INTEGRITES announces promotion of two Dispute Resolution experts – Serhii Uvarov, Counsel at Cross-Border Litigation and International Arbitration, to Partner and Krystyna Khripkova, Senior Associate at International Arbitration, to Counsel effective from April 2021. With Serhii joining the leadership board, the number of partners at INTEGRITES in Ukraine has grown to 12. Krystyna becomes the 5th counsel in the firm.
Professional experience
Serhii Uvarov focuses on the areas of commercial and investment arbitration, arbitration-related litigation and cross-border commercial litigation. He has been involved in arbitral proceedings under LCIA, SCC, ICC, UNCITRAL, SIAC, JAMS, LMAA, ICAC at CCI of the Russian Federation and ICAC at UCCI Arbitration Rules. Serhii has significant experience of representing interests of the state-owned companies as well as international investors into the renewable energy sector of Ukraine.
Among prominent cases where Serhii Uvarov acts as a Ukrainian law counsel is the investment arbitration initiated by NPC Ukrenergo against Russia. The case concerns the expropriation of the power grid, related infrastructure and other property of the client by the Russian authorities following the annexation of the Crimea in 2014. Serhii also represented interests of the leading foreign investor into Ukraine’s renewables, NBT AS (Norway), and its Ukrainian subsidiary SyvashEnergoProm in the Ukrainian court proceedings. The matter aimed at overcoming renewables market disruption caused by various court proceedings in Ukraine that prevented compensation of the feed-in tariff to the clean power producers in June-August 2019.
Krystyna Khripkova joined INTEGRITES in 2017 as Senior Associate after practicing in the leading international law firms including the London-based office. Her focus is international commercial and investment arbitration and cross-border commercial litigation. She is experienced in both institutional and ad hoc arbitrations (under ICSID, ICC, LCIA, SCC, SCAI, GAFTA, UNCITRAL and ICAC at the UCCI rules) seated in common and civil law jurisdictions. Krystyna also acts for clients in setting-aside as well as enforcement proceedings before the Ukrainian courts. Her international arbitration practice spans a wide range of industries, including banking and finance, energy and natural resources, agriculture and international trade.
Krystyna has been involved in a number of complex projects led by the International Arbitration practice of the firm. Among the most significant ones was representing the leading Ukrainian steel producer in the LCIA multi-party arbitration dispute with more than USD 400 million at stake and in the ICC arbitration dispute under a loan facility agreement with more than USD 180 million at stake. She also was part of the team representing SE “Ukrkhimtransamiak” in the USD 190 mln ICAC arbitration regarding the ammonia transit tariff revision.
Service to arbitration community
Apart from their legal work, both Serhii and Krystyna have been active members of the Ukrainian arbitration community. Serhii Uvarov has been serving as Secretary General of the Ukrainian Arbitration Association (UAA). He is also the Co-chair of the UAA’s working group conducting comprehensive analysis of the Ukrainian court practice related to the recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards since 2006.
Krystyna is an active member of the UAA, as well as its working group on developing amendments to the Ukrainian arbitration-related regulations. Since the appointment in February 2020, she has been serving as the LCIA Young International Arbitration Group (YIAG) Regional Representative for CIS. Krystyna is also the main contact person of INTEGRITES in Brussels where she develops the firm’s professional network and fosters relationships with clients.
Serhii and Krystyna lecture to law students participating in i-Talents, the annual course at INTEGRITES, and speak at international and local arbitration-related events, including at the UAA’s Arbitration School.
Growing international recognition
The expertise of Serhii and Krystyna is proved by the reputable international legal rankings. In 2021 Serhii enters the list of ranked practitioners in Chambers Global/Europe as “Up and Coming” for Dispute Resolution. In 2020 the Legal500 EMEA ranks Serhii as Rising star in Dispute Resolution mentioning that ‘Serhii Uvarov is definitely a rising star who is involved in both litigation and arbitration. He is a name to remember.’
Both are ranked by the Best Lawyers – Krystyna for International Arbitration and Serhii for Arbitration and Mediation, International Arbitration, and Litigation. Notably, they are 2 out of 12 legal experts ranked in Ukraine in the domain of Arbitration by Who’s Who Legal 2021.
Managing Partner, Dr. Oleksiy Feliv: “Having joined us three years ago, Serhii and Krystyna quickly became part of INTEGRITES family, sharing its values and delivering client service of the highest quality. Now with four Dispute Resolution partners – Serhii Uvarov, Olena Perepelynska, Dmytro Marchukov and Oleksandr Onishchenko, and a talented Counsel Krystyna Khripkova, INTEGRITES will be able to handle the most complex and large-scale disputes. Happy to welcome Serhii and Krystyna in their new roles and wish them more challenging projects to come”.
