The XI International Student Competition Model of International Commercial Arbitration (MICAC 2026) took place on 28–29 April, marking the first edition dedicated to maritime law and commercial shipping. KIAP, Attorneys at Law, served as the event’s general partner.
Organised by Kutafin Moscow State Law University (MSAL) in partnership with the Maritime Arbitration Commission (MAC) at the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RF CCI) — a venerable arbitral institution celebrating its 95th anniversary — the competition focused on contemporary issues in marine insurance, with special attention to the nuances of current arbitral disputes, including anti‑suit injunctions and alternative arbitration clauses.
Competition format
The event unfolded in two stages:
- Stage I: teams prepared and submitted written pleadings (claimant’s and respondent’s memoranda);
- Stage II: oral hearings. Preliminary rounds were held on 28 April at MSAL, while finalists advanced to the next stage on 29 April at the premises of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Opening ceremony
On 28 April, the opening ceremony featured welcoming remarks from key stakeholders:
- representatives of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Vice‑President Vadim Chubarov, Deputy Chair of the MAC at the RF CCI Anna Arkhipova);
- Kutafin Moscow State Law University (Dr Yevgenia Puzyreva, Associate Professor at the Department of Private International Law and the Department of Maritime Law; Prof. Vladimir Kanashevsky, Head of the Department of Private International Law);
- KIAP, Attorneys at Law (Andrey Korelskiy, Managing Partner; Maria Krasnova, Partner and Head of the Insurance and Maritime Law Practices).
Prominent figures from the legal and academic communities underscored the importance of engaging young lawyers in maritime arbitration. Speakers included Sergey Katyrin, President of the RF CCI; Viktor Blazheev, Rector of Kutafin University and Honoured Lawyer of the Russian Federation; Oleg Sviridenko, Deputy Minister of Justice of the Russian Federation; Natalya Bondarenko, State Secretary and Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, and other distinguished guests.
KIAP’s involvement
From the outset, KIAP Law Firm has actively supported the idea of hosting a competition dedicated to maritime law. Maria Krasnova, an arbitrator at the MAC under the RF CCI, contributed to drafting the case scenario and later served as an arbitrator in the final round alongside Anna Arkhipova and Sergey Denisov, PhD in Law and Honoured Lawyer of the Russian Federation.
Alexander Kartashov, Associate at KIAP, acted as an arbitrator during one of the qualifying rounds, while Associate Karolina Tsmyg served as an expert. They were assessing participants’ legal arguments and advocacy skills.
Core concept
The competition simulated an ad hoc arbitration under the MAC Rules: participants drafted claimant’s and respondent’s memoranda and then presented their arguments in oral rounds before a panel of arbitrators.
Participants and results
Twenty‑two teams from 11 universities participated, representing 12 regions of the Russian Federation and universities from the CIS countries. The winners were as follows:
- 1st place: North‑Western Branch of the Russian State University of Justice named after V.M. Lebedev and Kutafin Moscow State Law University (MSAL);
- 2nd place: Kutafin Moscow State Law University (MSAL);
- 3rd place: Orenburg Branch of Kutafin Moscow State Law University (MSAL);
- 4th place: Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University;
- 5th place: National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE).
Additional accolades were presented in the following categories:
Best Claimant’s Memorandum:
- 1st: Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University;
- 2nd: International University MITSO;
- 3rd: Volgo‑Vyatsky Institute (branch) of MSAL;
- 4th: Tver State University;
- 5th: Tula State University.
Best Respondent’s Memorandum:
- 1st: HSE;
- 2nd (tie): Volgo‑Vyatsky Institute (branch) of MSAL and Faculty of International Relations, Belarusian State University;
- 3rd: Tula State University;
- 4th: HSE;
- 5th: Mordovia State University named after N.P. Ogarev.
Best Orator: Stepan Boldyrev (1st), Dmitry Mazanko (2nd), Arseniy Volodin (3rd), Ilya Shulga (4th), Anastasia Kalacheva (5th).
Best Coach: Evgeniya Sharkovskaya (Orenburg Institute, branch of MSAL).
Debut of the Year:
- 1st: Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University;
- 2nd: International University MITSO;
- 3rd: Mordovia State University named after N.P. Ogarev.
Special Nomination ‘Legal Advisor’ (by O.F. Zasemkova): Elena Illarionova (Tver State University).
Best Arbitrator: Marina Titievskaya (Managing Partner at NOMOS Law Bureau, Moscow, Attorney‑at‑Law).
Audience Choice Award: National Research Tomsk State University.
CCI Nomination ‘Finalist of the Year’: Elizaveta Lapshina (Kutafin MSAL).
Best Teamwork: Mordovia State University named after N.P. Ogarev.
KIAP, Attorneys at Law, firmly believes that investing in the next generation is crucial for shaping the future of our profession. Supporting young talent is a cornerstone of our mission. In recognition of outstanding individual achievements, KIAP awarded Dmitry Mazanko, a student at Kutafin MSAL, with a certificate for a summer internship at the firm in 2026.
The Telegram channel of KIAP’s International Commercial Arbitration Practice served as the event’s media partner.
For more details about the competition, please follow the link.
