May 2023 – Kinstellar is delighted and proud to announce the promotions to Partner of Tomáš Melišek (Bratislava), Levente Hegedűs (Budapest), Bulut Girgin (Istanbul), Anastasiya Bolkhovitinova, Natalia Kirichenko, Oleg Matiusha, Illya Muchnyk (all in our Kyiv office), and to Counsel of Dominika Bajzáthová (Bratislava).
PARTNERS
Tomáš Melišek, Bratislava
Tomáš is the Head of the local Banking & Finance service line. He has 15 years of experience in banking and finance, focusing on project and acquisition financing as well as on financial regulations. Tomáš has substantial experience advising clients on significant financing transactions in the areas of real estate, energy, infrastructure, automotive, media, and technologies. His experience also includes leading teams of lawyers involved in M&A mandates, e.g. in the sale of several banks.
He joined Kinstellar in 2011 as a Junior Associate, was promoted to Managing Associate in 2019 and to Counsel in 2021.
Tomáš is regularly recommended by the leading international directories. In a recent edition, he earns praiseworthy reviews among clients for his ‘‘good negotiation skills and a practical approach’’ as well as for being “capable of leading and professionally handling complex transactions’’. He is further admired for his ‘‘swift responses and sense of humour”.
Levente Hegedűs, Budapest
Levente is the Head of the local Banking, Finance & Capital Markets service line and the Co-Head of the firm-wide Restructuring & Insolvency service line. He has 15 years of experience in banking and finance matters, especially in acquisition, real estate, project finance and syndicated finance transactions, restructuring and insolvency matters, as well as in financial supervision legislation. In addition, Levente specialises in capital markets and has led the Hungarian team on transactions related to bond and share issues, IPOs, among other complex matters.
Levente joined Kinstellar as a Legal Intern in 2008 and became Counsel in 2019.
During his career, Levente has been consistently ranked and recognised by international legal directories as a leading lawyer in his field. In recent editions, Levente is singled out by clients as ‘‘a very experienced lawyer in the field of complex financing structures’’ and as an ‘‘outstanding lawyer’’.
Anastasiya Bolkhovitinova, Kyiv
Anastasiya is the Head of the local TMT sector, and the Co-Head of the firm-wide Telecommunications service line. She has more than 18 years of experience advising clients on a broad range of corporate and M&A issues, including the structuring of mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate restructurings, commercial and procurement contracts, and issues relating to entering the Ukrainian market. She advises clients involved in multijurisdictional transactions across a spectrum of industries including technology/software, retail, pharmaceuticals, life sciences, manufacturing, telecoms, aerospace and defence.
Anastasiya also advises technology-sector clients on structuring their operations in Ukraine. She provides comprehensive support to technology-sector M&A deals and advises both start-ups and venture capital and private equity investors on a wide range of legal matters. She also has in-depth experience in outsourcing, post-acquisition integrations, and national security and export control.
Anastasiya joined Kinstellar as a Counsel in 2021.
She is regularly ranked among the local leading lawyers in international legal directories. In a recent edition her practice is described as ‘‘diligent, knowledgeable, responsive and practical’’.
Natalia Kirichenko, Kyiv
Natalia is the Head of the local IP&T, Data & Cybersecurity service lines, and the Co-Head of the firm-wide IP&T service line. She has more than 15 years of experience advising clients on a broad range of intellectual property matters, both contentious and non-contentious, including IP protection strategies, managing IP portfolios, commercial contracts (e.g., franchising, licensing, distribution and R&D agreements) and enforcement. Natalia also has broad professional experience with transaction structuring and leads major M&A transactions with advice on related IP issues.
As part of her practice, Natalia also focuses on privacy, data protection, cyber security, cloud and other business services agreements, cross-border data flows, biometrics privacy, healthcare privacy, employee data and electronic monitoring.
Natalia joined Kinstellar as a Counsel in 2021.
She is regularly ranked among the local leading lawyers in international legal directories. In recent editions, Natalia is described by clients as ‘‘very thorough and extremely professional, with strong knowledge of the local law and practices’’, with a client further adding: ‘‘she understood what we needed and guided us through the process’’.
Oleg Matiusha, Kyiv
Oleg is the Head of the local Infrastructure & Transportation sector and of the Real Estate and Construction service line. He has over 20 years of experience in infrastructure, construction and real estate projects, including substantial consulting, in-house and legislation drafting experience. Oleg focuses on real estate and land matters, construction projects and construction regulatory matters, PPP, concessions, infrastructure, and privatisation projects.
Oleg joined Kinstellar as a Counsel in 2018.
He is regularly ranked among the leading local lawyers in international legal directories. In recent editions, clients praise him for ‘‘his versatile experience’’.
Illya Muchnyk, Kyiv
Illya is the Head of the firm-wide Fintech subsector. He has over 20 years of experience in structuring complex debt and equity financings, cross-border M&A, financial regulatory transactions and landmark financial restructurings. His clients include leading private equity funds, domestic and international financial institutions, and major industrial groups. In addition, Illya has significant experience advising on various legal, tax and other business issues.
Illya joined Kinstellar as a Counsel in 2021.
He is regularly ranked among the leading local lawyers in international legal directories. Clients describe him as ‘‘highly professional and with in-depth knowledge of the Ukrainian legal framework as well as its peculiarities” and further add that ‘‘he is always ready and willing to provide assistance and guide us through difficult issues and complicated cases, effectively and efficiently’’.
COUNSEL
Dominika Bajzáthová, Bratislava
Dominika has more than 12 years of experience in banking & finance, M&A and corporate and real estate. She has provided advice to clients in corporate structure changes, reorganisations, mergers and spin-offs and has extensive experience in the financing of projects in connection with the provision of loans, changes to loan transactions, loan repayments and the release of securities.
Her experience includes leading teams of lawyers involved in buy-side mandates in the field of insurance (insurance companies, intermediaries, pension funds), as well as various real estate mandates.
Dominika joined us as a Senior Associate in 2016 and was promoted to Managing Associate in 2020.
She is ranked in leading international legal directories and signalled out by clients for being ‘‘experienced, professional, hard-working and very flexible in terms of timing”.
Patrik Bolf, Firm Managing Partner comments: ‘‘I congratulate them all on this achievement. Their hard work, exceptional client service, outstanding experience and creative business development skills have earned them recognition among our team, clients and peers. I have no doubt that they will continue to excel in their new roles and look forward to their on-going contributions to our clients and firm.’’