Vladimir Sayenko is a partner practicing law since 1994, admitted in Ukraine and in the State of New York (USA). He specializes in mergers & acquisitions, corporate, competition and securities law. He has advised extensively in the financial, energy, oil & gas, real estate and media sectors.
Prior to joining Sayenko Kharenko, Vladimir worked for a leading western law firm operating in Ukraine, where he represented major multinational corporations, financial institutions, and other investors for more than ten years. For a number of years he acted as an advisor to the Ukrainian Parliamentary Committee on the Freedom of Speech and Information.
Recognition:
- named Corporate Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers International 2016;
- named the "Best Competition Lawyer" in Ukraine by Ukrainian Legal Awards 2016, conducted by Yuridicheskaya Practika Publishing House;
- named among the leading Antitrust lawyers for Ukraine by Chambers Europe 2016;
- named among the leading corporate and M&A lawyers for Ukraine by Chambers Global 2016, Chambers Europe 2016, The Legal 500, 2016, Best Lawyers International 2017;
- recognized among top three in Corporate and M&A and Antitrust according to Ukrainian Law Firms 2016 by Yuridicheskaya Practika;
- named among notable practitioners in Energy and Natural Resources law according to Ukrainian Law Firms 2016 by Yuridicheskaya Practika;
- recognized the "Best M&A Lawyer" for Ukraine by Kyiv Post Best Lawyers research;
- listed among Top 25 Lawyers in Ukraine by Yuridicheskaya Practika Publishing House;
- ranked among top five Best Top Managers on the Ukrainian legal market, according to the annual research "TOP-100. Best Top-Managers of Ukraine" published by Economica Publishing House; and
- recommended for Ukraine by Best Lawyers International, IFLR 1000, Expert Guides, Who's Who of Competition Lawyers, and PLC Which Lawyer?.
Education:
- LL.D. in Securities Law from Kiev Taras Shevchenko University Law Department;
- LL.M. in Transnational Business Practice from McGeorge School of Law (Muskie Fellow);
- LL.B., summa cum laude, from Kiev Taras Shevchenko University Law Department (joint degree with Diploma in English translation from the Department of Foreign Languages);
- Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg;
- University of Michigan.
Membership in professional associations:
- Member of the Public Council with the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine;
- Member of the Non-commercial Partnership "Supporting Competition in the CIS countries";
- Board Member and International Relations Officer at the Ukrainian Bar Association;
- Member of the International Bar Association;
- Member of the Executive Committee of the British-Ukrainian Law Association.
Selected experience:
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advising on Ukrainian law aspects of benchmark cross-border M&A transactions involving Ukrainian companies, such as the acquisition of Unimilk CIS operations by Danone, the acquisition of Cadbury by Kraft Foods, and the merger of Alpha bank and Eurobank, as well as numerous Ukrainian M&A deals, including the acquisition of Kolos by Glencore, the acquisition of gypsum and plasterboard subsidiaries of Lafarge by Etex Group, acquisition by Abris Capital Partners of 17 retail stores from Roveks, acquisition of XXI Century, sale of Ukrros to Kernel, sale of Allseeds to Kernel, sale of KP Media, sale of Fortis Life Insurance Ukraine to Horizon Capital, sale of Central European Media Enterprises Ltd to Harley Trading Limited, acquisition by TUI Travel of Voyage Kiev and Galopom po Evropam, acquisition by Evraz of five metallurgy plants in Ukraine, sale of Volia Cable to Providence, and sale of Sandora to PepsiAmericas and PepsiCo;
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handling M&A transactions involving over a dozen Ukrainian banks, including the acquisition by Sberbank of Volksbank, acquisition by First Ukrainian International Bank of Renaissance Credit Bank, acquisition by Platinum Bank of Home Credit Bank, sale by Platinum Bank of Vostok Bank, acquisition by Alpha Bank of Astra Bank, acquisition by Societe Generale of Ikar Bank, and acquisition by Piraeus Bank of International Commerce Bank;
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private placements by Nadra Bank and Creativ Group;
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advising bidders in the privatizations of Kryvorizhstal, KGOKOR, Odessa Port Plant and regional electricity distribution companies;
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advising on Ukrainian law issues and providing expert opinions in connection with arbitration and court proceedings taking place abroad, including in connection with Football Club Dynamo-Kyiv, Podil-Plaza Business Center, Nadra Bank, Antonov aircrafts arrested in Canada and Belgium;
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advising major corporations, such as Apple, Beam, Coca-Cola, Dyckerhoff, Henkel, and Philip Morris, on Ukrainian competition law issues, including development trainings and compliance programs, conducting mock down raids, etc;
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representing multinationals in various investigations and proceedings at the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine, including Amadeus, Coca-Cola, Dyckerhoff, TNK-BP, Visa and Western Union;
- merger clearance for numerous mergers and acquisitions in the agricultural, electricity, food processing, insurance and shipbuilding industries, including for Alpha Bank, Arcapita, Cadbury, Central European Media Enterprises, Citibank, Comcast, Evraz, First Data Corporation, Generali, Goldman Sachs, Hewlett Packard, Itron Inc, Japan Tobacco, LBO France, Metalloinvest, Monsanto, Philips, Porsche, Renaissance Capital, Sberbank, Severstal, Société Générale, TNK-BP, and Thyssenkrupp.