Kyiv, Ukraine, 13 August, 2026 – Baker McKenzie's Kyiv office acted as legal counsel to VARUS supermarket chain in connection with the signing and closing of its acquisition of KOLO, a leading Ukrainian convenience retail operator. The signing and closing of the transaction took place on 4 August 2026. Following completion of the transaction, the combined network comprises 374 stores and employs more than 9,000 people.
The acquisition of KOLO further advances VARUS' market expansion strategy. As part of this strategy, VARUS intends to combine KOLO's unique expertise in the convenience store segment with VARUS' scale and capabilities in procurement, marketing and IT.
Baker McKenzie advised VARUS on the memorandum of cooperation and provided comprehensive legal support throughout the preparation of the transaction documentation, signing and closing of the transaction.
The Baker McKenzie team was led by Alyona Bon, Counsel in the Corporate and M&A Practice Group, under the overall supervision of Viacheslav Yakymchuk, Partner. Associate Oleksandr Savvi played a key role in the successful completion of the transaction, with support from Associate Yuliia Seredynska.
Commenting on the transaction, Maryna Panina, CFO of VARUS supermarket chain, said: "In complex M&A transactions, it is particularly important for us to work with legal counsel that not only has a strong command of the legal aspects of a deal but also understands its underlying business rationale and helps identify practical solutions that keep the transaction moving forward. The Baker McKenzie team demonstrated exactly this approach, combining outstanding legal expertise, a strong commercial mindset and the ability to effectively navigate complex issues throughout an intensive negotiation process. We highly value this collaboration and greatly appreciate the professionalism of the team that supported us throughout the transaction."
About VARUS
VARUS is one of Ukraine's leading grocery retail chains, operating across multiple retail formats, including traditional supermarkets, the To Go format, e-commerce, private-label products and digital services. The company opened its first store in Dnipro in 2003 and today operates 120 supermarkets across Ukraine. https://varus.ua/
About KOLO
KOLO is a Ukrainian convenience store chain operated by Aretail LLC. The chain operates 254 stores with a combined retail space of more than 17,000 sq. m. across Kyiv, Kyiv region, Odesa and Odesa region. The company employs more than 1,100 people and serves more than 70,000 customers daily. https://kolomarket.com.ua/
About Baker McKenzie
A transactional powerhouse with more than 2,500 deal lawyers in over 40 jurisdictions, Baker McKenzie is a market leader in cross-border and global reorganization transactions, planning, managing and implementing multibillion dollar complex M&A, spin-off, post-acquisition integration and similar projects across numerous jurisdictions. Located in financial centers and emerging markets, the seasoned transactional team provides seamless counsel through local excellence, deep sector knowledge, commercial acumen and refined transactional techniques to maximize deal certainty and deliver maximum value to clients. www.bakermckenzie.com/ukraine
