The Legal 500

One of the market leaders’, Avellum Partners is ‘excellent: a young and dynamic group of partners’ with ‘a partner-led, personal touch and an international style’. The ‘incredibly focused’ Glib Bondar ‘gives first-class advice and is apparently inexhaustible’. Mykola Stetsenko and Olena Polyakova are recommended for their ‘expertise and efficiency’. The firm advised Interpipe on restructuring a $1bn credit portfolio; ING Bank on a $70m pre-export loan to Myronivsky Hliboproduct Group; and large borrowers including Kernel Holding on several loan facilities.

Baker & McKenzie – CIS, Limited is ‘one of the best teams in the market’, and one of its largest. Led by Serhiy Chorny, it advised Crédit Suisse on a $250m syndicated loan to Ukrtelecom and acted for Ukrainian investors on the acquisition of SEB Bank – now known as FIDOBANK.

Clifford Chance LLC’s ‘attention to detail and delivery times are excellent, and advice is sensible’. Jared Grubb is ‘very hands-on and always available’, and Olexiy Soshenko is ‘one of the leading legal professionals in Ukraine’. The team advised Deutsche Bank and Sberbank of Russia on a $600m syndicated loan to a Ukrainian agribusiness, and advised banks including ING on the $500m financing of another agribusiness, Kernel.

DLA Piper Ukraine LLC is ‘responsive on due diligence’, and Oleksandr Kurdydyk is ‘a strong player in this field’. He advised industrial group Donetsksteel on a $850m debt restructuring. Other clients include EBRD and Horizon Capital.

Dentons’ ‘very client-facing’ team handled a $63m debt restructuring for a Polish bank. UniCredit Bank and Erste Group Bank are also clients. The ‘professional, responsible’ Natalia Selyakova is ‘a strong leader’, and Myron Rabij and Igor Davidenko are also recommended.

Sayenko Kharenko’s ‘very good lawyers’ include the ‘quick, pragmatic’ Michael Kharenko, who has ‘outstanding knowledge and puts the interests of the clients to the forefront’. Nazar Chernyavsky is also highly recommended. Highlights included advising HSBC, Deutsche Bank and Alfa-Bank Russia on Alfa-Bank Ukraine’s MTN programme update, and advising various lenders on project or export financing.

Clients ‘rate very highly the level of service, technical knowledge and willingness’ of Vasil Kisil & Partners. Denis Lysenko is ‘co-operative, diligent and responsive’, and Yulia Kyrpa shows ‘strong technical knowledge and diligence’. The firm advised IKB Deutsche Industriebank and Bank Forum as creditors on respective restructuring of borrowers’ debts.

Andriy Kravets & Partners provides ‘highly professional, quick and conclusive work’. Senior associate Julia Samoylova has ‘good business acumen’, and Andriy Kravets is ‘effective, competent and reliable’. Recent work includes advising a major European bank on Ukrainian law regarding derivatives, and advising the government on a series of quasi-sovereign note issuances. Vsevolod Volkov joined Integrites.

Arzinger is ‘responsive, professional, pragmatic and commercial’. Its ‘personable, open approach to building relationships’ is epitomised by Timur Bondaryev, who shows ‘strong, pragmatic leadership’, and Oleksander Plotnikov, who is ‘diligent, detailed and very pleasant’. Highlights included advising an international bank on an $86m syndicated loan restructuring.

Armen Khachaturyan, Iryna Pokanay and Svitlana Poroschuk at Asters provide ‘excellent service, high professionalism and proactive advice’. Khachaturyan is advising State Road Service of Ukraine on a UAH9.5bn loan facility. Pokanay advised EBRD and the IFC on a $190m secured financing of petroleum distributor Concern Galnaftogaz.

CMS advised ING and Ukrsotsbank on a $100m financing of agribusiness Kernel. Anna Pogrebna is now the key contact locally, following Peter Malacek's relocation to Prague and Adam Mycyk's move to Chadbourne & Parke LLP.

Chadbourne & Parke LLP is ‘strong in the banking and securities domain’. Oleg Mazur’s team advised international lenders on restructuring Kreditprombank’s $400m debt, and represented US Ex-Im Bank as lender on a $22m secured financing made to Ferrexpo. Adam Mycyk joined from CMS in February 2013.

Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners’ Olga Khoroshylova has a solid reputation, and often advises international financial institutions such as AngloIrish Bank (now transferred to IBRC).

Ilyashev & Partners fields several senior lawyers in this area including Mikhail Ilyashev and the ‘responsive and innovative’ Maksym Kopeychykov. Recent work includes restructuring a $200m corporate loan and advising a bank on construction loans totalling $400m.

Integrites is ‘very expeditious’ and has ‘wide coverage at reasonable rates’. Oleksandr Aleksyeyenko is ‘strong in export financing, professional and familiar with international business standards’. The firm advised China Development Bank on a $85m secured loan to Lysychanskvuhillya, as well as several other trade and project finance facilities for other clients, including advising EBRD on a €60m loan to Astarta-Kyiv. Since publication, Vsevolod Volkov has joined fromAndriy Kravets & Partners.

B C Toms & Co’s Bate Toms has an excellent understanding of the Ukrainian market and advises clients in the agriculture, insurance and energy sectors.

Beiten Burkhardt, which advises mainly German-speaking clients, is ‘good value for money’. Oleg Zagnitko’s team advised EBRD on a $62.5m secured loan to purchase rolling stock, and on restructuring a €53m loan to stainless steel manufacturer Centravis.

Gide Loyrette Nouel is ‘a leading firm for infrastructure financing’. Bertrand Barrier, Igor Krasovskiy and Evgenia Paliy advised industrial gas producer Air Liquide on obtaining an €85m secured facility from EBRD, and advised EBRD on a $25m loan to agribusiness Globino.

Okhrimchuk Grushyn Khandurin Law Firm is ‘excellent in asset and project finance’, and recently advised Deutsche Bank on an $850m pre-export facility. The ‘helpful, efficient and thorough’ Andriy Grushyn is ‘responsive and extremely commercial’.

Schoenherr’s Denys Sytnyk regularly advises Alfa-Bank and Öesterreichische Volksbanken, and acted for UNIQA on its €500m rights offering.

Andreas Neocleous & Co is known for its ‘excellent service and practical approach’, and produces ‘good response times from a small but flexible team’. It advised Valinor and Valars Argo as borrowers of a loan, and advised several clients on debt restructuring and currency regulations.

Antika Law Firm has ‘a deep knowledge of the area and is good value for money’. The firm advises EBRD and USAID on project finance.

AstapovLawyers International Law Group’s Tatyana Kuzmenko remains busy with project finance for large Ukrainian clients.

Gvozdiy & Oberkovych Law Firm’s Sergiy Oberkovych advises commercial banks and large corporates on loans and debt restructuring.

KPD Consulting Law Firm is ‘reliable and competitive’, and Mykola Dolenko shows ‘outstanding commitment and knowledge, high standards and attention to clients’ needs’. He advised Chartis on insurance law and AMC Ukrsib Asset Management on an options scheme for real estate financing.

The ‘co-operative, attentive, client-oriented’ Anna Ogrenchuk leads LCF Law Group’s team, which has ‘a high level of proficiency and profound industry knowledge’. Tetiana Perednia advised retailer Furshet on restructuring an $89m loan portfolio.

Lavrynovych & Partners is ‘the number-one firm for bankruptcy’, an area in which Iryna Marushko is very prominent. The team also recently advised the Ministry of Finance on a $260m government-backed loan.

Peterka & Partners LLC counts Raiffeisenbank and DTEK Group as clients. Nina Sydorenko provided UniCredit Bank with a legal opinion on securitisation instruments under Ukrainian law.

At SDM Partners Law FIrm, the ‘highly professional and trustworthy’ Serhiy Dzis acted on a $35m capital raising for TAS Insurance Group.

Salkom’s Evgen Kubko is recommended.

Ulysses provides ‘prompt and accurate advice on complex transactions’. Oleh Marchenko advises Ukrainian and international banks on syndicated loans.

Wolf Theiss has a busy practice in agriculture and natural resources, and advised IFC on a €24m loan. Oksana Volynets has ‘excellent expertise’.