Kyiv Post's Best of Kyiv 2010: Baker & McKenzie
Started by Ukrainian-American John Hewko in 1992, the Kyiv law office of Baker & McKenzie can claim to be the first international law firm to enter Ukraine. It also took first place for the second year in a row as Kyiv’s best law firm.
“Since coming to Ukraine in 1992 we have been committed to being the best Ukrainian counsel to our international clients and the best international counsel to our Ukrainian clients,” said Serhiy Chorny, co-managing partner at Baker & McKenzie’sKyiv office. “Our lawyers are trained to provide creative yet robust solutions to the many issues which our clients face in Ukraine or when going international.”
Chorny has been practicing law at Baker & McKenzie since 1993 and became a partner in 1998. He said the law firm has shifted focus lately to working with mid-sized companies and on smaller-scale projects.
Today, Baker & McKenzie counts 550 clients in Ukraine, up from 350 in 2009.
“We’re involved in mergers and acquisitions, where we saw significant growth in 2010,” Chorny said. “We’re serving smaller companies more, especially mid-size companies who are targeting international capital markets, mostly in Warsaw.”
This year, for example, Baker & McKenzie already has five initial public offering projects in the pipeline, Chorny said.
The law firm services such heavyweights as Metinvest, ING Bank Ukraine, ArcelorMittal Kryvy Rih and state-owned fixed line operator Ukrtelecom, among others.
Globally the law firm saw revenue grow in 2010, but not for Ukraine, although it still made a profit, Chorny said.
The majority of Baker & McKenzie’s Ukrainian professional staff were educated in the United States or Great Britain, giving the firm a combination of local know-how and international acumen. And it shows in the rankings.
Baker & McKenzie
Renaissance Business Center
24 Vorovskoho St.,
+38 044 590-0101
