Ukraine > Banking, finance and capital markets > Law firm and leading lawyer rankings

Aequo has ‘a very solid practice’, which includes Anna Babych and the ‘sensible and commercial’ Yulia Kyrpa. The latter advised the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) on reform of the Deposit Guarantee Fund.

Asters is ‘one of the leading firms, if not the leading firm’ with a ‘thorough and efficient’ team. Iryna Pokanay advised the EBRD on UkrSibbank’s capital increase. Armen Khachaturyan and Gabriel Aslanian are the other key names.

Avellum’s team is ‘top notch and provides prompt, practical advice’. The ‘extremely knowledgeable and creative’ Glib Bondar advised the Ministry of Finance on the issuance of $18bn in notes and GDP-linked securities. Ferrexpo is another client.

Baker McKenzie, Kyiv Office’s team is ‘strong and provides quality services’. Serhiy Chorny advised Metinvest on updating its $1.5bn MTN programme. Ihor Olekhov is ‘skilled and client-oriented’

DLA Piper Ukraine LLC is ‘at the top level and offers a high level of service’. Head of finance and projects Oleksandr Kurdydyk and Rodion Ignatenko advised agricultural company Avangardco Investments Public Limited on the restructuring of a $200m Eurobond.

Dentons has ‘a fantastic and focused team’. ‘Razor-sharp expert’ Natalia Selyakova ‘has a good feel for the global picture’ and recently advised European Investment Bank on an $85m financing of poultry producer MHP. Adam Mycyk is also recommended.

Redcliffe Partners is ‘a go-to firm with the ability to handle complex cross-border transactions’. Olexiy Soshenko, who is ‘prompt and responsive with deep legal knowledge’, advised the EBRD on an $85m loan to an agricultural business.

Michael Kharenko leads the team at Sayenko Kharenko, which is ‘rated very highly for banking work’. Nazar Chernyavsky and Russian-qualified Andrey Liakhov are also recommended. The firm advised VTB Capital on the restructuring of a $100m sovereign-guaranteed loan to Ukravtodor.

Andriy Kravets & Partners provides ‘a knowledgeable team with a commercial approach’. Andriy Kravets advised Deutsche Pfandbriefbank on restructuring a borrower’s debt. Daria Volkova is also noted.

Arzinger’s Oleksander Plotnikov advised 30 banks and creditors, including Deutsche Bank, on the restructuring of agricultural business Mriya Agro’s $1.3bn debt.

CMS ‘easily handles complex cross-border transactions’. Katya Chechulina advised a bank syndicate on a $65m pre-export facility for Kernel. Daniel Bilak and Anna Pogrebna are also noted.

For some, Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners is ‘one of the top firms in Ukraine’. Roman Stepanenko, who is ‘an excellent lawyer’, and senior associate Kateryna Oliynyk advised Regal Petroleum on terminating security arrangements in banking facilities from Unex Bank.

At EQUITY Law Firm. (previously FCLex Law Firm), team ‘finds new ways to solve problems’. Andriy Nikitin advised Ferrexpo on restructuring €286m in Eurobonds. Clients also include engineering group Azovmash.

Ilyashev & Partners’s team is ‘extremely dynamic’. ‘Remarkable lawyer’ Mikhail Ilyashev advised creditors of Oschadbank on restructuring $500m of loan participation notes. Roman Marchenko is ‘clever and practical’ and Oleg Trokhimchuk is ‘seasoned and practical’.

At Integrites, banking specialist Oleh Zahnitko and capital markets expert Vsevolod Volkov are the practice co-heads. Volkov’s highlights included advising VTB Bank on a $680m share capital increase.

KPD Consulting Law Firm is ‘a well-known market player with proven expertise’. Vladyslav Kysil ‘has an impressive knowledge of banks’ needs’ and advised Sberbank on a $50m loan to Metropolia.

Kinstellar’s team is ‘capable of working on the highest-profile transactions’. Hires from Baker McKenzie, Kyiv Office included ‘impressive, proactive and efficient’ counsel Andriy Nikiforov.

‘A real force in the banking sector’, LCF Law Group ‘copes perfectly with complex deals with high execution risk and time pressure’. Artem Stoyanov advised Alfa Bank on restructuring a $100m debt facility. Anna Ogrenchuk is also recommended.

Lavrynovych & Partners’ team is ‘responsive, concise, knowledgeable and flexible’. Olena Zubchenko and Roman Blazhko are the key names. Clients include MoneyGram Payment Systems.

At Okhrimchuk Grushyn Khandurin Law Firm, Andriy Grushyn is the key contact. The firm, which is respected for insolvency law, counts Deutsche Bank as a client.

Alexander Borodkin and Anna Sisetska head the practice at Vasil Kisil & Partners. Borodkin worked with Hogan Lovells International LLP to advise an investment fund on local regulations.

Wolf Theiss is ‘very dependable and delivers within short timescales’. ‘Clear and concise’ senior associate Oksana Volynets and counsel Oleg Mazur lead the team. Volynets advised the EBRD on restructuring an $8.8m loan to a Ukrainian brick producer.