According to the Unified Register of Lawyers of Ukraine, more than 62 lawyers are registered in the country today, 4 of them in the Odesa region, and every month this figure increases by approximately 30-50 people. How to figure out which of these people will be able to qualitatively protect your interests, who should be trusted?
A lawyer is not just a profession, but also a mission related to the protection of human rights and freedoms. Lawyers are the guardians of justice, ensuring equal access to justice for every citizen of Ukraine. Their role in the legal system is invaluable: from the protection of human rights to the representation of interests in courts and legal advice. At the same time, representatives of this profession are expected not only to have deep knowledge of the law, but also empathy and high moral principles.
The war made adjustments to the work of lawyers. Some of them were called and now defend the country with weapons in their hands, some, having suspended the practice, actively engaged in volunteer activities, and some have a large number of new protégés - corrupt people who profit from the war, collaborators and state traitors, and even in such cases, lawyers should be professionals.
Rating agency "Elitexpert", traditionally, conducted an expert assessment of advocacy activities in the region and compiled a rating of the TOP 30 well-known advocates of Odesa.
Among the criteria we focused on in our research: authority in the professional environment, activity in the media, publicity, the presence of "high-profile" cases, the status and scope of the lawyer's activity. All the information we analyzed was obtained by us from open sources or collected as a result of an expert survey. We tried to study not only the professional achievements of lawyers, but also their civic position, their contribution to the maintenance of the legal system and the protection of the rights of citizens in the conditions of a full-scale war. We publish some of the data we have received, others, at the request of the parties, we leave behind the scenes. We cannot divulge all information about famous clients or cases conducted by rating winners.
We hope that this study will be useful for Ukrainians who want to find a decent lawyer and will stimulate the legal community to raise professional standards.
In the first place in the rating - Olena Dzhaburia, acting Chairman of the Bar Council of the Odesa region, doctor of philosophy in the field of law, director of JSC "AF" SOBRANIE".
A lawyer since 1997, has extensive experience and authority among the expert community.
From 2015 to 2021, Jaburiya also taught at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine at the department of judicial and law enforcement organization.
The next in the ranking is Oleksandr Kifak, lawyer, managing partner of the "ANK" Law Firm, Honorary Consul of Germany in the south of Ukraine.
Specialist in the field of maritime and transport law, tax law, foreign economic activity and the port industry.
In 1996, he founded the Law Firm "ANK", the main specialization of which is maritime, corporate, tax and labor law.
Since 2008, he began diplomatic service as Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany in Odesa. The consular district of the Honorary Consul covers Odesa, Mykolaiv and Kherson regions.
The author of a number of bills aimed at ensuring the constitutional rights of citizens and protecting the interests of entrepreneurs. Participated in the development of draft regulations on the privatization of seaports and the implementation of the concession as a tool of public-private partnership in the port industry.
In the third position - Volodymyr Zubar, lawyer, managing partner of "Yurline" firm. Candidate of Legal Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Civil Law of the National University of Odessa Law Academy.
He has been practicing law since 1993. Specialist in maritime law, agricultural sector and real estate market.
He represented the interests of Ukrainian and foreign companies in Latvia, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and the USA.
Artur Nicevych - lawyer, partner of the Interlegal legal company, chairman of the Maritime and Transport Law Committee of the Odesa Oblast Bar Council.
Member of LMAA (London Maritime Arbitrators Association) and SCMA (Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration).
A widely known lawyer in Ukraine, one of the leaders in his field.
Takes the fifth position in the rating Maxim Boldin, a very experienced lawyer, managing partner of the law firm inTrust, Honored Lawyer of Ukraine, candidate of legal sciences.
He has been practicing law since 2006.
From 2007 to 2008, he was the head of the legal department, then the deputy director of the legal department of the Odesa City Council.
In 2011, he became the deputy head of the Department of Control of Concentrations and Concerted Actions of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine, a consultant of the Odesa Regional Council.
