Dispute resolution

Kinstellar

‘Equally skilled in local law and international arbitration law and practice’, Kinstellar handles arbitrations across a range of jurisdictions. It also houses a busy cross-border litigation practice, from investment disputes to aviation and labour disputes. The team offers comprehensive services for the recovery of war damages, as well as reporting war crimes; it has noted a particular influx in war damages claims in the agribusiness sector. The practice is active in insurance disputes, including in the underwriting space. Olexander Martinenko leads the team and plays a key role in international commercial and investment arbitration proceedings, representing clients both in Ukraine and across various jurisdictions. Danylo Volkovetskyi has an active cross-border litigation practice, with a specialist focus on post-M&A and shareholder disputes. He is also an expert in asset tracing, restructuring and bankruptcy proceedings.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

‘We had a very pleasant collaboration with Olexander Martinenko and Danylo Volkovetskyi. Both are very good professionals with a good knowledge of the Ukrainian legal environment in the energy and arbitration areas. Both are approachable and interesting people to speak with.’
‘The team is well organised and very professional. The quality of their product and the depth of analysis is quite impressive.’
‘We work primarily with two key contacts - Olexander Martinenko and Danylo Volkovetskyy. They both are very good. Olexander is a very well-known and established testifying expert on Ukrainian law. The quality of his reports is great and his demeanour during oral examination is impressive. Danylo is a rising star. He is diligent, fast-thinking, very nice to deal with and the level of his analysis is fantastic.’
‘We have used the team on several occasions for highly complex arbitration proceedings: both commercial and investment. They perform extremely well and help to secure exactly the result that was needed. They are equally strong as the lead counsel, as the local co-counsel and as the legal expert team. They always allocate sufficient resources necessary to provide the product of top quality. The team is utterly compliant, and we feel completely safe whenever we need to engage them. They have a solid reputation on the market enjoying the trust of the ultimate clients and respect from the peers.’
‘With his decades of experience in complex dispute resolution, Olexander Martinenko is simply great even in those Ukrainian law issues which are no longer taught in law schools. Highly recommended as a Ukrainian law expert. Pleasure to work with. When choosing between several candidates, we are then always happy with the choice. Danylo Volkovetskyi is a very promising young talent: diligent, courteous and trustworthy. He is now a real star and an accomplished lawyer.’
‘We are working primarily with Danylo Volkovetskyi, who plays a crucial role in the project management and maintenance of the consistency of our position in various proceedings. Danylo has very relevant experience in cross-border disputes and international arbitration. He maintains high level of motivation which is very important in long-term project.’
‘Kinstellar's work is always exceptional. They are the rare breed of outstanding lawyers who understand the strategic intricacies of a matter and how best to approach the case - from initial advice to settlement discussions to all-out litigation. They are equally skilled in local law and international arbitration law and practice, and their advice therefore always straddles to two worlds effectively and efficiently. Their thoroughness is unparalleled, and they always have bright and creative ideas to help strengthen our positions.’
‘Olexander Martinenko is the best disputes lawyer in Ukraine. He is a magnificent team leader and advocate, and comes up with new and helpful ideas every time we speak on a matter. His team of associates also stand out. Kinstellar's skills and effectiveness is second to none in Ukraine. All in all, they are the complete package, and we feel very fortunate to have worked together with them on arbitrations over the last 20 years.’

Key clients

Premier Energy SRL
Intervet Agencies B.V. In Ukraine
Wizz Air Hungary LTD
Dufry Ukraine LLC
Ukrtrans-Zakhid LLC

Work highlights

Successfully represented Premier Energy SRL before Ukrainian courts in the matter of recognition and enforcement of the LCIA Award in Ukraine.
Representing Ukrtrans-Zakhid LLC in a dispute against a Croatian counterparty, which arose out of a supply contract containing a clause on choice of court decisions.
Representing Wizz Air in Ukrainian litigation concerning consumer protection and compensation of damages in connection with passenger transfers.

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