AEQUO has a sizeable technology and communications practice, evidencing its multidisciplinary experience spanning regulatory, market entries, data protection, migration, M&A, corporate, tax and compliance. The firm’s practice team is called upon to advise on implementation of cutting-edge technologies, and is chosen as a counsel by the largest IT-outsourcing companies present in Ukraine, IT product companies, hardware producers, telecom majors, as well global tech giants and popular online services. The firm handles ongoing support to Microsoft as both a legal counsel and a sole government policy counsel. AEQUO is known for its strong technology M&A capabilities. For example, it advised a group of investors led by DEG, a Development Finance Institution and a subsidiary of KfW Group, on comprehensive due diligence of TurnKey Lender, a startup that uses AI to power lending automation and risk mitigation. Additionally, the team traditionally supports clients with structuring their presence, tax planning, engaging Ukrainian IT professionals, drafting and negotiating relevant contracts, maintenance and extension of IP portfolios, as well as providing further assistance to its corporate clients with IT-related transactions. Furthermore, the firm is enlisted to give policy-shaping advice, and acted for the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine as a main legal advisor to implement the Diia City project at the level of legislation and subordinate legislation. Mykyta Polatayko, counsel and head of the IT industry group, is a renowned thought leader in the sector with versatile expertise. Being on the top of the M&A market, Anna Babych is lead partner of technology and communications practice, applying her broad-based transactional and regulatory expertise. Other key figures are Michael Lukashenko, Ivan Shyika and Liza Shram.
The IT industry-centered boutique ALCOR provides extensive legal offering for the sector, including business structuring, M&A, tax, commercial. The firm provides the full set of legal services needed for successful operation of an R&D office in Ukraine. ALCOR recently assisted a developer of a leading e-commerce platform in ensuring the legally safe operation of its R&D center in Ukraine through the use of effective tax strategies; advised an online game developer headquartered in Cyprus on its entry into Diia City, which is a special legal model for IT companies in Ukraine. The firm advises the IT Ukraine Association, the largest community of Software Development companies in Ukraine, on various matters related to the launch and development of its projects, including work on legislative initiatives. Among other publishable clients are People.ai, thredUP, Questrade, Tubular Labs, Insightful Science, BIScience. Dmytro Ovcharenko and Sergey Ovcharenko are the main contacts.
Odesa-based law firm AS Legal established IT as a new practice in early 2021. The firm provides for corporate and labor law services. In a recent highlight the team represented Do IT Programming solutions (Cyprus) in its deal with HubSpot Company; represented clients in a dispute with EGAR Technologies caused by different interpretations of the provisions in a contract for the provision of services and different views on the sum of paid services. Maksym Andrieiev, managing partner, heads the practice.
Ukrainian law firm Asters is traditionally preferred by global tech corporations, IT service providers, major domestic and international telecom giants. The extensive offering for the sector covers regulatory and compliance, data protection, corporate structuring, M&A, GR and litigation. The firm’s recent portfolio encompassed structuring local R&D Ukraine, IP assignment and services agreements, advisory on virtual assets transactions and regulation of cryptocurrency activities in Ukraine. The firm is highly active in telecom, advising on specific regulations, especially licensing on media and broadcasting, as well as M&A in the sector. The firm has recognized expertise in cybersecurity, handling pro-bono advising of the Council of Information Security and Cybersecurity of Ukraine on a wide range of regulatory issues in the field of cybersecurity, data protection, electronic communications, electronic trust services, as well as on improving legislation in these areas; and advising the Ukrainian Parliament’s Digital Transformation Committee in connection with the development of a new law on the cybersecurity of Ukraine. This sizeable practice has two partners on board – Yuriy Kotliarov is the head of tech and communications; IP partner Julia Semeniy heads media and advertising.
