More than the Reach of Messages

Commenting on the rapid growth of the communication market and related services, Yaroslav Teklyuk, an associate of Vasil Kisil & Partners, said: “In Ukraine the development of markets and telecommunications market too is restrained by the discrepancy between the market level and the level of the legislation in force. According to the State department of Communications and Informatization of Ukraine, one of the priority sectors of state telecommunication policy is development of the national segment of Internet and related services. In this situation we can reasonably expect the regulatory bodies to make efforts to regulate this market sector in the manner most favorable for its participants to facilitate its growth.” Helen Kryshtalowych, partner of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, stresses that the hottest areas remain the same: mobile and IP-based services. “The Ukrainian mobile communications market is highly competitive and is shared between several mobile operators, although we are also seeing consolidation among mobile operators. Unlike mobile communication services, except for IP telephony services, other IP-based services are not licensed in Ukraine. As a result, there are more than 500 Internet Service Providers and the market is booming at present.

Konnov & Sozanovsky attorneys at law are highly reputable in the communications area and conducted legal due diligence of the largest internet provider in Kiev, Industrial Media Network (IPNET). The firm’s lawyers advised on the closing deliverables of the transaction (loan agreement, share purchase agreement) connected with the acquisition of a controlling share of this provider by the Russian communication company FTH Corvette-Telecom Limited. The project was lead by partner Borys Lobovyk. Victor Mirsky and Sergei Sozanovsky also received excellent references in the poll.

Shevchenko Didkovskiy & Partners’ telecom practice group headed by Oleksiy Didkovskiy has extensive experience in the areas of mobile and fixed communications, satellite services, virtual private networks, Internet and IP-telephony. The firm handled a number of matters related to the development of the Internet industry in Ukraine, including establishment of the Internet Association of Ukraine as one of its founders. Some of the firm’s telecommunication clients include Global TeleSystems Group Inc, MCI WorldCom, Telenor ASA, Alcatel Business Systems, TeliaSonera International Carrier AB, iWon Inc, Quantitude, NTT, Linx Telecommunications and NTV Plus.

The Kiev Legal Company focuses its activity on the telecommunications area. In 2007 the Kiev Legal Company carried out legal support in acquisition of TV Channels K 1, K 2, Megasport by Ukrainian Media Project; represented Ukrainian independent TV corporation in litigations concerning copyright infringement. The lawyer team consists of Nataliya Nesmiyan, Kateryna Pospyelova, Valery Simchuk, Olga Zayoma, Iryna Bondarenko and Inna Filipova.

The Spenser & Kauffmann law firm and its partner Tatiana Daniltseva have extensive experience of providing legal support to acquisition of regional operators and telecom providers for investment fund PPF Investments.

Volkov & Partners’ area of practice includes communications. In 2007 the firm successfully represented PAN-TELECOM in court in a dispute with the National Commission for Communication Regulations on the issue of obtaining a license for use of radio frequency resource. Partner Ihor Martsyn and senior associate Olga Galaka handle communication related projects.

DLA Piper Ukraine is now acting on behalf of a private equity investment firm which concentrates mainly on media and telecommunications in the acquisition of a stake in a Ukrainian business. The team recently acted for VeriSign regarding the set up of Ukrainian business in the forms of LLC and representative office. Managing partner Margarita Karpenko and senior associate Natalia Pakhomovska come recommended. The team, led by Oleksandr Kurdydyk, acted for a Ukrainian communication equipment and mobile content provider on pre-IPO restructuring worldwide.

The telecommunications practice of Magister & Partners is extremely varied due to distinctive understanding of telecom sector players — mobile and fixed line operators, internet service providers and software companies.

The Silecky Firm affiliated with Squire, Sanders & Dempsey legal team has helped to create several new wireless and mobile telephone companies and assisted in the acquisition of significant stakes in leading Ukrainian GSM operators by foreign conglomerates. It also advised foreign investors on providing VOIP services in Ukraine. Helen Kryshtalowych, partner of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, and Denys Dzyk, associate, The Silecky Firm, are the main practitioners for related advice.

The technology, media and telecommunications practice of the Kiev office of CMS Cameron McKenna combines lawyers who have sophisticated experience of the Ukrainian telecommunications, IT, media and technology law areas and are fully familiar with the respective industries with the expectations of companies operating in those industries. The scope of experience ranges from all kinds of legal support in regulatory issues, including telecommunications licenses preparation and further negotiating as well as representation of the clients in the state regulatory authorities, inter-operators telecommunications agreement, including roaming agreements, legal expertise in the sphere of TV, including digital, and mass media, to the acquisition of telecommunications, media and technologies companies, sale and purchase of telecommunications and IT facilities, etc. Olexander Martinenko, Christina Maciw and Olga Belyakova are engaged in the firm’s projects in this particular area of practice.

In 2007 Arzinger & Partners advised a client on establishing a national holding in cable television. Partners Inna Laska and Sergey Shklyar are involved in legal work in the communications field.

Grischenko & Partners is engaged in legal consultation in telecommunications law. The firm’s experts draft telecommunications contracts, give general advice and accompany registration of telecommunications activity of companies with the appropriate Ukrainian authorities. Dmitri Grischenko and Sergei Voitovich represent the firm’s practice.

Gvozdiy & Oberkovych attorneys at law combine experience of telecom and IP practice. Managing partner Valentyn Gvozdiy led corresponding projects. For example, the firm provided legal support of the project Lady Life :) launched by prominent mobile operator Astelit.

Communications is the fastest-growing business field of Integrites. In connection with handling different projects, experts of the communications group headed by Boris Velichko focused on the following areas: preparation and implementation of Ukrainian and international mergers, cooperative arrangements, and other affiliations in the telecom and IT sectors, etc. Ilyashev & Partners are known for resonant litigation between Telenor and Storm over control of the biggest mobile operator in Ukraine, Kyivstar G.S.M.

Varlamov & Partners is a widely recognized legal player in the telecom sector. Its head, Maxim Varlamov, is highly regarded for his professional performance, as is Tatiana Smirnova.

Vasil Kisil & Partners, especially Yaroslav Teklyuk, and the Odessa-based ANK law firm with Andrey Selyutin were named as experts in the researched field.