News date: 9 August 2021
According to the results of the national research Ukrainian Law Firms 2021. A Handbook for Foreign Clients, published August 4, 2021 Ilyashev & Partners ranked 1st in Litigation and Bankruptcy.
Firm was ranked among TOP-3 law firms in International Trade, TOP-5 law firms in Labor & Employment, Aviation, Maritime, Private Client, and TOP-10 law firms in Criminal Law/ White-Collar Crime.
Eighteen lawyers received personal recommendations and twenty-one practices were ranked.
Litigation
Domestic Litigation: Leading Firm (1st place)
Leading Individuals: Mikhail Ilyashev (1st place), Roman Marchenko (4th place)
Notable Practitioners: Valeriia Gudiy, Oleh Trokhymchuk
Cross-Border Litigation: Established Practices
Notable Practitioner: Roman Marchenko
Ukrainian dispute resolution powerhouse Ilyashev & Partners has well-affirmed positions in domestic and cross-border dispute resolution, supported by arbitration and white-collar crime practices. The firm possesses network of its own offices in Ukraine, Russia and Estonia, and ensures confident representation in the regions – Kharkiv, Dnipro and Odesa. The highly-diverse litigation expertise spans an extensive range of disputes, inter alia, shareholder disputes, labor and employment, property rights, contractual, real estate, tax, IP, insolvency proceedings, debt recovery. The firm also commands an established track record in such specific litigation, as aviation, maritime, insurance, as well as regulatory disputes. The team is often enlisted for cross-border debt collection matters involving CIS countries. In addition to workflow in domestic courts Roman Marchenko is involved in some of the largest cross-border litigations on the market. Mikhail Ilyashev is referred to as a strong litigator, providing strategic guidance to the team and personal involvement in court proceedings. Taking part on the most challenging cases, Oleh Trokhymchuk and Valeriia Gudiy were noted as strong, well-rounded litigators. Andrey Bychkov, Andrii Konoplia are noted as key practitioners. Market participants also singled out the names of Oleksandr Denysenko and Galyna Lefor.
Bankruptcy: Leading Firm (1st place)
Leading Individuals: Vadym Kizlenko (5th place)
Notable Practitioners: Roman Marchenko, Andrii Konoplya
Ilyashev & Partners has a three-pronged approach, whose focus is on large complex bankruptcy cases involving litigation, as well as large scale cross-border insolvency disputes and sanation (financial rehabilitation). The experienced practice tram has great expertise in handling the bankruptcies of distressed industrial debtors and state enterprises. The firm has a multi-country network of offices to continue providing support in insolvency disputes involving several jurisdictions. Its team works continually on complex cases for banking field representatives. The firm added new projects of cross-border bankruptcies. The Moscow office showed rapid expansion and success in precedent-setting cases by handling significant bankruptcies of developers and infrastructure companies. Vadym Kizlenko is highly active across project work and in the community of insolvency practitioners. Andrii Konoplya has a long-lasting presence in the practice. Lead partner Roman Marchenko plays a key role in long-lasting bankruptcy cases.
International Trade
Trade Remedies/ WTO: Leading Firm (2nd place)
Leading Individuals: Olena Omelchenko (2nd place)
Notable Practitioners: Oleksiy Gorbatiuk
Ilyashev & Partners boosted its trade remedies practice, setting important precedents, and expanded its advisory on customs and export control, trade sanctions and sensitive political restrictions, preference agreements and rules of origin. The firm is increasingly sought for its policy-making and GR competence. The international trade practice is highly proficient in representing national procedures in trade investigations, and is present in the majority of recent proceedings. Olena Omelchenko is acclaimed for her proficiency and deep understanding of trade policy. Oleksiy Gorbatiuk is a key member with strong practical background.
