KIEV - March 31, 2017. Ukrainian Bar Association (UBA) held the XIII Annual Legal Forum “Development of Legal Services Market – 2017” - a key event that is completely dedicated to global trends that determine the development of the legal market.

This forum is the oldest and most influential event that has become an integral part of the successful start of the year. It gathers under one roof managers and partners of law firms, business development directors, lawyers in civil service and representatives of higher state bodies to discuss the most important issues of legal life and legal practice.

At the opening of the forum, the UBA President Mr Denys Bugay recalled the major achievements of the fast growing organization which have marked the beginning of the year. The Ukrainian Bar Association unites over 6000 members, 400 events were held throughout the previous year, four powerful regional centres and more than 100 active members to ensure the implementation of the most ambitious projects in different sectors of practice. In addition, having in mind the new leadership elections approaching, Denys Bugay officially nominated for the post of the next leader of the Association the UBA Board Member, Managing Partner at Vasil Kisil & Partners Mr Andriy Stelmashchuk.

The audience was also addressed by the representative of the exclusive general partner of the forum – Mr Sergei Boyarchukov, managing partner of Alexeyev, Boyarchukov & Partners Law Firm.

This year the main topic of the forum was the matter of values and ethics in the profession and how they determine the development of the legal market in the near future.

The first report of the forum was dedicated to competition in the market, including consequences which may result from uncontrolled lust for competition between the law firms. His thoughts on the subject shared Mr Mykhailo Ilyashev, Managing Partner at Ilyashev & Partners.  He urged colleagues to demonstrate solidarity and not to participate in rigged tenders to raise the prestige of the legal profession.

Speaking of values in the profession, Mr Alexander Hvoschynskyy, Legal Stratagency, drew attention to the impact on the minds of practitioners long-term commercial results of their activities. Lawyers have to accept their mission of serving people, act like they are a part of the intellectual elite, take collective self-benefit and long-term interests and act as a mediator of interests shaping public opinion. In turn, Mr Andriy Stelmashchuk, managing partner of “Vasil Kisil & Partners" shared his views on the legal business philosophy in the period of change. Finally, Mr Anatoly Amelin, co-founder of Ukrainian Institute for the Future, shared personal experiences of soul-run business. The moderator of the panel discussion was Mr Oleksiy Reznikov, Deputy Head of Kyiv City State Administration.

“Finally, I waited for the time when the problem of professional values and responsibilities of lawyers reached the level of public debate within the legal community. At one time (16 years ago), author initiating a training course for law students Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, I secretly dreamed that a time will come ... And he did it! I express my sincere appreciation for the intellectual and moral satisfaction of speeches the speakers of this panel!” - says a member of the UBA Supervisory Board Mr Volodymyr Sushchenko.

One of the key themes of the forum was the reform of the Bar and attorneys’ self-government. On the current state and prospects of reforming the profession delivered the UBA President Mr Denys Bugay.

“What is the buzz?” The ones to answer this questions were Mr Maxim Nefedov, Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine, Ms Agia Zahrebelska, state commissioner of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine, Ms Olena Nuzhnenko, director of the finance department of the Deposit Insurance Fund, Mr Markian Klyuchkovsky, partner at Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners Ukraine, Ms Irina Khymchak, partner at BeCentric and Mr Nazar Cherniavsky, partner at Sayenko Kharenko. The key topic of discussion was the participation of law firms in government procurement tenders for legal services.

In the afternoon, participants of the forum witnessed a frank interview with Mr Sergiy Koziakov, head of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine, conducted by Mr Oleg Makarov, Partner at Vasil Kisil and Partners. Most of the issues, first and foremost, concerned the course of formation of a new Supreme Court. We offer you a video interview, where you can find answers to many pressing questions (in Ukr).

The discussion, which contained a conflict of economic models, values and generations were skillfully mastered by Ms Irina Nikitina, a consultant on strategy and development, and Mr Sergey Sviriba, Managing Partner of Egorov, Puginsky, Afanasiev and Partners Ukraine. On opposite sides of the barricades of the economic models were Mr Glib Bondar, Partner at AVELLUM, and Mr Dmitry Gadomsky, CEO at Axon Partners with the participation of Mr Oleksandr Stepanovsky, managing partner at Stepanovsky, Papakul  & Partners. On the conflict of values were focused Mr Valentyn Zagariya, managing partner of Spenser & Kauffmann, and Ms Tatyana Gavrish, Managing Partner of ILF. The view from the side gave Ms Natalia Ulyanova, Partner at ICF Legal Service. The discussion on the conflict of generations involved Mr Alexander Minin, senior partner at KM Partners and Mr Vladimir Ryzhyy, President of Ryzhyy Law Office with Mr Dmitry Fedoruk, Partner at Redcliffe Partners.

The traditional session devoted to the discussing of the approaches to law firm management was painted with a new experience - backstage career beyond the legal business. Their experience, sometimes difficult and not always as expected shared Ms Anna Vronska, former Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology of Ukraine (2015 - 2016), and Mr Oleksiy Muraviov in the past - the judge and Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council of Justice. Their comments provided Mr Oleksiy Didkovskiy, managing partner of Asters Law Firm, and Mr Sergei Konnov, senior partner at Konnov & Sozanovsky attorneys at law. Besides, the technology of cooperation with the unusual angle presented a gestalt therapist Mr Evgeniy Medresh.

The Ukrainian Bar Association expresses its gratitude to the exclusive general partner of XIII Annual Legal Forum – Alekseev, Boyarchukov & Partners Law Firm for the support of the event.

PHOTOREPORT