The Legal 500

Serhiy Chorny heads the highly rated four-partner team at Baker & McKenzie – CIS, Limited.. Recently the practice advised PrivatBank, Ukraine’s largest commercial bank, on the $110m securitisation of an autoloans portfolio, the first of its kind in Ukraine. Other clients include IFC, ING Bank and Standard Bank, which it advised on a $154m syndicated loan to First Ukrainian International Bank.

Magisters offers borrower and lender clients a broad-based practice that covers syndicated loans, capital markets, structured finance and project finance. The highly-regarded Olga Khoroshylova heads the ten-lawyer team which advised Ukraine’s Ministry of Finance on all its external state borrowings in 2007. Other clients include Alfa Bank, which it represented on several billion-dollar EMTN programmes, Credit Suisse, Erste Bank and Standard Bank.

Under the guidance of esteemed head Michael Kharenko, Sayenko Kharenko’s finance practice enjoys a superb reputation, enhanced following the recent recruitment of Citigroup’s former Ukraine general counsel, Denis Serdyuk, as partner. On the debt capital markets side, the group advised Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, UBS and Credit Suisse on a $700m Eurobond offering for the state of Ukraine, in equity capital markets it represented UBS and Morgan Stanley on the $371m IPO of MHP, a major Ukrainian poultry and grain business.

Senior partner Armen Khachaturyan heads Asters.’ banking, finance and securities practice, which regularly advises major international banks and multilateral lenders. Recently it advised Barclays Capital and Citigroup asoint arrangers, and SACE, an Italian export credit agency, on the $344m financing of the Dnepropetrovsk steel mill project. Other clients include World Bank, Swedbank, Société Générale and ING.

Chadbourne & Parke LLP added to its finance capabilities by promoting Oleg Mazur to partner. The practice has been active advising on corporate transactions in the banking sector, while on the capital markets side, it advised Lubel Coal Company on the private placing of ordinary shares to institutional investors. The team regularly advises borrowers and lenders on corporate, project and real estate finance.

The highly experienced partner Oleksiy Levenets heads the finance practice at CMS Cameron McKenna LLC.. The team is especially active in real estate finance and advised HypoReal on a $140m loan to finance the acquisition of the Globus shopping centre in Kiev. Other clients include West LB, EuroHypo and Standard Bank.

Oleksandr Kurdydyk, who is praised for his ‘practical approach and responsiveness under pressure,’ heads DLA Piper Ukraine LLC’s finance practice, which was recently boosted by the arrival of UK partner Rosemary Bointon, who is on secondment. It advised Gazprom on the restructuring of debt between Ukrgasenergo and Rosukenergo, and also acted for OJSC Concern Galnaftogas on the issue and private placement of $50m of convertible bonds.

Salans.’ practice is headed by recently promoted partner Natalia Selyakova. The firm advises both borrowers and lenders, and has been active in real estate finance, such as for Argo Real Estate Opportunity Fund on a €75m loan from Marfin Laiki Bank for the construction of a shopping centre in Odessa. Other clients include ING Lease, Bank Austria Creditanstalt and Citibank.

Andriy Kravets & Partners.’ well-regarded team advises several major clients including ABN AMRO, Deutsche Bank, Citibank and Standard Bank. Name partner Andriy Kravets is recommended.

B C Toms & Co partners Bate Toms and Taras Dumych come highly recommended for project finance work, especially in the energy and natural resources sector.

A recent highlight for Gide Loyrette Nouel’s burgeoning banking team was advising Unicredit Bank Ukraine on a major $150m multi-borrower syndicated loan. Karl Hepp de Sevelinges is well regarded.

Partner Oleg Vysochinsky leads on finance and capital markets work at Grischenko & Partners which acts for several major clients including the EBRD. The firm is also recommended on the litigation side.

Ilyashev & Partners has a strong banking litigation practice that is led by Maksim Kopeychykov, and is also recommended for transactional matters. ProCredit Bank is a major client.

Integrites ' managing partner and banking head, Vyacheslav Korchev, has developed a very strong niche in trade finance. Recently the practice advised the Ukrainian IT provider Datalux Group on a €37m import trade financing transaction. The team is also recommended for its banking litigation and debt recovery work.

Schönherr’s Kiev team works closely with offices in Austria and Eastern Europe. The practice advises several major Austrian banks including Erste Bank on its €52m financing to GLD for the development of West Gate, a logistics centre in Kiev. Mariya Sukhan heads the team.

Denis Lysenko heads a quality team at Vasil Kisil & Partners which has ‘an excellent understanding of local law and regulations.’ The practice is experienced in capital markets and advises a good mix of borrowers and lenders, such as London & Regional Properties on a $140m loan from HypoReal Estate Bank to finance the acquisition of the Globus Trade Centre in Kiev. Other clients include Calyon Bank, Fitch Ratings and Standard Chartered.

Other firms recommended for their experience in banking, finance and capital markets work include Astapov Lawyers International Law Group Legal Alliance Company Lexwell & Partners Salkom and Volkov Koziakov & Partners..