In 2018, she was elected as the Chairman of the Council of Public Control at the State Bureau of Investigation.
In 2019, he was appointed Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Odessa National Medical University.
In 2022, he founded the Charitable Organization "Cultural Forces of Ukraine" Charitable Foundation.
In 2017, he was awarded the honorary title "Honored Lawyer of Ukraine".
Boldin's portfolio includes many high-profile won cases. One of the most significant is the case he conducted for the benefit of the city of Odesa, as an adviser to the city mayor. This was, perhaps, the only case in the history of Odesa about the collection of 74 million dollars to the city budget from the shipowner who was responsible for spilling 24 tons of oil in Odesa port.
Another of its resonances was the conclusion of a peace agreement between the city authorities and Oblenergo, which effectively banned fan power outages in Odesa.
Nana Bakayanova - attorney, chairman of the Committee on the Rules of Attorney Ethics and Judicial Speech of the Bar Council of the Odesa Region, Honored Lawyer of Ukraine, Doctor of Legal Sciences, professor.
Head of the Department of Organization of Judicial, Law Enforcement and Advocacy at the National University "Odesa Law Academy".
Specialist in the field of improving the organization and activity of the bar, problems of the judiciary, activities of the prosecutor's office, activities of the State Bureau of Investigation.
Author of many scientific works, engaged in scientific and teaching activities.
On the seventh line - Grigory of Tripulsky, reputable lawyer, director of the De-jure legal consulting company, candidate of legal sciences.
Since 2001, he has been working at ONSUA as an associate professor of the Department of Civil Procedure.
In 2005 - 2010, he was a deputy of the Odesa City Council, the head of the commission on land management and land legal relations.
Participated in the development of various regulatory and legal documents, including several draft Laws.
Co-author of several textbooks on civil procedure, articles on procedural law, as well as a regular commentator in the magazines "Business", "News", "Forbes", "Focus", "Business Capital" and others.
The eighth position is in Denis Ponomarenko, one of the most popular lawyers, a partner of the Barristers bar association.
He worked at the "Yurline" firm, then organized and co-founded the "Prime Juris" law firm and was its managing partner until 2016.
Lawyer since 2010.
In 2016, he organized and became a co-founder of the Ponomarenko and Partners Bar Association. He was the chairman and managing partner, and in 2017 he became a partner of the Barristers Bar Association.
In 2019, he was recognized as a leader in the practice of criminal law and process according to the version of the Legal Gazette in the "100 best lawyers of Ukraine" rating.
He has many awards: "Lawyer of the Year 2020" in criminal law, "Lawyer of the Year 2019" in the nomination "Best branch of the Association of Lawyers of Ukraine" - Odesa branch, "Lawyer of the Year 2019" in the nomination "Best TV program on legal topics" - "Legal grounds", "Best head of the AAU branch", "Lawyer of the year 2018" in criminal law.
In the ninth position is a well-known lawyer Olga Golovchenko, member of the Bar Council of Ukraine from the Odesa region, managing partner of AF "SOBRANIE".
Graduated from the Faculty of Law of Odesa National University named after I.I. Mechnikova.
She started working at the Central Law Office of Odessa as a lawyer, where she worked from 1997 to 2001.
In 2002, she founded and became the managing partner of AF "SOBRANIE". In the period from 2010 to 2023, she was a member of the executive committee of the Odesa City Council.
Closes the top ten - Mykola Stoyanov, lawyer, partner of the Barristers Bar Association, member of the Association of Investigating Judges of Ukraine and the Qualification and Disciplinary Commission of the Odesa Oblast Bar Association.
In 2008, he received a lawyer's certificate.
In 2017, he became a partner of the Barristers Bar Association.
Graduate of the first hundred of the All-Ukrainian professional development program for lawyers "Advocate of the Future".
Oleksandr Mukonin – lawyer, member of the Odesa Oblast Bar Council and member of two RAOO committees.