Ukrainian law firm AVELLUM is known primarily for its strong transactional capabilities in handling technology deals, and commands an extensive portfolio of regulatory assignments, data protection and cross-border transfer, market entries and supporting various types of agreements on the transfer of IP rights. The team is called upon in advising telecom regulations applicable to digital services, IT and cyber-security, GDPR, privacy policy. Mykola Stetsenko, managing partner and renowned transactional lawyer, is the main point of contact. Anton Polikarpov, counsel and the head of IP/IT practice, left the firm in March 2022.[1]
Baker McKenzie has a strong international standing and commands an impressive client roster of global tech heavyweights, producers of electronic devices, social networks, international search engines, payment networks. The Kyiv office has a broad regulatory practice, advising major international giants on IP, data privacy, consumer protection and other regulatory issues related to launching their products and services in Ukraine. Furthermore, the office is traditionally chosen to assist with tax ramifications and structing of operations, corporate and employment issues. The firm handles a variety of cross-border technology deals. For example, it advised shareholders in Depositphotos, a stock photo content marketplace, on the sale of shares in Depositphotos, including its subsidiary Crello, an online graphic design editor, to VistaPrint, a global printing, design and marketing service provider; acted as the Ukrainian legal counsel for Hitachi Ltd in connection with its acquisition of GlobalLogic Inc., a leading US-headquartered multinational digital engineering services company, and acquisition of Io-Tahoe, a data management company that is a subsidiary of UK energy company Centrica. The significant flow of instructions concerns outsourcing agreements with respect to software development activities involving Ukrainian developers. This past year the practice was boosted by instructions on newly-adopted gambling regulations and the online gambling regime in Ukraine, as well as innovations in the financial sector and fintech. Counsel Oleksiy Stolyarenko is head and coordinator of the IT/TMT industry group in Kyiv. The multidisciplinary practice team is led by partners Viacheslav Yakymchuk and Olha Demianiuk (corporate and M&A), Ruslan Drobyazko (IP), Hennadiy Voytsitskyi (tax), Lina Nemchenko and Mariana Marchuk (employment).
With its global TMT standing, CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang has a strong presence in transactional and regulatory mandates, assisting multinational IT corporations on establishing and expanding their business in Ukraine. The Kyiv team assists international business with contractual arrangements with developers in Ukraine and service contracts with local partners; assignment of IP rights, privacy policy, acquisition of IT businesses. The firm boasts a leading presence in complex M&A transactions in the telecom sector. For example, the team advised Horizon Capital and Datagroup (the latter being Ukraine’s leading fibre infrastructure and digital services provider), on the acquisition of the Volia group of companies, a leading cable and broadband service provider in Ukraine; advised a leading mobile operator, Vodafone Ukraine, and its parent company, Neqsol Holding, on Vodafone Ukraine’s landmark acquisition of Vega Telecom from SCM Group. Olga Belyakova, partner in the commercial practice group in Kyiv office and a co-head of the technology, media and communications sector group in Central and Eastern Europe, is the key figure.
Dentons enjoys the benefits of its global reach and capability to support clients with their global TMT projects. The firm regularly advises major IT players on a broad range of transactions involving intellectual property assets, M&A, divestitures, financings, outsourcing transactions. The firm advised Ciklum on its acquisition of CN Group, a Czech-based software development firm, from Genesis Capital, one of the leading private equity funds in Central and Eastern Europe. Furthermore, the team advised on regulation of virtual assets independent contractor arrangements, data privacy, structuring and taxation of stock option plans. The Ukrainian team is engaged in advising on telecoms strategic, regulatory and compliance projects in various jurisdictions including in Ukraine, as well as related employment and labor matters. The firm advised Roku, a U.S. over-the-top streaming video platform, on all aspects of market entry in Europe (including Ukraine) and Central and South America for its product, content and OTT service offerings. Partners Oleg Batyuk and Adam Mycyk are the main point of contacts. Valeria Tarasenko, tax advisor, provides general tax expertise in the TMT sector.
Dexis Partners is a Lviv-based law firm with IT as a frontline practice. The firm handles international corporate structuring, drafted MSA, NDA agreements, advised on obtaining payments in crypto-currencies. The firm has an established following among domestic and foreign IT companies and start-ups instructing it on data protection, development of internal policies and agreements, Diia.City regime, incorporation abroad. In a recent highlight the team actively advised on software development contracts, attraction of venture capital, operational and corporate integration of IT companies. Clients include Avenga, Perfectial, Tabulera, Israel IT, PL Vision. The key figures in the firm are Ivan Horodyskyy (personal data protection), Nataliia Vasylechko (corporate law), Oksana Dankevych (contract law).
Eterna Law boosted its IT practice with the sector-focused offering in corporate and M&A matters, venture investment, establishment and operation of IT companies, personal data protection. In 2021, the firm developed policies for websites of IT companies from different jurisdictions, performed contract audits, and also accompanied IT business owners in M&A transactions, handled advice on software supply issues. The firm advised Avenga, an international IT Group, of Ukrainian outsourcer Perfectial. The practice team is led by two partners – Oleh Malskyy advises shareholders and venture funds; Artem Kuzmenko acts on corporate instructions from gambling and IT companies.
