular bloggers are becoming opinion leaders. Anyone can see that the ability to work with artificial intelligence will soon be one of the main factors that determines the success of specific players on the media market and the trajectory of its development. In the context of its special military operation, Russia faces challenges that are common to all information markets and currently needs to protect the information space from unfair propaganda and fake news, while also conveying Russia’s position to the citizens of other countries. How will legal instruments help solve problems facing the industry and the state? What types of media activities require additional regulation and how strict should such regulation be? How useful is other countries’ experience for Russia, and do we specifically need to regulate the use of artificial intelligence in the media?
09:00
20.05.2025
09:30–11:00
09:30–11:00
Broadcast Digital Business and the Law
Pavilion F, conference hall F21 (2nd floor)
The Russian legal system, which has made a great leap in terms of acknowledging and regulating the digital environment, still does not sufficiently provide legal conditions that are conducive for the introduction of information (digital) technologies in business activities. Russia does not have any clear and effective regulation of the platform economy or a well-developed digital trust environment. The current legal norms do not fully take into account the specifics of working in the digital environment, neither in terms of the relevant subjects of legal relations, nor the use of electronic (digital) documents. In this regard, Russia needs to make theoretically grounded improvements to its legislation regulating the legal status of data (electronic, digital) entities, the legal relations used to mediate them, and the use of electronic (digital) evidence. What recommendations could improve information (digital) legislation in Russia in terms of the activities of business entities related to the legal status of data arrays and their circulation, as well as multimedia and virtual products? What are some of the specific aspects of regulating remote access as a means to identify subjects and objects of digital legal relations? How is the mechanism being structurally introduced of having an electronic legal address and an email address as a mandatory requirement and a method of communication with business entities? How should electronic (digital) evidence be properly used to protect the rights of individuals and legal entities? What kind of legal models of interaction should be used by the government and digital business?
09:00
20.05.2025
09:30–11:00
09:30–11:00
Broadcast Value-Based Foundations of Temporality in Private Law
Congress Centre, conference hall D4
In recent years, there have been truly revolutionary changes in legislative and regulatory enforcement practices with respect to the time factor in private law, both in terms of the statute of limitations and adverse possession. The legal positions of the Russian Constitutional Court and the Russian Supreme Court, on the one hand, have paved the way for the broader application of the institution of adverse possession. On the other hand, they have made it possible to virtually eliminate barriers in terms of the expiration of the statute of limitations for claims that aim to recover state and municipal property from its illegal owners and persons who have unfairly enriched themselves at the expense of the state or a municipality. Since the dogmatics of private law is the language used to describe and understand legal phenomena, naturally such major changes need to be reflected in the civil procedure doctrine. At the same time, there must also be a discussion about the value-based foundations of the new approaches and the civil procedure wording uses to describe them, thereby moving from the ‘jurisprudence of concepts’ to the ‘jurisprudence of values’. Here it would be highly appropriate to discuss the substantive aspect of the principles of good faith, reasonableness, and fairness in the context of how they are applied with respect to the institution of limitations, e.g., in terms of rejection with reference to one of these principles, to satisfy claims that have been exempted from the statute of limitations by virtue of a direct reference to the law due to the authorized person’s unfair delay in filing them. In private law, it is the same with the expanded scope of application of legal custom, for which the limitation of a provision of customary law is one of the fundamental factors that constitutes it as such.
09:00
20.05.2025
09:30–11:00
09:30–11:00
Broadcast Foreign Interference: Lessons from History
Justice Quarter, conference hall E10
States are established and evolve not only under the influence of internal factors, but external ones as well. The Russian state was no exception to this rule. An analysis of historical facts shows that there has been a foreign influence in most key events of Russian history to one degree or another. The Time of Troubles, the reforms of Peter the Great, and the revolutions of 1905 and 1917 – foreign actors overtly or covertly tried to extract their own benefit from all these events and expand their influence on the Russian state and its rulers. Russia’s very existence came under threat on more than one occasion as a result of such actions. At the same time, foreign influence has not always been definitively negative. There are historical examples when reforms that were carried out based on the model of Western countries became a driver of socioeconomic development in Russia. Is it possible to conduct an unambiguous assessment of the role of foreign influence in Russian history? Should Russia completely ignore global trends or can it find a balance between its distinctive identity and its involvement in global processes?
09:00
20.05.2025
09:30–11:00
09:30–11:00
Broadcast The Customer Is Always Right...
