Eurasia Arbitration Week 2025 is the third of the series of annual HSF Kramer signature arbitration events organised jointly with the International Arbitration Centre of the Astana International Financial Centre in Astana, Kazakhstan. The event traditionally consolidates arbitration experts from different industries and different corners of the Eurasian continent, as well as government officials, in-house counsel, judges, diplomats, etc.
Tuesday & Wednesday, 1st -2nd July
International Arbitration Centre of the
Astana International Financial Centre,
Astana, Kazakhstan
Register here
Event programme
1Monday, 30 June
18:00 – 20:00
Speakers Dinner
2Tuesday, 1 July
09:00 – 10:00
Registration and Welcome Coffee
10:00 – 10:30
Opening Ceremony & MoU Signing Ceremony
- Thomas Krümmel, IAC Chairman (Germany)
- The Rt. Hon. The Lord Burnett of Maldon, AIFC Court Chief Justice (UK)
- Dr. Patricia Nacimiento, Partner, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer (Germany)
- RK President’s Office (TBC)
- Professor Maria Chiara Malaguti, President, UNIDROIT (Italy)
- IAC MOU Signing Ceremony
10:30 – 11:30
Panel 1. Navigating Arbitration Across Eurasian Borders
Moderator:
- Thomas Krümmel, IAC Chairman (Germany)
Speakers:
- Prof. Ziya Akinci, Partner, Akinci Law Firm (Turkey)
- Aigoul Kenjebayeva, Partner, Dentons (Kazakhstan)
- Nick Gvinadze, Managing Partner, Gvinadze & Partners LLC (Georgia)
- Anna Guillard Sazhko, Counsel and Independent Arbitrator (France/ Ukraine)
- Kevin Nash, Director General, London Court of International Arbitration (London/Singapore) TBC
11:30 – 12:00
Coffee Break
12:00 – 13:00
Big Speaker
Moderator:
- Thomas Krummel, IAC Chairman (Germany)
Speaker:
- Professor Maria Chiara Malaguti, President, UNIDROIT (Italy)
13:00 – 14:00
Lunch
14:00 – 15.00
Panel 2. FDIs in Eurasia: Impact of ADR on Investment Climate
Moderator:
- Dr. Patricia Nacimiento, Partner, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer (Germany)
Speakers:
- Shirin Gurdova, Associate, Wordstone Dispute Resolution (Turkmenistan/France)
- Dimitrios Papageorgiou, Associate, International Arbitration and Public International Law, Eversheds Sutherland (France/Greece)
- Natalia Alenkina, Associate Professor, American University of Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan)
- Ardak Idayatova, Partner, Kinstellar (Kazakhstan)
15:00 – 16:00
Panel 3. Essential Tips for Effective Arbitration Advocacy: How to win a case?
Moderator:
- Dr. Adilbek Tussupov, Associate, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer (Germany)
Speakers:
- Albert Marsman, Partner, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek (Netherlands)
- Laurent Killias, Partner, Killias & Legler, (Switzerland)
- Mukhit Yeleuov, Co-Founder and Partner, ADL Disputes (Kazakhstan)
- Prof. Ziya Akinci, Partner, Akinci Law Firm (Turkey)
3Wednesday, 2 July
09:00 – 10:00
Registration and Welcome Coffee
10:00 – 11:00
Panel 1. Corporate Counsel Perspectives: Choosing ADR Over Litigation
Moderator:
- Mukhit Yeleuov, Co-Founder and Partner, ADL Disputes (Kazakhstan)
Speakers:
- Professor Dr. Mathias Wolkewitz, Professor, General Counsel, Wintershall Holding GmbH (Germany)
- Celal Savaş, Senior CEO Advisor, SOCAR (Turkey)
- Nurzhan Kosbayev, Director of Legal Department, The National Bank of Kazakhstan (Kazakhstan)
11:00 – 11:30
Coffee Break
11:30 – 12:30
Panel 2. Cross-Border Enforcement of Arbitral Awards in Eurasia: Practical Considerations
Moderator:
- Christopher Campbell-Holt, Registrar and Chief Executive, AIFC Court and IAC
Speakers:
- Askar Konysbayev, Partner, GRATA International (Kazakhstan)
- Sergei Vataev, IAC Arbitrator Panel Member (Kazakhstan)
- Dr. Ilia Rachkov, Partner, Nektorov, Saveliev & Partners (Russia)
- Andrei Solin, Senior Associate, GBS Disputes (France)
12:30 – 13:30
Lunch
13:30 – 14:30
Panel 3. Adapting Arbitration Practices to the AI Age
Moderator:
- Dr. Adilbek Tussupov, Associate, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer (Germany)
Speakers:
- Al-Farabi Satbayev, Chief Legal Officer, Sovereign Wealth Fund “Samruk-Kazyna” JSC (Kazakhstan)
- Mujtaba Hussain, Managing Partner, Emirates Legal (UAE/India)
- Zhanna Temirbayeva, Senior Director, Ankura (Kazakhstan/UK)
- Mariya Petrenko, Senior Associate, TKS Disputes (Kazakhstan)
14:30 – 15.30
Training Session: 10 Key Things Arbitrators Can Do to Be Effective
Speaker:
- Anna Guillard Sazhko, Counsel and Independent Arbitrator (France/ Ukraine)
15:30 – 15:40
Closing Ceremony
- Thomas Krümmel, IAC Chairman (Germany)
- Dr Patricia Nacimiento, Partner, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer (Germany)