Arzinger:

— The core direction I supervised was and still is banking and finance law. And it so happens that over the past few years I have managed a lot of projects related to agribusiness, including various financing projects and restructuring the debts of companies such as Mriya Agroholding and Creative Group. I have developed a good understanding of the industry and attracted clients from the agricultural sector.

— Practically all practices are involved, but the market situation dictates which one is most in demand at a given time.

— I would not say that our company has narrow sectoral interests in agribusiness. We work in different sectors. Again, the agro industry is just one of many for us. But over time, we came to the conclusion that in order to work well for the client and provide him with services at the level of his expectations, for the money he pays us, we need to be good not only at the law, but also at the specifics of each separate industry.

This is why we develop not only out practices, but also our expertise in industries where we pay great attention not only to polishing our legal techniques and so on, but to communication with clients, understanding their needs.

At the same time, our company has no separate "agricultural division". Practically all the lawyers working for us, from time to time participate in projects related to agribusiness.

— The majority of large and medium-sized agricultural companies have their own legal departments, some of which exceed the number of lawyers in most Ukrainian law firms. We do not see any sense in competing with in-house lawyers, but offer assistance in issues they are unable to resolve for one reason or another. In most cases, these are non-standard tasks requiring the expertise and skills we have. Given the gravity of the situation in the country, the range of such tasks is rather wide — from defense in criminal cases to operations on international capital markets. So there is work for everyone.

Surely we have standardized solutions, such as compliance and anti-corruption audits. We do a lot of such projects for clients from other industries (e.g. pharmaceutical and banking), but such services are not in demand among agricultural companies yet. In my opinion, this is explained by the fact that they are not yet so deeply integrated into the international business system, where compliance with the established high standards is a prerequisite for work.

— Clients often ask this question at the consultant selection stage. And many are puzzled by this question. It may seem like a simple question, but in fact 90% of them will have the same answer — we have the best lawyers, the best expertise and experience. It's all true, but over time you realize that there are a lot of competitors with the same experience and lawyers who migrate from one company to another now and then, but the client chooses you. Or, on the contrary, he doesn't choose you. There are several top-level companies on the market that can provide services in core practices at more or less the equal level. It turns out that there are basically no fundamental differences. Therefore, at the level of top clients it is not so much the experience and knowledge that matters, but rather the trust in you as a consultant and partner. And it is not that you are different from your competitors, but how you will be different for this particular client. What can you do for him to gain his trust? We always try to be not only consultants for our clients, but also business partners, sharing their values, interests and risks.

— It depends on a case. Obviously, in many cases, when the choice is made of companies of the same level, price is one of the main criteria. But there are situations when the issue of price becomes a minor one. This is dictated by the complexity and urgency of the issue. Not to mention the names, but lately there have been several projects in which the price issue has not even been raised — the client has paid everything we have charged. In such cases it is crucial to deliver the result the client needs, and he appreciates it. Naturally, such projects do not just appear, they are preceded by years of cooperation with the client and unconditional trust on his part.

— Each industry has specific features, but if one moves away from industry specialization and regard them as a business as such, then as a lawyer I see a few features inherent in agricultural companies. Above all, there are legal issues. Many of them are related to the rapid business growth. In a relatively short period of time, some companies have grown from small businesses to the size of large holdings with subsidiaries not only in Ukraine, but also abroad.

— This apparently is a matter of personal trust. This means that they are satisfied with the services we provide. Well, trust, in fact, develops into personal friendly relations, because once you go through many ups and downs with them during this time, it is really difficult to stand aside just as a consultant. Actually, we strive to be not just consultants, but business partners. Maybe that's why many stay with us for so long. Indeed, it is quite often, although it may not be right for a lawyer, when we take the client's problems as our own. It's harder to live with, but clients appreciate it.

— There certainly are changes. But I cannot say that they are radical. The global problems remain the same: tax disputes, land conflicts, raids, fraud. That's if we talk about the bad things.

However, there are positive changes to mention like the clear progress in corporate governance, the successful application of foreign colleagues experience and the cooperation of all market players in building a civilized market in Ukraine and training qualified personnel for the agricultural sector.

