Vasil Kisil & Partners top ranked in The Legal 500 2021 EMEA

Vasil Kisil & Partners law firm has been highly recommended by The Legal 500 2021 EMEA edition in 12 practice areas. Dispute resolution, employment, private clients, real estate & construction practices are recognized as top-tier. Tax, white-collar crime, banking and finance, corporate / M&A, antitrust and competition, intellectual property and international trade practice groups are highly recommended.

Due to the research, the dispute resolution practice is large and well-established, it handles high-profile and complex commercial, civil and administrative cases. Managing partner Andriy Stelmashchuk, head of domestic litigation Oleg Kachmar and international arbitration head Oleg Alyoshin are the main contacts. Also recommended is associate Vsevolod Mazurenko, whose 'ability to analyse difficult legal issues and think on his feet is impressive'.

The employment practice provides 'tailor-made pieces of legal advice' under the leadership of partner Oksana Voynarovska, with support from counsel Valeriya Savchuk. They are both members of the working group that is finalising the new Draft Labour Code for its second reading. The firm advises large domestic and international clients on the drafting of employment contracts for senior management, dismissals, collective bargaining agreements and labour disputes. Clients include global leaders operating in sectors such as consumer goods, food and beverage, and technology. Senior associate Oleksandr Melnyk is another key individual.

The real estate & construction practice has ‘very good communication, adherence to deadlines and a professional approach'. Practice head Alexander Borodkin leads the eight-lawyer group, which advises on the financing of real estate projects, construction matters, leases and acquisitions, public law issues and construction disputes. Senior associate Roman Riabenko is recommended for construction, agriculture and energy projects. Recent work included assisting Arcona Property Fund with the €30m acquisition of four Ukrainian companies and their real estate assets, as well as five development sites across Ukraine.

The private client practice is 'one of the first firms in Ukraine to develop complex a private client practice and already has strong international reputation'. It provides a broad range of private client services to high-net-worth individuals, families and business owners. This work encompasses all aspects of family law, including divorce and inheritance disputes, and pre-nuptial and post-nuptial contracts and cohabitation contracts. The firm also handles international capital structuring, and both domestic and international tax planning. Oksana Voynarovska, who handles family and inheritance law, and private wealth management partner Alexander Borodkin are the lead practitioners.

The commercial, corporate and M&A group within the firm has ‘a professional and client-oriented team successfully applying the best Western practices to Ukrainian business realities’. Volodymyr Igonin leads an 'outstanding set of lawyers with an ambition to go an extra mile in order to meet clients’ expectations'. The firm has a longstanding track record of involvement in challenging M&A deals, both domestic and international, as well as a strength in corporate governance matters.

The banking & finance team handles a wide range of work, including banking-related M&A, litigation, debt restructurings, the sale of non-performing loans and debt finance transactions. It has also developed niche expertise in the area of aviation finance. Alexander Borodkin advises on currency control, foreign investment regulations and project finance. Anna Sisetska focuses on competition and antitrust matters, as well as corporate, international trade and banking law.

The competition practice is predominantly focused on investigations into market dominance abuse and cartels, as well as merger control matters. In addition, it also advises clients on unfair competition issues, public procurement, antitrust litigation and regulatory compliance. The practice, which is led by Anna Sisetska, also advises clients on state aid regulations that were introduced in Ukraine in 2017. It acts for large domestic and international companies, notably in the FMCG, gas and pharmaceuticals sectors.

The energy team provides a wide range of services to clients in the energy sector, including advice on privatisation, financing, investment protection, environmental compliance and dispute resolution. The firm also handles M&A, antitrust issues and regulatory matters. It recently assisted UAE-based ODASCO with the acquisition of a 4.9MW solar project. Alexander Borodkin leads the renewables practice group, while Oleg Alyoshin is head of oil and gas.

The intellectual property practice has a growing client roster of well-known international brands, and it assists them with issues across the entire IP life cycle. Its work ranges from the registration of IP rights to anti-counterfeiting strategies and dispute resolution. Copyright and trade mark litigation are among the key strengths of the practice led by up-and-coming partner Ilarion Tomarov. 

The tax group has a strong track record advising on the tax issues arising from complex domestic and cross-border corporate transactions. Its tax advice and tax risk management review services are key to its work in large M&A deals and corporate restructurings. Managing partner Andriy Stelmashchuk, who predominantly handles contentious tax matters, and counsel Tetyana Berezhna are the key practitioners. The firm recently advised retail company Miniso Ukraine LLC on a large VAT dispute.

The white-collar crime team has a strong track record representing leading foreign and national companies, and their senior executives, in matters before law enforcement agencies and courts. Its work encompasses tax evasion, fraud, money laundering, false bankruptcy and other economic crimes. Managing partner Andriy Stelmashchuk and Nazar Kulchytskyy jointly lead the practice. Kulchytskyy frequently represents both companies and individuals in the European Court of Human Rights.

The international trade practice has a strong corporate practice, which sees it handle international trade defence matters and investigations. Practice head Anna Sisetska recently represented Dorogobuzh PJSC, a subsidiary of Acron PJSC, before the Ministry for Development of Economy, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine and the Intergovernmental Commission on International Trade in a special safeguard investigation concerning the import of nitrogen fertilisers to Ukraine.

The Legal 500 is widely acknowledged as the world’s largest legal referral guide. It has been conducting the survey for 34 years, in more than 100 countries.