We are delighted to announce that AVELLUM has won Ukraine Firm of the Year at the IFLR Europe Awards-2021. The annual IFLR Europe Awards are the benchmark of excellence in the legal services market. They celebrate the most innovative transactions and the teams and lawyers behind them. 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.

Mykola Stetsenko, managing partners of AVELLUM, commented on the achievement: “AVELLUM wins Ukraine Firm of the Year award by IFLR for the 2nd time. We are proud that our firm performed exceptionally at a national level to see off strong competition from peers. In addition to our work on the Draft Law on Shareholder Agreements, AVELLUM was privileged to advise on the most high-profile and complex financial transactions in Ukraine involving a cross-border element, including sovereign financings. This acknowledgement honours AVELLUM’s expertise in corporate finance and indicates once again that we keep our standards of excellence and do elite legal work recognised internationally. Our team is deeply thankful to our clients and colleagues for their positive feedback to IFLR.

IFLR’s Awards Editor, James Wilson, said of AVELLUM’s win: “AVELLUM picked up the national firm award thanks to an innovative performance in a difficult year. Among its key pieces of work, the firm made a significant contribution to the Draft Law on Shareholder Agreements, including sections governing limited liability companies (LLC). This 12-month project opened the way for shareholders of LLCs and joint-stock companies to enter into shareholders’ agreements for the first time in Ukraine. The Law also enshrined the concept of fiduciary duties of management towards shareholders and other stakeholders and enabled the registration of shares of LLCs in the depositary system. The AVELLUM team went on to put these rules into practice by closing some of the first transactions using the new shareholders’ agreements.

The annual IFLR's European Awards focus on legal innovation in cross-border deal-making. The awards showcase transactions that break new legal ground, set precedents, and develop the legal environment for cross-border corporate finance. Award winners are selected following extensive research by IFLR experts based on the firms’ submissions and feedback from clients, peers, in-house lawyers, and finance specialists at international financial institutions. The winners were announced in a virtual ceremony on 29 April 2021.