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Seminar "Corruption in Russian legal system: facts and myths" took place during business dinner in London 22 June 2018.

Seminar "Corruption in the Russian legal system: facts and myths" took place in London during business dinner 22 June 2018. It was organized jointly by Bivonas Law and Pen & Paper. Despite recent deterioration of diplomatic relations between Russia and the UK and continuing anti-Russian rhetoric, the seminar succeeded in sharing specific views on the Russian legal system and corruption and politics in it. Konstantin Dobrynin (senior partner, Pen & Paper), Anton Imennov (managing partner, Pen & Paper Moscow office), Aleksey Dobrynin (partner, Pen & Paper), Vadim Klyuvgant (partner, Pen & Paper), Vadim Yalovitsky (special counsellor on extradition and international search, Pen & Paper), and Antony Brown (managing partner, Bivonas Law) acted as speakers. Invited persons from leading international legal firms, financial institutions and investment funds took part in the event. 

Such issues as the approach of the Russian Office of the Public Prosecutor to the investigation of criminal cases and the best ways of defense of principal's rights, criminal prosecution on political motives, corruption in the state governmental bodies, the current situation around warrants for property of unidentified origin and novelties in the British legislation concerning revealing information about offshore trusts in the so-called "transparency registers" were discussed during a lively conversation. Corruption in the Russian legal system aroused special interest among the participants of the seminar. The former member of the Council of the Federation Konstantin Dobrynin and Vadim Yalovitsky who used to work as the deputy head of the Department of International Legal Cooperation of the General Office of the Public Prosecutor, shared their unique knowledge on the matter. Vadim Klyuvgant and Aleksey Dobrynin told the participants about the difficulties facing advocates in Russia when presenting principals charged with committing criminal offenses. Anton Imennov informed about the bothering issues for the Russian principals in connection with the UK's newly forming practice of issuing warrants for the property of unidentified origin. 

Antony Brown: "We've got an opportunity to hear the truth free from politics about criminal prosecution in Russia at last ".

Anton Imennov: "When all possible variants are exhausted: political methods don't work, cultural exchanges don't help, Olympic Games are boycotted, we, lawyers, remain the only ones who are able to unite this world".