CEE/CIS - Ukraine
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Aequo

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Aequo's team of ‘trusted lawyers with fantastic expertise and very good personal qualities’ contributes to legislative and policy development, particularly in relation to the Diia City tax regime. The team has a strong background advising technology businesses, both in relation to the Diia City regime and on day-to-day employment matters. It is well-placed to advise on mobilisation and employee booking, supporting both domestic and international companies. The group houses a strong contentious practice, representing employees in disputes with senior or middle management or in relation to management fraud. Anna Babych is regularly called upon by both national and international clients for advice on employment aspects of M&A, restructurings and transfers of undertakings, with particular specialism in the IT sector. Her expertise in employment matters sees her play a key role in the development of Ukrainian policy and legislation. Mykyta Polatayko is a go-to for IT companies for support on day-to-day employment matters, as well advice on the Diia City regime. Promoted to senior associate in February 2024, Iryna Halych has a wealth of experience representing clients in labour disputes.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Excellent firm in Ukraine working in extreme conditions to deliver first-class results. Yevgen Levitskyi is a good communicator who grasps foreign law concepts fast.’

  • ‘Given Aequo's extensive experience with IT clients, the firm is adept at communicating effectively with IT professionals. They offer clear, professional advice in straightforward language, which is highly valued in the tech sector.'

  • 'Being highly client-centric, Aequo helps companies develop tailored employment contracts to meet their unique business needs. This includes creating policies for remote work, non-compete agreements and intellectual property protection, all of which are critical for industries such as software development.’

  • ‘During our collaboration with Aequo, we had the pleasure of working directly with Mykyta Polatayko, a highly regarded expert in Ukraine’s IT and data protection sectors. As the head of the IT industry practice at Aequo, Mykyta brings a wealth of experience in supporting IT companies, particularly in areas like intellectual property, data protection, cybersecurity and regulatory compliance. His expertise extends deeply into Diia Citi, as he was one of the key contributors to drafting the law on Diia Citi.'

  • 'When seeking an expert for Diia Citi employment and gig-contracts, we unanimously chose Mykyta Polatayko, without considering alternatives. His combination of technical proficiency, client-centric approach and strong business acumen makes him a standout advisor.’

  • ‘Anna Babych and her team are very trusted lawyers with fantastic expertise and very good personal qualities. We were very satisfied with our choice. They helped us to complete the project successfully, were dedicated and strong.’

  • ‘Anna Babych is a team lead. She is a true leader, a very skilful negotiator, and a wise counsel. Mykyta Polatayko is a very expert and diligent lawyer, always on the deadline.’

  • ‘Most of the lawyers we have interacted with are diligent and prudent with details. Certain lawyers we have interacted with have unique experience in the IT and military service domain. Mykyta Polotayko embodies these qualities.’

Key clients

  • Inditex
  • Vodafone
  • VMware
  • Solstad
  • Icon
  • State Export-Import Bank of Ukraine
  • Ministry of Digital Transformation
  • Diia City|United
  • Astellas
  • Glass |Tro|e|sch
  • Google
  • BlaBlaCar
  • Quipu
  • Darnytsia

Work highlights

  • Advising the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine on conceptualising and drafting the Diia City law of Ukraine, an economic and tax regime, remodelling existing employment relations in the technology industry and suggesting gig-contracts with developers.
  • Advising Ukreximbank on a series of interconnected employment disputes related to claims brought against the bank by former senior-level employees, primarily concerning the dismissal of several Security Service officials following a controversial incident involving the bank's CEO.
  • Advising the Diia City United, the alliance of the residents on Diia City and many technology companies (Intellias, Global Logic, Luxoft, etc) on the re-modelling of employment relations with their employees, policy shaping initiatives as to further upgrade of existing regulation to address the challenges of martial law and mobilisation.

Lawyers

Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Iryna Halych
Aequo
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Anna Babych

Other key lawyers

Mykyta Polatayko, Iryna Halych, Yevgen Levitskyi