You're reading: Top Lawyers: Adam Mycyk

Adam Mycyk - CMS Cameron McKenna

Managing partner
7 points

One colleague who named Adam Mycyk as his favorite lawyer in the Kyiv Post Top Lawyers survey praised his sharp mind, explaining that he “quickly understands a problem and implements some ingenious approaches to problem resolution.”

Mycyk joined CMS Cameron McKenna in Ukraine in 2007 after spending four years with Chadbourne & Parke. Overall, this Ukrainian-American has more than 15 years of experience working in Ukraine.

He has counseled multinationals and other foreign clients on privatizations, mergers and acquisitions and joint ventures with Ukrainian partners.

Mycyk’s main area of counsel is complex, cross-border commercial and financing transactions. It won’t be an exaggeration to say that, in Ukraine’s realities, any such deal requires no less than a heroic deed on behalf of a lawyer.

One of the most challenging and complex deals Mycyk has worked on was the 2010 purchase by food giant Nestle of Kharkiv-based Technocom, a leading Ukrainian producer of instant noodles sold under the popular Mivina brand.

This was the first big acquisition in Ukraine after the 2008-2009 financial crisis, which hit Ukraine hard and froze many plans for mergers and acquisitions. Its successful closure, for which Mycyk can be credited, signaled to the market that Ukraine was coming out of the crisis.

Speaking about other deals, Mycyk points out that he especially enjoys working with clients who are first timers on international transactions. “The role we play as a lawyer often expands into more of a commercial rather than legal adviser,” he said.

Working in Ukraine’s rough-and-tough legal environment, where one obvious drawback is widespread lack of respect for the rule of law, can be difficult for American-educated and born lawyers. But the CMS managing partner said there is always a bright side.

“Foreigners are often treated a bit better than their Ukrainian colleagues,” he said.