Oleksandr Fefelov

Practice Areas

Oleksandr Fefelov is a Partner at Ilyashev & Partners and Head of the Antitrust and Competition practice in Ukraine. He is recognised as one of the leading competition lawyers in Ukraine, advising Ukrainian and international companies on complex antitrust and competition law matters.

As an experienced competition lawyer in Ukraine and antitrust lawyer in Ukraine, he focuses on merger control, cartel investigations, abuse of dominant position cases, unfair competition practices, public procurement and state aid issues. He regularly represents clients in Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) investigations and high-stakes competition disputes before Ukrainian courts.

In addition to his core competition practice, Oleksandr advises on corporate law, M&A transactions, foreign investments in Ukraine, IP/IT regulatory matters and privatization projects, particularly where competition clearance, regulatory approvals or strategic antitrust assessment are required.

Oleksandr also advises on competition law aspects of public procurement disputes and distribution agreements in Ukraine, helping businesses structure vertical arrangements and commercial strategies in compliance with Ukrainian and EU competition law standards.

Career

Oleksandr Fefelov has been heading the Antitrust and Competition Practice at Ilyashev & Partners since 2010.

With more than 33 years of professional experience, including over 30 years in antimonopoly regulation, he is widely recognised as one of the most experienced competition lawyers in Ukraine. His practice covers representation in cases involving abuse of dominance, anti-competitive concerted practices (including alleged cartels), unfair competition, public procurement-related competition disputes and regulatory compliance matters.

Oleksandr regularly advises on merger control and concerted practice clearance in Ukraine, including preparation and filing notifications with the AMCU, coordination of regulatory approvals and assessment of antitrust risks in domestic and cross-border M&A transactions, corporate restructurings and foreign investment projects. He is also involved in advising on privatization processes and IP/IT-related transactions where competition law implications arise.

Professional Memberships

• Kyiv City Bar Council;

• President of the Ukrainian Law Firms Association.

Personal

Oleksandr Fefelov is recognised as a leading competition lawyer in Ukraine by Chambers Europe 2025. Oleksandr is ranked as a Leading Partner for Competition by The Legal 500 – EMEA 2025 and recognised as Practice Leader in Competition by 50 Leading Law Firms of Ukraine 2025.

He is also recommended as one of the leading lawyers in Antitrust and Competition by Ukrainian Law Firms. A Handbook for Foreign Clients (2016–2025 editions) and recognised among the TOP-100 Best Lawyers of Ukraine by Yurydychna Gazeta (Client’s Choice 2025).

Publications

Regular speaker and lecturer on antitrust compliance, merger control in Ukraine and AMCU inspections.

Conducts workshops and master classes for clients on competition law compliance, public procurement risks and best practices during inspections carried out by the AMCU.

Clients

Advises major Ukrainian and international corporations on merger control in Ukraine, antitrust investigations, AMCU proceedings, public procurement disputes and competition compliance matters, including complex transactions requiring regulatory approval.

He regularly supports multinational companies in structuring distribution agreements in Ukraine and assessing competition law risks in vertical and horizontal commercial arrangements.

Work Highlights

• Advised on and obtained merger clearance from the AMCU in a high-value industrial acquisition with significant market share considerations.

• Secured antitrust approval in a complex cross-border transaction involving global market leaders and multi-jurisdictional regulatory analysis.

• Obtained AMCU approval for concerted actions in the insurance sector involving regulatory reform and industry-level coordination mechanisms.

Industry Sector Expertise

Extensive experience in handling complex antitrust and competition matters across regulated and industrial sectors, including heavy industry, energy, financial services, infrastructure, manufacturing and technology.

Advises on competition aspects of M&A transactions, corporate restructurings, foreign investment projects in Ukraine, privatization procedures, IP/IT-related commercial arrangements, distribution agreements, public procurement disputes, state aid matters and regulatory strategy before the AMCU.

Expert in these Jurisdictions

• Ukraine (Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine proceedings and court litigation);

• European Union (advisory on EU competition law standards and regulatory framework).

Languages Spoken

English, Ukrainian, Russian

Experience

Over 30 years of professional experience representing clients in:

• Merger control and concerted practice clearance before the AMCU;

• Antitrust investigations and cartel defence in Ukraine;

• Abuse of dominant position cases;

• Unfair competition disputes;

• Public procurement disputes involving competition law issues;

• Competition law aspects of distribution agreements in Ukraine;

• State aid matters;

• Competition aspects of M&A transactions, corporate restructuring and foreign investments;

• Competition and regulatory aspects of privatization projects;

• IP/IT-related transactions involving competition risk assessment;

• Judicial review of AMCU decisions before Ukrainian courts.

Education