In what has become practically a tradition, KPMG Law Ukraine’s Tax Practice has been ranked as a Tier 1 Firm by The Legal 500, with Serhiy Popov, Partner and Head of Tax and Legal, noted among the leading Ukrainian experts in his field. The ranking’s research also highlighted the expertise and leadership of Oksana Olekhova, Partner and head of KPMG’s corporate tax advisory group, as well as the skills and knowledge of both Oleksandr Boboshko, Director, Head of KPMG’s international tax group, and Maksym Zavalny, Director and Head of KPMG’s M&A tax group.

Meanwhile, the firm’s Private Client Practice has shown strong progress in 2021; ranking as a Tier 2 Firm. The Private Client Practice group focuses primarily on international tax issues, including tax residence and private asset structure; and the expertise of Oleksandr Boboshko, Head of the international tax group, was specifically spotlighted as being noteworthy.

KPMG’s Energy Practice and Dispute Resolution Practice both demonstrated stable results, as did the company’s Commercial, Corporate and M&A Practice; all establishing themselves as Tier 3 firms. Regarding the latter, KPMG handled more than 15 M&A transactions in Ukraine last year, including high-profile deals in the renewable energy sources (RES) sector.

Serhiy Popov, Oksana Olekhova, Maksym Zavalny and Yuriy Katser are all amongst the key names to note at this practice, with The Legal 500 specifically praising Yuriy Katser, Director, Legal, handling KPMG’s M&A, land law, and dispute resolution. KPMG Law Ukraine’s engagement in corporate transactions in the energy sector was also spotlighted as demonstrating the considerable strength the company can bring to bear in regulatory and tax issues. This well-established reputation is why KPMG remains a leading Ukrainian provider of advisory services to international oil and gas companies and is a preferred partner for developers of renewable energy projects.

One recent example of KPMG Law Ukraine’s expertise in action comes courtesy of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, who recently engaged the practice to review laws related to alleged breaches of Energy Charter obligations and the recovery of damages of approximately USD5.5 billion. After the project was completed, respondents from the Ministry were quick to provide a lot of positive feedback about Yuriy Katser in particular, stating that “Yuriy Katser is an excellent expert in Ukrainian corporate and commercial law. He is always well-prepared, has terrific judgment in developing arguments, and is firm as a rock during cross-examination.”

Researchers at The Legal 500 also observed the growing number of complex cases supported by the company, highlighting KPMG’s Tax Dispute Resolution practice, headed by Larysa Antoshchuk, Lawyer, as a leading practice in this area.

KPMG’s Banking, Finance and Capital Markets Practice ranked as a Tier 3 Firm for the first time this year and was highly recommended by The Legal 500. Once again, the legal expertise of Serhiy Popov and Yuriy Katser in providing compliance advice about new Ukrainian banking regulations, including new rules on currency control, was remarked upon as being especially noteworthy.

This is also the first year that KPMG’s Real Estate and Construction Practice  made the rankings. KPMG Law Ukraine recently provided advice to EnergyGroupUkraine on developing and financing a solar power plant in the country, including complex negotiations with engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors and urban planning authorities. Serhiy Popov and Yuriy Katser jointly KPMG’s Real Estate and Construction practice, which also handles the acquisitions and sales of commercial, industrial, retail, hotel, and residential assets.

The Legal 500 is a leading international publication that has presented comprehensive annual analyses of the legal service market in more than 100 countries since 1987. Their research is based on surveys of law firms, interviews with clients, and discussions with representatives of leading law firms.