The firms are placed in alphabetical order. The research period is the year 2021. Since 24 February 2022 when the russian federation started its aggressive war against Ukraine, many law firms in Ukraine have announced their termination of representing russian clients. For ethical and moral reasons, as many people have joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine and found themselves in difficult life situations, we have taken the decision not to publish ranking tables this year. We genuinely believe that we should be united as never before, and hope that you support our decision.

Absolute Law Agency has a litigation portfolio spanning debt recovery, contractual and tax disputes. The agency represents state enterprises, financial companies and trading companies. Partners Oleksandr Bondarchuk, Oleksandr Hladii and Iryna Zemliana are the main contacts.

ADER HABER, a Ukrainian law firm with a well-rounded litigation practice, possesses a diverse portfolio of representations, in particular, banking disputes, debt recovery, contractual, tax, insurance and employment disputes. The firm has a strong offering in real estate, construction and land, with substantial experience in subsequent disputes. Another standout feature is legal support of enforcement proceedings. In 2021, the team represented its long-standing client MERX PJSC, a large construction and business centers lease holding, in litigation challenging the property rights to an administrative building in the center of Kyiv acquired via the ProZorro platform. The firm represented a big thermal energy producer in appealing against the decision of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) regarding violation of economic competition through means of anti-competitive concerted actions. The committed team carried out the procedure for bankruptcy of a private individual, being among the pioneers in this field. The firm represent clients from the banking and financial sector, retail and FMCG, agribusiness, real estate, energy, private clients. The firm’s partners Andrii Hvozdetskyi (banking, debt recovery), Tatiana Daniltseva (tax and insurance), Aleksandra Fedotova (real estate, land, antitrust) guide dispute resolution projects. Yuriy Petrenko, managing partner, preserves a strong focus on client relationships. 

Full-service Ukrainian law firm AEQUO oversees a multifaceted dispute resolution practice, handling a variety of domestic disputes, cross-border litigation and historically strong international arbitration. The team’s caseload includes a variety of disputes, including property rights, corporate, tax, disputes with government authorities, disputes involving intellectual property and out of breach of contractual agreements. The team successfully represented UMG Investments, a leader in the extraction of refractory clay in Ukraine, in a ground-breaking and precedent-setting series of land expropriation cases; defended Auchan Retail Ukraine in a dispute over the lease of a piece of immovable property located in Kharkiv. The firm stands out for its long-term performance in energy disputes. The team recently acted for the Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine, a Ukrainian national monopolist managing the entire Ukrainian gas transmission system, in a series of victories in a range of cases at the Supreme Court of Ukraine in similar disputes over gas trading and price regulation. The sizeable team is led by the firm’s partners, Oleksiy Filatov, Olena Pertsova and Yevgen Levitskyi. Pavlo Byelousov leads international arbitration projects. Denis Lysenko, managing partner, specializes in tax and regulatory disputes, as well as energy sector disputes. 

Ante Law Firm is known for its rich experience in representing major representatives of the aviation industry. The team acts on behalf of airlines in passenger and agents claims cases. The firm represents Vallair Solutions in a dispute with the airline Jonika regarding debt collection according to the aircraft lease agreement; represents Bees Airline in its a request to Master Avia regarding aircraft damaged at an airport, and was involved in the probe into the accident. Another sector that the firm’s clients come from is pharmaceuticals and healthcare. Labor, competition matters, tax litigation fall within the caseload. Among the clients that generated most dispute resolution work were Sanofi-Aventis Ukraine, Zdravo, DFU Agro, Lufthansa Group and other international airlines. Managing partner Andriy Guck heads the litigation practice. 

ANTIKA Law Firm offers a well-resourced dispute resolution practice, acting domestically and on the cross-border front. The client roster includes a range of international and Ukrainian companies (i.e., energy, mining, FMCG, automotive sectors) seeking representation in commercial disputes out of contractual breach, administrative responsibility, product liability, damage recovery, tax disputes and challenging decisions made by state authorities. The firm’s litigation partner, Andrey Kuznetsov, joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Dr. Maksym Korchahin and Alexandra Fedorenko are the key litigators. Senior partner Dr. Oleksiy Kot runs the arbitration workload and handles representation of clients in the Supreme Court of Ukraine.

Ukrainian arbitration-litigation boutique ARBITRADE is mainly focused on cross-border matters, and recently showcased growth in the domestic cases portfolio. The recent workload included complex commercial cases, tax and customs matters, family litigation, cases relating to the imposition of sanctions on companies by Ukrainian authorities and white-collar crime cases. The firm represented Ukrainian enterprise LLC Rembudservice LTD as the claimant in a dispute which arose out of the illegal occupation of the claimant’s commercial premises. Partners Dr. Ivan Vashchynets and Pavlo Trytenichenko are the main contacts.

