Independent National General Practice Law Firm in Kiev, Ukraine

Arzinger

Business Centre ''Eurasia''
75 Zhylyanska St., 5th Floor
Kiev 01032
Ukraine

+380 44 3905533

+380 44 3905540

www.arzinger.ua

Contact Sergiy Shklyar

Law Firm Overview

Arzinger is a general practice law firm with offices in Kiev, Odessa, and Lviv, Ukraine. Founded in 2002, the firm is one of the leading independent legal experts in Ukraine.

The firm was founded by two Ukrainian lawyers, Sergey Shklyar (currently the firm’s Senior Partner) and Timur Bondaryev (now Managing Partner). A German lawyer, Wolfram Rehbock (now Senior Partner), joined the team in 2002. The firm has a team of 57 seasoned legal professionals led by 6 partners.

Arzinger & Partners Ukraine has become the network’s largest and most dynamic office. Every year since 2002 our business has grown dramatically, annually doubling both revenue and the number of lawyers we employ. In 2007, Arzinger was one of the first Ukrainian legal firms to open a second office in Lviv – the heart of Western Ukraine. In 2008, the Arzinger team reached 70 employees.

To sustain solid growth, in January 2009 the firm launched a new strategy, which includes: change of status to an independent local firm; development of and expansion into new markets and practice areas; and joining international associations of independent law firms. In line with our new strategy we have created a number of new posts, in order to make the practice more efficient. These include positions in Knowledge Management, IT, HR and Communications.

The firm specializes in M & A, Corporate Law, Real Estate and Construction, Antitrust and Competition, Litigation and Arbitration, IPR, Tax, Banking & Finance, PPP, Public Procurement, Employment, Administrative Law, Capital Markets and IPOs. We serve clients operating in financial services, energy, real estate, pharmaceuticals, food & beverages, telecommunications, retail, aerospace, agriculture, and the infrastructure & transport industries.

Among Arzinger’s many clients are Porsche, Strabag, Aerosvit, Bayer AG, Bunge, Henkel Group, Standartbank, Rheinmetall, Rhenus Logistics, Systems Capital Management, Blackstone, Wienerberger, Vienna Insurance Group, SHARP, YKK and Raiffeisen Evolution.

The firm has built close working relationships with high-profile law firms in Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom, the United States, Russia, and many other jurisdictions. As a result, our clients have access to global legal services of unsurpassed quality. These relationships have developed and proved invaluable over many years, but they are non-exclusive: accordingly, Arzinger is able to work on any transaction - in coordination with the client – with those law firms which we consider to have the most appropriate expertise.

Languages: Russian, Ukrainian, German, English.

Areas of Law

Additional Areas of Law: Public Procurement; Public Private Partnership; Debt Collection; Conspiracy to Defraud; Corporate Crime; Insider Trading; Fraudulent Investment Schemes, Mortgage Fraud; Bankruptcy Fraud; Involvement in a Cartel; Smuggling; Intellectual Property Crime; Securities Fraud; Document Forgery; Violation of Employer Obligations; Racketeering; Causing Damage to Property by Fraud or Breach of Trust; Unauthorized Use of Land and Unauthorized Construction; Unauthorized Access to Bank Accounts; Business Fraud; Consumer Fraud; Producing and Selling Substandard Products; Violent Crimes; Cyber Crimes; Representation in the European Court of Human Rights.

Areas of Law Description

Arzinger provides legal representation and services in the following areas of practice:

- Corporate Law / M&A

We have substantial experience in local and cross-border transactions, involving acquisition, and establishment of companies, joint ventures and partnerships in Ukraine, UK, Cyprus, Switzerland, and BVI. Our team has built up a wealth of expertise in various industries such as: manufacturing and industrial services, food and beverages production, media and advertising, banking and financial institutions, private equity, metals and mining, insurance, real estate, telecommunications, energy, non-profit organizations government institutions, and privatization. Our experience of working on projects of all sizes enables us to make a valuable contribution from the start.

- Real Estate & Construction

Our experts have successfully handled numerous domestic and cross-border residential, commercial and industrial real estate transactions since 1995. Our team has been involved in the implementation of large-scale residential and commercial property projects at all stages of development: the initial idea, acquisition of a land plot, the commissioning of the property and exit of the developer.

- Antitrust and Competition

We offer our clients a full range of legal services on competition and antitrust law, including but not limited to, provision of legal advice in antitrust and unfair competition matters, support in merger clearance process and obtaining approvals for concerted actions. Furthermore, we represent our clients before the Antitrust Committee and courts in cases involving the abuse of monopoly position, anticompetitive concerted practices, anticompetitive actions of public entities, discrimination of competitors, restraining activities of legal entities and unfair competition cases (including cases on misuse of business reputation, unfair competition in the IP sphere, achieving of unfair competitive advantages, obstruction of competition and unfair competition in foreign economic activity).

- Intellectual Property

Amid innovation processes, global trade and international system of intellectual property our practice is developing dynamically and established itself as a leading choice. We render services on intellectual property protection and have extensive experience in such spheres as pharmaceutics, media and telecommunications, IT and e-business, FMCG and light industry. Our attorneys and of counsels have specialized knowledge in the industry and can always find optimal way of solving the problem for both local and international clients.

- Dispute Resolution

We believe that domestic and international reputation is what truly matters. Our prominence in the dispute resolution practice spheres comprising settlement of disputes out of court, litigation and international arbitration is strongly recognized by many clients, media and international ratings.