Transport
General Aviation: Leading Firm (3rd place)
Leading Individuals: Roman Marchenko (3rd place)
Maritime & Shipping: Leading Firm (5th place)
Leading Individuals: Sergey Nedelko (5th place)
Ilyashev & Partners has a strong reputation in aviation and aerospace disputes, as well as competition, aircraft safety and product liability concerns. The aviation practice team is headed by Roman Marchenko. The firm has its own office in Odesa, and spent the year of 2020 representing shipowners and P&I clubs on various shipping disputes related to cargo claims, crew claims and port claims. Sergey Nedelko, Odesa office head, is at the forefront of the maritime practice. Mykola Skvortsov joined the team this past year.
Labor & Employment: Leading Firm (4th place)
Notable Practitioners: Leonid Gilevich, Valeriia Gudiy
The well-versed employment practice of Ilyashev & Partners is called upon by big domestic industrial leaders and Ukrainian branches of multinational corporates, as well as private individuals. The team renders representation in dismissal disputes, regulatory claims, negotiates labor conflicts and handles ongoing advisory support. The firm has extensive experience in representation with labor unions and in collective bargaining, developing benefits system, employees transfer and relocation, employment compliance. Leonid Gilevich specializes in employment, compliance, and splits his time with the corporate and M&A practice. Valeriia Gudiy possesses unique experience of interaction and dispute resolution with trade unions, support during inspections by the state regulatory authorities and handling administrative disputes.
Private Client
Family Law: Leading Firm (4th place)
Notable Practitioners: Galyna Lefor
Wealth Management: Other Established Practices
Ilyashev & Partners regularly represents shareholders, businessmen, HNWIs in complex, often cross-border litigation matters, including asset disputes, shareholders conflicts, and inheritance matters. The team expands its tax advisory offering, acting on structuring family business taxation of personal revenues, and is approached for tax consulting services in Estonia, where the firm has office in Tallinn. Defamation cases are another focus. Nina Bets, one of the key tax practitioners of the firm, is involved in advising private clients. Galyna Lefor is in charge of family law assignments.
Criminal Law/ White-Collar Crime: Leading Firm (7th place)
Notable Practitioners: Galyna Lefor, Denys Nienov
The dispute resolution powerhouse of Ilyashev & Partners maintains a well-versed criminal law practice, acting for corporate clients, businessmen, top managers and public officials. The firm provides representations in regulatory offenses, fraud and money laundering cases, including advising on execution of international investigative commissions, takeover of criminal proceedings from abroad, extradition support, legal support of cyber-crime cases, appeals against the decisions of law-enforcement agencies. Denys Nienov is highly visible across criminal defense cases. The dedicated team includes Yevgen Solovyov, Galyna Lefor, Mykola Burtovyi, Kostiantyn Kryvenko, Lesia Moroz. The team is supervised by two partners, Mikhail Ilyashev and Roman Marchenko.
Agribusiness: Other Established Practices
Ilyashev & Partners performs a wide offering for agricultural companies related to the property rights, asset protection, insolvency, lands plots and production facilities, tax, sectoral competition. Mikhail Ilyashev heads the multidisciplinary team.
Antitrust and Competition: Other Established Practices
Notable Practitioners: Oleksandr Fefelov
The solid antitrust and competition practice of Ilyashev & Partners gained an impressive following among big domestic industry leaders and business groups, and handling instructions for obtaining merger and concerted clearances; unfair competition and abuse of dominance cases. The firm is well-known for its work in transport, pharmaceuticals and health sectors, and extended presence in agrarian, energy and real estate. Being a dispute resolution leader on the market, the firm also offers litigation support to clients. Oleksandr Fefelov, practice head and legal partner, guides the workflow of the practice. Olga Samoilenko is another active practitioner.
Corporate and M&A: Other Established Practices
Ilyashev & Partners maintains its reputation as a go-to firm for high-stake shareholder disputes and resolution of multijurisdictional corporate conflicts, in parallel enhancing its portfolio of corporate structuring, M&A and shareholding agreements instructions. The team is consistently retained by Ukrainian business groups, owners and private investors, as well as foreign companies entering the market. Yevgen Solovyov is lead partner, supported by the firm’s counsel Leonid Gilevich.