In partnership with Aeroflot
Congress Centre, conference hall D1
The safety and quality of air transportation is the top priority of airlines. Air carriers work so that passengers can quickly and comfortably travel huge distances, which means being mobile, meeting more frequently, working successfully, and seeing the world in all its diversity. As a historically established leader in air transportation, Aeroflot strives to exceed the expectations of its customers so that they keep coming back. The customer is always right, but only if he/she chooses reliability, safety, and comfort and is ready to comply with the law and rules of air transportation. Do air carriers have expectations? What is the cultural code of passengers? What needs to be done to ensure the availability of air travel? What are the various parties involved in air transportation ready to do and what do they expect from each other?
09:00
20.05.2025
09:30–11:00
09:30–11:00
Broadcast Developing and Improving Integration Processes among Enforcement Bodies of Foreign States in a Multipolar World
Justice Quarter, conference hall E11
Over its 160-year history, the institution of bailiffs in Russia has been continuously developing, changing, and improving as a result of rapidly evolving social relations. This work continues to this day. Given the difficult external environment, it is becoming crucial to establish a multipolar world order in an effort to expand the range of opportunities between countries to engage in full-fledged and mutually beneficial international cooperation based on the mutual respect of the parties. In matters concerning enforcement, integration processes remain stable, and interaction is carried out both through the exchange of experience as well as joint work to create and improve the regulatory framework for enforcement proceedings.
09:00
20.05.2025
09:30–11:00
09:30–11:00
Legal Breakfast "Business Reputation"
By invitation
Congress Centre, VIP restaurant (7th floor)
Reputation is a strategic asset that is formed through consistent and targeted communications work. Historically, lawyers have played a key role in shaping and protecting the reputation of both their clients and the state as a whole, since they understand that a country’s image has a direct impact on international relations and domestic political stability. Today, in addition to fulfilling their normal professional duties, lawyers not only defend the interests of their clients, but are also key managers of their reputations, including the state’s reputation. They take part in shaping public opinion, influence the perception of politics, and can prevent or minimize reputational risks at the state level. With all the current global crises and uncertainty, lawyers continue to manage people’s reputations, which requires them to be proactive, take into account the digital component of communications and strategic thinking, and develop anti-crisis communications. How do lawyers influence public communications today? Can they handle communication crises without PR specialists and how can they build strategic communications to effectively shape the reputation of both clients and Russia as a whole in the new multipolar world?
09:00
20.05.2025
09:30–11:00
09:30–11:00
Broadcast Long-Term Investment and Savings: Legislative Trends and Legal Challenges
Congress Centre, conference hall B3 (2nd floor)
Long-term investments and savings enable people to fund their major life goals and build up pension capital. It is beneficial for the government to create long-term investment opportunities, since this leads to the increased well-being of citizens, reduces the burden on the social system, and supports economic growth. Russia has created and is developing a whole range of tools to stimulate long-term savings: personal investment accounts, long-term incentives, and voluntary life insurance. Are there any flaws in these tools? Are additional measures needed? Other countries are increasingly introducing mandatory or semi-mandatory savings mechanisms, such as mandatory pension savings (the second level of the pension system), auto-enrolment in private pension plans for employers, and mandatory corporate or industry retirement plans. How ethical and effective is it for the government to “force savings” on people? Does Russia need such mechanisms and what are the alternatives?
09:00
20.05.2025
09:30–11:00
09:30–11:00
Broadcast Russia–Asia: Legal Mechanisms as a Driver of Multilateral Cooperation and Strategic Partnership
Congress Centre, conference hall B4 (2nd floor)
Russian-Chinese trade turnover increased by 23% to an all-time record of more than USD 240 billion in 2023. It increased by 1.9% in 2024 compared with 2023 and set another record of USD 244.81 billion. More than 90% of mutual settlements are conducted in national currencies, primarily in Chinese yuan. As of today, 86 projects worth a total of RUB 18 trillion are being implemented in the raw materials, agriculture, and automotive industries, the production of household appliances, and the construction of transport and logistics infrastructure as part of the Russian-Chinese Intergovernmental Commission. The portfolio of investment projects of the Russian-Chinese Intergovernmental Commission continues to expand. Russia and India, for their part, intend to maintain dynamic growth trends in trade turnover and achieve a substantial increase in bilateral trade by 2030. Positive trends are also being seen in relations with other BRICS countries. To achieve the goals that have been set, favourable conditions need to be created and maintained in order to realize the economic and investment potential of countries. How effective are legal mechanisms in the development of multilateral cooperation? What measures could enhance such effectiveness? What needs to be done to improve legal support in an effort to increase cross-border investment and trade cooperation?
