I am Olha Stakheyeva-Bogovyk, a Ukrainian-qualified attorney, born in Kirovograd, Ukraine, on a sunny Monday, 20 April.

Since childhood, I have had a strong sense of justice. Long before I knew what profession I would choose, I was drawn to the idea of fairness and standing up for what I believed was right. In time, becoming a lawyer felt less like a choice and more like a natural expression of who I was.

---

My legal journey began in 2010, after graduating from the Institute of International Relations of Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University with a Specialist (LLM) degree in Private International Law, with Distinction.

What began as a career in in-house legal work evolved over the following 15+ years into a practice focused on helping businesses navigate financial distress, insolvency and complex commercial disputes, including matters involving asset tracing and recovery across borders.

---

My practice largely focuses on insolvency, restructuring and international asset recovery, covering both advisory and contentious matters.

I advise clients on navigating financial distress, including the strategic assessment of available options and procedures, their respective risks and prospects, and the most appropriate way forward.

I also handle disputes arising within insolvency and restructuring proceedings.

I act for both debtors and creditors, including local and foreign clients, and regularly represent foreign secured creditors in Ukrainian insolvency proceedings and related litigation before courts of all levels.

I advise clients throughout the proceedings, developing and implementing strategies to protect and maximise their interests. My contentious work includes, among other matters, advising on and pursuing transaction avoidance claims, as well as tracing and recovering assets across jurisdictions where assets have been fraudulently dissipated, concealed or otherwise placed beyond the reach of creditors. This often involves advising on the cross-border aspects of asset recovery and coordinating with foreign counsel where assets, counterparties or related proceedings are located abroad.

Separately, I advise foreign insolvency practitioners in connection with foreign insolvency proceedings where recognition, relief and/or assistance are required in Ukraine (“cross-border insolvency”), including on the legal procedures and strategies available in Ukraine.

Alongside this, I advise both foreign and Ukrainian clients on a broad range of commercial disputes and matters involving Ukraine, as well as on Ukrainian law issues arising in or supporting international litigation and arbitration.

---

Before starting my own practice, I gained over 12 years of experience in Ukraine, followed by almost 4 years working in London at a leading American law firm. It was an important chapter in my professional journey—one that brought me into a different legal environment, challenged me in new ways, and added another dimension to the experience I had built over the years.

On my return from London in 2026, I realised that the time had come to build something of my own—a practice shaped by my experience, my values and my belief that, even in the most complicated circumstances, there is usually a way forward.

And so, this is where my next chapter begins.