Legal support for business in Ukraine today is far more than working with contracts or formal compliance with the law. Martial law, mobilization processes, changes in the regulatory environment, and new risks are forcing companies to look not just for a lawyer, but for a reliable partner who can think strategically, act ethically, and support business in difficult conditions. This time, we spoke with Olha Petrukhina — Partner at UHY Prostir Ukraine, Head of the Legal Practice, attorney-at-law and lawyer with nearly two decades of experience — about key trends in the legal landscape, the most common challenges for business, professional principles, and the human dimension of the legal profession.
Tell us your story at UHY Prostir. How did your journey with the company begin, and which moments in your career were turning points for you?
I joined the company in 2007 as an office manager, combining work with my studies as an international law specialist and pursuing a master’s degree in international law. Thanks to my knowledge of law and English, I gradually became involved in preparing contracts and providing consultations to clients, and within a year I moved to the consulting department as a lawyer.
In 2010, as a result of reorganization, the legal department was separated into a standalone company, where I became the director.
In 2017, I obtained my attorney’s certificate and founded the Law Office of Olha Petrukhina, which allowed me to provide legal assistance to clients as an attorney.
What key lessons have you learned from your career path in the company?
First and foremost, you need to be proactive, not afraid of new things, and constantly improve your professional level.
What challenges did you face at the start of your work, and how did you overcome them?
The main challenge was dealing with new and complex tasks that I had not encountered before. However, persistence and a desire to learn helped me successfully cope with them.
Which legal risks do businesses most often underestimate?
Businesses often underestimate the risks embedded in contracts. Even agreements that seem simple at first glance can lead to significant financial losses in the future, so legal analysis of every contract is critically important.
Which trends in the legal environment currently have the greatest impact on business in Ukraine?
Undoubtedly, the key factors remain the martial law regime and mobilization issues. They directly affect almost all areas of companies’ activities.
How have client requests changed over the years, and which issues are most relevant today?
Currently, questions related to military registration and mobilization, as well as employee reservation (exemptions), arise frequently. Unfortunately, a separate category of requests has also appeared related to the destruction or damage of property as a result of shelling.
Which legal issues create the greatest difficulties for international NGOs or non-residents?
These mostly concern registration and re-registration, employment of foreign workers, and tax matters, which remain relevant regardless of circumstances.
Can legal support be said to work proactively, ahead of risks?
Yes, in fact, every client request and its resolution helps avoid negative consequences in the future. Analysis and preparation of commercial contracts with correct wording make it possible to minimize tax risks in advance, especially regarding VAT.
In your opinion, what most distinguishes UHY Prostir’s legal support from other solutions on the market?
Above all, the ability to communicate openly and honestly with the client, to hear their real needs, and to take the business perspective into account. Our many years of experience in legal support, including for non-residents and international NGOs, also play an important role.
Have there been situations in your work that required difficult ethical decisions? How do you usually approach such cases?
At times, a potential conflict of interest may indeed arise between clients within the same matter. In such situations, we always act with maximum transparency: we immediately inform the clients and, together with them, make a balanced decision about the next steps.
Which skills do you consider critically important for a lawyer in outsourcing?
Proactivity, stress resilience, the ability to manage one’s time, and not being afraid of something new or unknown.
Do you have a set of professional principles that you follow in your work? What does it include?
For me, these are competence and continuous improvement of professional knowledge, loyalty to the client, confidentiality, and impartiality.
What helps you avoid burnout in a profession often associated with stress and high responsibility?
Periodic shifts of focus and the ability to step outside the professional context. For me, this means reading non-professional literature and traveling.
What helps you stay motivated after nearly two decades with the company?
First and foremost, the partners with whom we always work as a single team, and the company itself with its values, formed and nurtured over the years, which fully align with my personal ones. An important source of motivation is also the opportunity for continuous professional development.
What priorities for the development of the legal team do you see in the coming years?
Our key priority is to continue providing reliable legal support to businesses that keep operating and developing even in difficult and unstable conditions.
Interview by Kateryna Bohdan
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