5th Annual IBA Mergers and Acquisitions in Russia and CIS Conference

On 31 October 2013 the 5th Annual IBA Mergers and Acquisitions in Russia and CIS Conference was held at The Ritz Carlton (Moscow, Russian Federation).

Now in its 5th year, world leading experts in law and economics discussed the latest emerging developments and trends in Russian and CIS M&A market as well as commented on prospects. The event was supported by Moscow City Bar Association, Federal Chamber of Lawyers of the Russian Federation and Russian Corporate Counsel Association (RCCA).

Welcoming address by the IBA representatives opened the Conference. Conference co-chair Oliver Triebold, partner in Schellenberg Wittmer's Mergers& Acquisitions Group in Zurich, co-chair of the International Bar Association’s Corporate and M&A Law Committee; Conference co-chair Vassily Rudomino, senior partner in ALRUD Law Firm in Moscow, IBA LPD Council Member; and Dovile Burgiene, partner in LAWIN in Vilnius; co-chair of the IBA European Forum, made the opening speech.

Dovile Burgiene referred to the IBA European Forum that has presented the IBA in Europe since 2004 and is designed to promote the Association’s ideas among practicing lawyers. In turn, Oliver Triebold stressed the timeliness of the meeting as well as the urgent character of the issues discussed and mentioned that the IBA held such conferences all over the world. Finally, Vassily Rudomino presented the keynote speaker of the MACROECONOMICS: Current Trends in Russia and CIS session – Dmitri Sedov, managing director in Goldman Sachs.

The Conference consisted of 5 sessions dedicated both to general and special issues in Russian and CIS M&A market development.

• Macroeconomics: Current Trends in Russia and CIS
• Implications of the Current Market Environment on Deal Making in Russia and CIS
• Outbound Russian and CIS M&A Practice
• Private Equity M&A — Current Trends in Russia and CIS
• Key Issues in M&A Deals in Russia and CIS

Among the delegates of the Conference were renowned M&A experts, partners of international law firms, public officials, directors of legal departments and others.

In the course of the sessions speakers managed to discuss peculiar state of the M&A market in Russia and CIS, addressed the main trends in investments and legal developments that had impact on M&A processes and stimulated deal flow, as well as analyzed the “Russian-style M&A”.