Avellum

Number of partners: 7
Number of associates: 51

Firm Overview
AVELLUM is a leading Ukrainian full-service law firm with a key focus on finance, corporate, dispute resolution, tax, real estate and antitrust. Its aim is to be the firm of choice for large businesses and financial institutions in respect of their most important and challenging transactions. The firm builds lasting relationships with its clients and makes them feel secure in new uncertain economic and legal realities. The firm’s partners take an active role in every transaction and ensure smooth teamwork. AVELLUM seamlessly cooperates with leading international law firms in course of multijurisdictional transactions.
In 2021 AVELLUM has won Ukraine Firm of the Year at the IFLR Europe Awards-2021. This year, the Awards specifically highlighted the standout contribution of AVELLUM to the reform of corporate laws in Ukraine and the harmonisation of the Ukrainian corporate regulations with the European ones.

Main Areas of Practice:  

Capital Markets: 

• Advised (і) the State Road Agency of Ukraine on a debut USD700 million issue of 6.25% guaranteed notes due 2028 with a benefit of the sovereign guarantee, and (ii) the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine in connection with the sovereign guarantee
• Advised the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine in connection with a USD1.25 billion notes issue with an 8-year maturity priced at 6.875% annual yield. This was the first issue of Ukraine’s Eurobonds admitted to listing on the London Stock Exchange
• Advised Interpipe Holdings Plc on USD300 million issue of 8.375% guaranteed notes due 2026

Contact: Glib Bondar
Email: [email protected]

Banking & Finance:  

• Advised the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine in connection with two loan agreements for a total amount of EUR116 million together constituting official financial support from France to Ukraine aimed at strengthening maritime safety and security of Ukraine.
• Advised the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in connection with up to a EUR50 mln loan to Communal Enterprise “Kyivskiy Metropolitan” guaranteed by the Kyiv City Council.
• Advised on USD464 million bridge loan financing for Bakcell’s acquisition of Private Joint Stock Company “VF Ukraine”

Contact: Glib Bondar
Email: [email protected]

Corporate/M&A: 

• Advised JSC “Kaspi.kz” in connection with the acquisition of 100% shares in Portmone Group by Kaspi Pay, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kaspi.kz.
• Advised Lactalis, a French multinational dairy products corporation, on Ukrainian law matters in connection with an acquisition of PJSC “Bel Shostka Ukraine”.
• Advised the major shareholders of AXDRAFT, a Ukrainian document automation company, on its sale to Onit.
• Advised in connection with a disposal of Furshet, one of the leading retail chains in Ukraine, to Silpo, part of the largest retail trade groups in Ukraine.

Contacts: Mykola Stetsenko, Yuriy Nechayev
Emails: [email protected], [email protected]

Competition/Antitrust: 

• LLC “LVN Limited”, a part of Nemiroff Group on obtaining merger control clearance of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine for the privatisation of a part of assets of Ukrainian State-Owned Enterprise of Alcohol and Liquor Industry “Ukrspyrt”.
• Advised UDP in connection with the investigation of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine into the provision of inaccurate/false information by the company in response to the regulator’s request.
• Advised Seding Investments Ltd and Rengy Development Limited on merger filing in connection with corporate restructuring.
• Advised British American Tobacco in a complex and high profile litigation in connection with challenging EUR 245 million fine imposed by the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine

Contact: Mykyta Nota
Email: [email protected]

Dispute Resolution: 

• Acted as a counsel to Nadezhda group, one of thelargest operators of liquefied gas suppliesinUkraine, in a dispute with the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine
• Acted for the Fifth President of Ukraine, Mr Petro Poroshenko, in the hard-fought litigation before the High Court of England and Wales
• Represented the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment in a set of debt recovery litigations and advised on the administrative dispute procedure.
• Acts for Uber Ukraine in litigation launched by a victim of a road accident seeking to recover damages both from driver and from Uber

Contact: Vadim Medvedev
Email: [email protected]

Energy & Natural Resources, Infrastructure:  

• Advised DTEK Group in connection with the debt restructuring under the two inter-conditional English schemes of arrangement for DTEK Energy B.V. and DTEK Finance PLC.
• Advised EBRD on the regulatory framework of the curtailments of the electricity produced from renewable energy sources.
• Advised one of the sellers on energy matters related to the sale of a stake in renewable energy projects to Elementum Energy, the largest international renewable energy producer in Ukraine

Contact: Glib Bondar
Email: [email protected]

International Trade: 

• Represents the world’s leading investment funds as owners of the majority of notes issued by Mriya Agro Holding Plc in the insolvency proceedings of Mriya group companies.
• Advised Jacobs Douwe Egberts Ukraine on the broad range of tax and customs matters related to their Ukrainian operations.
• Represents LLC Urozhaina Kraina before the Supreme Court in a tax dispute concerning cancellation of tax assessment notices

Contact: Vadim Medvedev
Email: [email protected]

Real Estate: 

• Advised A-Development – one of the leading Ukrainian developers – on the construction of a real estate complex in the centre of Kyiv in the form of a joint investment with a business partner.
• Advised the client on the due diligence of nine Ukrainian companies owned by one holding company.
• Conducted a full scope due diligence of Zavallivskyi Graphite Group, a group of companies engaged in the extraction of graphite before their acquisition by a major Australian graphite and gold exploration and development company, Volt Resources Limited.

Contact: Maksym Maksymenko
Email: [email protected]

Tax: 

• Advised Metinvest B.V. on tax matters of issuance of USD333 million, 7-year 7.65% notes due in 2027 and cash tender offers on its USD118 million 7.50% senior notes due 2021
• Advised Uber on various tax aspects of operating in Ukraine, including the launch of Uber Eats and Uber Shuttle in Ukraine
• Advised (і) the State Road Agency of Ukraine (“Ukravtodor”) on tax matters of a debut USD700 million issue of 6.25% guaranteed notes due 2028 with a benefit of the sovereign guarantee, and (ii) the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine in connection with the sovereign guarantee

Contact: Vadim Medvedev
Email: [email protected]

International Arbitration: 

• Defeated a USD20 million claim in an “exceptionally hard-fought” LCIA arbitration. In a detailed Award issued in June 2021, the LCIA Tribunal dismissed claims against the client of AVELLUM, finding fraud and dishonesty on the claimant’s side.
• Represented a major CEE-based mining machinery producer in four disputes with a Hong Kong company before the ICAC at the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Contacts: Kostiantyn Likarchuk, Vadym Medvedev
Emails: [email protected], vmedvedev@avellum. com

PRACTICE AREAS
Banking & Finance
Capital Markets
Competition/Antitrust
Compliance & Internal Investigations
Corporate / M&A
Data protection & Cybersecurity
Dispute Resolution
Employment
Energy & Natural Resources
Government Relations
Intellectual Property
International Arbitration
International Trade
Private Client
Real Estate & Infrastructure
Restructuring / Insolvency
Tax
White-collar Crime