Result is my reputation.
Viktor Popras is an attorney at Shkrebets & Partners, holding a PhD in Law and the status of retired judge of the Kyivskyi District Court of Kharkiv. His professional path spans engineering education, law school, academic research, and many years on the bench — a combination that gives him a particular angle on the work: an understanding of how the inner logic of a court's decision is formed.
A separate area of academic and practical interest for Viktor is criminal law, particularly the system of punishments. He is the author of the monograph "Fine as a Type of Punishment under the Criminal Law of Ukraine" — a foundational work published by the Yaroslav Mudryi National Law Academy of Ukraine. Alongside his legal practice, Viktor conducts systematic academic research, analyzing topical issues of legal application and the practice of international judicial institutions, and develops doctrinal approaches to complex legal questions.
Education and Professional Path
Viktor's biography is atypical for the legal profession. He started in engineering, earned a second higher education in law, defended his dissertation, and served as a judge at a district court in Kharkiv before transitioning into legal practice. Each of these stages added a distinct layer to how he reads a legal problem today.
- Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute — qualification "Engineer".
- National Law Academy of Ukraine — specialty "Jurisprudence".
- PhD in Law.
- Judge of the Kyivskyi District Court of Kharkiv (retired).
Specialization
Viktor's primary practice focus is criminal law. This is a field in which his judicial experience gives clients a real strategic advantage: an understanding of exactly how a court will assess the facts, which arguments will work, and which will produce the opposite effect — that is a practical tool of defense, not a theoretical insight.
Academic Activity
Viktor conducts systematic legal research aimed at studying the topical problems of legal application and the development of the national legal system. Within this work, he analyzes legislation and judicial practice, including the practice of international judicial institutions, and forms legal positions and doctrinal approaches to resolving complex legal questions. The results of his research feed both his academic publications and his practical legal work directly.
Among his foundational works is the monograph:
- "Fine as a Type of Punishment under the Criminal Law of Ukraine" / V. O. Popras ; Yaroslav Mudryi National Law Academy of Ukraine.
Approach to Work
Viktor does not take on cases without a clear prospect of success and does not work with weak positions. Drawing on many years of judicial experience, he understands how a court's position is formed and how decisions are made — and uses this knowledge to build a defense systematically, strategically, and without unnecessary risks. The task, as he frames it, is not participation in the process but achieving the result the client needs.