ARIO Law Firm attracts particular notice for its strong presence in insolvency litigation, corporate conflicts resolution, anti-raiding, property disputes and debt recovery. The firm has an established track record of cases acting on behalf of creditors, and also acts on complex cases involving parallel criminal proceedings. The firm continued representing the interests of the Lybid Hotel Complex in a corporate dispute in connection with a raider attack on corporate rights and followed criminal proceedings, preparation of an appeal to the ECHR on the decision of the Supreme Court of Ukraine. Another landmark ongoing case is representing IT company Finik Pro in its dispute with Alfa-Bank due to denial to pay for the development of internet banking, which is a precedent due to agile-contracts between the parties. The practice partners are Julian Khorunzhiy, Yevhen Hrushovets, Ruslan Sydorovich and Andriy Fylyk.

Ukrainian powerhouse Asters commands a multifaceted litigation team with the recognized credentials of strategic domestic and cross-border dispute resolution work. The caseload spans corporate, commercial, regulatory, tax, antitrust, insurance, labor, intellectual property, family law disputes. Among specific expertise possessed by the firm is FIDIC contract disputes and aviation related disputes. The firm has notable expertise in handling complex multijurisdictional disputes, acting as coordinating and/or local Ukrainian counsel across major international law firms. The formidable share of its portfolio includes representing banks in disputes. The firm continues to run the biggest case in the market acting for Privatbank in a series of interrelated disputes (around 600) associated with the 2016 nationalization of the largest commercial bank in Ukraine. The ongoing highlight is representing the state-run Deposit Guarantee Fund, a government agency created to protect the rights of deposit holders and in order to liquidate failing banks, in connection with search and seizure of assets, as well as in a dispute regarding recovery of funds embezzled as a result of enormous fraud at two major Ukrainian banks. Backed by extensive trade remedies practice, the firm has an established litigation practice appealing against regulatory decisions. Furthermore, the firm successfully defended Dr. Anders Aslund, a well-known Swedish-American economist, diplomat and leading international expert on the Ukrainian economy, in a defamation dispute with Igor Kolomoisky, former co-owner of PrivatBank. Domestic litigation is guided by partners Andriy Pozhidayev (high impact banking disputes) and Gleb Bialyi (commercial and regulatory disputes). Co-managing partners Oleksiy Didkovskiy and Serhii Sviriba head the cross-border litigation practice.

AVELLUM stands out for its representation in high profile cross-border matters, especially large multijurisdictional shareholders’ disputes, as well as an extensive domestic litigation offering. Other areas of strong capabilities are complicated disputes arising from the largest financial restructurings and M&A deals, debt recovery and enforcement of collateral, insolvency, tax disputes. The firm has further developed its white-collar crime practice, including international aspects. The team acted as a Ukrainian law counsel for the Fifth President of Ukraine, Mr. Petro Poroshenko, in the hard-fought litigation before the High Court of England and Wales, ended up with the successful challenge of the jurisdiction of English courts to hear a USD 140 million claim and strike-out of this claim as groundless. Another high-stake case is advising one respondent, a UK citizen, in significant High Court of Justice proceedings brought by a Ukrainian bank in the process of being liquidated and the state-run Deposit Guarantee Fund of Ukraine, which manages the bank against the bank’s former UBO, Ukrainian HNWI, and its related parties (the value of the claim is USD 580 million). Antitrust litigation is another established track of the practice. In particular, the firm acted as a counsel for Nadezhda Group in a dispute with the AMCU to cancel its decision declaring a client’s enlistment in a conspiracy with other market players and, in so doing, breach competition regulations. The formidable practice team has three partners on board. Vadim Medvedev heads domestic litigation, with the focus on tax disputes. Kostiantyn Likarchuk heads international arbitration and cross-border litigation. Mykyta Nota focuses on competition and antitrust, arbitration, and cross-border litigation. Lyudmyla Volkova, counsel, is another important legal practitioner.

In 2021 AVER LEX attorneys at law had a growth of its litigation practice including commercial litigation, asset tracing and debt recovery, defense against fraudulent takeover of business, assets and property rights, raiding attacks, corporate conflicts. Another area of focus of the litigation team is appealing sanctions, and protection of honor, dignity and business reputation. Volodymyr Yenich and Kateryna Stashkiv, partner and counsel respectively, heads litigation practice.

The Kyiv office of Baker McKenzie has a sophisticated litigation portfolio and impressive bench of prominent international clients. The practice team is drawn upon in domestic and cross-border disputes, with this past year’s focus being on antitrust disputes, administrative court cases, debt and damage recovery, land disputes, employment litigation. The office has one of the leading intellectual property practices with strong capabilities in IP disputes. Another standout feature is ownership disputes involving multiple parties. The team handled representation of Tedis in Ukrainian courts in connection with a fine of approximately USD 121.4 million imposed by the AMCU for anticompetitive concerted actions. Kseniia Prokhur (Pogruzhalska) is the senior associate. Ihor Siusel is lead partner.

CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang is enlisted for complex cross-border disputes and representing a variety of international clients in high-value domestic disputes. The office is approached by international lenders for recovery of outstanding multi-million debts owed by Ukrainian corporate borrowers, including representation in the course of bankruptcy proceedings, disputes out of supply of goods and services, and violation of commercial contracts. The firm is known for its performance in energy matters and regulatory disputes concerning subsoil use. Olga Shenk, head of the dispute resolution team, was promoted to partner.

