CMS Cameron McKenna was pleased to host a Ukrainian Christmas Concert featuring The Vydubychi Church Choir, at the Actor’s House in Kyiv on 23 January 2012. The performance was in support of our firm’s charity this year, the Ukraine Special Olympics organization, the world's largest year-round programme of sports training and competition for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

The internationally-acclaimed Vydubychi Church Choir entertained a packed hall of guests with an evening of uplifting Ukrainian Christmas and New Year’s carols to conclude the festive season.

As the choir-in-residence at the 941 year-old Vydubychi Men’s Monastery, the choir is composed of professional singers, graduates of Ukrainian conservatories and music institutes. Ukrainians from Canada, the U.S., England and Europe have also sung with the Choir since its founding and have supported the Choir’s activities for several years. Indeed, Daniel Bilak, a Partner at the Kyiv office of CMS Cameron McKenna, sings bass in the Vydubychi Church Choir. The Vydubychi Choir has received many awards at international competitions and festivals for its creative work and support of liturgical, religious and folk music.

Among the evening’s guests were the German Ambassador to Ukraine, HE Hans-Juergen Heimsoeth, accompanied by his wife Lizbeth Heimsoeth, and HE Troy Lulashnyk, Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine, representatives of the German, Canadian and US embassies, a large contingent from the Ukraine Special Olympics, Ukrainian and international firms, media and others. All of the guests enthusiastically applauded The Vydubichi Choir’s performance and thoroughly enjoyed the event.

CMS Partner Daniel Bilak commented: “It was an honour and a pleasure for CMS to sponsor this evening’s performance in aid of a very worthy cause. Our firm wholeheartedly supports the objectives of The Special Olympics of Ukraine to promote the development of Ukrainians with intellectual disabilities. We also endorse the mission of The Vydubychi Church Choir to spread the beauty of Ukrainian liturgical and folk music throughout Ukraine and abroad as a means to unite and connect Ukrainians with their rich Kyivan Rus’ Tradition. Both the Special Olympics organization and The Vydubychi Church Choir have a profound commitment to excellence and outstanding achievement, and we are pleased to be associated with both groups.”

About CMS Cameron McKenna in Kyiv: CMS Cameron McKenna opened its doors in Kyiv in September 2007 and was the first UK-headquartered law firm to open in Ukraine. The office comprises of 32 lawyers, including five partners, and represents major international and Ukrainian companies working in various sectors. We are consistently highly ranked by the major international directories such as Chambers Global, IFLR, Legal 500, PLC Which Lawyer? and others. Recently Yurydychna Practyka awarded us (for the third year in a row) Best International Law Firm at their annual Legal Awards 2011 Ceremony.

Notes to Editors:

CMS provides a deep local understanding of legal, tax and business issues and delivers client-focused services through a joint strategy executed locally across 30 jurisdictions with 55 offices in Western and Central Europe and beyond.

The CMS nine member firms are: CMS Adonnino Ascoli & Cavasola Scamoni (Italy); CMS Albiсana & Suбrez de Lezo (Spain); CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre (France); CMS Cameron McKenna LLP (UK); CMS DeBacker (Belgium); CMS Derks Star Busmann (Netherlands); CMS von Erlach Henrici Ltd. (Switzerland); CMS Hasche Sigle (Germany); CMS Reich-Rohrwig Hainz (Austria) and CMS Rui Pena & Arnaut (Portugal).

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