Work experience: at the bar - 20 years, total experience in the profession - more than 25 years.
Since 2003, he has been practicing law, a member of the Odesa Region Bar Council. Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Culture, Tourism, Sports and Social Support of Lawyers of the Odesa Region Bar Council, member of the Committee on Criminal Law and Procedure.
Specialist in real estate, tax, family law and criminal defense.
From 2007 to 2014, he was the managing partner of the United Lawyers Association law firm, which was included in the rating of the TOP 60 legal companies of Ukraine according to the rating agency "Expert-Rating".
2003-2012 senior lecturer of the Department of Law of the National University of Ukraine, co-author of a monograph and scientific articles.
Twice recognized as a lawyer of the year in 2018 and 2020, according to the Association of Lawyers of Ukraine.
Since 2019, he has been a public figure.
In the twelfth place in the rating is an experienced lawyer Ilya Haldai, specialist in criminal cases, head of the Odesa legal company, member of the Bar Council of the Odesa region.
Thirteenth on the list - Artem Volkov - lawyer, head of maritime and transport law practice of the "ANK" Law Firm, chairman of the Transport Law Committee of the Association of Lawyers of Ukraine.
In 2007, he received a certificate of the right to practice law.
In 2010, he headed the practice of maritime and transport law at the ANK Law Firm.
In 2011, he was elected chairman of the Transport Law Committee of the Association of Lawyers of Ukraine.
On the fourteenth position is a well-known lawyer Ihor Eluashvili.
Since 2005, he has a certificate of the right to engage in advocacy and practices in the field of criminal law.
Known for his participation in a number of high-profile criminal cases.
In particular, he participated as a lawyer of the well-known Odesa authority G. Stoyanov, defended one of the participants in the case of the shooting of police officers near the village of Koshari, and was a lawyer for a number of leaders of Odesa ethnic groups.
In 2019, he defended one of the defendants in the criminal proceedings regarding the burning of the Tokyo Star hotel.
Yuri Sergeev - attorney, managing partner of JSC "Law Office of Sergeevs", member of the Odesa Oblast Bar Council, chairman of the Committee on Maritime Law of the Association of Bar Associations of Ukraine. Doctor of Law.
Since 2001, he is an associate professor at the Department of Maritime and Customs Law of the National University "Odesa Law Academy".
Specialist in the field of protection of the rights and legal interests of individuals and legal entities in maritime disputes in Ukraine and abroad.
Member of the Association of Lawyers of Ukraine, the Association of International Law, the Association of Lawyers of Ukraine.
Recognized by the international rating study Best Lawyers among the best lawyers in Ukraine in the practice of transport law.
National expert of the EU Project "Pravo-Justice", expert of the International Labor Organization (ILO).
In the sixteenth position - Oleksandr Kozlov, attorney, managing partner of the Algiz Bar Association, deputy chairman of the Odesa Oblast Bar Council.
Since 1998, he has been engaged in legal practice, since December 2009 - as an advocate.
From 2008 to 2019, he was the director of the Odesa Regional Legal Center.
From 2019 to today, he is the managing partner of the Algiz Bar Association.
From 2015 to 2020, he was the chairman of the Committee for the Protection of Professional Rights of Lawyers and the Implementation of Guarantees of Advocacy of the Bar Council of the Odesa Region.
From 2021 to 2022, he headed the Committee for Advocacy Improvement of Advocates of the Odesa Oblast Bar Council.
Since 2019, he has been the deputy chairman of the Odesa Oblast Bar Council.
In 2018, he completed a full one-year course of the "Future Lawyer" professional development program.
He completed the training course "Basic Mediator Training" and became a certified mediator.
The seventeenth position is in Vadym Oksyuta, a well-known lawyer, head of the PowerfLex Bar Association.
Probably, one of his most famous cases was the case of Serhiy Sternenko.
