GRATA International at the St. Petersburg Legal Forum 2025
A delegation from GRATA International participated in the year’s largest legal event – the 13th St. Petersburg International Legal Forum (SPILF), held in St. Petersburg from May 19 to 21.
This year, the delegation expanded, with nine partners representing six GRATA International offices attending the event. SPILF 2025 served as a major platform in Russia for discussing current legal and business issues, bringing together leading experts at the ExpoForum venue.
Representing GRATA International St. Petersburg at the Forum were:
- Vladimir Komarov, Managing Partner (Russia, St. Petersburg)
- Oksana Afanasyeva, Partner, Head of Tax Practice (Russia, St. Petersburg)
- Anna Kritsyna, Partner, Head of Criminal Law Practice (Russia, St. Petersburg)
Joining as guests were:
- Assel Ilyassova, Partner, Tax & Customs Law (Kazakhstan, Almaty)
- Bakhodir Jabborov, Managing Partner (Uzbekistan, Tashkent)
- Gokmen Baspinar, Senior Partner (Turkey, Istanbul)
- Elena Kurchuk, Counsel, Head of Antitrust Practice (Russia, Moscow)
- Dmitry Samigullin, Managing Partner (Russia, Samara)
- Nodir Yuldashev, Partner, Head of Construction, Infrastructure & Tax Practice (Uzbekistan, Tashkent)
Forum Highlights:
Vladimir Komarov spoke at the session “Professional Communication in the Legal Community: Legal Traditions of BRICS and ASEAN Countries,” discussing geopolitical changes, new opportunities with ASEAN, and expanding ties with representatives from Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. In his remarks, Vladimir emphasized the crucial role of professional communication in the legal sector, highlighting its importance in building effective collaboration and trust within the profession.
Dmitry Samigullin was invited as a guest speaker at the session “The Institution of Foreign Agents: Global Experience.” He discussed international cases of liability for violating foreign agent legislation: “In today’s world, truly sovereign states are compelled to regulate foreign influence on their political life, ideally through specialized legislation. International practice shows that, otherwise, governments use whatever regulatory measures are available, which often results in violating individual rights and freedoms.”
Assel Ilyassova spoke at the session “Russia-Asia: Legal Mechanisms as a Driver of Multilateral Cooperation and Strategic Partnership.” She shared Kazakhstan’s experience with the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) as a platform for investment, discussing its advantages, challenges, opportunities for Russian enterprises, and features of the AIFC Court and International Arbitration Centre.
On May 20, GRATA International partners from Uzbekistan, Turkey, and Kazakhstan attended a Formal Reception hosted by the Russian Minister of Justice K.A. Chuychenko and the Governor of St. Petersburg A.D. Beglov.
The Forum’s business program included over 120 events, where participants discussed the challenges and opportunities of the platform economy, the impact of new technologies on crime, digital justice tools, international human rights cooperation, and more.
GRATA International’s participation in SPILF 2025 reaffirmed the firm’s active engagement in the international legal discourse, commitment to dialogue, intercultural cooperation, and building sustainable professional networks worldwide.
We thank the organizers for providing a dynamic platform for legal interaction and exchange of experience.