Energy & Natural Resources: Other Established Practices
Ukrainian dispute resolution heavyweight Ilyashev & Partners is noted for its strong experience in energy disputes, enforcement of international arbitration awards and the role of its practitioners as independent experts in landmark arbitration disputes. The Moscow office demonstrates deep involvement in cross-border insolvency proceedings and litigation. The key individuals are Andrey Bychkov and Oleh Trokhymchuk. Mikhail Ilyashev is lead partner.
Infrastructure: Other Established Practices
Ukrainian law firm Ilyashev & Partners, which has its own network of offices, is growing presence in river and port infrastructure, and preserves a strong footprint in regulatory disputes. The multidisciplinary team is led by partners Mikhail Ilyashev and Oleksandr Fefelov. Giving advice on environmental issues and subsequent disputes with ecology inspections is another area of the firm’s practice work. Sergey Nedelko, head of the Odesa office, has port specific knowledge.
Intellectual Property: Other Established Practices
Notable Practitioners: Oleksandr Padalka, Dmytro Nikulesko
Being well-known for its strong IP litigation capacities, Ilyashev & Partners continues to expand its commercial IP expertise encompassing trademark and patent prosecution, enforcement, sponsorship and advertising. The IP team has clients from various industries: aviation, wholesale and retail, light and heavy industry, pharmaceuticals, show business and TV production. Oleksandr Padalka has string legacy for his multi-year experience in IP and unfair competition. Dmytro Nikulesko is singled out for handling significant disputes. The team includes Olena Sereda.
International Arbitration: Other Established Practices
Notable Practitioners: Roman Marchenko, Andrey Bychkov
Ilyashev & Partners is the one most recognized Ukrainian law firms for domestic and cross-border dispute resolution, including international arbitrational matters. The firm has a reputable track record of representations before ICAC (Kyiv), LCIA, ICC, SCC, VIAC, arbitrations as well as recognized and enforcing arbitral awards in Ukraine and abroad. In addition, its partners Roman Marchenko and Mikhail Ilyashev are regularly appointed as experts on Ukrainian law in the most high caliber arbitration cases of the last few years. Andrey Bychkov is increasingly visible in energy and maritime disputes, as well as in recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards. The team also includes Roman Protsyshyn, Sergey Nedelko and Marina Ryashchenko.
Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare: Other Established Practices
Notable Practitioners: Alla Tsymanovska
In 2020 Ilyashev & Partners boosted its healthcare practice and retained a strong following among pharmaceuticals clients, seeking support in competition, IP and litigation. The firm represents patients and private healthcare providers in contentious issues and regulatory assignments, and has significant experience of clinical negligence and insurance. The sizeable team includes IP practitioners – Oleksandr Padalka and Dmytro Nikulesko, focused on pharma competition Olga Samoilenko. Alla Tsymanovska attained success in a number of high-profile medical cases.
Real Estate: Other Established Practices
Notable Practitioners: Dmytro Hrybov
Ilyashev & Partners is a market-leading dispute resolution force regularly called upon for representation in high value property rights and regulatory disputes, and enriched its practice portfolio with real estate acquisitions and privatization matters. The firm is known for its extensive work in corporate conflicts and debt recovery matters. The team includes Leonid Gilevich, Artem Mikhailov and Maksym Reshtakov. Dmytro Hrybov was singled out as a rising star due to delivery of an impressive level of services.
Tax and Transfer Pricing
Consulting: Other Established Practices
Litigation: Other Established Practices
Ilyashev & Partners commands recognized strength in tax litigation, and rapidly extended its corporate support tax practice and private client advisory. Coupled with its network of offices, the firm is enlisted for advising on tax aspects requiring consideration within a framework of international restructuring. In a recent highlight the firm maintained an extensive dispute portfolio, challenging tax assessment notices, restoration of the right to VAT credit and VAT refund, land duties and appeals against penalties. The tax practice team includes Ivan Maryniuk, Dmytro Lazebnyi and Nina Bets, Ruslan Mannapov (Moscow), Vitali Galitskihh (Tallinn). Roman Marchenko is the responsible partner.