Magisters

Magisters originated in Kyiv in 1997 as Magister & Partners. Its founders, Oleg Riabokon and Serhii Sviriba, developed the idea for the firm while studying law at the Kyiv Institute of International Relations. The practice was established during the transition toward more commercially oriented legal and institutional systems in Ukraine and neighboring post-Soviet markets. In 2006, Magister & Partners merged with the Ukrainian firm Pravis:Reznikov, Vlasenko & Partners. The same expansion phase brought the firm into Russia through a merger with Legas Legal Solutions. The transaction was characterized in the supplied reference as the first cross-border merger between independent law firms in the CIS. It created a regional structure capable of advising clients across more than one national legal system. The firm pursued further regional expansion in 2008 and 2009. It merged with Belarusian firm BelJurBureau, opened an office in Astana, Kazakhstan, and established a London representative office in early 2009. Its listed locations included Kyiv, Moscow, St Petersburg, Minsk, and London. Magisters therefore operated as a regional legal-services network rather than solely as a Ukrainian practice. On February 3, 2011, Ukrainian police raided the firm’s Kyiv office. The reason for the raid was not disclosed in the supplied reference, and no substantiated conclusion about the matter can be drawn from the available information. Later that year, in July 2011, Magisters merged with Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners. This transaction brought the Magisters network into the larger firm and ended Magisters’ independent corporate identity. The successor organization continued to be described as an international law firm with a presence in several CIS and adjacent markets.

• 2011

  Kyiv office raid

  [1]Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partnersen.wikipedia.org

  Ukrainian police raid Magisters’ Kyiv office on February 3; the supplied reference does not disclose the reason.

• 2011

  Merger with Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners

  [1]Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partnersen.wikipedia.org

  Magisters merges with Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners in July, ending its independent operation.

• 2009

  Astana office and London representation

  [1]Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partnersen.wikipedia.org

  The firm opens an office in Astana and establishes a representative office in London early in the year.

• 2008

  Expansion into Belarus

  [1]Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partnersen.wikipedia.org

  Magisters expands its regional network through a merger with Belarusian firm BelJurBureau.

• 2006

  Ukrainian merger and entry into Russia

  [1]Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partnersen.wikipedia.org

  Magister & Partners merges with Pravis:Reznikov, Vlasenko & Partners and expands into Russia through a combination with Legas Legal Solutions.

• 1997

  Magister & Partners is founded in Kyiv

  [1]Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partnersen.wikipedia.org

  Oleg Riabokon and Serhii Sviriba establish the law firm that later becomes Magisters.

A Kyiv-founded, cross-border commercial law firm focused on supporting businesses and international clients across Ukraine and other CIS markets.

• Legal services

  Cross-border corporate legal services

  Magisters’ principal identifiable offering was regional legal advice for companies operating across multiple CIS jurisdictions. Its mergers and office openings created a network intended to support transactions, market entry, corporate structuring, and ongoing commercial matters that required coordination between local legal teams. The supplied reference does not identify a narrower flagship product or a formal service-line catalogue.

• Legal services

  International commercial legal counsel

  The firm served as a legal-services provider for domestic and international businesses in Ukraine and neighboring markets. Its geographic footprint suggests a focus on commercial and cross-border work, although the available source does not provide enough detail to specify individual practices, representative matters, or client sectors without risking invention.

• 2011

  Merger with Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & PartnersM&A

  Background

  After developing offices and combinations across several markets, Magisters pursued integration with a larger international CIS law firm.

  Action taken

  Magisters merged with Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners in July 2011.

  Aftermath

  Magisters ceased to operate as an independent brand and its regional capabilities became part of the successor firm’s international platform.

  Source

• 2006

  Combination with Pravis and LegasM&A

  Background

  Magisters sought to build a regional platform beyond its Ukrainian base as cross-border legal demand increased in post-Soviet markets.

  Action taken

  It merged with Pravis:Reznikov, Vlasenko & Partners in Ukraine and entered Russia through a merger with Legas Legal Solutions.

  Aftermath

  The combination was described as the first cross-border merger between independent law firms in the CIS and became the foundation for subsequent regional expansion.

  Source

1. 1Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partnersen.wikipedia.org