09:00
20.05.2025
09:30–12:00
09:30–12:00
The Legal Transformation: Balancing Regulation and Business Freedom so as not to Hinder Economic Growth
Деловой завтрак
Hilton St. Petersburg ExpoForum, 3-й этаж, hall 5-6
Global economic challenges and rapid digital transformation are making it more important than ever to strike the right balance between government regulation and entrepreneurial freedom to ensure economic growth. What principles govern the state’s effective legal regulation of business? How is AI changing the way businesses and regulators interact? What cases can we see of successful dialogue between business and government? How can the legal community help the federal executive authorities create a more comfortable legal environment for investment? What global regulatory practices should Russia adopt and which should it reject?
11:00
20.05.2025
11:00–13:30
11:00–13:30
The Security Umbrella of Eurasian Integration
One of the top priorities of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is to harmonize the national legislation of CSTO member states on issues that fall within the organization’s statutory purview. Harmonizing national legislation could take the collective security of the CSTO to a new level. The Parliamentary Assembly’s legislative activities are the main tool for achieving this goal, which can be ensured through the implementation of model legislative acts, recommendations, and other legal acts of this kind that are drafted and adopted by the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly in the legislative systems of the CSTO member states. In response to the ever-changing challenges and threats to security, the session participants will continue to discuss key areas of model lawmaking as an important instrument for ensuring the security of Eurasian integration and the CSTO’s role in maintaining peace and stability.
11:00
20.05.2025
11:30–13:00
11:30–13:00
Broadcast Reforming the Bankruptcy System and the Role of Digital Technologies
Congress Centre, conference hall D4
The question of bankruptcy reform is more relevant now than ever. A reform to bankruptcy procedures could be expected to increase motivation to pay down debt and return assets to normal economic activity more quickly. The mechanisms for restructuring debt before having to recourse to bankruptcy have improved in recent years, and new digital solutions have made processes more transparent, with the necessary information easier for individuals and organizations to access. The introduction of new technologies and institutional changes have equipped businesses and the state with the tools necessary to prevent bankruptcy and conduct effective rehabilitation out of court. Participants in this discussion will consider existing debt restructuring practices as an alternative to bankruptcy and the prospect of bankruptcy reform as a way to restore enterprise solvency in place of liquidation. What are the digital solutions that have improved access to information and prevented bankruptcy? What are the options for restructuring debt and what are the accompanying advantages and disadvantages? What needs to be changed for bankruptcy rehabilitation procedures to work? Must rules be established for service capacity to reduce transactional costs to business and the state?
11:00
20.05.2025
11:30–13:00
11:30–13:00
Broadcast Mining through the Lens of Current Legal Regulation
Congress Centre, conference hall B3 (2nd floor)
The search for the optimal regulation of cryptocurrencies has become a universal trend in the development of legal systems. Russia has long had a system in place to regulate the issuance and circulation of certain types of crypto assets. Provisions defining the rules for the mining and circulation of digital currencies took effect in Russia in early 2025. However, it is still premature to talk about a definitive design of the regulatory environment for the wide range of crypto assets and new models of organizing finance, including decentralized finance. What initial results have been achieved in the regulation of mining? Could the circulation of digital currencies and assets be further expanded? What kind of prospects are there for transnational payments in cryptocurrency? Has an inter-industry consensus been reached in terms of taxing cryptocurrency? Does legislation in the electric power industry and other legislative branches need to be further adapted? How can we ‘sanitize’ the market? What elements of the crypto-sphere still need regulation?
11:00
20.05.2025
11:30–13:00
11:30–13:00
Broadcast The Human Embryo: A Who or a What?
