English-speaking Lawyer

In the context of growing globalization and strengthening international relations, the demand for lawyers who are proficient in foreign languages is a natural phenomenon. First and foremost, this concerns the English language as the most widely spoken language in the world. Legal services in English are relevant both for non-residents (foreign individuals and companies) conducting business in Ukraine and for Ukrainians interacting with foreigners on certain issues.

An English-speaking lawyer not only has perfect command of legal terminology but also understands the intricacies of law enforcement practices in various jurisdictions. Such a specialist helps effectively resolve cross-border legal issues, contributing to business development or resolving private matters. This may include assistance with concluding major international transactions, helping with divorce proceedings involving a foreign citizen, or handling inheritance matters abroad. If you need a lawyer who is fluent in English, you will find one at AA Lawrange – contact us!

Who Can Benefit from an English-speaking Lawyer

Even if a Ukrainian citizen has a good command of English or a foreigner understands Ukrainian well enough for everyday communication, solving legal issues requires deeper knowledge. It is essential to have a legally educated professional with practical experience who is fluent in both Ukrainian (or Russian) and English.

Note: Ukrainian legislation does not prohibit lawyers from providing services in foreign languages, so English-language legal practice in Ukraine is completely legal.

Today, Ukraine actively attracts foreign investors. Therefore, the possibility of obtaining qualified legal assistance in English is a key factor for successfully conducting business and protecting interests within the Ukrainian jurisdiction.

On the other hand, an English-speaking lawyer is indispensable for supporting international projects, negotiations, and contracting with foreign counterparties, handling litigation with a foreign element or arbitration proceedings, interacting with government agencies, and preparing various documents for use abroad, among other services.

Legal Services in English

As Ukraine increasingly integrates into the global community, legal services in English are becoming an integral part of legal support. These services cover various fields of law, practices, and industries, addressing all common requests from businesses and individuals.

Consultations with a Lawyer in English

Client consultations are conducted both offline and online, orally and in written form, including full legal opinions on specific issues. These consultations offer an opportunity to receive professional legal assistance without a language barrier. They cover a wide range of legal matters, including corporate, tax, labor, immigration law, and intellectual property issues.

A lawyer is ready to explain the provisions of current Ukrainian legislation in English, discuss the legal aspects of conducting business in Ukraine, and determine the optimal legal protection strategy for problematic situations. Consultations on comparative legal analysis between the Ukrainian legal system and common law countries are especially valuable, helping foreign clients better understand Ukraine’s legal realities.

Legal Analysis and Document Review

This primarily concerns the analysis of contracts and agreements in English, verification of corporate documents, and assessment of legal risks for investment projects. It is often important to ensure that these documents simultaneously comply with both international standards and Ukrainian law.

Such document due diligence is a critical step in mergers and acquisitions, investment transactions, and market entry by foreign companies into Ukraine or Ukrainian companies into foreign markets. Moreover, English-speaking lawyers often review procedural and other legal documents.

Preparation of Court Documents in English

According to parts 3–4 of Article 9 of the Civil Procedure Code of Ukraine, the state language is used in court proceedings. However, if the participants do not speak it, they may submit documents with a translation. Thus, claims, appeals, cassation complaints, motions, objections, responses, and other procedural documents can initially be prepared in English for the client’s understanding, with subsequent translation into Ukrainian. This is one of the services provided by English-speaking lawyers.

Pre-trial Dispute Resolution

Depending on the circumstances of a case, pre-trial dispute resolution may involve negotiations, drafting and sending claims, mediation, or arbitration. Alternative methods of dispute resolution offer a cost-efficient way to handle commercial conflicts, saving both time and money while maintaining confidentiality. However, attention to detail is critical in such cases.

Engaging an English-speaking lawyer ensures accurate understanding and interpretation of all nuances, both in documents and in direct communication between the disputing parties. If successful, the lawyer assists in formulating mutually acceptable terms for a settlement agreement.

Support for International Transactions and Contracts

According to the Law of Ukraine No. 2709-IV “On Private International Law” dated June 23, 2005, international agreements may be governed by Ukrainian or foreign law at the parties’ choice. Nevertheless, contracts frequently must also adhere to Incoterms, the Vienna Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods, and various other international standards. Therefore, the work of an English-speaking lawyer includes drafting or analyzing contracts based on these requirements.

In addition to document work, the lawyer also consults on transaction structuring, represents the client in negotiations, works to minimize legal risks and ensure successful transaction completion, and, if necessary, assists in contract amendments and dispute resolution.

Representation in Court

An English-speaking lawyer ensures equal opportunities for the protection of the rights of foreign clients in Ukrainian courts or assists in providing such opportunities for Ukrainians in foreign courts. If necessary, interpreters for simultaneous translation of court hearings and other specialists are additionally involved.

Legal support in the International Commercial Arbitration Court at the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry is of particular importance, where proceedings can be conducted in English. A Ukrainian attorney is also capable of representing a company’s interests before other arbitration bodies, such as the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), the American Arbitration Association (AAA), the Swiss Chambers’ Arbitration Institution (SCAI), among others.

Resolution of International and Cross-border Disputes

According to the Law of Ukraine No. 4002-XII “On International Commercial Arbitration” dated 24.02.1994, the parties may refer disputes to arbitration, including international arbitration. In particular, this concerns situations where a dispute arises regarding a transaction concluded by parties from different jurisdictions.

An English-speaking lawyer in such cases:

• represents clients’ interests in international arbitration courts;
• advises on the recognition and enforcement of foreign court decisions;
• assists in selecting the optimal jurisdiction for dispute resolution;
• develops defense strategies taking into account international legal norms.