EVERLEGAL houses innovation and technology team assisting IT companies with business set-up, reorganizations and winding up, intellectual property, regulatory and compliance matters, employment, dispute settlement and day-to-day activities. The firm is known for being a legal counsel to the first Ukrainian innovation park UNIT.City, while development of innovation parks is a recent vivid offering provided by the team. The firm is regularly hired for transactional support, having acted for an international IT group headquartered in Delaware (the USA), on intra-group transfer of a 100% stake in a Ukrainian IT company due to merger performed by a holding company in the US; supported a global leading group in outsourced engineering, R&D, and IT services, headquartered in Boulogne-Billancourt, France, on acquisition of a group of IT companies, including three Ukrainian operating IT companies. The team advised Whirl Software, a large software developer and SanityDesk, all-in-one digital platform for businesses, on registration of copyrights for computer programs and registration of a trademark in Ukraine. The practice has two partners on board – Yevheniy Deyneko and Oleksandr Ruzhytskyi.
EXPATPRO has a commitment to assist foreign investors, especially IT companies, entering the Ukrainian market, consulting in the field of employment and contracting in IT, tax and corporate structuring. In 2021 the firm continued rendering legal support on business relocation to Ukraine. The team acts for ITRex UA, representing the interests of the founder in Ukraine, legal services of economic activity in Ukraine and took care of relocation of IT specialists from Belarus and Russia to Ukraine; assists GP Solutions with tax planning and business structuring, business environment research, drafting contracts for actual business activity: software development agreement, NDA, IP transfer agreement, employment contracts, internal policies, license agreements. Clients include IT company SayGames, Ozon Technologies LLC, Vizor Games, LLC, Waverian LLC, Oxagile, LLC. Tetiana Yashchenko, counsel, is the head of the team.
EY Ukraine is a point of choice for multinational and domestic technology companies, entering the market and structuring their activity in Ukraine. The team renders legal and tax support to Rakuten, Inc., including advice on Diia City initiative; assists an American broadcasting services company with structuring entry into the Ukrainian market, localization of the draft service agreement with IT specialists; acts for Gorilla LLC and assists with various corporate changes and corporate secretarial matters for the Ukrainian subsidiary. Partners Vladimir Kotenko and Borys Lobovyk lead projects.
GOLAW is retained by IT and telecom players for relations with contractors and customers, determining risks and developing solutions for their mitigation, handles international structuring of business, controlled foreign companies and change of the residence status; assisted with work permits and temporary residence permits for the company’s foreign employees. Max Lebedev is lead partner.
Gramatskiy & Partners has a well-established position in the IT sector, particularly advising foreign investors in terms of due diligence and acquisition of Ukrainian IT companies, development of new IT products, technology transfer. The firm is regularly retained to develop contractual arrangements with contractors, non-compete agreements, development of software products and purchase of rights on Ukrainian software, personal data protection. This past year the firm supported SW UA with the relocation of IT specialists from Belarus to Ukraine; advised on the development and launch of an electronic ERP system for accounting for IT Enterprise resources and assets; Leadingworld Investments Ltd on software development and use of the cloud platform by Vision TV (Viasat); acted for Smart Tender LLC on development and launch of an electronic document management system and use of the SmartSign smart signature, advised on the legal technology of using smart signatures and smart contracts in Ukraine, the EU and the USA, basic license agreements. Furthermore, the firm supports Black Raino LLC, White Raino LLC, a number of customers, online platforms on custom development and launch of an electronic software system for online connection and participation in the binary options system in the foreign exchange market. On the transactional front the firm supported start-up PromoRepublic, a marketing service that supports online platforms for creating content in social media, advertising, SMM, promoting posts and multimedia content, on the sale of a controlling stake to a group of investors (seed financing stage). The practice head is Igor Reutov. Ernest Gramatskiy plays a strategic role in practice development.
Ilyashev & Partners is a dispute resolution heavyweight, representing a wide range of foreign companies being hired for property rights and copyright protection. The firm had a recent presence in movie production, representing A Company (Hungary) in a claim to recover indebtedness according to an agent agreement of distribution of a movie on the territory of CIS states. The team advised Freelancehunt on taxation issues, storage and personal data protection; acted for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine in the course of redelegation of the domain name Ukraine.ua. Dmytro Nikulesko acts on IP matters. The head of the Estonian office, Vitali Galitskihh, focuses on fintech and crypto regulation.
