CEE Legal Matters has announced the shortlist for the 2025 CEE Deals of the Year Awards, with three Sayenko Kharenko transactions making the prestigious list. The recognition highlights the firm’s ability to structure and execute Ukraine’s most complex, high-stakes business transactions.
The shortlisted deals span capital markets innovation, sovereign financing, and strategic M&A – each demonstrating how sophisticated legal counsel unlocks opportunity in challenging environments:
Ukraine’s First NASDAQ Listing: Kyivstar Group
Sayenko Kharenko served as sole Ukrainian legal advisor on Kyivstar’s groundbreaking NASDAQ listing through a SPAC business combination – the first transaction of its kind for any Ukrainian company. The deal brought Ukraine’s leading telecommunications and digital services provider to the world’s premier technology exchange.
CAD 5 billion G7 ERA Loan to Ukraine
As Ukrainian legal counsel to the Government of Canada, Sayenko Kharenko helped structure a CAD 5 billion, 30-year loan under the G7 Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) initiative. The innovative financing uses future revenues from immobilised russian sovereign assets for repayment – part of approximately USD 50 billion in G7 support for Ukraine.
Kyivstar’s Acquisition of Uklon
Sayenko Kharenko advised Ukraine’s largest digital operator on the acquisition of a 97% stake in Uklon, one of the country’s leading ride-hailing platforms. The transaction united two Ukrainian tech success stories, creating enhanced digital services for millions of users and strengthening the country’s digital infrastructure.
The final winners will be announced at the CEE Deal of the Year Banquet on 27 May 2026, in Bucharest.
About the CEE Deals of the Year Awards
Since 2017, CEE Legal Matters has honored the most significant transactions in Central and Eastern Europe. Sayenko Kharenko partner Igor Lozenko was a member of the jury that selected deals for the 2025 shortlist. Final winners will be determined by a 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗲.
About Sayenko Kharenko
Sayenko Kharenko is a leading Ukrainian law firm with an internationally oriented full-service practice. Founded in 2004, we are currently among the two largest law firms in the country, with 21 partners and more than 100 lawyers.