With its longevity on the Ukrainian legal market, Dentons is retained for litigation and arbitration proceedings domestically and in various foreign jurisdictions, including the UK, US, Canada, Switzerland and Sweden. The dispute resolution workload spans commercial litigation, product liability disputes, IP, tax and customs disputes, disputes with the AMCU. The office represented a multinational pharmaceutical company on debt recovery litigation with regard to supplied products; a multinational automotive company on its regaining of property from illegal possession against conditions of leasing agreements. The Kyiv managing partner, Oleg Batyuk, is the key contact. 

Dictio, domestic real estate and construction focused law firm, acts on commercial litigation and bankruptcy related proceedings. Serhii Shtohryn, litigation partner, also acts as an insolvency practitioner.

ECOVIS Bondar & Bondar is focused on dispute resolution in the aviation industry. The firm is primarily known for being a legal counsel to Ukraine International Airlines. The firm is experienced in aviation claims and corporate disputes resolution. Oleg Bondar, managing partner, is the main point of contact.

EQUITY, a Ukrainian dispute resolution one-stop-shop, boasts a solid track record of complex high stake domestic and multijurisdictional disputes, with additional support from white-collar crime attorneys. The team is a constant legal counsel for big domestic industrial heavyweights and business groups, as well as high net worth individuals. The litigation practice stands out for its strength in debt recovery and enforcement, insolvency disputes and non-performing loans enforcement. In 2021 the firm continued representing the Azovmash Group and proved the legal stance regarding existence of “dispute over a right” between the initiating creditor and debtor as the ground to refuse to commence proceedings over bankruptcy and protect interests to the tune of more than USD 1.25 billion. Among the highlights of NPLs related work is representing LLC Finance Company, one of the largest finance companies in Ukraine, in litigation on the enforcement of NPLs, purchased from Omega Bank (approx. USD 183 million) and Delta Bank (approx. USD 48 million). The team also works on the judicial and out-of-court enforcement of pledges and mortgages by securing loans. The firm represented Andrey Adamovsky, HNWI, in a number of disputes to refute misleading media reports regarding litigation processes involving the Shopping and Entertainment Center SkyMall. The practice is led by partners Oleh Malinevskyi (sensitive cases and increasingly active in multijurisdictional disputes) and Serhiy Chuyev (banking disputes, court restructuring and bankruptcy), Vyacheslav Krahlevych (property and land litigation, as well as white-collar crime). The senior team of counsel includes Dmytro Tylipskiy, Oleksiy Stepanenko, Andriy Ivaniv and Oksana Varakina.

ESQUIRES law firm has an established litigation practice, including commercial disputes, debt recovery, and has further experience in protection of business reputation and dignity. Out-of-court settlement and mediation is also among other offerings. The team represented ESV Service LLC on protection of honor and business reputation via refutation of inaccurate information about the company’s activities. Disclosable clients include Limagrain Ukraine, Keralit LLC, Solum LLC, D-Trade 2015. Oleksandr Shkelebey and Viktoria Kovalchuk are lead partners.

Eterna Law has a substantial dispute resolution offering, notably active in domestic, international arbitration and cross-border litigation. The team is regularly retained by international law firms, while its partners are drawn upon providing expert opinions on Ukrainian law in the courts of England. The firm is noted for being a legal counsel in resolution of corporate conflicts between shareholders, including multijurisdictional matters, complex fraud and asset tracing/recovery matters involving multiple jurisdictions. The firm is particularly active in disputes in the banking and financial services sector, and IT-related disputes involving gambling and gaming companies, software development, hacking and unauthorized access to data. Oleh Beketov, senior partner and head of international litigation, notably acts as a Ukrainian law expert in significant Ukraine-related foreign litigations in recent years. Aleksandr Lugovskyi acts on general commercial and international trade disputes. Nataliia Koroviakovska and Kristina Shapovalova focuses on national litigation projects.

EVERLEGAL offers domestic litigation and international arbitration practice, acting for clients in banking, tax and corporate matters, commercial and employment disputes. The firm has a diverse client portfolio, and this past year represented five different Ukrainian banks from the list of Top 20 banks and several financial companies in debt collection cases for the total amount of over USD 200 million. The committed dispute resolution team represents Unilever in a court dispute with the State Emergency Service of Ukraine regarding the ban on the use of production real estate facilities used for tea packaging operations in Ukraine. The team has been representing UkrSibbank (BNP Paribas Group) since 2018 in a number of disputes with its debtors; OTP Bank in multiple disputes, including tax disputes, debt collection disputes, contract disputes; Develop Finance, a Ukrainian financial company in a complex dispute on the collection of debts from a pool of 376 individual debtors. The dispute resolution practice has three partners on board – Andriy Porayko, Oleksandr Ruzhytskyi and Vsevolod Volkov. Oleksandr Pashynin, counsel, is a key figure in banking litigation.

Swiss firm Fortior Law has an office in Ukraine and is centered on resolving English law governed disputes. The firm is focused on cross-border work, particularly corporate insolvency law and obtaining a worldwide freezing order. The firm acted in the High Court of Justice in London. One of the key practitioners in Ukraine, Danil Hristich, became a partner.

