A Ukrainian advocate with over 15 years in practice, the author brings a rare blend of courtroom acumen, cross-border perspective, and academic discipline to her writing. Practising since 2011 and admitted as a certified advocate in Ukraine, she has spent the past seven years working across the Middle East legal market, where she specialises in cross-jurisdictional litigation, arbitration, and complex contract work. Her portfolio spans commercial and corporate disputes, maritime and insurance claims, construction and real estate matters, and regulatory advisory with a focus on AML/CFT compliance. She advises international clients on strategy, risk, and execution—translating intricate legal issues into clear, actionable solutions.

Her cross-border dispute resolution experience includes advocacy before the DIFC Courts (both the Small Claims Tribunal and the Court of First Instance) and coordination of proceedings before other regional courts and tribunals. She has acted in institutional and ad-hoc arbitrations under leading rules, including DIAC, ADIAC, ICC, and bespoke procedures, and has managed multijurisdictional matters governed by or referencing UK, EU, and UAE law. This practical, problem-solving mindset—formed in high-stakes environments—shapes her analysis of how English law, precedent, and equity can be applied in civil-law contexts to produce fair and predictable outcomes.

Alongside practice, she is preparing for the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE). Pursuing the SQE is not a change of direction but a deliberate step to formalise her common-law expertise and deepen her comparative-law skill-set. As an aspiring solicitor, she brings to the SQE the habits of a seasoned litigator: meticulous case preparation, evidence management, precise drafting, and a client-centred approach to negotiation and settlement. Her day-to-day work in international matters gives her a strong foundation in professional ethics, costs, remedies, and civil procedure—areas that map closely onto the SQE’s assessment of practical legal knowledge.

Her academic pathway underpins this breadth. She holds an LLM in International Law from Varna Free University “Chernorizets Hrabar”, complementing earlier specialisation in court practice, advocacy, and prosecution at Kyiv University of Law. These studies, together with continuous professional development in the Gulf region, equip her to bridge doctrinal theory with the lived realities of cross-border business. She is recognised by colleagues for calm leadership under pressure, careful stewardship of expert evidence, and the ability to synthesise commercial objectives with legal constraints to reach workable settlements.

From 2011 she practised in Ukraine as an advocate in commercial, civil, and administrative matters. She then served as an in-house lawyer, developing corporate structures across jurisdictions and building financial infrastructure through banks and payment systems, before moving to Dubai-based international practices. Since 2018 she has advised on civil, commercial, corporate, property, and construction cases, including e-commerce and international trade documentation, and represented clients before the DIFC and ADGM courts and regional arbitral institutions.

What sets her apart is not only the range of sectors she covers but the way she approaches them: with integrity, clarity, and a practical sense of proportion. She believes that the best legal outcomes are achieved when rigorous analysis is paired with humane judgment—an ethos closely aligned with the English law of equity. Her current SQE preparation is therefore both professional development and a mission: to help embed the strengths of English legal method—reasoned precedent, equitable remedies, and strict professional standards—into the service of clients and, more broadly, the pursuit of justice in Ukraine and beyond.