INTEGRITES is sought after for technology M&A and joint ventures, corporate structuring, agreements with private entrepreneurs, services agreements, assisting with ownership on IP and IT rights, Diia City regime, data protection, tax and employment. The firm advised Sturgeon Capital, the UK-based investment boutique, on the due diligence of PeopleForce, an HRM solution provider for small and medium businesses; advised Dixi Chuxing Technology (China), the world’s leading mobile transportation company, on issues related to entering the Ukrainian market and organization of a ride-hailing business in Ukraine. The firm also advises on relocating employees to foreign jurisdictions. Corporate and M&A partner Illya Tkachuk is the main point of contact.
Odesa-based law firm Jurline has experience in advising on the activities of media resources, development and the use of IT solutions. The firm has successful court cases on the protection of honour, dignity and business reputation related to the publication of inaccurate information and videos in media resources. In particular, the team represented the interests of Riak-Inform LLC and ART Television and Radio Company LLC to protect their business reputation, carrying out comprehensive legal support in a dispute. Nina Rizun is the main practitioner.
Juscutum Law Firm enjoys the legacy of its standing in the IT sector and provides comprehensive support of the IT business and obtains innovative mandates, such as blockchain technology and cryptocurrency regulation, asset tokenization, Fintech projects. The firm regularly advised on GDPR and business protection measures, commercial IT issues, and the legal intricacies of software development, etc. Investment protection and proper structuring is another area of the firm’s focus. The firm’s managing partner Artem Afian is a widely known practitioner referred for his consistent contribution in the drafting of legislation.
Kinstellar strengthened its TMT practice with the acquisition of DLA Piper Ukraine. The big team was retained for multijurisdictional M&A in the sector, advising the regulatory aspects of transactions, IP, tax, competition and employment matters, structuring relations with Ukrainian contractors, data protection and operational activity. The firm rendered full legal support to 4i Capital Partners, a leading Ukrainian-based private equity firm, on the sale of its controlling stake in the Ukrainian online payment platform Portmone.com to Kaspi.kz, Kazakhstan’s largest financial technology firm; advised Polhem Infra on the Ukrainian aspects of its acquisition of the Swedish telecommunication services provider Telia Carrier from the Telia Company. Another area of focus was IP support. For example, providing legal support to an Australian-based global software developer Nuix Limited on the Ukrainian IP law implications of its acquisition of Topos Labs. Natalia Kirichenko, counsel, is known for her regulatory knowledge in telecom sector.
Legal IT Group, a Ukrainian IT sector focused boutique, supports global privacy regulations like GDPR, CCPA and LGPD, international privacy compliance, IP, contract drafting, investments and disputes for IT business. In 2021, the firm launched data protection officer as a service practice in the framework of privacy legal services for the IT business. Most recently, the team drafted and reviewed contracts for SalesDrive, a CRM solution for online stores; drafted a non-disclosure agreement and software development services agreement for Hosting Ukraine LLC, one of the major providers of hosting services, to ensure a smooth talent acquisition process; advised Transport & Logistics Front and Back-of-House Software Solutions (Dubai) on software partnership agreement consulting. Anton Tarasiuk and Gennadiy Tamashev are lead partners. The compact team has strict specializations – Kateryna Namaka (IP), Andriy Zakaliuk (investments), Kateryna Dubas (privacy), Oleksandra Belymenko (contracts on software).
Mamunya IP, a new domestic IP boutique, has a dedicated IT-focused team. Since its establishment the firm commands following from media and new technologies, consumer electronics, and software development sectors. The portfolio for 2021 included IP rights filing and prosecution, managing trademarks and patent portfolio, enforcement matters through UA-DRP procedure, protection of copyright to software, privacy issues and data protection, advertising. The main contacts are the firm’s partners, Oleksandr Mamunya and Ganna Prokhorova.
Ukrainian law firm MK Legal Service has solid experience of regulatory and GR, corporate, contractual, intellectual property, supporting its clients with business launches, expansion, and relocation. Its clientele ranges from diversified telecommunications actors, outsources to start-ups. GigaGroup, a prominent player on the Ukrainian telecommunications and technology market, consistently instructs the firm for a range of matters, in particular, legal support with provision of cloud services and data processing centers in Ukraine and a critical infrastructure facility; development of the cloud services business; GR-consulting on the impact of legislative changes on its activities; support for the launch of a foreign branch of cloud operator GigaCloud in Poland via the transfer of assets between non-residents and legalizing activities abroad, etc. The firm assisted Dataspotting, a company (with 100% foreign German capital) that provides a service for processing documents and other data in electronic form, with development of contracts with IT specialists for the German EWANA project. The firm’s managing partner, Maksym Kurochko, is the key figure and practice head.