Attorneys’ Association Gestors has an established clientele that are represented in commercial litigation, contractual breach matters, labor and administrative disputes, debt recovery. The firm continued acting as a legal adviser of SJSC Chornomornaftogaz on disputes related to return of the Titan-2 crane-mounting vessel to the owner; handled representation of the interests of its longstanding client, McDonalds Ukraine Ltd, in court regarding collection of debts and penalties; representation of Asset Management Company TASK-INVEST LLC in court in a lawsuit as to cancellation of a property purchase agreement. Together with Sorainen the firm successfully defended the interests of Skvyrskyi Grain Processing Factory during investigation of the claim related to collection of debt and penalty from a Belarusian company in the Arbitration Commission of the OJSC Belarusian Universal Commodity Exchange. Andriy Tsvetkov and Vitalii Makhinchuk are the main contacts.

Ukrainian law firm GOLAW offers a comprehensive coverage of litigation, being particularly sought after for representation in tax and customs disputes, debt recovery, cases arising out of financial restructuring, contractual, employment and regulatory disputes. The team successfully represented the interests of Amosova K.M. in range of the lawsuits against the Ukrainian Health  Ministry on recognition as illegal and cancellation of orders for dismissal from the rectorship of Bogomolets National Medical University. Kateryna Manoylenko is lead partner of the dispute resolution practice.

Ilyashev & Partners, a recognized dispute resolution heavyweight with a well-resourced formidable practice, acting across domestic and cross-border litigation, international arbitration and white-collar crime practices. The firm has one of the largest capacities on the market, and advantages from its network of offices in the regions, namely in Kharkiv, Dnipro and Odesa. The firm is constantly chosen as a primary litigation counsel for international and local businesses, high-net-worth individuals and high-ranking state officials. The versatile practice team is proficient in handling large-scale shareholder disputes, sophisticated debt recovery and property litigation, insolvency proceedings, regulatory disputes, tax, employment, IP, specific maritime and aviation disputes. The firm has a notable track record in the energy sector. Among landmark representations was appealing against sanctions applied to Ferrexpo Belanovo Mining (Ferrexpo AG) by a decision adopted by the National Security and Defense Council; representing Ferrexpo Poltava Mining and Ferrexpo Yeristovo Mining under claims to the state-run Deposit Guarantee Fund on imposing an obligation to accept and amend the register of creditors’ claims. The firm currently represents the interests of JSC First Kyiv Machine-Building Plant in the claim by Kyiv City Council on the compulsory alienation of real estate objects. Having a prominent international trade practice in Ukraine, the firm is also enlisted for subsequent litigation. Most recently the team defended the interests of national cement producers as third parties in litigation with regard to invalidation and revocation of the Decision of the Interagency Commission for International Trade on the application of anti-dumping duties on imports of cement into Ukraine, particularly cement clinkers and Portland cement originating in the Russian Federation, the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Moldova. The firm’s partners are both active litigators. Mikhail Ilyashev guides the team on a variety of domestic disputes. Roman Marchenko guides the high-stake cross-border litigation. The senior members of the team include Oleh Trokhymchuk, Valeriia Gudiy, Yevgen Solovyov, Oleksandr Denysenko and Galyna Lefor.

The multifaceted dispute resolution practice of INTEGRITES stands out for its strong credentials in cross-border litigation and successful representation in domestic courts. The diverse litigation portfolio spans commercial, contractual, antitrust, tax, employment, debt recovery and insolvency, and regulatory disputes. The litigation team also acts together with criminal defense attorneys in complex cases involving parallel criminal proceedings. Furthermore, the team is involved in multijurisdictional construction and shareholders disputes. The team of partners enjoys strong demand on its expert work for an unprecedented number of appointments as Ukrainian law experts in 19 high-profile cross-border disputes (including those involving Ukrainian UHNWIs). In particular, the firm’s partner Dmytro Marchukov acts as a Ukrainian law expert instructed by US attorneys for three individual US defendants (and their corporate affiliates), US business partners of Gennady Bogolyubov and Igor Kolomoisky, in litigation before the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware in a dispute worth around USD 2.4 billion that was brought against them (and dozens of other individuals and their related companies) by a major Ukrainian bank; acted as the Ukrainian law expert instructed by solicitors for four individual co-defendants – Gennady Bogolyubov, Igor Kolomoisky, Alexander Yaroslavsky, Pavel Ovcharenko – in high-level  litigation before the High Court of England and Wales brought against them by Russian oil giant PJSC Tatneft. The firm is hired by foreign banks and trading companies for representation in insolvency proceedings and debt enforcement of Ukrainian corporate borrowers, and also acts on behalf of borrowers in terms of their bankruptcies. Extensive domestic and international clientele comes from energy, agriculture, food, retail, IT, machine building, pharmaceutical. The formidable team is led by the firm’s reputable partners. Dmytro Marchukov is head of cross-border litigation; Oleksandr Onishchenko heads domestic litigation. Serhii Uvarov guides cross-border energy disputes. Olena Perepelynska, head of international arbitration, acts for clients in foreign jurisdictions. Tax partner Viktoriya Fomenko heads the track of tax disputes.

