ALRUD Partner Sergey Petrachkov Explores the Changing Role of Russian Litigators in IPBA Journal
1 October 2026
Sanctions, counter-sanctions and the exit of foreign businesses from the Russian market have fundamentally changed the environment in which Russian litigators work. In his article "New challenges and opportunities for Russian litigators in cross-border disputes," published in the September issue of the IPBA Journal, Sergey Petrachkov, Partner and Head of the Dispute Resolution Practice at ALRUD Law Firm, examines how these changes have reshaped the role of litigators and what makes an ideal Russian litigator today.
Sergey argues that litigators now act well beyond the courtroom: as ex ante advisors on exit and market re-entry risks, as contributors to contract drafting and transaction structuring, and as strategists who consider enforceability in third countries from the very start of a dispute.
The article identifies four qualities of the ideal Russian litigator today: multi-jurisdictional and sanctions law expertise, contract drafting skills, strategic enforcement intelligence and adaptability under uncertainty.
"The Russian litigator today combines several roles at once: a strategic risk advisor, a sanctions compliance specialist, a multi-jurisdictional analyst and a careful drafter of contracts. All of this comes on top of court representation. These skills will remain essential in the coming years, and their importance will only grow." Sergey Petrachkov, Partner and Head of Dispute Resolution Practice, ALRUD.