On April 1, 2023, the Law which enables foreigners to become e-residents in Ukraine (hereinafter “e-residence / e-resident”), will enter into the force (the “Law”).

Kinstellar has advised OTP Bank on its acquisition of Uzbekistan’s Ipoteka Bank. The White & Case London and Tashkent offices reportedly advised the seller.

The Kyiv office of Baker McKenzie has advised the International Finance Corporation on channeling up to EUR 25 million in EU funds to help Ukrainian homeowners' associations restore war-damaged residential buildings.

Former Nazali Tax & Legal Ukraine Partner Dogus Gulpinar has joined the Akinci Law Office as a Partner.

On 11 December 2022, Law No.2759-IX of Ukraine "On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine on Preventing and Countering Mobbing (Hostile Environment)" dated 16 November 2022 (Law) came into effect. Among other things, the Law: (i) provides the definition of "mobbing"; (ii) introduces new grounds for dismissal of employees in connection with mobbing; and (iii) guarantees compensation of moral damages for employees who have suffered from mobbing.

Sorainen has provided pro bono legal advice to the Entrepreneurs for Peace foundation on repairing all the explosion-damaged windows at the Ukrainian Society of the Deaf educational and manufacturing company in Chernihiv and preparing the building for the winter. 

The War in Ukraine left no market sectors unaffected and, according to Ilyashev & Partners Managing Partner Mikhail Ilyashev, things were no different for lawyers.

Integrites has successfully represented the interests of the Gradoliya Oil Extraction Plant in two stages of a tax dispute against the Main Directorate of the State Tax Services in the Kirovohrad region, Ukraine.

Integrites Partner and Head of Corporate/M&A and the firm's French desk lllya Tkachuk has been promoted to a Senior Partner in October 2022.

Ilyashev & Partners has successfully represented the interests of Ukrainian glass-producer association Glass of Ukraine and its members in securing the introduction of provisional anti-dumping duty on imports to Ukraine of glass containers originating from the Republic of Belarus.

Ilyashev & Partners has successfully represented the interests of PVC profile manufacturers Viknaland, Mayado, Open Teck, and Miroplast in a Ukrainian imports investigation.

CMS has advised Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego on a EUR 600 million bond issuance related to providing support to Ukraine.

Baker McKenzie has advised the IFC on channeling EU funds up to EUR 25 million in grants across Ukrainian cities to help renovate municipal buildings for internally displaced people, create jobs, and drive economic recovery. 

Integrites has provided pro bono advice to the urban community of Truskavets, Ukraine, regarding temporary accommodation for internally displaced persons.

What do you do if your country is invaded, your parents and kids are killed when trying to escape the occupation, your wife is gang-raped, and you are beaten to death because you speak a language the invaders hate? What do you do if the invaders have looted your house, plundered your farm, or taken your factory away from you?

On July 5, 2022, Avellum announced it was joining an international team of professionals from Allen & Overy, Morgan Lewis, and Norton Rose Fulbright to establish a legal education scholarship in the name of fallen Ukrainian hero, lawyer, and activist Roman Ratushnyi. CEE Legal Matters sat down with Avellum Partner Maksym Maksymenko to learn more about Roman and the team’s aims and hopes for the Roman Ratushnyi Scholarship.

With the war in Ukraine raging for more than six months, law firms across the region have reported increased workloads in corporate and M&A, tax, employment, immigration law, and inquiries on the sanctions regimes in relevant jurisdictions, noting that companies from Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus are variously looking for a new home. Whether to avoid sanctions or escape the war, those companies consider a variety of factors in determining where to go.

With the war in Ukraine generating all sorts of issues for lawyers, Integrites Partner Illya Tkachuk also points to the effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as well as the implications of legislative updates as being the key drivers of the firm’s Employment practice.