Oksyuta worked a lot to protect public activists, and with the beginning of the armed invasion of Ukraine, he went to fight.
In eighteenth place - Vadim Semenov, lawyer, head of the Semenov and Partners Law Firm. Head of the Committee for the Protection of Lawyers' Professional Rights and the Implementation of Guarantees of Lawyers' Activities of the Bar Council of the Odesa Region.
In 2012-2014, he headed the human rights non-governmental organization "Supremacy of Law" and the printed publication of the same name.
In 2015, he founded the Semenov and Partners law firm.
In 2017, he was elected deputy, and later chairman, of the Committee for the Protection of Professional Rights of Lawyers and the Implementation of Guarantees of Advocacy of the Bar Council of the Odesa Region.
Member of the Bar Council in Odesa.
Klishina Svitlana - lawyer, notary, director of the Regional Center for providing free secondary legal assistance in Odesa.
She worked in the State Executive Service of the Odesa Regional Department of Justice.
From 2007 to 2008, he was the director of the law firm "Status Prava".
2008-2009 - director of the law firm "Southern Law Company".
In 2009, she received a certificate to practice law.
Since 2012, he has been the director of the Regional Center for Free Secondary Legal Aid in Odesa.
In the twentieth position - Maryna Tulyakova, attorney, president of Polonskyi and Partners Law Firm, Chairman of the Disciplinary Chamber of the Qualification and Disciplinary Commission of the Odesa Oblast Bar.
In 1990, together with a group of lawyers, she created the first Law Firm "Polonsky and Partners" in the territory of the USSR.
Since 1991, she was elected a member of the Odesa branch of the Ukrainian Bar Association. In 1993-1995 pp. was a member of a group of lawyers on the development of a project on amendments and additions to the Law of Ukraine "On Advocacy and Advocacy".
For a long time Tulyakova M.A. was a teacher of courses on improving the qualifications of lawyers at the Presidium of the Bar Association of Odesa and a member of the attestation chamber of the Qualification and Disciplinary Commission of the Odesa Oblast Bar.
From 2006 to 2010, she was a deputy of the Odesa City Council of the 5th convocation.
In 2019, she was elected president of the Polonsky and Partners Law Firm.
Since 2012, he has been the Chairman of the Disciplinary Chamber of the Qualification and Disciplinary Commission of the Odesa Oblast Bar Association.
In 2020, Maryna Anatoliivna was awarded the "Outstanding Lawyer of Ukraine" award by the National Association of Lawyers of Ukraine.
On the twenty-first line - Iryna Groza, attorney, managing partner in the "FABULA" Bar Association, head of the Committee for Advocacy of the Odesa Oblast Bar Council, volunteer, human rights defender.
Chairman of the Committee on the Improvement of Lawyers' Qualifications, Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Work with Young Lawyers, Member of the Committee on the Protection of Lawyers' Rights of the Odesa Region Bar Council, certified teacher of the NAAU Higher School of Advocacy.
The main areas of her activity: defense in criminal proceedings, civil and family law, legal assistance in the field of construction and real estate.
The lawyer often defends top Odesa officials, officials and deputies in high-profile criminal proceedings.
Defends the accused administrators in the criminal proceedings related to the fire at the Tokyo Star Hotel.
The twenty-second position in Vitaly Hrytsika, lawyer and managing partner of the "DOMINANTA Consulting Firm" Bar Association, member of the Council of the APU Branch in the Odesa Region.
Hrytsak is a well-known specialist in business protection, mergers and acquisitions (M&A).
He worked as a legal consultant at Odesooblenergo JSC. He was the director of "Just Co" LLC and "Odeszhilbud" LLC.
For 15 years, he has been the managing partner of the Dominant Consulting Firm.
The M&A practice led by Vitaly was recognized this year by the international rating publication IFLR1000.
In 2023, the law association took 36th place among the TOP-50 law firms of Ukraine according to the results of the long-term national rating by Legal Practice, as well as 3rd place among law firms of the Southern region.
