WASHINGTON, D.C. - YOU ARE INVITED TO ATTEND a U.S.-Ukraine Business Council (USUBC), www.USUBC.org, sponsored Roundtable Luncheon on the "LEGAL ENVIRONMENT FOR BUSINESS IN UKRAINE 2019" briefing followed by a Q&A/discussion session, on Thursday, January 31, 2019 from 12:15 p.m. to 1:45 p.m., in the Conference Room, BGR Group, 601 13th Street NW, 11th Floor South, Washington, D.C. 20005.  A light lunch will be served. The BGR Group is a member of USUBC. 

Improving the legal environment in Ukraine is critical for business success in 2019, for dramatically increasing international investment, especially in the area of the protection of private property rights.  The USUBC Roundtable in Washington, D.C. will be moderated by USUBC President Morgan Williams. 

The USUBC Roundtable panel of experts, from Kyiv and Washington, making presentations includes: 

RSVP:  Registration is required to attend the USUBC Legal Environment for Business in Ukraine 2019 Roundtable in Washington, D.C. To register please send an e-mail to Morgan Williams at MWilliams@usubc.org. There is no cost for the event or luncheon.

USUBC ROUNDTABLE FIVE PANELISTS BIOS:

(1)  Armen Khachaturyan, Senior Partner, Management Board Member, Asters, Kyiv, Ukraine (Asters is the largest law firm in Ukraine) --- Armen Khachaturyan has extensive banking, finance and project finance experience and heads Asters' banking and finance practice. His practice areas also include M&A, general corporate advice, currency control, securities, energy, privatization, and employment law. He often advises international clients on complex cross-border corporate, M&A and finance structures and business planning. He also worked as a foreign associate at Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue, New York, in Corporate and Mergers & Acquisitions Practice Group (1993-1994).

Prior to joining Asters, Mr. Khachaturyan was an associate at Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, L.L.P. in its offices in Columbus, Ohio, USA (1995-1998), and Kyiv, Ukraine (1998-2001), where he worked on diverse corporate, finance and real estate projects in the United States, Russia and Ukraine.

(2)  Irina Paliashvili - President & Senior Counsel, RULG-Ukrainian Legal Group, Chair, USUBC Legal Committee, Washington & Kyiv --- Dr. Irina Paliashvili began her private practice by co-founding one of the first private law firms in Ukraine, and expanded by founding the Washington-based RULG-Ukrainian Legal Group, P.A., where she serves as the President and Senior Counsel. She also serves as the Managing Partner of the Kyiv-based Ukrainian Legal Group LLC.

In addition to general corporate and transactional expertise, Irina has special experience in the areas of energy, oil and gas, intellectual property protection and antimonopoly law, as well as commercial dispute resolution and mediation. Irina is a mediator trained and certified by the CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution in New York and a member of its International Panel of Distinguished Neutrals, as well as a member of the Energy Community Dispute and Negotiation Centre Panel of Mediators in Vienna.

Irina graduated with highest honors from the Kyiv State University School of International Law and earned a Ph.D. in Private International Law from the same school. She also holds an LL.M. in International and Comparative Law from George Washington University. Irina is fluent in English, Ukrainian, Russian, Georgian, and Spanish. She divides her working time between Washington and Kyiv.

(3)  Andrew Mac, Partner, Asters, Washington, D.C.  --- Andrew Mac heads Asters office based in Washington, DC. He specializes in cross-border transactions with the involvement of Ukraine and CIS states. He is an expert in M&A, corporate and competition law, corporate compliance, FCPA/Bribery Act, capital markets and state regulations. Andrew has deep hands-on experience in coordinating complex cross-border disputes, as well as in advising Ukrainian and CIS businesses in their US partner interactions.

(4)  Dr. Anders Aslund - Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council, Washington, D.C. --- Anders Åslund, one of the world's leading economists and experts on Ukraine, specializes in economic transition of Russia, Ukraine and Eastern Europe. Dr. Åslund is a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, an adjunct professor at Georgetown University and a Chairman of the International Advisory Council at the Center for Social and Economic Research (CASE).

He was a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics from 2006 to 2015. Dr. Åslund is author or co-author of 14 books. He followed the Ukrainian economy closely since 1985, and served as an economic advisor to the Ukrainian government from 1994 to 1997. Dr. Åslund made an invaluable contribution to the founding of the Kyiv School of Economics and continues as Senior Advisor to the KSE Board of Directors.

NOTE: Read Anders Aslund's latest article about Ukraine which states, "The election debate needs to focus on the most important issue, namely the enforcement of property rights."

LINK: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/how-ukraine-s-next-president-can-turn-the-country-around

(5) Ambassador Eric Schultz, Senior Policy Advisor, Asters, Washington, D.C. --- Ambassador Schultz is a former senior American diplomat with decades of experience in the CIS and Southern Africa. He has worked extensively with Ukraine, Russia, Turkmenistan, and Georgia, and has experience in emerging markets around the world. Ambassador Schultz served as U.S. Ambassador to Zambia (2014-2017); the Deputy U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine (2010-2013); the Minister-Counselor for Economic Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow (2007-2009); Deputy U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe (2004-2007).

Prior to leadership assignments he worked in Georgia, Martinique, France, and Madagascar as well as serving in a number of assignments in Washington, including Deputy Director of the NATO desk and Deputy Director of the Ukraine desk.  

"LEGAL ENVIRONMENT FOR BUSINESS IN UKRAINE 2019" Roundtable

Improving the legal environment critical for business success in 2010, protection of private property rights

Featuring a panel of expert presentations followed by a Q&A and discussion session

Thursday, January 31, 2019, 12:15 p.m. to 1:45 p.m., light lunch will be served

Conference Room, BGR Group, 601 13th Street, NW, 11th Floor South, Wash, D.C.