Key Areas of Legal Support for Businesses
Every day, we focus on critical areas where a mistake can cost a company significant losses.
Contracts and Counterparties
Due to the suspension of limitation periods during the COVID-19 quarantine and the war, tax authorities may review documents dating back to 2019–2020, and the overall review period can often exceed six years. We conduct counterparty due diligence using public state registers, review litigation history, develop financial risk assessments, and incorporate force majeure provisions specifically tailored to wartime risks.
Ongoing Legal Services on a Retainer Basis
Business reservation rules changed at least three times in 2026, while the minimum unified social contribution (USC) increased following the rise in the minimum wage. Our ongoing legal services ensure that we identify regulatory changes early, update document templates, and provide your managers with concise practical guidance.
Court Representation and Litigation Support for Businesses
As of 1 January 2026, court fees are calculated based on the subsistence minimum of UAH 3,328. We file claims through the Unified Judicial Information and Telecommunication System (UJITS), enabling clients to reduce their initial court fee expenses by 20% and subsequently recover these costs as part of their litigation expenses. This is how effective legal representation helps businesses manage litigation costs rationally.
Taxes, Inspections, and Risk Management
Although a moratorium formally remains in effect, the number of exceptions exceeds the general rule. The State Labour Service and the State Emergency Service of Ukraine have planned nearly 65,000 on-site inspections for 2026. We prepare internal policies and records, assist during inspections at your premises, and draft objections to inspection reports — all as part of a coordinated service package designed to ensure that no deadlines are missed. We also advise businesses on joining the White Business Club, which can genuinely reduce the risk of unscheduled inspections.
Corporate Matters for Individual Entrepreneurs and LLCs
New income thresholds and higher flat tax rates for Group 1 and Group 2 single-tax payers are already in effect, while mandatory VAT registration for high-income single-tax payers remains a potential development for 2027. We help businesses select the most suitable structure as their needs evolve — from operating as an individual entrepreneur (FOP) today to establishing a limited liability company (LLC) tomorrow or structuring transactions through commission agreements.
What Does Legal Support for Businesses Include?
Legal services should deliver predictable financial outcomes. As part of our ongoing legal support, clients typically benefit from:
- Reduced penalties from regulatory authorities through the early identification and mitigation of legal risks.
- Higher average contract values, as clearly defined contractual risks make agreements easier for counterparties to approve.
- Greater confidence when responding to notices from the State Tax Service or the State Labour Service, instead of having to react under pressure.
- More time for company directors to focus on business development, as our legal team handles routine legal matters.
The resulting savings, reflected in EBITDA, generally cover the cost of legal services for businesses within the first year.
When Does a Business Need Legal Support?
Every business has its own reasons for engaging legal counsel. The most common situations include the following.
Business Launch or Expansion
Entering a new region or market may involve different licensing requirements, currency controls, and foreign trade agreements. We provide end-to-end support with LLC registration, investment agreement negotiations, and banking compliance procedures to help prevent payments from being held up in correspondent accounts.
Ongoing Work with Contracts and Counterparties
A sales department cannot afford to wait a week for a legal review. Under our ongoing legal service arrangements, we agree on clear response times: the initial draft of a contract is prepared within a few days, with amendments delivered even faster.
Tax, Employment, or Corporate Risks
When a notice of an unscheduled inspection arrives, speed is essential. We retrieve relevant records, conduct an expedited audit, and develop an action plan before the inspector arrives.
Litigation or Claims Against Your Business
Has a claim against your company appeared in the court register? Our attorneys can begin preparing an application for the preservation of evidence to strengthen the company's legal position before the first hearing.
Legal Support Models for Businesses
To help clients maintain financial predictability, we offer transparent service models.
One-Off Legal Services
A fixed fee for a defined scope of work, such as challenging an inspection report, preparing an M&A transaction document package, or pursuing a claim against a counterparty involving an amount of up to UAH 1 million. Clear deadlines, a clearly agreed fee, and a defined scope of work.
Ongoing Legal Services on a Retainer Basis
The number of hours and the scope of tasks are tailored to each client's needs, ranging from individual consultations to continuous legal support involving negotiations, internal policies, and employee training. Most clients choose a model that covers both contract management and inspection support.
Legal Outsourcing for Individual Entrepreneurs and LLCs
If you need comprehensive legal services without the expense of maintaining an in-house legal department, legal outsourcing is an effective solution. We integrate into your existing communication channels, sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), and handle correspondence with public authorities on your behalf and under your brand.
Litigation Support for Businesses
We manage the entire process, from pre-trial proceedings to enforcement. We always calculate the amount the client can realistically recover after accounting for court fees, expert examinations, and appeals. Litigation support means budget control, not an endless stream of additional charges for new powers of attorney.
Legal Services for Businesses, Individual Entrepreneurs, and LLCs
We demonstrate that legal processes can be efficient and straightforward.
