Russia Mediates Everything – New Law At A Glance

The Russian Federal Law on Mediation entered into force on 1 January 2011, and the first case was quick to follow. Last Friday, the Omsk District Commercial Court approved the first mediation agreement in a corporate dispute, breaking fresh ground in the annals of the Russian dispute resolution system. Will it be good or bad for business? Let's skim over the new procedure and return a verdict.

Certain types of mediation are well-known in many countries (including Finland), but are genuinely new in Russian legislation. The Russian procedure of alternative dispute resolution resembles in certain aspects the Mediation Rules adopted by the Finnish Bar Association and involves engaging a respectable person as a mediator upon the mutual agreement of the parties. The mediator negotiates the dispute with the parties and helps them find a reciprocal solution to be formalised in writing. It should be noted that Russian law does not stipulate any forms of