Mostly known as a compact, bankruptcy-focused firm, Khomenko, Pita & Partners is also enlisted for construction disputes and corporate conflicts resolutions. This past year the firm acted for its client appealing against unprofessional construction works that resulted in losses. Oleksandr Khomenko is the main point of contact.

In June 2021, Kinstellar merged with DLA Piper Ukraine, thereby creating an amalgamated dispute resolution practice team. Their experience spans corporate litigation and post-M&A and shareholders’ disputes, debt collection, commercial and property disputes, insolvency litigation. Being part of an international law firm, the Kyiv office is enlisted for investment disputes, cross-border litigation, recognition and enforcement of foreign court judgements. The team advises on Ukrainian law matters in the case considered by the Dutch Criminal Court on damages recovery claims of the relatives of victims of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17), which was shot down by an unregistered armed group over Eastern Ukraine in July 2014. At the request of the joint legal team’s members representing the relatives of victims, the Kinstellar team acts as an expert on Ukrainian substantive law issues related to compensation of damages to the relatives of victims of the civil aircraft that was shot down. Landmark antitrust litigation consisted of representing British American Tobacco, its Ukrainian affiliates, on challenging a decision alleging that the company was involved in anticompetitive concerted action with other tobacco companies in Ukraine as well as local distributor Tedis Ukraine. The litigation practice is led by two partners. Internationally recognized partner Olexander Martinenko is a firm-wide head of dispute resolution. Olga Vorozhbyt, partner and firm-wide head of compliance, risk and sensitive investigations.

Juscutum Law Firm conducts property, corporate, tax, protection and enforcement of clients’ rights in court. This past year the team handled cases connected with collection of funds. Anatolii Rybachok became the new head of practice.

KM Partners is one of the strongest firms handling tax customs disputes in Ukraine, and also provides for representation of its clients in commercial, land, debt recovery, labor disputes. In addition, the firm handles representation in bankruptcy cases. This past year the firm represented client interests in cases on protection of honor, dignity, business reputation, obligation to refute false information and compensation for moral damage. Commercial disputes and cases on international arbitration are led by Maxim Oleksiyuk. Alexander Minin and Alexander Shemiatkin lead tax litigation. Ivan Shynkarenko guides transfer pricing and customs disputes.

KPMG Law Ukraine possesses recognized strength in tax litigation, and growing participation in commercial litigation. The firm supports PJSC Ferrexpo Poltava Mining, one of the biggest exporters of iron ore pellets in the world, in a complex tax dispute, one of the new type of cases in Ukraine on the application of transfer pricing rules by taxpayers. KPMG supports Buhler Service LLC in complex commercial disputes regarding collection of damages, penalties and part invalidation of a contract initiated by Potoky LLC. In addition, the team acts for the state-run Deposit Guarantee Fund, participating in cross-border recovery of damages from the ultimate beneficial owners of Ukrainian bank in collaboration with colleagues specializing in such recovery under English law. Yuriy Katser, head of legal, is the main contact.

LCF Law Group is one of the strongest litigation forces in the market, with the established track record of debt recovery litigation over distressed loans, insolvency and restructuring disputes. Banking and finance disputes are the team’s calling card, with notable experience of acting for both lenders and borrowers. Among its  landmark cases is representing AVK Group in disputes regarding USD 246 million debt collection and forced sale of collateral; representation of the First Ukrainian International Bank in a USD 60 million loan recovery against the Sumy Maсhine-Building Science and Production Association Joint Stock Company; representation of VR Global Partners in a series of credit disputes with state rail operator Ukrzaliznytsia. The firm is sought after for handling corporate, contractual, employment and tax disputes. The firm’s partners Anna Ogrenchuk, Artem Stoyanov, Ihor Kravtsov[1], Olena Volyanska, Yulia Atamanova are active across the entire dispute resolution front. Iryna Kobets, counsel, is another key litigator.

Legal Alliance Company is an industry-focused law firm representing international and domestic clients from the pharmaceutical and healthcare sector. The dispute resolution practice encompasses, among others, intellectual property, competition, tax and regulatory disputes. The firm regularly represents clients in patent disputes regarding unlicensed use of inventions, use of trademarks, protection of interests in falsification cases and appealing decisions of state bodies. The lead partners of the litigation team are Illya Kostin and Vitalii Savchuk.

Legal and Economic Security (LES) showcased a diverse litigation offering, encompassing disputes of debt recovery, real estate and construction, land, especially appeal against the decisions of officials of public authorities and local governments, authorized bodies of urban planning and architecture, bodies of state architectural and construction control. The firm is known for its strong experience of environmental issues and ecology, being proficient in handling disputes and appealing against the results of ecological audit by state authorities. The firm acted in a dispute of the State Ecological Inspection with State Enterprise Kryvbasshahtozakryttya on refunding damages to the state due to violation of the environment and use of water resources. Sergiy Kolisnyk, managing partner, is the key contact.

