VB Partners Law Firm

VB PARTNERS is the No. 1 White-Collar Crime legal boutique in Ukraine with a strong presence in Dispute Resolution. We have implemented uncompromising standards of legal service in the national market for 18 years.

A team of 25 qualified lawyers acts for our clients in dealing with law enforcement agencies at all stages of WCC cases. We provide protection of public figures (PEPs) in anti-corruption cases subject to increased public and media attention. Our key expertise also covers extradition and Interpol issues at all stages of cross-border investigations.

Resolving legal conflicts in national courts and arbitration institutions of all levels and jurisdictions remains another priority for VB PARTNERS. Disputes with the government and state regulators make up a significant volume of projects.

Modern challenges demand high-quality expertise in sanctions law. We were among the first in Ukraine who managed to lift sanctions against non-resident companies both in court and administratively.

Our clients list includes industrial giants, shareholders and top management of banks, leading Ukrainian companies, and international corporations.

Over the years of successful practice, the firm and its lawyers appear in all reputable rankings, including Chambers, Best Lawyers, Legal 500, Who is Who Legal, etc.

Website: www.vbpartners.ua

Tel: + 38 (044) 581 16 33

Number of partners: 5

Number of lawyers: 25

Languages: English, German, Ukrainian, Russian

Office in Kyiv, Ukraine

Key clients: Ukrainian Football Association, DCH, Immer Group, Continental Farmers Group, UkrainianRailways (Ukrzaliznytsia), British American Tobacco, Volvo, Scania, Colliers International, Snel Energy, Kovalska Industrial and Construction Group, BNP Paribas Group, Parimatch, Warner Music; shareholders and top management of Privat Bank, Delta Bank, Khreshchatyk Bank, Misto Bank, Sense Bank, Bank Finance and Credit, Ukrsibbank, etc.

• White-Collar Crime
• Dispute Resolution
• Sanctions

Experience highlights in White-Collar Crime:

• Representation of the Ukrainian Football Association, its management and related companies in a complex criminal proceedings regarding abuses during the construction of an exclusive plant for producing artificial turf for football fields in Ukraine.
• Defending the interests of the former Chairman of the Board of PrivatBank in criminal proceedings before the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine regarding the embezzlement of the bank's funds on the eve of its nationalization and causing the bank losses of USD 311 mln.
• Defending the owner of the mining company Ferrexpo in criminal proceedings regarding the provision of undue benefit to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
• Representation of Snel Energy Group which owns more than 100 gas stations and four oil depots in Ukraine in criminal proceedings related to customs duty evasion in the amount of USD 9 mln.
• Defending a former Deputy Minister of Justice of Ukraine in a criminal case on suspicion of embezzlement of USD 2,3 mln.
• Defending the interests of former employees of The State Enterprise National Nuclear Energy Generating Company Energoatom in criminal proceedings before the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine in connection with the alleged misappropriation of USD 150 mln of public funds in the procurement of equipment for nuclear power plants.
• Defending the interests of the former Minister of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine in criminal proceedings for declaring false information in the amount of about USD 1,2 mln.
• Defending the interests of the former top manager of Ukrainian railways in the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine in criminal proceedings over an attempt to seize funds in the amount of USD 2,4 mln during public procurement.

Experience highlights in Dispute Resolution:

• Representation of Khreshchatyk bank, Premium bank and Misto Bank shareholders in litigations to overturn the decisions of the National Bank of Ukraine and theDeposit Guarantee Fundon the liquidation of banks.
• Defending a PJSC Bank Finance and Credit shareholder in a lawsuit brought by the Deposit Guarantee Fund to recover USD 1,2 bln in damages. A lawsuit against a bank shareholder for damages is unique in the Ukrainian judicial practice. There are only two such cases so far (a shareholder of PJSC Finance and Credit and a shareholder of PJSC Delta Bank).
• Representation of Scania Ukraine, one of the largest European truck manufacturers, in litigations with dealers for over USD 12,5 mln.
• Representation of a foreign investor in ICSID arbitration against Ukraine for damages related to the expropriation of assets worth over USD 130 mln.
• Successfully defended one of the largest non-ferrous metallurgy enterprises in Europe while recovering non-pecuniary damage for USD 350 mln allegedly caused by the negative impact of its business activities on the environment.
• Appealing against additional tax liabilities in the amount of USD 40 mln in the interests of the owner of one of the largest office centres in Ukraine.

Experience highlights in Sanctions:

• Appealing to the Supreme Court against the sanctions imposed on the company by the European Union regarding freezing assets and suspending financial transactions.
• Representing Snel Energy Group that owns more than 100 gas stations and four oil depots in Ukraine in the Supreme Court on the cancellation of economic sanctions.
• Representation of a resident of Ukraine, a minority shareholder of one of the largest shopping malls in Ukraine, Ocean Plaza, and support of litigation in the High Anti-Corruption Court on recovery of corporate rights of the company for the state.
• Representing Parimatch, world-renowned international gambling brand, in the Supreme Court regarding the abolition of sanctions.
• Representing a former top manager of the international financial group BNP Paribas, sanctioned for ten years, in a case on a claim to lift the sanctions.
• Representation Fiduserve - group of companies providing fiduciary, trust and fund services to individuals and corporate clients in the Supreme Court. Four of the group's companies are subject to a non-exhaustive list of sanctions for a period of 50 years.