Congress Centre, conference hall D3
Increasing the birth rate remains a key priority in the state policy of Russia, where assisted reproductive technologies also play a significant role. However, their proliferation raises a number of ethical and legal dilemmas that not only require public discussion, but also a balanced legislative approach. Despite the active development of legal regulation in this area, significant gaps remain today. Who is recognized as a child’s parents in the event of an error when an embryo is transferred? What happens to embryos if one of the potential parents insists on their disposal, and the other is opposed? Can the biomaterial of a deceased person be used for reproductive purposes? For now, there is no clear legislative answer to these and other questions, which potentially affect the fate of millions of unborn children. In recent years, Russian courts have increasingly encountered cases related to assisted reproductive technologies. The lack of uniform legal standards results in contradictory judicial practice, which creates legal uncertainty and reduces the predictability of court decisions. This situation not only undermines people’s trust in reproductive technologies, but also threatens the achievement of the government’s strategic demographic goals. Eliminating legal conflicts requires a synthesis of international experience and due consideration of Russia’s specific national features. Legal regulation should be carefully thought out and not only adapted to the rapid development of medical and biological sciences, but also ensure a balance between innovation, the principles of humanism, and the protection of the basic rights of all parties involved in the process – from donors to unborn children. Does a human embryo have the legal status of an object or a subject? Who should be recognized as the owner of an embryo? What are the conditions for splitting an embryo and disposing of it if it is shared? What is an embryo’s fate in the event one or both of the potential parents dies? Is the legal regulation of ‘posthumous parenthood’ necessary? Should there be restrictions on the permissible number of embryos that can be created? Do we need more nuanced regulation of cryopreservation and the subsequent storage of embryos? What are some of the consequences of errors during IVF. Who is the parent, who is responsible, and what is his/her responsibility? What should take precedence – the donor’s right to anonymity or the child’s right to know their parents?
11:00
20.05.2025
11:30–13:00
11:30–13:00
Broadcast Energy Law: From Challenges to Opportunities
In partnership with Transneft
Justice Quarter, conference hall E10
The global energy industry is experiencing an era of structural transformation caused by fundamental political and economic processes and new trends. Some of the key trends that will influence the global energy industry in the long term include: underinvestment in the oil and gas sector, the priority of energy security, the politicization of international environmental and climate activities, and the use of global financial infrastructure and illegitimate unilateral restrictions by unfriendly countries to engage in unfair competition. Against this backdrop, the Energy Strategy approved by the Russian government sets a new long-term timeline for projects in the oil and gas sector and focuses on transitioning from adaptation to external and internal challenges to accelerated development, while ensuring that Russia retains its role as one of the leading suppliers in the energy sector. What legal environment is the most conducive to implementing promising infrastructure projects, and can legislation be designed for such a long period? What strategic regulatory decisions should serve as a reliable foundation for long-term stability and ensuring the country’s energy sovereignty? Does the energy market still have untapped potential?
11:00
20.05.2025
11:30–13:00
11:30–13:00
Broadcast Pretrial Restrictions on Business Owners and Top Managers: Reform Outcomes and Future Outlook
Pavilion F, conference hall F21 (2nd floor)
In recent years, several important initiatives have been proposed to limit the pretrial detention of entrepreneurs during investigations into economic crimes. Following the implementation of presidential directives, amendments have been introduced to Article 99, Part 1.1, and Part 3 of Article 108 of the Russian Criminal Code. Courts handling economic crime cases are now required to prioritize alternative pretrial measures that allow business activity to continue. The humanization of criminal law provisions has received broad public support. However, in practice, the problem persists, with a significant number of entrepreneurs still being held in pretrial detention. Moreover, criminal prosecution and the subsequent detention of business owners often spark corporate conflicts and disrupt normal business operations. What have been the results of these reforms? What are the next steps?
11:00
20.05.2025
11:30–13:00
11:30–13:00
Broadcast In-House Lawyers and Legal Consultants: Effective Models of Cooperation
Congress Centre, conference hall B1 (2nd floor)
In-house lawyers must fulfil the task given to them by business on time and with the best possible results. If they are lacking special expertise or manpower, in-house lawyers turn to external consultants. What is the best way to effectively establish interaction with an external consultant amidst the current market turbulence, sanctions pressure, and the selective application of legal norms? What is happening with the legal services market? Are external consultants keeping up with demand from their clients? Is there an ideal model of interaction between in-house lawyers and consultants? What criteria is used to choose the right consultants? What legal fees are reasonable and justified? Does an expensive consultant/lawyer guarantee the quality and success of a case? What are some of the ethical foundations of the relationship between in-house lawyers and consultants? How can we regulate conflicts of interest and give feedback? How can we help a consultant feel like an in-house lawyer, and an in-house lawyer feel like a consultant in the event one of them transitions from one role to another?
