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Arbitration Counsel & Arbitrator

Dmytro
Donenko

Cross-border disputes, enforcement and asset recovery. ICSID · ICC · LCIA · SCC.

Fluent in Ukrainian, Russian & English — post-Soviet disputes handled without interpreters
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Partner · ENGARDE Attorneys at Law, Kyiv
Admitted: Ukraine · Frankfurt Bar (§ 206 BRAO)
ICSID · ICC · LCIA · SCC · PCA
Dmytro Donenko
Lexology Index (Who’s Who Legal) · 2025
Future Leader — Arbitration
The Legal 500 · EMEA 2026
Leading Partner — Dispute Resolution (Ukraine)
Best Lawyers
Listed — Arbitration and Mediation (Ukraine)
Discuss your matter View matters →
Recognised by Legal 500 · Lexology Index · Best Lawyers
15+
Years in disputes
$7bn+
In matters handled
5
Arbitral forums
6
Arbitrator panels
00

About

International disputes matter because their outcomes reach beyond any single jurisdiction — they determine control over assets, the fate of investments, and sometimes the trajectory of entire businesses.

That scope is what drew me to arbitration, and what keeps me here. I work at the intersection of law, finance and strategy. My background in economics and financial modelling means I engage with the commercial reality of a dispute — not just its legal framing. I understand what numbers mean to a business, and I use that to build cases that resonate with tribunals.

I practise from Frankfurt and remain a partner at ENGARDE Attorneys at Law in Kyiv. I do not delegate substantive work. Clients who instruct me get direct access to a senior practitioner on every filing, every hearing, every strategic decision.

My practice centres on investor-state and corporate disputes, with particular depth in Ukraine and other post-Soviet jurisdictions. I am fluent in Ukrainian, Russian and English — which in the current landscape is not just a convenience, but a material advantage.

Focus Areas
Investor-state disputes · Corporate and shareholder disputes · Cross-border enforcement · Asset recovery · Trade and construction arbitration · Ukraine, the Caucasus and Central Asia
The Legal 500 · EMEA 2026
Co-head of ENGARDE’s Tier 1 dispute resolution team in Ukraine, with recent work on damage recovery and fraud matters.

— Legal 500 editorial, Ukraine: Dispute resolution
The American Review of International Arbitration

The Russia-Ukraine War: Can International Arbitration Be a Last Resort Remedy to Achieve Justice?

Vol. 34, No. 2 · 2023 · Russia/Ukraine Special Issue · Columbia University
New
Ukrainian Law Desk →
Legal support for international business with Ukrainian exposure
New
Expert evidence on Ukrainian law →
Opinions for German, Dutch and other courts and tribunals
01

Select engagement

I work with a small number of clients at a time to ensure full personal involvement in each matter — not delegation to juniors.
02

Strategic framing first

Before any filing, I map the full dispute landscape: parallel tracks, enforcement options, and pressure points across jurisdictions.
03

Cross-border coordination

I coordinate local counsel and experts across the EU, Ukraine, the Caucasus and Central Asia — bringing coherence to what clients often experience as fragmented advice.
04

Outcome focus

Awards mean nothing without enforcement. Recovery strategy is built into the case from day one, not added after a win.
01

Practice Areas

01

Investor-State Arbitration

02

Commercial Arbitration

03

Award & Judgment Enforcement

04

Asset Tracing & Recovery

05

Interim Relief & Freezing Orders

06

Fraud & AML in Disputes

07

Shareholder & M&A Disputes

08

Banking & Finance Litigation

09

Sanctions-Interface Disputes

02

Selected Matters

ForumMatterValue
ICSIDEmergofin B.V. and Velbay Holdings Ltd v. Ukraine (ICSID Case No. ARB/16/35) — Counsel to Ukraine, Netherlands–Ukraine BIT
Procedural strategy & submissions coordination, alongside Shearman & Sterling
≈ USD 1bn
Lit.Cross-Border Fraud/AML — Israeli bank
Multi-jurisdictional asset tracing
≈ USD 1.2bn
Corp.Asset Recovery — Metallurgical assets (Cyprus)
Multi-forum dispute strategy
≈ USD 2bn
ICCM&A/Banking — Share purchase of a Ukrainian bank; SPA and guarantee claims (three consolidated cases)
Co-lead counsel · German law · seat Frankfurt am Main
≈ USD 480m
Lit.Post-M&A (UK/UA) — Misstatement claims, bank acquisition
Freezing orders > USD 1bn secured
≈ USD 400m
LCIABanking/Shareholder — Swiss-based individual
Full arbitration proceedings
≈ USD 400m
ICCAward Enforcement against Ukrainian company
Multi-jurisdiction enforcement
≈ USD 145m
LCIAAgri/Investment — Ukrainian agricultural group
Full arbitration proceedings
≈ USD 40m
ICCConstruction — International contractor v. holding company
Counsel · Swiss law · seat Geneva
≈ USD 9m
ICCCo-Arbitrator — Export credit loan facility, German bank v. Ukrainian company
Three-member tribunal · German law · seat Munich
≈ EUR 11m
SCCEnergy/Crimea — Ukrainian oil & gas company
Investment treaty claim
≈ USD 8m

Counsel matters handled at ENGARDE Attorneys at Law, as associate and, since 2018, as partner. Confidential details on request. Seats and governing laws varied.

03

Experience

Jun 2023 — Present
ENGARDE Attorneys at Law
Kyiv · from Frankfurt am Main

Partner, International Arbitration & Dispute Resolution

  • Lead counsel in complex cross-border commercial disputes and counsel in investor-state cases; coordinate parallel court/arbitration tracks.
  • Design enforcement and asset-recovery strategies for awards and judgments in Ukraine and abroad.
  • Supervise teams; collaborate with foreign counsel and experts.
Jun 2022 — May 2023
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
Frankfurt am Main

Senior Legal Manager, International Arbitration

  • Investor-state and commercial arbitration team: memorials, submissions and procedural correspondence.
  • Hearing preparation: opening presentations and transcript review.
Feb 2010 — Feb 2022
ENGARDE Attorneys at Law
Kyiv, Ukraine

Associate → Partner

  • Counsel in high-value ICSID, ICC, LCIA and SCC arbitrations; leading case teams as partner from 2018.
  • Shareholder/M&A disputes, banking litigation, award enforcement — full-cycle delivery.
  • Interim relief incl. freezing orders, sanctions interfaces, witness and expert evidence, cross-examination preparation.
04

Arbitrator & Panels

Appointments
ICC · Co-arbitrator
Export credit loan dispute, ≈ EUR 11m
Arbitrator panels
6 institutions
Georgia · Kazakhstan · Poland · Czech Republic · Ukraine · Caspian region
Languages of proceedings
English · Ukrainian · Russian
No interpretation needed
Availability
Available
For new appointments
Download arbitrator CV (PDF)
Arbitrator Panels
  • GIAC, GeorgiaRecommended List Arbitrator
  • IAC, KazakhstanRecommended List Arbitrator
  • Court of Arbitration — Polish Chamber of CommerceList Arbitrator
  • Arbitration Court — Czech Chamber of Commerce & Agricultural ChamberList Arbitrator
  • Ukrainian Arbitration AssociationList Arbitrator
  • Caspian Arbitration SocietyList Arbitrator
Memberships & Contributions
  • LCIA YIAG · ICC YAF · Vis AlumniMember
  • Kyiv Pre-Moot — Frankfurt Investment Arbitration MootCo-organiser
  • ICC Arbitration Rules — Ukrainian translationContributor
  • World Bank Doing BusinessContributor
  • Willem C. Vis Moot & Frankfurt IAMArbitrator
05

Education

Master · International Law
Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv
Institute of International Relations · Specialisation: Private International Law · International lawyer and English translator · With distinction · 2011
Bachelor · International Relations
Kyiv International University
Specialisation: International Law · With distinction · 2009
Moot Court
Honours
Willem C. Vis Moot
Vienna & Hong Kong · 2010
Telders Moot
Ukraine National Champion · 2008
Philip C. Jessup Moot
Ukraine National Champion · 2009
06

Admissions & Languages

Admission
Ukraine
Attorney-at-Law
Admission
Germany
Frankfurt Bar · Advokat (Ukraine), § 206 BRAO
Languages
English · Ukrainian · Russian
C2 · Native · Native
Language
German
B1 · intermediate

Available for
complex
mandates.

Investor-state and commercial arbitration, cross-border enforcement and asset recovery across the EU, Ukraine, the Caucasus and Central Asia. Languages: Ukrainian, Russian, English.

‘They are available 24/7 and they give sound advice…’
Client feedback on ENGARDE’s dispute resolution team — The Legal 500 EMEA 2026
Emaildonenko@donenko-legal.de
Phone+49 174 436 00 12
LocationFrankfurt am Main, Germany
LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/dmytro-donenko
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Typically responds within 24 hours
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