Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce that the third CIS Local Counsel Forum will take place in St. Petersburg, Russia on June 25-27, 2008, hosted by the leading Russian law firm of Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners.

The inaugural CIS Local Counsel Forum was held in Kiev in June 2006 and was the first ever wide-scale meeting of the international legal community with the best Local Counsel law firms from the CIS economic region, representing Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Since then the CIS Forum has evolved into an informal network of managing and senior partners of CIS law firms, meeting annually in different venues chosen by the delegates. The second CIS Local Counsel Forum was successfully held in Baku, Azerbaijan on June 20-22, 2007, hosted by the prominent Azeri law firm Fina LLP, which demonstrated perfect organization and offered extraordinary hospitality to the Forum's delegates.

The Forum meetings bring together more than 130 leading business lawyers from 30 countries, with an approximately equal split between representatives of the international legal community and of the CIS legal community. The delegates share the Mission of the Forum - "Bringing together the CIS and international legal communities with the aim of creating joint business opportunities and long-term cooperation". This Mission reflects the 21st century reality, in which global investors view the CIS countries as a broad and dynamic economic region with intertwined business connections and comparable legal systems. The motto of the Forum is "Know Your Local Counsel - Recognize an Opportunity". The Forum's Web site, provides you with detailed information about the Forum, its Mission and Concept, a valuable database of the best CIS Local Counsel Firms (CIS Local Counsel Questionnaires), media coverage and comments from the delegates, as well as comprehensive information about the First Forum in Kiev: 28-30 June 2006, and Second Forum in Baku: 20-22 June 2007, including the Program, Lists of Delegates and Guests, Bios and Presentations of Moderators and Panelists, and wonderful pictures, which reflect the open and exciting spirit of the Forum.

Registration for the third Forum in St. Petersburg will open on this Web site at the end of January 2008 and information on the third Forum will be posted on the Web site as preparations progress. We look forward to seeing you in St. Petersburg!

Co-Chairs of the CIS Local Counsel Forum:

Irina Paliashvili
RULG-Ukrainian Legal Group, P.A.

John Whittaker
Clyde & Co.

Dimitry Afanasiev
Chairman of Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners