Sayenko Kharenko has been shortlisted in two categories at the Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Awards Europe 2026: Innovative Lawyers in Disputes and Innovative Lawyers in Responsible Business.
Innovative Lawyers in Disputes: Five Barriers, One Framework
This shortlisting recognises Sayenko Kharenko’s work on one of Ukraine’s most complex distressed asset recovery projects – the Gulliver case. The firm designed and implemented a unified legal framework enabling the recovery of a major commercial asset despite the simultaneous application of criminal seizure, ARMA management, sanctions, preventive restructuring proceedings and parallel litigation. The approach established a practical model for navigating overlapping legal regimes in complex enforcement matters.
Innovative Lawyers in Responsible Business: Redefining Accountability for State-Perpetrated Violence in Ukraine
This shortlisting recognises an innovative approach to accountability for state-perpetrated violence in Ukraine. For the first time in this category of case in Ukraine, private counsel helped shape the evidentiary strategy supporting the state prosecution, working collaboratively with public institutions rather than in opposition to them. The project also introduced a novel investigative methodology and a deliberate public engagement strategy that sustained civic pressure for reform. The result extended beyond a successful judicial outcome, contributing to legislative change with impact well beyond the case itself.
The FT Innovative Lawyers Awards, organised by the Financial Times in partnership with RSGI, recognise the most innovative legal work across Europe. Unlike traditional legal rankings, the awards assess how lawyers develop original legal solutions, address previously unresolved challenges, and create measurable impact for clients, institutions, and society.
The winners will be announced at the FT Innovative Lawyers Awards Europe 2026 in London on 24 September 2026.
Sayenko Kharenko is a leading Ukrainian full-service law firm advising domestic and international clients on complex commercial, regulatory and dispute matters. The firm has been involved in many of Ukraine’s most significant cross-border transactions, financings, and disputes, and is consistently recognised by IFLR1000, Chambers Europe, Legal 500, Managing IP, IAM Patent 1000, and other leading international legal directories.