- Public Procurement

The main services rendered by our law firm are following:

• planning and organization of tendering procedures
• legal advice on preparation and form of conduction of tendering procedures
• elaborating complex tender documentation
• estimation of tender offers
• provision of legal opinions on specific legal issues
• legal due diligence of tender documentation
• drafting, legal assistance and supervision of execution of public procurements agreements
• control of compliance with the legislation on all the stages of procurements

- Tax / International Tax

Our goal in providing tax advice is to deliver practical, commercially-driven solutions and to meet clients’ needs in all aspects of cross-border corporate and transactional matters. We offer a full range of legal services to corporate and individual clients, including:

• Tax planning and optimization, locally and abroad
• Application of double taxation treaties
• Choice of jurisdiction and Legal status
• Advice on Ukrainian tax regulation and support of communications with foreign tax professionals
• Structuring, incorporation and ongoing support of foreign vehicles worldwide
• Foreign investments taxation

- Banking & Finance

We have handled projects with local and foreign banks as well as with non-banking financial institutions, providing them with legal advice on regulatory and commercial issues, including corporate governance and licensing requirements, collateral and other matters. We have assisted several foreign banks in setting up their businesses in Ukraine, providing them with full legal support on the matter, including representation in all regulatory authorities.

- Public Private Partnership

Our PPP team has multiple functions in facilitating the necessary changes: we build and sustain partnerships between the public sector and appropriate private-sector investors; we give legal advice to both parties regarding how to instigate and proceed with projects; find specialists with the skills and knowhow to drive individual projects forward; advise on financing.

- Employment

Based on our long-term practical experience we advise high quality foreign investors in all questions regarding individual and collective labour law, establishment of subsidiaries, joint ventures, representative offices and also in relation to mergers and reorganization.

- Capital Markets / Private Equity / Investment

We advise issuers, underwriters and investors on stock exchange, securities, corporate issues and transactional structuring across a broad range of industries. We also render various services ranging from due diligence to listings on stock exchanges in Ukraine and abroad. Our team is able to support communications with all actors of capital markets community from investors of various types to professionals such as Nominated advisers, Listing agents, IR agencies and other. We assist in running verification procedures, building prospectuses and information memoranda both in accordance with Ukrainian, EU and US law.

- Regulatory

Our company represents interests of its clients on cooperation with state agencies of all levels regarding various investment and legal issues. We provide legal support to clients on obtaining of virtually all kinds of licenses, permits and approvals of relevant bodies, in investigations of law enforcement agencies and in proceedings on administrative challenging of various decisions and resolutions of state agencies. Lawyers of the litigation practice have sufficient experience on court challenging of acts of various agencies, among which are acts of the State tax administration, the Antimonopoly committee of Ukraine etc.

- Debt Collection

Our Dispute Resolution group has built up substantial expertise in debt collection. We act efficiently and decisively for both Ukrainian and overseas clients; for entities involved in infrastructure projects, trade and industry, and the insurance and banking sectors. We advise and represent the interests of our clients before general, specialized and arbitral courts in Ukraine; and before adjudicative bodies in foreign jurisdictions.

- Bankruptcy

Lawyers of our company have extensive experience in participating in restoring debtor’s solvency and bankruptcy procedures both in the out-of court debt restructurings and in the course of legal proceedings. We render a full scope of services in all essential aspects of the bankruptcy procedure, such as: initiating a bankruptcy procedure, submission of claims, participation in creditors’ committees, the managing of property, sanation and liquidation of a company.

- German Desk

Over the years, Arzinger has provided legal advice to a large number of German companies. Through our knowledge of the country's legislative system, of its language, culture and traditions we support German companies in Ukraine. At the same time, we render assistance to Ukrainian companies in Germany by advising them on legal matters.

- Austrian Desk

From the very beginning of our work in Ukraine Arzinger Law Office provides services not only for Austrian companies but also for Ukrainian firms which are interested in development of their business in Austria, attraction of Austria investors, IPO etc.
We are proud to represent interests of the majority of Austrian investors to Ukrainian economy which put their business into our hands.

- French Desk

Over the years, Arzinger has provided legal advice to a number of French companies, such as Orangina Group (Rosinka), Lafarge, Fareva, and Nexans. Arzinger also renders assistance to Ukrainian and Russian companies and individuals operating in France. Based on its successful experiences with French speaking clients and considering the dynamics in the French investment in Ukraine, Arzinger has decided to launch its French Desk to serve the French speaking companies in Ukraine and vice versa.

- White Collar Defense

Count on Arzinger to help provide expert legal representation for clients who have found him/herself the subject of – or involved in – a criminal investigation. Whatever the situation, our dedicated white collar defence team will go to any lengths and do everything in their power to reduce the anxiety and stress of such a difficult predicament. We leave no stone unturned in our efforts to get the results our clients want.

- Representation in the European Court of Human Rights

Arzinger Law Office provides legal support by filling out applications to the European Court of Human Rights for individuals being victims of violations of the Convention and not able to bear legal cost for application to the European Court of Human Rights.

Lawyers

	Mr. Timur Bondaryev Managing Lawyer Antitrust and Trade Regulation, Arbitration, Banking and Finance, Corporate Law, Intellectual Property		Mr. Maksym Cherkasenko Lawyer Construction Law, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions, Real Estate
	Mr. Pavlo Khodakovsky Lawyer Corporate Law, Employment, Mergers and Acquisitions, Tax		Mr. Wolfram Rehbock Senior Lawyer Capital Markets, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions, Tax
	Mr. Sergiy Shklyar Senior Lawyer Alternative Dispute Resolution, Antitrust and Trade Regulation, Arbitration, Intellectual Property, Regulatory Law