Asters and Ukrainian Bar Association (UBA) to Launch a Large-Scale Pro Bono Project to Support Law Clinics

The project's objective is to engage law firms and bar associations in establishing an effective system of free legal aid, in particular by supporting law clinics throughout Ukraine.

Asters is to commence cooperation with the law clinics at Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia National Universities, where lawyers together with UBA Students' League have been providing free legal aid to those in need for several years now. Within the framework of this cooperation, the law clinics will receive much-needed equipment, and Asters lawyers will provide advice and support in processing requests of legal aid recipients. In addition, a series of educational events is to be held with the assistance of experienced lawyers to enhance the hands-on knowledge of students working at the law clinics.

Asters and Ukrainian Bar Association invite law firms and bar associations to join them in striving to create an effective system of free legal aid through law clinics at the national level.

Asters helps the Commission on Banking Technique of the International Chamber of Commerce Asters advised the ICC Commission on Banking Technique and Practice in its work on translation of the Uniform Rules on Demand Guarantees (URDG 758), one of the most important documents governing settlements in international trade. The Commission includes representatives of Alfa-Bank Ukraine, Credit Agricole, Deutsche Bank, Index Bank, OTP Bank, Raiffeisen Bank Aval, Swedbank Ukraine, UniCredit Bank, Prominvestbank, VAB Bank, VTB Bank, Ukreximbank, and others.

Asters supports the work of the Expert Council on Corporate Governance at the State Commission for Securities and Stock Market In the first half of 2010 the State Securities and Stock Market Commission of Ukraine approved a number of clarifications of the Joint-Stock Companies Law. The clarifications seek to iron out some drawbacks and inconsistencies in the new Law by explaining how certain key norms can be applied in practice. The business-friendly position of the Commission which underlies the clarifications was formed under the influence and with the assistance of the Expert Council for Corporate Governance. Asters partner Vadym Samoilenko and associate Oles Kvyat took active part in the Council's work on draft Clarifications. All joint-stock companies (the "JSCs"), both public and private, stand to benefit from these efforts to rationalize and simplify Ukrainian corporate law in which Asters takes active part.