Lexwell & Partners handles a variety of high-end litigation work in tax disputes as well as administrative and civil court matters. Recently, the team, as headed by Andriy Kolupaev, represented ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih in submitting appeals against decisions adopted by the Kryvyi Rih City Council regarding the establishment of land tax rates and rents; represents ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih in administrative courts appealing against various tax charges. Another notable case includes representing the interests of a distributor and dealer of Toyota/Lexus cars in Ukraine in a number of disputes on protecting consumer rights regarding the quality of sold cars as well as representing Sumitomo in a dispute on protecting consumer rights. 

Established by the former Deputy Minister of Justice – and agent to the ECHR, Ivan Lishchyna, a boutique law firm Lishchyna & Partners, is focused on cross-border dispute resolution and application to the European Court of Human Rights, international investment and commercial arbitration. The portfolio included cases on non-payment in accordance with electricity supply agreements, recognition of decisions of Ukrainian courts in foreign jurisdictions.

L.I. Group is focused on handling distressed assets issues, being a strong market player enlisted for large-scale bankruptcies. The firm is retained by commercial banks and financial companies as well as domestic industrial debtors. The core offering of the litigation team includes debt collection, foreclosure of mortgages, recognition of property rights, challenging regulatory decisions of state authorities. The firm’s partners Mykola Kovalchuk and Artur Megeria are the key contacts.

The core expertise of domestic law firm Mitrax includes commercial litigation, banking disputes and debt collection, business and property protection. The team supported collection of bad debts of one of the largest banks in Ukraine, acted on disputes related to public procurement and construction contracts; defended cargo rail companies in disputes with state rail operator Ukrzaliznytsia JSC. Partner Oleksandr Strokan heads the practice.

MORIS is a recognized sizeable litigation team with a diverse litigation portfolio, respected for banking disputes, energy supply and debt recovery litigation, tax disputes, protection of reputation and dignity, representation at the ECHR. The firm has an established track record of landmark disputes in the Ukrainian energy sector. Most recently the team rendered legal support to Rivneteploenergo LLC in a precedent setting debt recovery case from national energy company Naftogaz of Ukraine; acted for PrJSC PBK Radomyshl in disputes on additionally charged volumes of supplied natural gas. The firm has a broad portfolio of commercial and property disputes, handling representation of Ukrlogistica LLC in litigation appealing agreements and recovery of fines, and assisting in bankruptcy proceedings; having assisted Ivano-Frankivskcement PrJSC in litigation concerning property rights on railway carriages. The firm represented Bombardier Transportation Ukraine LLC in appealing the results of a tender involving Ukrzaliznytsya and financed by the EBRD. The firm has unique expertise in sports law and resolution of sensitive cases involving religious institutions. Widely recognized litigator, partner Andriy Savchuk is the practice head.

Pavlenko Legal Group traditionally maintains busy litigation practice, generally involving banking disputes, complex business protection projects, regulatory disputes with state authorities. The firm has an established bench of domestic clients coming from a range of industries, inter alia, banking and finance, real estate, oil and gas, telecommunications, agriculture. In 2021, the team represented Financial Company Sokur in administrative litigation appealing against the arrest of shares in PJSC Ukrtelecom that belong to ESU LLC; represented the interests of Uni Cert LLC in a series of disputes challenging a corporate raider takeover in the charter capital of a company authorized to certify medical equipment in Ukraine; represented JSC Gastranzit in debt recovery for the technical servicing of gas stations. Financial company Investohills Vesta further instructs the firm in a range of disputes. Lead partner is Vitaliy Burdak. The senior team includes Hrygoriy Pavlenko, Irina Stoliarchuk and Anatoliy Melnichenko.

The CEE law firm Peterka & Partners, which has a chain of offices, has an established litigation practice at its Kyiv office. The dispute resolution team is known for its well-positioned tax and customs disputes track record, as well as portfolio of representations in debt recovery, insolvency proceedings, employment and IP matters. The office provided comprehensive advisory services to SOMA, a dynamically developing Czech engineering company, in connection with the disputed actions of the liquidator in the bankruptcy proceedings of its bankrupt counterparty in Ukraine; successfully represented Mammoet Ukraine LLC in a tax dispute with Kyiv Customs; assisted ESJF, a charitable organization protecting Jewish burial sites, in resolving a dispute with its counterparty regarding debt recovery. Kyiv partner Taras Utiralov is the main contact. Galyna Melnyk, deputy director for the Ukrainian office, represents clients in tax and customs disputes.

The dispute resolution practice team at Redcliffe Partners handles sophisticated cases in domestic commercial and administrative proceedings, bankruptcy proceedings, cross-border and international arbitration related matters. The firm is historically retained by major foreign lenders and international banks. The team recently represented Nordic Investment Bank in an insolvency case involving Dneprovsky Iron & Steel Integrated Works.  Sergiy Gryshko, partner and head of dispute resolution, left the firm to head the new Ukrainian office of Polish law firm Queritius.

