Maxim Kulkov speaks at the St Petersburg Legal Summit

The first session was dedicated to law firms’ fee proposals, focusing on when they end up in the bin and when they grab attention.

During a live discussion, in-house lawyers shared which sections of fee proposals they actually read and which they skip, how they feel about boilerplate descriptions of experience and excessive details, as well as what matters to them in the structure, language, and figures of a proposal.

Acting as one of the session moderators and presenting the consultant’s perspective, Maxim discussed possible compromises and shared approaches to developing the content of fee proposals:

“Everyone agrees that strategy and the envisioned result come first. But every lawyer knows that developing a strategy is a titanic effort that takes several hours.”

Maxim also noted the importance of taking into account the nuances of foreign practices:

“For example, Chinese clients send a template — that’s their way of comparing proposals more easily, while Western companies are used to working with consultants’ hourly rates.”

The other speakers were Andrey Kotov (Paveletskaya Plaza Mall), Lyubov Kuznetsova (Nornickel), and Anna Khomyakova (Aeroflot).

The second session in which Maxim participated focused on cross-border disputes and how Russian companies continue to litigate abroad in 2026.

Drawing on practical experience, the speakers discussed how the process unfolds in various jurisdictions, i.e., China, the EU, and the UK. The participants examined the nuances of legal representation, approaches to evidence handling, specifics of cost allocation, as well as issues of review and enforcement of foreign court judgments and arbitral awards.

Maxim, as both moderator and speaker, focused on the UK jurisdiction, including LCIA statistics for 2024: the rise in the number of international cases, the share of disputes involving Russian parties, and the preservation of London as a leading arbitration seat with English law prevailing as the applicable law.

The discussion also featured Diana Galeeva (FomLine) and Natalya Sukhova (Sinofy Legal).

The St Petersburg Legal Summit is an event geared toward practising lawyers from corporations and law firms. The summit addresses the day-to-day challenges faced by lawyers as they set precedents, transform practice, and influence the development of Russian legislation.