Rostislav Kats
Associate, LL.M.
Rostislav specialises in dispute resolution before state courts and arbitral tribunals under ICC, SCC, HKIAC, ICAC Russia, RAC Rules and ad hoc arbitrations.
Rostislav is engaged in resolution of disputes in relation to (construction) contracts, supply of goods and services, loan and corporate agreements. He also defends clients' rights in disputes over the preservation of agreed dispute resolution mechanisms against the exclusive jurisdiction of Russian courts under Articles 248.1 and 248.2 of the APC RF.
Prior to joining KIAP, Rostislav has extensive experience working for top boutique law firms, mainly specialising in dispute resolution and corporate law. He also has considerable experience as a civil servant and in-house counsel.
A member of the Dutch Arbitration Association (DAA) and Young ICCA. Speaks Russian, English, Dutch and French.
Rostislav combines his legal practice with his work as a Senior Analyst at Wolters Kluwer, a leading information services company for lawyers.
Practices
Achievements
LL.M. in International and European Law: International Trade and Investment Law (University of Amsterdam)
Master of Laws in Civil and Business Law (cum laude)
Projects
- Representing a leading coal supplier in arbitration under the auspices of HKIAC, governing law on the merits being the law of England and Wales. KIAP’s client and an Asian counterparty entered into a series of contracts for the sale of coal. In the course of the load of the coal on board the vessel provided by the buyer the cargo crane collapsed, causing damage to the chartered vessel. The buyer tried to unilaterally set off the damages in relation to the crane’s failure, shifting the responsibility for the incident on the stevedores provided by the client. The parties initiated two arbitrations in relation to that dispute, which were subsequently consolidated. As a result, the client and the Asian buyer settled the disputes in favour of KIAP’s client.
- Representation of a major international construction and engineering company in the ICC arbitration with a Russian contractor in a dispute out of the construction of a publicly significant facility in Moscow.
- Prepared a legal memoranda analyzing Arts. 248.1 and 248.2 of the APC RF (Lugovoy Law), inter alia, for a leading international law firm in the field of international arbitration, as a part of international arbitrations with state-owned Russian gas giants.
- Defence of ICC arbitration agreements in contracts between an Italian construction company and its Russian counterparties in response to the claimants' attempts to have the arbitration clauses declared unenforceable on the basis of Articles 248.1 and 248.2 of the APC RF (the Lugovoy Law).
- Represented a major German bank in disputes against a Russian gas processing company, complicated by the application of Articles 248.1 and 248.2 of the APC RF despite the existence of a valid arbitration agreement.
- Successful representation of one of the backbone banks in its bankruptcy and commercial disputes with the group of borrowers totalling over RUB 80 billion.
- Representation of a major supplier of trains and spare parts in disputes before Russian state courts in connection with the termination of its operations due to sanctions imposed on Russia.
- Drafting of complex contractual documentation under Swiss, English and Russian law (EPCM, EPC, construction, transport, and insurance contracts) on behalf of one of Russia’s largest private chemical companies for the implementation of a large-scale projects to integrate ammonia, urea and melamine production into an existing methanol production facility.
- Assistance in winding-up the activities of a major supplier of POS terminals in the context of reciprocal sanctions imposed by Russia and Western countries.
- Successful challenge of the Federal Antimonopoly Service's decision to recognise the cartel on behalf of a multiregional baby food supplier, setting a positive precedent for the analysis of the economic feasibility of alleged cartel behaviour as an element of proof by the antimonopoly service.
- Representation of a major oil company in an arbitration dispute with an equipment supplier that avoided its obligations.
- Successful representation of a key supplier of wind turbine equipment in various commercial disputes, resulting in the resolution of a protracted corporate conflict.
- Representation of a foreign construction company in a dispute with its customer over the quality of work, which resulted in the settlement of a RUB 300 million dispute without a trial.
- Assistance in the sale of a company that is one of the exclusive developers of software for the mining industry in Russia.
News and Publications
Just over 4 months after its previous landmark ruling of 26 July 2024, the Russian Supreme Court continues its crusade against “hostile” or “unfriendly” arbitration forums under the so-called Lugovoy Law (Articles 248.1 and 248.2 of the Russian Arbitrazh (commercial) procedure code). On 28 November 2024, the Supreme Court issued a new ruling in which it held that Russian arbitrazh (commerci...
Шведский суд попросил суд ЕС дать толкование норме регламента союза, запрещающей удовлетворять требования российских компаний по неисполненным европейцами из-за санкций контрактам. Юристы ждут, что вердикт будет прецедентным
Европейский суд (Court of Justice of the European Union, высшая инстанция суда ЕС) рассмотрит запрос Апелляционного суда округа Свеа (Швеция) о толковании нормы санкц...
Российский бизнес все чаще обращает внимание на восточные арбитражные центры и один из них — Стамбульский. Помимо удобного расположения, юристы отмечают нейтральность суда, низкую стоимость сбора и простоту оплаты. Из минусов: специальный залог для иностранцев, включение центра в worth closer look и отсутствие практики признания решений Стамбульского арбитража.
Стамбульский арбитражны...
Бизнесмен в Гонконгском арбитраже требует компенсировать убытки от блокировки активов в размере $16 млрд.
Многомиллиардный иск основателя «Альфа-групп» Михаила Фридмана к Люксембургу в Гонконгский международный арбитражный центр (HKIAC) из- за замороженных активов ставит под вопрос законность международных санкций как таковых. Исход этого дела может оказать серьезное влияние на ...
Success cases
KIAP’s client is a leading coal supplier. The client entered into a series of contracts for the sale of coal with an Asian counterparty. In 2018, in the course of the load of the coal on the vessel provided by the buyer the vessel crane collapsed, causing damage to the chartered vessel. Said incident resulted in a dispute between the buyer and the vessel owners in a London-seated ad hoc arbitr...