On the twenty-third position Vsevolod Sokalyuk, lawyer, manager of the Sokalyuk Law Office.
In 1995, he received a lawyer's certificate and started working as a lawyer in the city of Rozdilna, and since 2001 - in Odesa.
He held the position of head of the department of legal and personnel work of the Odesa Regional Council for Property Use and Privatization and director of the regional communal enterprise "Rada".
In 2007, he was included in the personnel reserve of judges.
In 2016-2017. participated in the competition for the position of judge of the Supreme Court, reaching the final ranking list.
From 2014 to 2017, he was the secretary of the Committee for the Protection of Lawyers' Professional Rights and Guarantees of Lawyering Activities of the Bar Council of the Odesa Region.
Head of the Sokalyuk Law Office.
There were many high-profile cases in his law practice: "political trials", following the storming by activists of the Odesa City Council in December 2012.
Sokalyuk also defended two defendants in a trial in the Podilsk District Court of Kyiv regarding the events of August 31, 2015, which took place near the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
During his activity, he was awarded the badge of honor of the Association of Arbitration Judges of Ukraine "Badge of Honor", the honorary title of the Association of Lawyers of Ukraine "Outstanding Lawyer of Ukraine", thanks from the National Association of Lawyers of Ukraine and certificates of the Council of Advocates of the Odesa Region.
Twenty-fourth position in Kateryna Karmazina — a lawyer and head of the Odesa separate unit "All-Ukrainian Association of Lawyers Providing Free Legal Aid".
Karmazina is a specialist in the field of protection of the rights of foreign individuals and legal entities, especially vulnerable (minors, with HIV/AIDS, LGBT representatives, internally displaced persons), protection of human rights at the European Court of Human Rights and the Constitutional Court of Ukraine.
Associate Professor of the Department of Constitutional Law and Justice of ONU named after I.I. Mechnikova.
Since 2014, co-founder and head of the Odesa branch of the Public Organization "All-Ukrainian Association of Lawyers Providing Free Legal Aid".
Since August 2017, he has been a family mediator at the "Ukrainian Mediation Academy" and a number of volunteer projects supported by this organization.
Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional Justice and Human Rights of the Bar Council of Odesa Region.
In 2020, she was elected secretary of the Odesa Region Bar Council.
On the twenty-fifth place in the ranking — Oleksandr Markov, well-known lawyer, managing partner of the "MARKIV AND PARTNERS" Bar Association.
From 1998 to 2006, he worked in the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Since 2009, he has been a leading lawyer at "Legal Partner" LLC and "Ukrexposervice" LLC.
From 2010 to 2012 — Deputy Director of Legal Affairs at "Yuni - Orient Shipping Agency" LLC.
Since 2016, he is the founder, managing partner of the "MARKIV AND PARTNERS" Bar Association.
Since 2015, he has been a lawyer at the Regional Center for Free Secondary Legal Aid in the Odesa Region.
Since 2017, he has been a member of the Association of Lawyers of Ukraine on Civil Law and Procedure.
Since 2022, he has been defending Ukraine in the ranks of the Defense Forces.
On the twenty-sixth position Oleksandr Ryabets - lawyer, founder and managing partner of the legal company "Legal Partner". Doctor of Law.
Specialist in the field of economic and corporate law, construction and development, intellectual property law, bankruptcy.
In 2006, he founded the legal company Legal Partner.
Since 2012, he has been the Chairman of the Public Organization "Union of Lawyers of the Odesa Region".
Member of the National Association of Lawyers of Ukraine and the Association of Lawyers of Ukraine.
Experience in the field of law - 20 years.
