About us
Sayenko Kharenko enjoys a global reputation
Vladimir Sayenko is a partner practising law since 1994, admitted in Ukraine and in the State of New York (USA).
Vladimir specialises in competition, M&A, corporate and securities law. He has extensive experience in supporting clients through the entire lifecycle of their business, from formation and day-to-day operational issues to major transactions and exits. Throughout his career, Vladimir has worked with clients across all major industry sectors, but his principal focus is on the financial services, energy, oil & gas, real estate, and media sectors.
Michael Kharenko is one of the most successful dealmakers in the region. For over two decades, he has been structuring major international investments and attracting capital to Ukraine. This has included some of the most innovative and complex deals in Ukraine’s history worth a total amount of over USD 50 billion.
Much of his work has an international element to it. He often works closely with key players in capital markets, multinational financial institutions, and top law firms worldwide. Among his clients are Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Barclays, BNP Paribas, Citigroup, Commerzbank, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, EBRD, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, ING Bank, J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Oschadbank, UBS, Ukreximbank, and the World Bank.
2004
On 9 August 2004, Vladimir Sayenko and Michael Kharenko establish Sayenko Kharenko, opening in a three-room office near the Central Election Commission of Ukraine.
Sayenko Kharenko doubles in size from six to 12 team members.
Sayenko Kharenko moves the office to its current location on Muzeyny Provulok. Sayenko Kharenko gains recognition from the leading international legal directories Chambers Global and The Legal 500 and achieves the first ever top rankings in Ukrainian legal directories – No. 1 in International Finance and Securities by Ukrainian Law Firms.
Sayenko Kharenko advises on the first Ukrainian securitization and handles the majority of cross-border debt capital markets transactions for a total volume of over USD 6.5 billion.The firm achieves its first top rankings in international legal directories - Band 1 in Banking and Finance by Chambers Global.
Sayenko Kharenko handles the first subordinated debt placements and restructuring by Ukrainian banks. The firm is named “Firm of the Year” in Ukraine" in three practices – M&A, Corporate, and Antitrust, by Legal Awards.
Sayenko Kharenko handles all Eurobonds by Ukrainian issuers.
Sayenko Kharenko acts on the first direct issue of Eurobond by a Ukrainian company and becomes No.1 by the number of completed M&A deals in Ukraine, according to Thomson Reuters, Mergermarket, Ukrainian Law Firms.
Sayenko Kharenko launches International Trade and International Arbitration practices and strengthens its Litigation practice. The firm advises JSC “The State Export-Import Bank of Ukraine” on the historic first-ever Eurobond issue denominated in the Ukrainian hryvnia. The same year, Sayenko Kharenko becomes the first-ever Ukrainian law firm named Law Firm of the Year by the IFLR European Awards.
Sayenko Kharenko expands to more than 100 team members and transforms from transactional and dispute resolution law firm to full-service law firm.
Sayenko Kharenko opens its first non-Ukrainian office in London, becoming one of the first Ukrainian law firms to establish an office outside the CIS region. The firm launches GR and Private Wealth Management practices.
Sayenko Kharenko strengthens its IP practice.
Sayenko Kharenko strengthens its Tax practice and collects three top professional excellence country awards: IFLR European Awards, Who's Who Legal Awards, and Chamber's Europe Awards for Excellence. One year later in 2016, Sayenko Kharenko becomes the only Ukrainian law firm to be top ranked by World Tax.
Sayenko Kharenko is recognised by The Financial Times (FT) among Europe’s most innovative law firms in the FT Innovative Lawyers Report.
Sayenko Kharenko establishes the Neworld Lab.
Sayenko Kharenko holds its first reception at IBA 2018 in Rome – Garden of Madness.
On the occasion of its 15th Anniversary, Sayenko Kharenko creates the quest museum " The Power of Signature," the first-ever quest museum in Ukraine and the largest CSR project in the history of the Ukrainian legal market. Sayenko Kharenko’s team becomes the most highly regarded team in Ukraine.
Sayenko Kharenko launches the virtual exhibition “The Power of Signature” and opens “The Power of Signature” exhibition at Boryspil International Airport.
Sayenko Kharenko is a leading Ukrainian law firm that serves over 2,000 clients from more than 60 countries around the globe.
Professional excellence
Sayenko Kharenko has received every international professional excellence award, including Law firm of the Year by The Lawyer European Awards; Most Innovative Law Firm for Ukraine by IFLR European Awards, Law Firm of the Year by Chambers Europe Awards, Law Firm of the Year: Ukraine by Who’s Who Legal, and has been recognised as one of the European most innovative law firms according to FT Innovative Lawyers Report by Financial Times.
Client-centric
Sayenko Kharenko has provided legal services to over 2,000 clients from more than 60 countries around the globe. We recognize that every client has unique business needs and tailor our services to best fit the individual profile of each and every client.
We are the firm of choice for the leading international corporations, including over 70 Fortune 500 companies (AbbVie, ADM, Citigroup, Coca-Cola, Comcast, Dell, DuPont, HP, Intel, Merck, Microsoft, Pepsi, Pfizer, Procter & Gamble, and others), and the world's top-tier investment banks (Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, UBS).
Business smart lawyers
We are a team of passionate, practical, open-minded, and bold professionals who strive to achieve excellence in everything we do.
We provide the best opportunities to our people for their development and personal satisfaction. We cherish a collaborative and diverse atmosphere, where people help and learn from each other.
We are open to experiments and continually looking for ways to improve our value proposition.
Facts
and figures
20
Partners
2000+
Сlients
from more than
60
Countries around the globe
100+
Times recognised as No. 1 law firm in key practice areas
270+
M&A transactions since 2004, with a USD
60bn+ aggregate M&A deals value to date
more than
100
Lawyers
30+
Times named “Best Law Firm in Ukraine” by the most prestigious professional excellence awards
60+
Arbitrations handled in over
10 jurisdictions worldwide
more than
70
Companies from Fortune 500
900+
Merger clearances obtained for our clients
all over the world in the last 10 years
80+
billion USD brought in Ukraine
as an investment through our work
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