Contract Management and Legal Audits of Documents
Before a scheduled inspection by the State Emergency Service, we conduct an expedited audit of technical documentation, including certificates, fire safety training logs, and fire extinguisher certificates. These seemingly minor details can expose a company to substantial penalties if overlooked.
Corporate Resolutions, Minutes, and Company Amendments
Once the minutes of a general meeting have been signed, we promptly prepare the relevant extract from the Unified State Register (USR) to help prevent banks from suspending payments due to discrepancies with the company's articles of association.
Protection During Inspections
We follow a detailed checklist, from recording the inspector's arrival time to reviewing the inspection report and documenting all objections. A key consideration is that signing an inspection report with written reservations may strengthen the company's position in subsequent court proceedings.
Claims Management and Court Representation
Preparing a formal claim involves both legal analysis and a practical business proposal to the opposing party — for example, restructuring a debt instead of pursuing penalty payments. This can demonstrate that the client acted in good faith if the dispute ultimately proceeds to court.
Ongoing Legal Services for Businesses
Management teams often ask why they cannot simply pay for legal assistance when a problem arises. The answer lies in the statistics: 74% of penalties are reportedly caused by missed deadlines for submitting documents. Ongoing legal services provide a safeguard by ensuring that deadlines are managed by our team rather than left to an Outlook reminder.
Monthly Legal Support
Clients receive transparent reports showing the number of hours used, tasks completed, and matters requiring the director's involvement. This level of transparency reduces the administrative burden on accounting teams.
Rapid Review of Contracts and Documents
Have you received an agreement from a foreign counterparty? We review compliance with Incoterms 2020, currency control requirements, and the US Treasury's Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) sanctions list. We use tracked changes to ensure that your team can see the reasoning behind every amendment.
Legal Outsourcing for Businesses
Why is this model particularly beneficial in 2026? One major factor is the shortage of qualified professionals. The legal labour market is under pressure, salaries are rising, and recruitment is taking longer.
Legal outsourcing provides:
- Immediate access to legal support without a lengthy onboarding process.
- A multidisciplinary team covering intellectual property, taxation, insolvency, corporate law, and other areas.
- Access to specialist knowledge and document templates that could otherwise cost thousands of dollars to develop.
- The flexibility to scale legal support up or down according to seasonal business needs.
- Predictable, transparent fees without the recruitment, employment, and training costs associated with an in-house lawyer.
While in-house lawyers may spend considerable time on internal approvals, an external legal team handles tasks from start to finish and takes responsibility for keeping its knowledge up to date. Experience shows that a substantial proportion of penalties arise from missed filing deadlines rather than the underlying substance of an alleged violation. Ongoing legal services help ensure that deadlines are met.
Litigation Support for Businesses
We develop litigation strategies based on actual judicial statistics, examining the outcomes of similar disputes and, where relevant, the track record of the particular judicial panel. If the available data suggests an unfavourable outlook, we consider alternatives such as mediation or debt factoring. Effective litigation support means providing an honest assessment of risks and potential outcomes.
Pre-Trial Strategy and Formal Claims
The first letter to an opposing party is never just a template. We tailor it to the dispute, cite relevant legal provisions and Supreme Court case law, and propose a practical settlement. This increases the likelihood of voluntary payment without litigation.
Commercial, Tax, and Administrative Disputes
In tax disputes, we rely on recent Supreme Court case law concerning limitation periods and the procedures for challenging tax inspections. This includes the position that challenges should generally target the inspection report and the resulting tax assessment notice rather than the inspection order itself, making it more difficult for the tax authority to disregard our arguments.
How We Work with Businesses
Businesses value clarity and predictability. Our process is designed to eliminate unexpected developments.
1. Analysis of the Business Model, Documents, and Risks
We gather the necessary information, discuss key challenges, and establish priorities, including taxation, employment matters, and contracts.
2. Selecting the Appropriate Legal Support Model
We arrange a Zoom meeting with the CFO and HR team to assess the workload and determine whether one-off legal assistance, ongoing retainer services, or comprehensive legal outsourcing is the best fit.
3. Preparing Documents and Legal Solutions
We create a centralised digital document register in which every amendment is recorded, allowing the business owner to see who made each change and when.
4. Ongoing Support or Completion of a Specific Task
We deliver the final memorandum, completion certificates, and a plan for the next steps. Under an ongoing retainer arrangement, work continues seamlessly through a dedicated request management system.
Why Choose Shkrebets & Partners Attorneys’ Association?
With more than 20 years of legal practice, we have built a reputation for providing advice in the language of business, not just the language of the law.
- More than 10,000 court cases across all jurisdictions and over 1,000 clients who have entrusted us with their businesses.
- More than 30 attorneys specialising in specific industries and practice areas, including healthcare and pharmaceuticals, IT, energy, and banking.
- Ranked among Ukraine's TOP 20 law firms and recognised in international legal rankings.
