The Ukrainian Bar Association invites you to participate in the XIX Forum "Legal services market development" in honor of Oleg Makarov — a leading platform for discussing current challenges, new trends, and prospects for the development of the legal business in Ukraine.

The forum is an annual meeting place for key market players, including law firm executives, lawyers, practice leaders, business development directors, representatives of the public sector, and the academic community.

Dates and venue:

May 14, 2025 — online (Zoom).

May 16, 2025 — Kyiv (for security reasons, the venue will be announced to all confirmed participants separately) / online (Zoom).

Event language: Ukrainian.

This year’s forum is dedicated to the memory of Oleg Makarov—the founder and ideological inspirer of this event, an outstanding Ukrainian lawyer, politician, and public figure who passed away on October 29, 2024, at the age of 59. His legacy remains deeply engraved in the hearts of colleagues and the entire legal community.

Oleg Makarov was not only the initiator of the forum but also played an active role in its organization for many years. He led the organizing committee and was a driving force behind its development. His contribution to shaping Ukraine’s modern legal market is invaluable. Thanks to his efforts, the forum has become an authoritative platform for discussing challenges and opportunities in the legal profession in Ukraine.

The forum’s program will cover key issues related to the development of the legal business, an analysis of the latest market trends, discussions on professional challenges, and practical case studies in legal business management.

Program*

May 14, 2025

Online (Zoom)

12:00 - 15:00 Round table: "Legal education vs Market: who benefits from a diploma?"

Co-moderators:

Anna Babych, Executive Partner AEQUO

Iryna Nikitina, Strategic Advisor of legal partnerships, Ideologist and Researcher of LegalTalents.Report

Key topics:

1.    Legal education and the reality of the labour market:

• To what extent do modern curricula meet the needs of law firms?
• Does the university have a market analysis and curriculum adaptation?
• Are there KPIs for graduate employment?

2.    The role of internships: a necessity or a substitute for education?

• Is the student a third party chooser? Student's interest and real needs?
• Why do students have to start internships long before graduation?
• How do law firms assess the level of students' training?
• Should universities influence the conditions of internships (payment, format, practical support)? What is the actual need for an internship (state standard)?

3.    Financing: who supports whom and why?

• Should law firms really not only teach but also finance universities?
• What models of cooperation between business and universities work abroad?
• Is there a mechanism for co-financing educational programmes that is beneficial to both parties?

4.    What should a graduate be like to make an employer happy?

• Attractiveness of a law firm as an employer?
• What hard and soft skills are mandatory for a modern lawyer?
• Are universities ready to adapt programmes to meet real demand?
• Can companies participate in the development of educational content?

Experts:

Denys Bugay, Co-Founding Partner VB Partners  

Anna Ogrenchuk, Managing Partner LCF Law Group

Mykola Stetsenko, President of the Ukrainian Bar Association, Managing Partner AVELLUM 

Olga Vorozhbyt, Partner Sayenko Kharenko

Svitlana Khyliuk, Dean of the UCU School of Law

May 16, 2025

Kyiv / Online (Zoom)

09:30 - 10:00 Participant registration & Welcome coffee

10:00 - 10:20 Opening remarks

Mykola Stetsenko, President of the Ukrainian Bar Association, Managing Partner AVELLUM

Andriy Stelmashchuk, Managing Partner Vasil Kisil & Partners

10:20 - 10:40 Keynote speech. Challenges for lawyers today and tomorrow: state of the art and a look to the future

Mykola Stetsenko, President of the Ukrainian Bar Association, Managing Partner AVELLUM

10:40 - 12:00 Session 1. New realities – transformations, trends, challenges

Moderator:

Denys Bugay, Co-Founding Partner VB Partners    

Key topics:

1. Shifting practice areas – what is growing, what is fading, and where to invest resources
2. Legal market reset – who dictates the rules and how to stay relevant
3. Legal market research – a valuable tool for decision-making or just a formality?
4. AI and Legal Tech – how technology is opening new opportunities for legal businesses
5. Market transparency – why is it lacking even among top players, and how to change that?

Experts:

Oleksiy Didkovskiy, Co-Managing Partner Asters

Andriy Stelmashchuk, Managing Partner Vasil Kisil & Partners

12:00 - 12:40 Coffee break

12:40 - 13:30 Session 2. Partnership of the new time

Moderator:

Armen Khachaturyan, Senior Partner Asters

Key topics:

1. How to build effective partnerships in today's realities
2. Proven partnership models and new approaches
3. The evolution of partner relationships – from traditional structures to flexible formats
4. Innovative partnership models reshaping the legal market
5. Next-gen partners – who is shaping the future of the legal business?
6. New leadership styles, personal branding, and the role of media presence

Experts:

Olga Prosyanyuk, Managing Partner AVER LEX

13:30 - 14:30 Lunch break

14:30 - 15:50 Session 3. Clients: new challenges, new opportunities

Moderator:

Illya Tkachuk, Senior Partner INTEGRITES

Key topics:

1. The future of legal practices – a retrospective of 2022 vs. today
2. "Booming practices" – how WCC and Sanctions went mainstream
3. Sanctions & WCC – a gold rush or a hidden trap?
4. AI solutions transforming client service in the legal industry
5. Choosing external advisors in wartime – how selection criteria have changed
6. Budget size vs. efficiency – finding the golden balance
7. Communication with legal departments – how to avoid conflicts while standing your ground
8. Where to find new clients? Key trends and effective strategies
9. What do clients truly value? Expectations and new industry standards
10. Legal rankings in Ukraine – are we witnessing the emergence of new evaluation standards?

15:50 - 16:30 Coffee Break

16:30 - 17:50 Session 4. The legal team – talent wars & new development models

Moderator:

To be confirmed

Key topics:

1. Talent crisis – where to find future lawyers, talent competition, and new career dynamics
2. The next generation of lawyers – what do they expect from employers?
3. Legal HR strategies – new career models, talent retention, and attracting top professionals
4. Rethinking retention – it's not always about talent
5. Workforce shortage – can the legal market influence the situation?
6. AI for HR – how AI solutions are transforming talent management
7. AI agents in the legal industry – automation at a new level
8. Hybrid and cross-border work challenges
9. Corporate training insights from market leaders – what actually works?
10. Team identity as a strategic competitive advantage

17:50 - 20:00 Evening reception & Networking

*Please note: the program is still being finalized and may be subject to changes or updates.

We are grateful for their support in organizing the event:

General Partners:

AVELLUM

Vasil Kisil and Partners

Partner:

AVER LEX

Partner of the evening reception:

VB Partners

Session Partners:

Asters

INTEGRITES

LCF Law Group

We invite all colleagues to join the event to honor the memory of Oleg Makarov and continue his mission, contributing to the further development of Ukraine’s legal market.

Registration is required to participate in the event.

Dear UBA members, in order to apply the price determined for UBA members, we ask you to log in to the website before registering for the event.

Participation is considered confirmed after payment of the registration fee.

The organizers reserve the right to close registration once the maximum number of participants is reached.

For additional information regarding the event, speaking opportunities, or partnership possibilities, please contact the organizers at:
phone: +38 (063) 792-30-99 (calls via WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber)
e-mail: tosaulenko@uba.ua (Contact person: Tetiana Osaulenko).

For media accreditation, please e-mail: pr@uba.ua (Contact person: Dmytro Cheretun).

How it was last time: