A professional lawyer lecturing on German and Ukrainian law.
Wolfram Rehbock, attorney at law and partner at Arzinger&Partners law firm, entered the meeting room with a large smile and some minutes later was eagerly sharing his experiences of living in Kyiv. After St. Petersburg, the Ukrainian capital is the second place where he has experienced the life of an expatriate. As Wolfram remarked, he had no problem getting used to the Ukrainian way of life after the one year he spent in Russia.
“When I came to Ukraine it was some kind of deja vu. Ukrainians would say that there’s a big difference between Ukrainians and Russians, but for me it’s almost the same culture and mentality,” he said.
Wolfram became familiar with the law system in post-Soviet countries back in his native Germany, while working at the Russian desk of Arzinger&Partners. In the Kyiv office, Wolfram heads the German desk and communicates with German businessmen who work in Ukraine and are establishing companies here.
Maintaining Western business standards in the Ukrainian office is one of his primary activities. “Young Ukrainian lawyers start working on a case given by a foreign client, but it happens so that they don’t communicate with a client during the entire two years of the ongoing case,” Wolfrom explained.
“We have a more service-oriented business, and all the time I ask my Ukrainian colleagues to speak with the clients, ask for more information.”
In addition to his work in the office, Wolfram occupies himself at the National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy and the German Embassy, where he gives lectures on German law. “Law students and young lawyers, even the best ones, do not know from which point to start; they have no scheme in their heads for approaching a legal problem,” Wolfram said.
Wolfram is also chairman of the Society of German and Ukrainian Lawyers, that held a meeting last December with the delegation of the EU Commission to Ukraine. They lectured students and professionals on competencies of various EU-bodies under the new EU-contract.
Through his lectures, Wolfram aims to explain the basic principles of case managing to local specialists. Moreover, during his short visits to Germany, Wolfram not only talks to potential clients, but also reads lectures on Ukrainian law at the Chamber of Commerce in Germany – giving “PR for Ukraine free of charge,” he noted, laughing.
With such a busy schedule Wolfram doesn’t find much time for his numerous hobbies, yet once in a while he plays soccer, which he started playing in school. His other passions are following political issues and meeting new people.
He praises Ukraine’s famed hospitality. “In Odesa I went to a wedding ceremony with my partner, and all the other guests were total strangers to me,” he recalled.
“Yet the hosts made me comfortable, as if I was a family member. In Germany you wouldn’t encounter such a trait,” Wolfram said emphatically.
Another of Wolfram’s bright impressions of Ukraine is how everyone, even people with meager incomes, do everything “with smiles on their faces.” At that he recalled a conversation with a taxi driver, who, notwithstanding a harsh material situation, told funny stories during the entire ride and gave Wolfram the impression of a lucky guy. “In Germany, if people undergo such difficulties, they have a corresponding mood,” he added.
As an active person, Wolfram certainly is fond of constant changes, both in his daily routine and free time. This he named as a reason for not having any favorite hang out places.
“I used to go to some expat beer bars, but I’ve changed places so many times already because it’s not interesting for me to be there permanently,” he said.
As our conversation touched upon pubs, Wolfram destroyed the myth that Germans cannot live without German beer. “I’ve never heard Germans complain about the quality of Ukrainian beer. What I really miss is red wine that is much cheaper in Germany than the one imported to Ukraine,” he said.
Wolfram’s family remains in Berlin, unlike most expats in Kyiv. His wife, who is originally from Russia, decided to stay in Germany with the kids.
“The environmental and living conditions in Germany are far better of course. Moreover, for lower living conditions here you have to pay more,” Wolfram said, noting that “it would also be difficult to find a good German school for kids in Kyiv.” In any case, being a partner at his company makes it easier for Wolfram to decide how much time to spend in Ukraine, as he doesn’t have a contract that expires or needs to be prolonged.