11:00
20.05.2025
11:30–13:00
11:30–13:00
Broadcast The Future of Legal Education: Adapting to New Challenges and Opportunities
Congress Centre, conference hall B2 (2nd floor)
Given the rapid changes in the world of technology and the legal environment, the future of legal education needs to be reimagined and adapted to new challenges and opportunities. Globalization, digitalization, and the development of artificial intelligence are creating new requirements for the training of lawyers, who not only need to be legal specialists, but also have such skills as analytical thinking, an interdisciplinary approach, and the ability to work with modern technologies. One the key issues facing law schools is how to integrate practical skills and innovative technologies into the educational process in order to provide graduates with the knowledge and expertise they need. It is also important to think about how legal education can prepare students for work in an international environment, taking into account the diversity of legal systems and cultures. Law schools, business, and government agencies need to actively work together now more than ever to create an effective educational environment. What are some of the main trends in legal education against the backdrop of digitalization? What new training approaches can be introduced to prepare lawyers for the challenges of the modern world? How can we ensure that educational programmes meet market demands and employers’ expectations?
11:00
20.05.2025
11:30–13:00
11:30–13:00
Broadcast Unified Consumer Protection Rules in the Union State: A New Legal Reality
Congress Centre, conference hall B4 (2nd floor)
The Uniform Consumer Rights Protection Rules are one of the few, albeit very important issues that fall within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Union State of Russia and Belarus. Their approval by a decree of the Supreme State Council of the Union State was a major practical step forward in the two countries creating a common legal framework in this key area of public relations. How will this affect the extent of legal protection for consumers? What changes can both consumers and professional participants in the consumer market of goods and services expect to see in the legal landscape of their relations? What are the main innovations in the Uniform Rules, and what expectations do the leading authorities of the two parties to the Treaty on the Establishment of the Union State and public consumer associations have from the establishment of the corresponding law enforcement practice?
11:00
20.05.2025
11:30–15:00
11:30–15:00
Broadcast Meeting of Ministers of Justice, Chaired by the Minister of Justice of the Russian Federation, Konstantin Chuychenko
Justice Quarter, conference hall E11
11:00
20.05.2025
11:30–13:00
11:30–13:00
Broadcast Lecture by the Chairman of the Constitutional Court, Valery Zorkin: "Corruption: A Threat to the Rule of Law"
Congress Centre, conference hall D1
11:00
20.05.2025
11:30–13:00
11:30–13:00
Broadcast Lecture by Andrey Bezrukov "Global Geopolitics in the Era of a New American Reality"
Congress Centre, conference hall D2
11:00
20.05.2025
11:30–13:00
11:30–13:00
Broadcast Law and Religion
Pavilion F, conference hall F20 (2nd floor)
The manner in which public life has evolved in recent decades shows that humanity is increasingly moving towards ‘post-secularity’, i.e., religious values and concepts are playing a greater role in people’s lives. There has been a new twist in this movement in recent years, taking into account the world’s pivot towards multipolarity and cultural post-globalization. Russia has not remained on the sidelines of these changes and in many ways has led the current trends in this transformation. The country’s multi-confessional and multinational nature, which is undoubtedly a huge advantage, dictates the need to search for models where traditional religious confessions can harmoniously coexist, including their aligned understanding of traditional values, which has become a guideline and foundation for the development of legal policy in modern Russia. Discussions about interaction between law and religion should seemingly take place not only within the framework of an interfaith dialogue, but also in an interdisciplinary manner, i.e., not only with the involvement of resources from the legal community, but from political philosophy, history, and sociology as well. In addition, we must remember that from the standpoint of the foundations of state policy on preserving and strengthening traditional Russian spiritual and moral values, the list of traditional faiths is not exhaustive and includes, among other things, the religious cults of Russia’s Indigenous minorities, whose rights are protected by the Russian Constitution. What are the value implications from combining various systems of religious values, what influence do they have on the content of the law, and how can they be implemented and factored into the current legal regulation and legal policy? What are the institutional implications in terms of the legal regulation of the activities of religious organizations and government-confessional relations? What are the theoretical and historical implications of the fundamental interaction of religion and law as two aspects of social life, the relationship of their key concepts and views of the world, as well as the history of their convergence?
11:00
20.05.2025
11:30–13:00
11:30–13:00
Broadcast National Model of Target Business Conditions. How Will Economic Disputes Be Resolved in 2030?
Congress Centre, conference hall А (3rd floor)
Based on instructions from the Russian government, a special working group has been created with representatives of key government bodies, the Agency for Strategic Initiatives, companies, the bar association, academia, and the regions. Its goal is to formulate specific steps based on the needs of business to ensure favourable conditions for the effective resolution of economic disputes and make Russia one of the top ten countries in global dispute resolution rankings by 2030. The working group has prepared a draft roadmap of forty steps that envisage large-scale changes in key areas: from arbitration courts and mediation to the reform of legal costs and approaches to settling disputes with the state and enforcement proceedings. Once coordinated and approved, the roadmap will serve as a detailed reform plan and shape the dispute resolution system for the coming years. What are the main provisions of the roadmap, the proposed changes, and the reform projects in the legal sphere?
