EPAM at St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2019
On 5-8 June 2019, St. Petersburg is to host the XXIII St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). The Firm’s delegation to SPIEF 2019 will consist of Chairman of EPAM Dimitry Afanasiev, Managing Partner Ilya Nikiforov, Partners Victoria Burkovskaya, Dmitry Dyakin, Anna Numerova, Natalia Korosteleva and James Warlick, and Counsels Helen Avakyan and Roman Zhavner.
The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum is a leading global platform, where the business community meets to discuss the key economic issues faced by Russia, emerging markets, and the world as a whole. For over 20 years, the Forum has been bringing together heads of states and governments from emerging economies, heads of major corporations, and the world’s leading experts in science, media, and civil society.
Member of hte Partners' Committee of the Firm, Dimitry Afanasiev, is to moderate the session entitled Challenges in Regulating Competition in the Digital Economy, which has been organized under the auspices of the Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia. The panelists, including top managers of IBS, Blablacar, Gett, Vympelcom, Yandex, MTS, Megafon, Rostelecom are to discuss whether state regulation needs to be further reinforced or if the standards and codes of conduct developed by the industry players are sufficient. Other topics to be adressed include how the competitive environment is changing, what new antimonopoly regulations businesses can expect, and where the boundary lies on what is acceptable behavior on the IT platform and what constitutes the abuse of market power. Partner Natalia Korosteleva, who heads the Competition Practice at the Firm, and Counsel at the Firm and Executive Director at the Non-Profit Partnership for Advancement of Corporate Law Helen Avakyan, are to attend the session as experts. The session will be held on 6 June from 16:45 to 18:00 at Conference Hall B1 (Congress Center). More information about the discussion.
Dimitry Afanasiev is also to speak at the session Protection of Investor Rights as a Catalyst for Economic Development, which has been organized by the Association of Lawyers of Russian Federation. The key topics for discussion at the session are the latest law enforcement trends in economic crimes; a new platform developed by the business community with the capacity to address the pressures businesses face and which will monitor cases relating to merit trials. Other topics addressed include the latest legislative initiatives to protect investments; legal incentives for the repatriation of capital which has moved abroad, and incentives for businessmen to return their tax residency to Russia. The panel speakers and experts include the Prosecutor Generals of the Russian Federation and Hungary, the Serbian Republic Public Prosecutor, the Russian Presidential Commissioner for the Protection of Entrepreneurs Rights, and representatives of major businesses including: Air Products and Chemicals Inc., UC Rusal, Skolkovo Foundation and Norilsk Nickel. Partner Victoria Burkovskaya, who co-chairs the Business Against Corruption Centre for Public Procedures, and Counsel Helen Avakyan are to act as experts at this event. The session will be held on 7 June from 10:00 to 11:15 at Conference Hall B2 (Congress Center). More information about the discussion.
Partner Anna Numerova is to moderate the discussion named Substantive Dialogue between Global Pharmaceutical Players and BRICS Economies on the Rules of Fair and Equitable Competition. The session is to be held under the auspices of the FAS of Russia and is to bring together representatives of the largest pharma industry players: Merck, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Astra Zeneca, Reckitt Benckiser, Biocad, R-Pharm and Pharmasyntez, as well as representatives of the competition authorities in Russia, India, China and South Africa. They are to discuss to what extent the current regulation of the pharma market enables innovation in the developing industries of the BRICS countries and the extension of Russia’s access to the newest pharmaceutical products. The panelists will also speak about the joint measures antimonopoly agencies may take to efficiently spread knowledge and technology around the world and how to promote economic development in the BRICS countries. The session will be held on 6 June from 11:00 to 12:15 at Conference Hall G25 (Pavilion G). More information about the discussion.
Partner James Warlick, an internationally renowned expert on international relations and global politics, will take part in the Russia–USA business dialogue, which will focus on the most efficient strategies and prospects for bilateral economic ties. Representatives of major Russian and transnational companies and industry-specific business associations are to discuss how US investors view the Russian business climate, the prospects for developing businesses in Russia, what problems they face in project implementation and how they may be solved, as well as which Russian business sectors are most successful in the USA. The session will be held on 7 June from 12:00 to 13:15 at Conference Hall D2 (Congress Center). More information about the event.