— I'm sure there will be a lot more. Because the sale of land will surely be a very strong impetus for the development of a number of sectors: the agricultural sector, the financial sector, and related industries. The problem is that today it is difficult to predict when the moratorium will be lifted.

— There are individuals who predict that the theoretical lifting of the moratorium may be achieved in the near future after the change in the composition of parliament. But so far, this is just a guesswork. In Ukraine, a lot of different forces of influence are involved in the land market. And it is very difficult to predict what will be the result of their interaction.

— Do no harm is a good commandment and I definitely stick to it. In addition, one of the basic rules that I follow and teach our lawyers is that one should never be afraid to ask a client questions. If you're not sure if you understand the client correctly, you should ask again. Often lawyers are afraid that additional questions may provoke discontent with the client. Sometimes they do, but it is still better to find out everything from the start than to misunderstand, do the wrong thing and as a result lose the client.

— Surely there were situations when clients refused to work with us for one reason or another. Arzinger Company will soon turn 16 years old. But, as a rule, the clients' refusal is not connected with any faults on our part. Sometimes it is connected with the pricing policy, sometimes it is caused by some personal preferences. But we do not make a tragedy out of it. Moreover, very often our former clients come back to us in a few years. This is a normal course of business.

— First I would like to note that we do not split clients into those with whom we like to work and those with whom we do not. This is not the criterion by which we choose our clients.

We appreciate customers willing to develop. Working with such clients is interesting, it allows us to develop together with them. It is exciting when you face professional challenges and gain new experience. It is also interesting to do something no one has ever done before. Although this rarely happens in the legal profession.

— It can go either way. Indeed, there are companies that we provide services on a regular basis, and we actually back up their legal department. But these are mostly foreign companies with a limited number of lawyers who cover only specific internal issues of the company. Everything else is outsourced.

— We have reached the level when the brand is working so that the company needs no introduction. We are quite recognizable in the market, we are known. Although this does not mean that we actively participate in various business associations, we have many meetings with current and potential customers. That is, it is a whole set of actions for business development.

— Basically, I haven't always worked for a law firm and I've come a long way. After graduating from Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University in Kharkiv, for three years I was working in the Prosecutor's Office as an investigator. Then I moved to the banking sector to work at UKRSIBBANK and Credit Agricole Bank until I joined Arzinger in 2010.

— Absolutely. Some may say that working in the prosecutor's office is a waste of time for a lawyer who is not going to develop a career in public authorities or as a lawyer in criminal cases. But in reality, this is more of a competitive advantage, a good life experience. Thanks to it, one may see many things others cannot. And this experience, of course, came in handy when I faced challenging projects of debt restructuring.

— Not yet, no. In my opinion, it makes no sense to go for MBA just to have extra sheepskin or hang a diploma on the wall. It's a different matter if it helps to build a career and solve the tasks that clients set for you.

— I travel quite a lot on business and I've been to many countries. I would like to travel more with my family, of course, but so far my travels are actually business trips. Although sometimes they can be combined with vacation.

— Most of the projects we work on are in one way or another related to other jurisdictions. Therefore, we need to know lawyers from other countries and we need them to know us. Despite all the modern means of communication, personal acquaintance is the best way to get to know a person and tell them about yourself. In addition, we actively participate in various professional events abroad. It also allows us to be in the open with our colleagues and share our experience.

— I am no fan of TV-shows. Especially about lawyers. I have not seen a single episode of Suits. Firstly, I've got no time. Secondly, in reality, everything is most definitely not so. And when you know it, the TV-show fails to be interesting.

— I don't think I can remember one such. Unfortunately, mostly sad stories are remembered. But I won't tell them.

— Not my favorite, but it's just this one that comes to mind: Two lawyers come to the bar, sit and start eating sandwiches they've brought with them. The bartender admonishes them: Gentlemen, I'm sorry, but you don't BYOB here. Lawyers exchange glances, shrug, exchange sandwiches and continue eating.

This joke perfectly illustrates the specifics of lawyers' way of thinking.