Ukraine’s legal market continues to operate under extraordinary pressure, shaped by the ongoing war and its widespread impact on all facets of business and governance, according to DLF Counsel and Head of Banking & Finance and Agriculture Iurii Dynys. Despite the challenges, the demand for core legal services remains high, with growing attention paid to post-war reconstruction planning, emerging industries, and navigating the tumultuous investment climate.
"Our market is in a truly tragic but unique situation," Dynys begins. "The ongoing war and related security pressures affect virtually every aspect of doing business and practicing law. That said, we’ve seen continued, and in some cases even growing, demand in core areas where legal services are indispensable including criminal law, litigation, and compliance-related advisory, such as foreign ownership and control reporting obligations; geopolitical risks have intensified demand in these segments, and these services are not seeing any slowdown, quite the contrary."
Naturally, Dynys says, "corporate/M&A activity is quieter, primarily due to security concerns. A tendency among companies to strengthen their in-house legal capabilities while reducing external legal spending influences the demand for everyday legal support." He adds that a large portion of businesses, and legal professionals too, are actively preparing for the country’s post-war reconstruction. "That work has already started conceptually. We’re often approached to analyze potential post-war trends and industries that are likely to thrive in the recovery phase. Energy, for instance, is a clear focus area; the war has devastated Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, and there’s both an urgent local need and an EU-aligned push toward renewable energy. We’re seeing early-stage project planning involving photovoltaics, wind farms, and similar developments," Dynys outlines. "Infrastructure projects also led to a noticeable uptick in public procurement and public-private partnerships, given that many of these projects are being backed by state or international donors. It’s an area that’s already heating up and will likely remain so for the foreseeable future."
As for other sectors that are worth keeping an eye on, Dynys indicates that "several industries that were previously underdeveloped in Ukraine are now gaining prominence. The clearest examples are mil-tech, weapons manufacturing, EOD (humanitarian demining), and pharmaceuticals. These sectors are seen as high-potential, and there’s a growing legal interest in servicing them." At the same time, however, Dynys reports "highly cautious investment behavior. Opportunities may appear promising one day but lose their appeal the next due to rapid geopolitical shifts. A good example is the grain export sector: at the beginning of the war, Black Sea routes were blocked, leading to a surge in railway logistics investments. But when the ports reopened, many investments were re-evaluated. Similar dynamics played out in the humanitarian demining sector, especially during previous US political transitions that led to funding disruptions." According to him, clients now want to plan carefully and are increasingly relying on legal advisors to help assess long-term viability under volatile conditions.
Finally, Dynys says that the war has fundamentally reshaped how law firms operate. "Many lawyers have either left the country or were mobilized, so firms had to rethink internal structures, communication, and administration virtually overnight. This need for agility hasn’t diminished over the past years – it remains a constant demand." As he puts it, lawyers are continuously having to adapt to "new wartime legislation, shifting realities, client fears, and operational disruptions. Importantly, part of our role now involves reassuring foreign clients, foreign, that business is still being conducted in Ukraine. Not every region is under constant shelling. There are opportunities, and our job often involves helping clients understand the nuances, see the possibilities, and navigate the path forward."