Redcliffe Partners advised on investment in the IT sector, covering both transactional and regulatory matters. This past year the firm supported investment in a Ukrainian tech start-up, market entry, obtaining a B2B gaming licence, data protection, engagement of local IT specialists. The firm advised Utmost Software on arrangements with Ukrainian IT specialists for the purpose of its software development operations; acted as a Ukrainian legal counsel to Graham Partners, Inc. on its majority investment in BrightSign, a global market leader in digital signage media players; advised MedeAnalytics on all legal matters related to its activities in Ukraine. The firm advised Entain on the sponsorship of the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Europa Conference League by one of its betting brands (bwin), with certain matches taking place in Ukraine. In August 2021, Andriy Nikiforov joined from Kinstellar to lead the cross-practice TMT sector group.
Rezultat Law Firm, which is based in Cherkasy, assists the activities of SaaS-companies in Ukraine, communication regulation and GDPR. The firm represented Rubarb and negotiated and drafted a contract for developing animated video for a football club; supported Andersen in corporate structuring; acted for DEVrepublik on developing a business model for on-line education for the markets of Ukraine, the US and Spanish-speaking countries. Clients included Dressler Consulting, AnyML, Titanium Technologies Group. Liliia Goncharova and Maxim Polishkevych are the main contacts.
Sayenko Kharenko houses a strong team working across complex projects in IT, telecommunications and media sector, which is often involved in cross-border mandates. The team is sought after for its legal support in setting up R&D centres and development offices in Ukraine, structuring business activity, contractual arrangements between foreign customers and Ukrainian developers, due diligence and acquisition of the IT business, raising investments, regulatory and compliance matters. Furthermore, the firm customarily has strong expertise in IP rights protection, data protection, and the entire range of telecom and broadcasting related issues. The firm is among the most preferred legal counsel for M&A, having advised Volia on its sale to Datagroup; Nordcurrent on the acquisition of a Ukrainian game development company in Dnipro; TinyBuild Inc. on the acquisition of all games portfolio of Demagic Games; Avenga, an international IT and digital transformation technology group, in connection with the acquisition of Perfectial Group; provided complex legal support to one of Ukraine’s largest telecom operators on the spinning off of its tower business. The firm advised on a build-operate-transfer project between an IT outsourcing company and a U.S.-based customer with the ambition of enlisting 300+ IT specialists over the course of a few years. The key team members are counsel, technology, media and communications group coordinator Oleg Klymchuk, senior associate with a focus on telecom Pavlo Kovalchuk, as led by partner Nazar Chernyavsky. Alina Plyushch is lead partner on gambling projects.
SBH Law Offices is a Belarusian law firm with an office in Kyiv. The firm is well-positioned among IT companies in Belarus. In September 2021 the firm also opened an office in Cyprus, which is focused on the IT business. This past year the firm advised on regulatory issues related to novelties in the legal regime of Diia City, obtaining residency status under this legal regime, virtual assets. The office advised Expert Soft, an IT company, on the supply of e-commerce software and open Java stack; iLogos Game Studios on IP issues in Ukraine, software development and the transfer of intellectual property rights in software. The firm has experience in venture capital and attracting funding for IT start-ups. The firm conducted a comprehensive legal due diligence of a start-up called Cargofy on the side of investor JKR; assisted as a legal advisor in the course of investing to start-up OneNotary, on the side of investor Adventures Lab. The practice in Ukraine is headed by Marina Makarova, head of corporate.
Stron Legal Services has a well-established position supporting e-commerce, Fintech and online gambling companies, rendering international tax and corporate structuring projects business in the EU and Asia. In a recent highlight the firm handled the legal structuring of a financial company, casino and crypto in a single service; assisted with the structuring of e-commerce businesses. That is, selling access to e-books and video content; structuring a media buying holding in the UAE called DWC FZ. The firm has transactional capabilities, and most recently advised a number of private M&A on the purchase and sale of several e-commerce businesses. Managing partner Oleg Derlyuk is the main figure in the firm.
Axon Partners and Tretten Law Firm, IT-focused law firms, were also referenced by market insiders[2].
[1] Anton Polikarpov established Polikarpov Law Firm in March 2022.
[2] The firms have not submitted information for the current research.