Nikolay Pokryshkin and Oleg Kolotilov Discuss Key Jurisdiction and Sanctions Trends at Pravo.ru Conference
On 26 February, KK&P partners Nikolay Pokryshkin and Oleg Kolotilov spoke at the Court Practice 2025–2026: Key Cases Pravo.ru conference during the Jurisdiction 2.0: Sovereignty Boundaries in a World of Sanctions and Cross-Border Structures session.
Although the session was formally focused on jurisdiction, the discussion went far beyond procedural conflicts. The speakers addressed not only questions of court competence, but also substantive legal challenges arising in sanctions-related disputes.
These included issues of claim qualification, the partial or complete refusal to apply the governing law agreed by the parties due to sanctions provisions of a particular legal system, and the broader transformation of legal principles under economic pressure.
As moderator, Nikolay suggested viewing current practice as a modern-day “David vs. Goliath” dynamic: disputes between foreign parties and Russian counterparties often attract heightened scrutiny, and judicial reasoning in such cases significantly influences how the Russian legal process is perceived internationally.
He also noted the growing tension between fundamental legal principles and the practical economic considerations shaping judicial approaches — a development visible across multiple jurisdictions.
A key question of the discussion was which recent legal innovations in Russia will become a permanent part of the legal landscape, and which will remain temporary mechanisms designed to address the extraordinary challenges of today.
Oleg Kolotilov delivered a presentation entitled Foreign Parties Litigating in Russian Courts: Jurisdiction of Russian Courts under Article 248.1 of the Commercial Procedure Code.
His analysis covered:
- current approaches of Russian courts to establishing jurisdiction over claims brought by foreign parties under Article 248.1;
- practical criteria applied by courts when accepting such cases;
- typical procedural objections and how they are addressed;
- key risks and tactical considerations for both foreign claimants and defendants.
