Corporate clients turn to Ilyashev & Partners’ team for advisory support on transactional employment issues, staff outsourcing, and employee transfers and relocations. The practice is led by the 'outstanding' Valeriia Gudiy, who focuses on trade union and collective bargaining disputes, and regularly undertakes HR due diligence and corruption risk management assignments. The team also advises on confidentiality and IP protections, as well as non-compete matters, and is noted for its 'mastery of every nuance'.
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Profile
Work Department
Kyiv Office // Employment, Dispute Resolution
Position
Attorney at Law, Partner
Career
Valeriia Gudiy represents Ukrainian and international companies in high-risk labor disputes, complex regulatory inspections, and high-stakes disputes with state authorities. Her work combines deep industry expertise, strategic insight, and the ability to effectively protect business interests in situations of heightened legal and reputational sensitivity.
Valeriia Gudiy has extensive experience in handling complex labor disputes, including cases involving reinstatement, challenging dismissals, claiming compensation, and resolving disciplinary conflicts. She advises employers on matters such as changes to essential terms of employment, termination of senior managers, internal investigations, audits of HR documentation, and HR policies. Valeriia represents the interests of national and international companies in courts of all instances, offering solutions that combine legal precision with practical business objectives. A distinct area of her practice is the resolution of disputes with trade unions – from mediating collective labor disputes to participating in complex negotiation processes between employers and employee representatives.
Alongside labor law, Valeriia Gudiy has a unique and wide experience in сompliance, regulatory & сorporate risk advisory, including sanctions, anti-corruption, regulatory, and labor‑law compliance. She assists companies in building internal control systems, implementing policies to prevent conflicts of interest, ensuring compliance with labor legislation, and avoiding sanctions violations. Valeriia also supports internal investigations, develops risk response strategies – including those related to the sanctions regime – and conducts compliance audits to ensure adherence to Ukrainian law.
Valeriia Gudiy represents business interests in disputes with state authorities. Her practice encompasses challenging decisions, acts, actions, and inactions of state authorities, as well as participation in litigation that has a fundamental impact on the operational activities of companies. Valeriia develops defense strategies that combine judicial tools, engagement with authorities, and preventive compliance measures, ensuring long-term stability for the business.
Languages
English, Ukrainian, Russian
Memberships
The Bar Council of Kyiv region; EBA HR Committee Board
Education
Ukrainian State University of Finance and International Trade, International Law Faculty (Master of International Law)
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘Ilyashev & Partners have been our trusted advisors in structuring labour relations for thousands of employees across Ukraine. Their team guided us through the complexities of employment law during martial law, offering clear and practical solutions for staff relocation, suspension of contracts, compliance with new regulations, and handling labour disputes.' 'Their advice has been crucial in ensuring continuity of our humanitarian operations in Ukraine.’ ‘Valeriia Gudiy is an outstanding employment lawyer. She combines deep technical knowledge of labour law with exceptional leadership. Her responsiveness, attention to detail, and ability to balance legal compliance with humanitarian needs were invaluable for our organisation. In a sensitive employment dispute, Valeriia successfully defended our legal position – something we greatly admire.’ ‘As a state-owned enterprise operating in the defence sector, we consider Ilyashev & Partners the leading specialists in employment disputes in Ukraine. Their extensive experience in state-sector employment matters ensures mastery of every nuance. In our labour dispute, they delivered an excellent result.’ ‘I have been working with Valeriia Gudiy for many years, and she is truly a brilliant lawyer and a remarkable person. Whether in negotiations or in court, she is persuasive, confident, and professional – opponents quickly lose any appetite to continue the dispute.’ ‘Ilyashev & Partners is our first choice for employment disputes that combine strict procedural requirements with substantial business risks. In a complex reinstatement case, they designed and led a multi-track strategy: appeals and cassation, urgent applications to secure the process, development of evidence regarding pay during alleged forced absence, and parallel work with enforcement issues.' 'The team quickly identified decisive legal points (collective agreement, status of separate structural units, powers of the union, proper EDR entries) and converted them into clear procedural steps.’ ‘Valeriia Gudiy is the lawyer you want in an employment dispute: with Valeriia leading the case, we felt fully protected. She has the rare talent of transforming complex conflicts into straightforward victories. Beyond litigation, she proved to be an exceptional consultant, guiding us through rapidly changing wartime employment regulations and ensuring our business remained compliant and protected.’
Key clients
- Coca-Cola Beverages Ukraine UNILEVER Ukraine CLAAS Ukraine Ukrrichflot Ukrspecexport Mondelēz Ukraine Grindex American Club Standard Club UK The London P&I Club North of England P&I Association The Swedish Club West of England Insurance Services SKULD Centravis
Work highlights
Advised a leading FMCG manufacturer on aligning workplace health and safety policies with Ukrainian labour laws for female employees in production, ensuring legal compliance and operational efficiency.