13:00
20.05.2025
13:30–15:00
13:30–15:00
Broadcast Foreigners’ Adventures in Russia
Congress Centre, conference hall B1 (2nd floor)
Foreigners began migrating to Russia in the 15th century. Foreign specialists were recruited for government service through the Pharmaceutical, Ambassadorial, and Foreigners Offices. This policy continued under Peter the Great and Catherine the Great, and became particularly widespread under Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. During Soviet times, the invitation of foreign specialists was sporadic, but important for the economy and defence. As for current migration issues, the digitalization of migration is one of the key focuses of Russia’s migration policy. The introduction of new technologies simplifies the registration and tracking of migrants, and also enhances the transparency of migration flows. Digitalization is consistent with the challenges of our times and changes the usual way of life, but it is crucial that we not forget about preserving human rights. Thanks to the Russian government’s support, digitalization is proceeding rapidly in all sectors, including jurisprudence. Artificial intelligence technologies have recently been increasingly adopted in this regard as well. Digitalization is also very important in migration policy and needs to be rapidly introduced for its further development. What additional mechanisms, including in the legal sphere and digitalization, need to be developed to attract immigrants to Russia who are able to enrich and develop our country and share our traditional spiritual and moral values based on mutual respect, aid for those in need, compassion, and so on? What new approaches are becoming key to the adaptation and socialization of foreigners in Russia due to climate change? What options exist for solving migration problems in Russia? How can digitalization be used to preserve and attract migrants to Russia who have similar spiritual and moral values and who want to live and flourish in our country?
13:00
20.05.2025
13:30–15:00
13:30–15:00
Broadcast All Flags Welcome? Legal Challenges in Migration Regulation
Congress Centre, conference hall D1
In recent decades, migration has increased, creating new challenges for legal systems. Migration affects countries’ economies, security, and political stability. Today, there is a pressing need for a comprehensive approach to migration, one that addresses both theoretical aspects (legal norms, ethical dilemmas) and practical ones (developing effective policies, protecting human rights). How can we create fairer, more sustainable systems for managing migration in today’s world?
13:00
20.05.2025
13:30–15:00
13:30–15:00
Broadcast Property Tax Disputes Involving Organizations: Judicial Trends and Outlook
Congress Centre, conference hall B3 (2nd floor)
Property tax disputes involving organizations continue to be relevant in judicial practice. Taxpayers who invest heavily in upgrading modern technological equipment must understand the tax implications of their investments. Legislators have decided to only tax real estate and exempted movable property from taxation. However, the legislation on taxes and fees does not define the criteria for distinguishing movable and immovable property for tax purposes. The tax authorities rely on the criteria in civil legislation, which does not always ensure fair taxation. In 2024, based on the results of a series of cases, the Russian Supreme Court established a number of criteria to distinguish movable and immovable property, taking into account the specifics of transactions with such property and the specifics of the taxpayers’ scope of activities. How should investors’ interests be protected in the future? What else should the government do to provide legal certainty when considering property tax disputes involving organizations? What are some of the current trends in judicial practice and what is the outlook for its further development?
13:00
20.05.2025
13:30–15:00
13:30–15:00
Broadcast Legal Assistance in BRICS Countries: Legal Framework for Mutual Investments
Congress Centre, conference hall B4 (2nd floor)
Over the 30 post-Soviet years, Russia has operated under a “colonial model” of economic consulting, including legal services. As recently as a few years ago, foreign law firms were estimated to control around 80% of the Russian legal market. The unrestricted entry of foreign consulting firms created an unacceptable level of dependence on Western advisers, exposing the economy to political and legal risks. A sovereign economy requires a sovereign infrastructure. The experience of BRICS countries in regulating their legal markets demonstrates the effectiveness of developing legal services based on national firms. This experience should be taken into account when considering the need to move away from the complete openness of the Russian legal consulting market to foreign legal advisers. What are the ways to improve legislation needed to build a sovereign infrastructure for legal support of economic projects? What legal restrictions are applied in BRICS and SCO countries to protect the national legal consulting market, and how effective are they? What countermeasures should be established to prevent circumvention of such restrictions? Should government support be provided to help develop the domestic legal services market?
13:00
20.05.2025
13:30–15:00
13:30–15:00
Broadcast Accessibility and Openness: New Horizons for Nonprofit Organizations
Justice Quarter, conference hall E10
Modern realities dictate specific development trajectories for the legal regulation of the activities of nonprofit organizations. The creation of the ‘third sector’ in Russia has its own specific features – public benefit, charity, and openness. The government’s role in it is to support and organize effective interaction and the transparency of nonprofit activities. The main trends in the legislative regulation of their activities are the digitalization of reporting and the ability to obtain information about nonprofits in a one-stop shop on the portal of the Russian Ministry of Justice, which aims to ensure the uniform application of legislative provisions and boost the confidence of the country’s citizens in charitable programmes.
13:00
20.05.2025
13:30–15:00
13:30–15:00
Broadcast Interpretation Mechanisms and Legislative Systematization Processes
Congress Centre, conference hall А (3rd floor)
13:00
20.05.2025
13:30–15:00
13:30–15:00
Broadcast Delivering Legal Functions in Government Agencies: People, Processes, Technologies
Congress Centre, conference hall D3
Government bodies are traditionally a key component in building a state governed by the rule of law, in which the rights and freedoms of man and citizen are guaranteed. Given the current challenges around the world, the legal functions of government bodies cannot be ensured without an integrated approach that combines the development of human capital, the introduction of modern management processes, and the active use of innovative technologies. The spiritual and moral values, expertise, and professionalism of civil servants determine the quality of public administration and the level of public trust in government institutions. Investments in the education, training, and advanced training of personnel are becoming a priority to ensure the sustainable development of government structures. Globalization, digitalization, and the ever-increasing complexity of socioeconomic processes require government bodies to constantly update their approaches to management and decision-making. Modern processes, such as the introduction of project management as well as lean and agile methodologies, the use of a risk-oriented approach, and the creation of cross-functional teams, help increase the efficiency and transparency of government bodies. It is also essential to ensure that these processes comply with legal norms and principles. The use of artificial intelligence, blockchain, big data, and electronic platforms can significantly improve the quality of public services, reduce corruption risks, and ensure the accessibility and transparency of government decisions. However, the introduction of innovative technologies also requires the development of an appropriate legal framework to regulate their use and protect the rights of citizens.
13:00
20.05.2025
13:30–15:00
13:30–15:00
Broadcast Strategic Planning and Science Management: Legal and Regulatory Dimensions
Pavilion F, conference hall F20 (2nd floor)
The foundations of a state’s long-term sustainable development depend on the ability of its scientific, technological, and industrial sectors to create cutting-edge solutions and produce knowledge-intensive products for the economy and social sphere. The concept of technological leadership, outlined in presidential decrees and directives, requires a legal and regulatory framework that enables scientific potential to thrive, breakthrough solutions to emerge, and innovations to be implemented across both the public and private sectors, while ensuring competitiveness in global markets. What should the legal and regulatory landscape for technological leadership look like? What are the prospects for developing legislation on science and R&D? What regulatory barriers need to be removed to implement research results? Which legal mechanisms most effectively incentivize cooperation between business and science?
13:00
20.05.2025
13:30–15:00
13:30–15:00
Broadcast Legal Risks in the Digital Age: Compliance and Prevention
Congress Centre, conference hall B2 (2nd floor)
Effectively prevention legal risks for businesses amidst the digital transformation of the economy is a major challenge. On the one hand, modern digital tools can help ensure proper legal protection for businesses, the successful development of in-house rule-making, as well as the prevention of risks and various types of legal liability. On other hand, the digital transformation of all facets of society and the economy leads to new types of legal risks that must be foreseen and prevented. What is the best way to build a legal risk management system using new digital services? Will the Russian Federal Tax Service’s creation of an open data ecosystem help to effectively manage tax risks? What are some advanced techniques for verifying counterparties and internally preventing bankruptcy risks for businesses? How can we prevent corporate conflicts once foreign businesses start returning to the Russian economy? Is nominal participation archaic in the digital age or a real risk for business? What should be the guiding principles of criminal law compliance? How can we protect intangible assets in the era of digitalization? Are there certain regulatory risks that are not obvious or anything else that should be taken into account?
