Ukrainian law firm ADER HABER is strategically expanding its financial sector expertise by announcing the launch of its comprehensive Banking & Finance, Capital Markets & Insurance practice. The practice will be headed by Ihor Olekhov, one of the most prominent banking and finance lawyers in both Ukrainian and international markets, who joins the firm as a Partner. Joining the team alongside him as Senior Counsel is Maksym Hlotov.
Ihor Olekhov’s career spans over 27 years of advising on the most complex, high-value financial transactions. For more than two decades, he led the Banking & Finance practice at the international law firm Baker McKenzie, and subsequently headed the same practice at CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang. Most recently, he served as a Senior Partner at Altitude Strategy Partners and as a Strategic Advisor to Piraeus Bank ICB. He completed his initial legal education in Ukraine, subsequently earning an LL.M. from the University of Edinburgh, a Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) from the College of Law, and completing executive education programs at the London School of Economics (LSE) and Harvard University.
Maksym Hlotov, who joins the firm alongside Ihor, brings over 15 years of experience in the financial services and FinTech sectors. Prior to joining ADER HABER, he served as Senior Counsel, Regulatory (acting lead for the EEMEA region) at Mastercard Europe S.A. and established and led the FinTech & Digitalization sub-practice in the Kyiv office of Baker McKenzie.
The team’s extensive track record includes landmark transactions that have directly shaped the landscape of the Ukrainian financial system, including, among others, (i) advising Credit Agricole on its acquisition of Bank Lviv (2026), (ii) structuring a €350 million European Investment Bank (EIB) loan to Naftogaz, (iii) coordinating the complex restructuring of Ukrenergo’s $825 million sustainability-linked bonds.
The team has long-standing, close working relationships with key international financial institutions (IFIs), which are essential to major financing projects in Ukraine today: the EBRD, IFC, EIB, Poland's BGK and KUKE, Korea's KEXIM, Germany's KfW, and the BSTDB. Specifically, they have worked with the EBRD on bank capitalization projects and squeeze-out transactions; with the IFC on establishment of the energy efficiency fund and financing energy sector companies; and with the EIB on infrastructure credit lines, including €50 million in financing for Unit Holdings.
In addition to his transactional experience, the head of the practice directly influences the evolution of the country’s financial legislation. For over 13 years, Ihor Olekhov has served as the Co-Chairman of the Banking & Financial Services Committee of AmCham Ukraine and previously chaired the Legal Committee of the EBA, actively shaping the regulatory landscape alongside the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU), the National Securities and Stock Market Commission (NSSMC), and key market stakeholders.
"The Ukrainian banking and financial sector is currently navigating a unique historical milestone — marked by the revival of lending, a major influx of capital for reconstruction, and systemic integration with European rules of the game. Our goal is to ensure our clients navigate these transformations not with caution, but by staying ahead of the curve," comments Ihor Olekhov.
The new practice at ADER HABER will offer comprehensive legal advisory services to international financial organizations, banks, insurance companies, investment funds, fintech platforms, and corporate borrowers. Key areas of expertise include:
- Cross-border, syndicated, project, and aircraft finance
- Eurobond issuances and derivatives structuring
- M&A in the financial and insurance sectors
- War risk insurance and reinsurance models
- Licensing, foreign exchange regulations, and compliance
- AML compliance and sanctions risk management
- Debt restructuring and insolvent workout scenarios
- Launching innovative FinTech initiatives ranging from payment systems to embedded finance and BaaS
