On 14 July 2025, the newly elected Board of the Ukrainian Bar Association convened online to discuss strategic and current issues related to the development of the UBA.

The first item on the agenda was a proposal by Mykola Stetsenko, UBA President and Managing Partner at AVELLUM, to appoint Ivan Horodyskyy, Managing Partner at Dexis Partners, as UBA Vice President. The Board members unanimously supported the nomination, demonstrating their commitment to unified and coordinated work.

Another key topic of discussion was the allocation of responsibilities among individual Board members. Participants actively shared their ideas regarding strategic objectives, aiming to align their professional expertise with the needs of the legal community. A final decision on this matter has not yet been made, as discussions are ongoing to define the most effective roles within the UBA Board team.

Equally pressing was the joint report by Mykola Stetsenko, Denys Buhai, Chair of the UBA Attorneys’ Section and Founding Partner at VB PARTNERS, and Ivan Horodyskyy on the status of the legal profession reform. They reiterated that updating the statute and improving regulatory mechanisms remain key priorities for the Association.

A new concept for the UBA’s key events was presented by Anna Babych, Managing Partner at Aequo. The proposed approach introduces a clear matrix for categorizing events (flagship, sectoral/regional, and niche forums), sets specific KPIs for organizing committees and the Secretariat, and implements a modular hybrid format with the involvement of international speakers. Under the new framework, each event will have defined targets for attendance, profitability, content quality, and participant satisfaction. This is expected to enhance the professional caliber of the events, broaden their audience, and ensure financial self-sufficiency.

Illia Kostin, a serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, raised the issue of whether the UBA should publicly voice a position regarding law firms’ cooperation with individuals linked to the aggressor state.

It is worth noting that a similar statement was issued back in 2022, successfully uniting legal firms, but the matter remains relevant today.

Kateryna Pyshchyk, UBA’s Project Management Adviser, briefed Board members on previous approaches to forming nomination committees for the “For Honour and Professional Integrity” award and the UBA Best Young Lawyer Award 2025. She emphasised the importance of preserving institutional memory before the public competition launches in August.

Congratulations to the newly elected UBA Board on the beginning of its term! We are confident that through joint efforts, we will create exciting opportunities for the legal community and amplify the voice of Ukrainian lawyers.