13:00
20.05.2025
13:30–15:00
13:30–15:00
Broadcast Defending Sovereignty: The Foundation of Development and Security
Congress Centre, conference hall D4
Sovereignty guarantees the protection of national interests and is an integral feature of any state. In the modern world, not all nations have the ability to fully outline their national interests and be sovereign. According to the National Security Strategy approved by Russian President Vladimir Putin, protecting and ensuring sovereignty is a national interest of the Russian Federation. What role does law play in the system of ensuring a state’s sovereign development? What additional measures must be taken to protect national sovereignty against new global threats? What modern factors influence a country’s ability to ensure its national interests?
13:00
20.05.2025
13:30–15:00
13:30–15:00
Broadcast A Private Foundation for Wealth Management
Pavilion F, conference hall F21 (2nd floor)
The management of family wealth demands flexibility and fidelity. In a private foundation, one can concentrate assets for management in a single place and protect them from legal risks arising through inheritance disputes, divorce, or economic crises while ensuring continuity in business and preserving family capital through the generations. What are the advantages and special characteristics of private foundations for estate and inheritance planning? What are the limitations and potential difficulties? What dispositive and imperative norms exist in the legal regulation of private foundations? What potential issues should one be mindful of when preparing rules for the private foundation for the period following the death of the founder? How does the establishment of a private foundation affect a family tax base? What are the tax benefits of using a private foundation to manage assets? What lessons can the Russian legal system learn from international experience and Russian practice?
13:00
20.05.2025
13:30–15:00
13:30–15:00
Broadcast Consumer Extremism
Congress Centre, conference hall D2
The manipulation of consumer rights legislation for selfish purposes, also known as ‘consumer extremism’, is notorious for its impact on civil turnover and various businesses. It has its own specific features in each segment, including the construction industry, real estate market, and online trading. Can we draw a line between consumer rights protection and consumer extremism, which is becoming systemic with the use of certain techniques that abuse people’s rights? What impact does consumer extremism have on market stability? What legal initiatives are needed to solve this problem, while preserving legal mechanisms for the protection of consumer rights?
13:00
20.05.2025
13:30–15:00
13:30–15:00
Broadcast AI-Based Regulatory and Supervisory Activity
Congress Centre, conference hall B10 (2nd floor)
Nowadays, we talk about a risk-oriented approach to progressive control and preventive decision-making, but our work with business seeks primarily to prevent violations through control and oversight. Artificial intelligence has already made it possible for a number of agencies to employ digital monitoring tools and target regulatory and industry-specific risks. Digital data and technologies are transforming supervisory activities and moving us closer and closer to mechanisms known as digital risk indicators that are normative in essence, automatically identify risks of various types on the array of big digital data, and trigger verification and/or preventive measures. Issues related to risk management system development will be discussed on the sidelines of the session and will include an outline of the main results involved in automating the identification of risk indicators for violations of mandatory requirements and proposals for the introduction of artificial intelligence in the work of control (supervisory) bodies to identify sources and risk indicators of violations of mandatory requirements and to expand interdepartmental cooperation following a digital analysis of business entities. Session participants will also discuss how control legislation should develop in the near future if it is to achieve the next stage of control reform and which regulatory instruments appear to have the most potential.
16:00
20.05.2025
16:00–18:00
16:00–18:00
Broadcast The Law: Lessons of the Past for the World of the Future
Пленарное заседание
Congress Centre, Congress Hall
18:00
20.05.2025
18:30–20:00
18:30–20:00
Broadcast Money Loves Silence: Trusts, Funds, and Other Capital Management Instruments
Congress Centre, conference hall D4
Among all property management methods, the greatest attention is given to trusts established under Anglo-American standards and to continental funds, which are special legal entities. Russian lawmakers have opted for the latter, incorporating rules on testamentary personal funds into the Civil Code (2017), followed by inter vivos personal funds (2021). In 2024, the personal fund model was refined: the release of fund information from the registry was prohibited; funds were allowed to be capitalized with assets from third parties; arbitration clauses could be included in fund charters; and foreign law could be applied to regulate a fund’s internal affairs. Russian personal funds can also be established by non-residents. Which asset segregation models best meet the economic needs of owners? What steps should legal systems take to ensure a balanced protection of the interests of creditors whose claims arose before the asset segregation, as well as “new” creditors who enter into relations with the fund manager? Is it necessary to create specific rights for beneficiaries, and what legal tools can achieve this? What principles should guide the resolution of conflicts between the interests of an owner’s creditors and those of the beneficiaries? How should taxation be structured in these cases? Should it encourage or, conversely, discourage asset segregation and the capitalization of personal funds?