Margarita Karpenko

Co-Managing Partner, Kinstellar, Kyiv, Ukraine

Voted Best Law Firm Partner at the Yuridicheskaya Practika Weekly's Legal Awards in June 2009, Margarita is a C-o Managing Partner of the Kyiv office of Kinstellar.

Prior to joining Kinstellar in 2021, Margarita was a managing partner of DLA Piper.

She is an experienced transactional lawyer serving the clients in various sectors of industry, including FMCG, Media, IT, Hospitality Sector, etc. She is also a competent employment lawyer. Prior to joining the Kyiv office, she managed EY Law practice in Ukraine.

Margarita completed a Master's in Law at Moscow State University (1991). Since 2000, she is a member of the Kyiv City Bar Association. Margarita is fluent in English, Ukrainian and Russian.

Major transactions and clients

Providing legal support to the French Bel Group with regard to acquisition of Shostka City Milk Factory, a well-known Ukrainian cheese producer;
Providing full legal support to BBH Holding, a leading beer producer, in expansion of its business in Ukraine;
Acting for ITE, an international exhibition company, in the acquisitions in Ukraine;
Advising a major international food manufacturer on the acquisition of a plant in Ukraine;
Acting for an international glass producer in its acquisition of a Ukrainian glass factory (full scope legal support);
Advising the leading international malt producer in the process of purchasing a malthouse in Ukraine;
Providing legal support to Landkom International PLC, a Ukrainian producer of oilseed rape (raw material for production of biodiesel), with regard to its pre-IPO financing and IPO on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange (GBP 54 mln);
Providing legal advice to a global oil and gas exploration and development company on acquisition of a company in Ukraine, owning license for exploration of oil and gas deposits in Ukraine; also - working on the corporate restructuring of the company, obtaining necessary permits from the regulatory authorities of Ukraine, including the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine;
Providing full legal support to the leading international media group in its transactions in Ukraine;
Providing on-going legal support to Pfizer, one of the largest international pharmaceutical companies, with regard to its activity in Ukraine;
Providing on-going legal support to ABC Alliance, wholesale pharmaceutical Ukrainian company in respect to all their legal issues in Ukraine including transactions;
Providing full legal support to General Electric in Ukraine;
Providing the start up legal support to Inditex S.A., and legal support towards introduction of its key brands in Ukraine (ZARA, Bershka, etc).