The full-service law firm Sayenko Kharenko has a strong following among multinational corporates and national industry heavyweights, domestic and international banks, private investors and high net worth individuals. The formidable practice is active on domestic and cross-border fronts, and has a versatile caseload spanning commercial, property, contractual, debt recovery, tax, IP, labor and regulatory disputes. This past year the litigation team represented Auchan Group in a high-profile case on the illegal alienation of a client’s land plots in Odesa Region of an estimated value of USD 10 million; DF Group’s companies, including JSC Azot, PJSC Severodonetsk Azot Association and JSC Concern Stirol, in several complex court disputes related to challenging decisions on application of anti-dumping measures against the import of goods from the Russian Federation; Japan Tobacco International on invalidating the headline-making decision of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine on anti-competitive concerted practices on the tobacco market; JSC CB Privatbank in a dispute on challenging selection process for the bank’s CEO position; Henkell Freixenet Company in 18 court disputes. The domestic litigation practice is led by partners Sergey Pogrebnoy and Olena Sukmanova (rejoined the firm). The core litigators are counsel Oleksiy Koltok and senior associate Sergey Protyven. The cross-border litigation team is led by partner Olexander Droug, and supported by Volodymyr Yaremko, counsel. 

Sokolovskyi & Partners has recognized strength in handling tax and customs disputes, insolvency and bankruptcy, contractual litigation, debt recovery. The criminal practice regularly acts in comprehensive cases involving parallel criminal proceedings. The team is hired by industrial, construction and trade companies, as well as energy sector players. Tetiana Lysovets, senior partner, leads the practice.

The dispute resolution and white-collar crime boutique VB PARTNERS has vast strength in challenging the decisions of state authorities, protecting business from raider attacks and resolving corporate disputes. The new area of focus is legal protection in appealing against sanctions. The team represented the interests of the Mykolayiv Alumina Refinery in a dispute related to recovering the non-pecuniary damage in the amount of UAH 9.2 billion to members of a public organization resulting from the negative impact of a client’s business activity on the environment. The firm has strong credentials in handling large-scale tax litigation, recently represented the Mykolayiv Alumina Refinery as well as Zaporizhalumintorg LLC in tax disputes. Shareholders and the top management of commercial banks retain the firm on a regular basis. The team handled representation of Misto Bank PJSC in a lawsuit related to invalidating and overturning the decision taken by the National Bank of Ukraine to classify it as insolvent and liquidate it, and overturning the decisions made by the state-run Deposit Guarantee Fund of Ukraine on introducing temporary administration in Misto Bank PJSC and its liquidation; advising shareholders and top managers of Delta Bank PJSC on issues regarding a claim as lodged by the state-run Deposit Guarantee Fund of Ukraine for recovering damages related to repayment of debts of Delta Bank PJSC. In addition, the firm represents the interests of Scania, an international vehicle company, in a lawsuit against local dealers, for recovery of lost profits and losses incurred in connection with improper compliance with the terms of dealer agreements and the contract for maintenance of the service workshop. Vladimir Vashchenko is lead partner. Partners Denys Bugay, Oleksandr Lukianenko and Denys Shkarovsky are also directly involved in the firm’s litigation practice.

Domestic litigation focused firm Vdovychen & Partners has a diverse portfolio encompassing tax litigation, land, corporate and employment disputes. The firm has expertise in insolvency proceedings. Managing partner Oleg Vdovychen is the main contact.

The Kyiv office of Wolf Theiss is retained by the firm’s multinational clients, and are represented in domestic litigation, including tax, customs, regulatory, real estate and commercial litigations. The firm advises a British investor in connection with a major investment dispute with the city of Kyiv and its municipal authorities regarding compensation for the client’s losses sustained as a result of the cancellation by the Kyiv city authorities of an investment project that the client was involved in. The firm acts on sensitive dispute and corporate investigation matter related to a local distributor in Ukraine. Sergii Zheka and Olena Kravtsova are other team members. Taras Dumych, managing partner, is the main contact.

Oleg Alyoshin, partner of Vasil Kisil & Partners, is traditionally referred for his representation of UHNWIs in international arbitration and cross-border disputes.

Regional Counsel 

Odesa-based ANK Law Office traditionally acts as a legal counsel to the world’s leading P&I Clubs and insurers in issues connected with payment of compensation for loss of life, disability compensation and personal injury claims of Ukrainian seafarers during their employment on board foreign vessels and other maritime perils. The team successfully supported the owners of m/v “AGIOS KONSTANTINOS” in a case related to the arrest of the vessel in Ukraine in September 2021; represented Ukrferry LLC (Ukrainian Ferry Fleet Operator) in court related to the operation of the 5th terminal at Chornomorsk Sea Port, where the client acted as a third party on the defendant’s side. The key figures are Artem Volkov and Kostiantyn Moriakov. Oleksandr Kyfak, the firm’s founder, is a widely recognized legal practitioner and the key contact.

In 2021 AS Legal, an Odesa-based law firm, boosted its litigation practice in terms of the value of claims. The firm is present in commercial and property disputes, also representing clients in claims brought by regulatory bodies. The firm represented JSC Odesteplocomunenergo in a commercial dispute with the Municipal Enterprise of Odesa on the recognition of the client’s ownership of the transformer substation, which was unjustifiably placed on the balance sheet of the municipal enterprise; acts for protection of property rights of a client who suffered as a result of raiding. The team is a popular choice for construction companies and developers, and most recently represented ST Capital, an Odesa-based developer which specializes in the construction of premium low-rise buildings, in a dispute with NGO Spilna Meta regarding discrediting of a large construction site, disrupting the sales plan and halting construction. The firm’s managing partner, Maksym Andrieiev, heads the litigation practice, with the support of the firm’s other partners.

