EPAM’s International Arbitration and Litigation Practice is one of the largest and most experienced teams in the market, comprising more than 30 outstanding professionals recognised internationally.
For three decades, we have represented clients in some of the most complex international disputes. Our lawyers act for leading Russian companies, multinational corporations with interests in Russia and the CIS, and the Russian Federation.
The practice focuses on complex, high-value and long-running disputes before the English courts and other foreign courts, including the International Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights. In recognition of the team’s work on one such matter, the head of the practice, Evgeny Raschevsky, received a commendation from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
We have extensive experience handling cross-border disputes at every stage – from the commencement of proceedings and strategic case management to obtaining judgments or awards and securing their enforcement.
Our track record includes landmark disputes such as a USD 1 billion-plus arbitration between the Russian Federation and ExxonMobil, which lasted more than two years and was resolved by way of a settlement agreement. The team also acted in arbitration proceedings in India concerning a Russian-Indian industrial joint venture, as well as in related proceedings across several Indian states. The wider set of disputes lasted more than ten years, with the Firm’s team leading the project for eight years until its final resolution.
At the heart of the practice is a team of lawyers who have worked closely together for many years. Their combined experience, depth of expertise and resources enable us to handle matters of any complexity, scale and structure.
The practice includes specialists whose expertise is unique among Russian law firms: lawyers qualified in English and US law, as well as experts in international trade law. This allows us to provide a substantial part of the required legal support in-house, without the need to rely extensively on external foreign counsel. In particular, our team prepares the necessary submissions and supporting documents, gathers evidence, develops case strategy and represents clients before courts and arbitral tribunals.
Where major international matters require additional cross-border support, we work with trusted local counsel, specialist advisers and foreign-law experts. Over more than 30 years, we have built strong relationships with leading legal boutiques, consultants and experts in the relevant jurisdictions. This enables us to select advisers on the basis of the precise expertise required for each matter.
Through its substantial portfolio of successfully completed international mandates, EPAM has developed the expertise, experience and service standards expected of leading international disputes practices. Against a changing legal market landscape, our team continues to provide clients with the high-quality legal support required for complex cross-border disputes.
We handle corporate, competition, construction, maritime, insurance and investment disputes, as well as intellectual property disputes, before national courts and in international commercial arbitration.
Our lawyers have participated in court proceedings across Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. We advise and represent clients in connection with proceedings before the courts of Austria, Belgium, the British Virgin Islands, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Cyprus, the United States, France, Sweden, Japan, Türkiye, India and other jurisdictions.
The team has experience representing clients in arbitration proceedings under the rules of the following arbitral institutions and bodies:
- AAA – American Arbitration Association, New York;
- ICC – International Court of Arbitration at the International Chamber of Commerce, Paris;
- ICSID – International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes, Washington DC;
- LCIA – London Court of International Arbitration;
- SCC – Arbitration Institute at Stockholm Chamber of Commerce;
- ICAC at the Russian RCCI – the International Commercial Arbitration Court at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, Moscow;
- ICAC at the UCCI – the International Commercial Arbitration Court at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Ukraine, Kiev;
- IAC at the BelCCI – International Arbitration Court at the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Minsk;
- GAFTA – Grain and Feed Trade Association;
- FOSFA – Federation of Oils, Seeds and Fats Associations;
- CAS – Court of Arbitration for Sport, Lausanne;
- Swiss Chambers’ Arbitration Institution;
- ad hoc arbitrations under UNCITRAL rules.
Our long-standing leadership in international arbitration has been consistently recognised through awards and top-tier rankings in leading domestic and international legal directories.
The practice has been ranked by Chambers Europe in Dispute Resolution: International since 2012, by The Legal 500 in Dispute Resolution: Arbitration and Mediation since 2014, and by Chambers Global in International and Cross-Border Disputes in 2022.* EPAM is also the only Russian law firm to have been included in the Global Arbitration Review GAR 100 ranking, a position it has maintained since 2010.*
In addition, the practice holds leading positions in major Russian legal rankings, including Pravo-300, where it has been ranked since the guide’s launch in 2011, and Kommersant.
*Information on international rankings is current as of 2021 and/or 2022, the years of the most recent Russia-related publications by the relevant directories.