Consulting on Compliance with Legislation

Compliance consulting in English helps foreign companies comply with Ukrainian legislation and Ukrainian companies comply with the laws of other jurisdictions, thereby avoiding legal risks and fines.

According to the provisions of the Law of Ukraine No. 361-IX “On Prevention and Counteraction to Legalization (Laundering) of Proceeds of Crime” dated 06.12.2019, compliance requirements are quite strict. Similar legislative provisions also exist in many other countries worldwide. Compliance areas also include corporate governance, taxation, labor law, and data protection.

The lawyer’s tasks include:

• conducting audits of the company’s activities for compliance with legislation;
• developing internal policies and procedures;
• advising on anti-corruption laws and data privacy regulations;
• supporting the integration of international compliance standards. 

Specialization of the English-speaking Lawyer

According to the experience of Lawrange lawyers, clients commonly request support in acquiring citizenship, registering businesses, and purchasing real estate, both in Ukraine and internationally. If necessary, our team provides a full range of legal services for entrepreneurs, but we are also ready to fulfill separate requests, for example, obtaining an extract from the trade register of a particular jurisdiction.

Let us take a closer look at the main areas of our specialization.

Corporate Matters

English-speaking lawyers handle the registration/liquidation of companies, corporate governance, and business structuring in accordance with the legislation of Ukraine or other jurisdictions. Their expertise includes drafting founding documents, supporting shareholders’ meetings, and ensuring compliance with local and international corporate law requirements.

Note! Particular attention is paid to M&A transactions: lawyers conduct due diligence and coordinate the terms of such transactions, minimizing risks and eliminating vulnerabilities.

Contractual Practice

Preparation, analysis, and adaptation of contracts is one of the most important areas of work, especially in the context of close international cooperation. Lawyers are tasked with:

• ensuring that the contract complies in form and content with civil and commercial law standards, and is legally valid and applicable in the relevant jurisdiction;
• analyzing all possible risks, including arbitration clauses for dispute resolution, and more.

Commercial Disputes

Alternative methods (mediation, negotiations) as well as international commercial arbitration are often used to resolve such disputes. These disputes may involve breach of contractual obligations, debt collection, or corporate conflicts. Lawyers handling these matters require excellent communication skills as well as experience as arbitrators and mediators. The Lawrange team possesses such experience.

Intellectual Property

Protection of intellectual property rights is ensured through registration of these rights, challenging unlawful use in court, concluding license agreements, and so forth. A lawyer specializing in intellectual property who is fluent in English is ready to offer the solution that best suits the situation and the client’s interests. Such actions are based both on local and international law.

Tax Law

Among the relevant taxation matters that can be addressed with a Lawrange English-speaking lawyer are tax burden optimization, avoidance of double taxation, international tax planning, transfer pricing, and compliance with tax laws in various jurisdictions. Routine matters such as VAT registration and reporting, as well as complex issues like disputes with tax authorities and contesting penalties, are also resolved if needed.

Real Estate Transactions

Lawyers support real estate purchase and sale, leasing, and investment, as well as the division of real estate assets, based on legal requirements. Particular attention is given to checking the legal cleanliness of the property, formalizing rights through a notary, and handling tax obligations arising from the transaction. This may involve both residential and commercial real estate.

Inheritance Matters

Lawyers assist in handling inheritance cases involving a foreign element, taking into account the provisions of the Civil Code of Ukraine and international law. Services include:

• preparation of wills in accordance with EU or U.S. law;
• establishment of funds and trusts for asset management;
• resolution of disputes among heirs;
• optimization of inheritance taxation.

Family Disputes

International divorce proceedings, division of property, determination of children’s residence, custody and adoption issues, and recovery of child support arrears are often complex tasks. However, thanks to their own experience and an extensive network of partners abroad, AA  Lawrange successfully handles these matters for its clients.

Note! We have cases of successfully resolving such issues as recognition of foreign marriages in Ukraine, protection of a spouse’s assets, including international accounts, and safeguarding children’s interests in cross-border disputes.

Immigration Law

Within this practice area, our lawyers provide support on matters related to:

• obtaining temporary or permanent residence permits and citizenship in various jurisdictions, including through “golden visas,” “blue cards,” and other simplified procedures for IT specialists and investors;
• obtaining visas and work permits;
• compliance with temporary stay regulations;
• preparation, translation, and legalization of documents.

Why You Should Choose Lawrange

Thanks to the presence of specialists in our team who are fluent in English, we offer a broader range of services than many other law firms. Moreover, we possess in-depth knowledge of legislation in other jurisdictions, maintain a network of partner contacts in various countries worldwide, and cooperate with professional translators and notaries.

The services of the English-speaking lawyers at our law firm contribute to business development and to the convenient resolution of private legal matters. The international dimension of our work is now one of our main and priority directions.

Conclusions

A professional English-speaking lawyer must combine language proficiency, knowledge of local legislation, and international experience to provide clients with comprehensive legal support in a multilingual environment. The specialization of such lawyers covers all key areas of law, making them indispensable partners for foreigners, international businesses, private individuals, and Ukrainians who need to resolve legal issues abroad.

Services in English are becoming an integral part of legal support in Ukraine. An English-speaking lawyer can effectively communicate, draft documents, and represent clients’ interests in English. The availability of such services and such specialists is evidence of Ukraine’s full integration into the global community.

FAQ

ORDER A LEGAL SERVICES IN ENGLISH