De-Jure, an Odesa-based law firm, represents clients in civil and commercial disputes. The past caseload included property rights disputes, customer protection, customs value and employment litigation. Gryhorii Tripulskyi and Olena Bernaz are the main points of contact.

Odesa-based Consulting Firm Dominanta handles representation in court, in particular, protection of corporate and individual assets, opposing raider attacks, compensation of losses. The firm’s clients include agribusinesses, large developers in Odesa, notable businessmen and investors. The team represented LLC Marine Apartments and LLC Planet Development, an Odesa developer and investor in several residential complexes, in a removal of seizures from real estate owned by the company, and the resumption of activities for the sale of apartments; acted for a co-owner of Vector Oil Trade LLC, one of the largest suppliers of agricultural products in Ukraine to Asian countries, on return of unjustifiably acquired funds by a representative of a large Ukrainian supplier of agricultural products to Ukraine and abroad. Vitaliy Tsvigun is the practice head.

Interlegal, headquartered in Odesa’s Black Sea, is a law firm with 6 offices, which is focused on maritime and shipping disputes, ship arrests, handling claims, ecology disputes, supply breach, penalties and debt recovery. Partners Arthur Nitsevych and Nikolay Melnykov are the key contacts.

Odesa-based law firm Jurline is sought out by sound industrial companies for representation in a variety of high-stake disputes in the region, acting on property rights litigation, tax, contractual breach, debt recovery disputes, as well as high-profile port infrastructure related matters. The firm provided comprehensive support for the protection and representation of the client’s interests in a dispute regarding the construction of a private water area in the Pivdenny Sea Commercial Port and payment of port fees; represented TIS-Mindobryva in a court dispute on the claim of South Affiliate of the Ukrainian Sea Port Authority on termination of a contract for the use of the terminal’s sea berth. Current cases include representing one of the largest retail chains, Kopiika, in a dispute with trading chain Foxtrot regarding the ownership of store premises. Notable client names take in Illichivsk Grain Terminal, Viterra Ukraine, LLC Transinvestservice, PJSC Odesawinprom, TIS-Grain Ltd, and others. Vitaliy Cherkes is lead partner.

Odesa-based law firm Legrant possesses a variety of disputes portfolio, particularly litigation in Ukrainian sea ports, shipping and contractual disputes, tax litigation. The firm’s clients take in  shipowners, freight forwarders, cargo owners, cargo transportation agents, container lines. The team is known for its well-established practice of representations against the Ukrainian Sea Port Authority, regarding access to berths and subsequent duties, payment of port, administrative, sanitary dues, etc. The key contact is managing partner Tatyana Titarenko.

Cherkasy-based Rezultat Law Firm handles representation in litigation, in particular, debt recovery, tax, labor, real estate and land, administrative disputes. The firm is also experienced in insolvency litigation and bankruptcy proceedings. The caseload also includes disputes on land easement, lease and privatization. The practice is led by Maxim Polishkevych with a key contribution coming from Marija Zhornik. 

Roland Law Office was established in March 2021 by Serhiy Silchenko (previously – partner at ILF). The Kharkiv-based firm has rapidly received dispute work, particularly tax, employment, bad debts recovery, consumer rights protection, and social disputes. Clients include vivid regional names like Biotreyd Ltd, DISH Ukraine LLC, Komunservis 2018 LLC. Labor litigation is a recognized strength of Serhiy Silchenko. Tetiana Silchenko (previously – Felix Law Firm) is another partner.

Sergeyevs’ Law Office, a maritime boutique based in Odesa, represents clients in maritime, labor, corporate, tax dispute resolution, and further expertise in alternative dispute settlement and mediation. The firm ensured legal support for execution of the judgement in the case on the maritime claim for unpaid wages to crew members of the Ginger vessel; handled legal support of insurance claims settlement negotiations and litigation (compensation by P&I clubs in connection with loss of seafarers’ ability to work and loss of life). Partners Yuriy Sergeyev and Svetlana Sergeyeva are the main contacts.

Shkrebets & Partners, a Kharkiv-headquartered law firm with an office in Kyiv, has a well-versed litigation practice encompassing energy disputes, debt recovery, tax litigation, labor and regulatory disputes. The firm further acts on procurement disputes, challenging tender conditions and results. The firm has a long-standing mandate for representing industrial, energy and municipal names such as Kharkiv CHPP-5, Municipal Enterprise Kharkiv Heating Networks, industrial enterprises in Kharkiv Region. The firm also enjoys a strong criminal law practice. Partner Andrey Syvak heads litigation. Evgeniy Shkrebets, Yuriy Artukh and Oleksii Meniv are the key partners guiding the firm’s disputes workload.

 

 

 

[1] He joined the Military Service in February 2022.