Represented the interests of:
⁃ Developer MegaLine (support of the Unity Towers project);
⁃ Developer Green Park (support of the Emporium Towers project);
⁃ Developer Riviera Development;
⁃ MTB Bank;
⁃ Black Sea Airlines;
⁃ International investment group;
⁃ Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Odesa;
⁃ Financial Department of Odesa Regional State Administration;
⁃ Protection of intellectual property (Peppa pig, Super wings, PJMasks, Gapchinska, Geekach, Strateg, Kapitoshka).
On the twenty-seventh line of the rating - Tatiana Tytarenko, lawyer, managing partner of the LEGRANT law firm. Candidate of political sciences.
Specialist in the field of economic, maritime, antimonopoly and land law.
Work experience in jurisprudence and the transport sector - 18 years.
She graduated from the Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, where she obtained the degree of Candidate of Political Sciences.
She took part in the development of the laws "On seaports of Ukraine" and "On inland water transport", which are important for the transport industry, as well as a number of regulations on the deregulation of control procedures in seaports. Protected the interests of international container lines in relations with state authorities.
It has been repeatedly recognized by the authoritative international legal rating Leg al500. Tatyana is recognized as one of the best lawyers in the field of maritime law and is recommended by the rating of successful women lawyers of Ukraine.
Under the leadership of Tetiana Tytarenko, the LEGRANT law firm won one of the key awards of the main legal award of Ukraine and was recognized as the best law firm of the year in the field of transport.
He is a member of the Board of Directors of the branch of the Association of Lawyers of Ukraine in the Odesa region.
The twenty-eighth position is in Igor Shavrov, lawyer, founder and partner of the Shavrov, Galynskyi and Partners Bar Association, a member of the Public Council under the State Customs Service and the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine.
Since August 2018, Shavrov has been the general director of the Ukrainian Transport Logistics Association "South Palmyra".
A popular expert, he has been an assistant-consultant to deputies of various levels - Odesa Oblast, Odesa City Councils and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
On the twenty-ninth line - Stanislav Klymenko, lawyer, manager of Klymenko and Partners Law Firm.
A specialist in the field of land dispute resolution, business protection against illegal actions of law enforcement agencies and unfriendly takeovers.
Participated as a lawyer in many high-profile cases.
He is the lawyer of the ex-prosecutor of the Mykolaiv district prosecutor's office, Gennady Herman, who is accused of treason. The case is currently under appeal, at the first instance in the Primorye Court he was sentenced to life imprisonment.
As a lawyer, he defended the acquittal in the appeal against the defense of Ruslan Verbytskyi, a deputy of the Chisinau Municipal Council, accused of illegally transporting ammunition to the territory of Ukraine, a political fighter against the regime of the Moldavian oligarch Plahotniuk.
He also defended the mayor of Bilhorod-Dniester, Vitaly Grazhdan, who was accused of beating the ex-head of the Bilhorod-Dniester district council Hryhoriy Melnichenko. The prosecutor's office asked to place the mayor in a pre-trial detention center, according to the results, the court denied the prosecutor's request.
Closes the rating - Evgeny Ivanchenko, a promising lawyer, is a member of the National Association of Lawyers of Ukraine, the Association of Lawyers of Ukraine. He is an active member of the Committee for the Protection of the Professional Rights of Lawyers and the Implementation of Guarantees of Legal Practice of the Bar Council of the Odesa Region.
Specialist in the field of corporate, economic, civil and criminal law, agricultural sector, real estate market and support of construction business during criminal and tax prosecutions.
Since 2003, he has been an active member of the Association of Lawyers of Ukraine and since 2014 of the Association of Lawyers of Odesa Region.
Since 2014, he has been engaged in vigorous public activity in the field of defending the legal rights of people and business.
It is a member of the National Association of Lawyers of Ukraine and the Association of Lawyers of Ukraine.
Represented the interests of foreigners, Ukrainian and foreign companies in Turkey, Romania, and Moldova.
Experience in the field of law - 20 years.
The material was worked on by: Olena Ovchinnikova, Oleksandr Zakladny, Oleksandr Kysil
