Sayenko Kharenko has been shortlisted for the Most Innovative Law Firm in Europe (headquartered outside the UK) at the Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Awards 2026
The nomination reflects work carried out under unprecedented conditions. Since 2022, Sayenko Kharenko has developed legal frameworks where none existed. It led Ukraine’s first preventive debt restructuring – a procedure with no domestic precedent. It created new enforcement models for distressed asset recovery, navigating simultaneous criminal seizure, sanctions exposure and parallel litigation. It significantly expanded its defence and dual-use capabilities, structuring investments and transactions in a sector that has undergone fundamental change since the invasion. Throughout, the firm maintained employment for colleagues on active military service, delivered pro bono legal education to veterans, and contributed to changes in Ukrainian criminal law through a landmark accountability case.
The FT Innovative Lawyers Awards recognise the most innovative legal work across Europe, assessing original legal solutions, previously unresolved challenges and measurable impact for clients and society. Winners will be announced at the FT Innovative Lawyers Awards ceremony 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 Chambers Global and Europe, Legal 500, IFLR1000, ITR World Rax, WTR 1000, and other leading international legal directories.
