Mariya Nizhnik, Partner with Aequo, Appointed State Commissioner of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine

Mariya Nizhnik, Partner, Head of Antitrust and Competition at Aequo, was appointed State Commissioner of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine. In her new role, Mariya Nizhnik will be focusing on development of an efficient competition regulation and enforcement mechanism to secure a competitive marketplace in Ukraine.

Mariya Nizhnik has over ten years’ work experience with leading Ukrainian law firms, and she was one of the founding partners of Aequo law firm. Mariya’s practice primarily focused on merger control matters, commercial agreements (such as joint ventures, distribution and licensing arrangements), cartels, abuse of dominance and other competition investigations.

As Head of Antitrust and Competition Practice Group she led the team and represented foreign and domestic clients on private or/and government competition issues in a number of global M&A transactions. Mariya has in-depth knowledge of EU competition laws that allowed her to work effectively with EU-based clients and understand their needs and approaches.

“We congratulate Mariya Nizhnik on her appointment and believe she is an excellent choice for this position. We are confident that due to her talent, intellect, proactive approach and ethical values, Mariya is up to the challenge and will make a significant contribution to the AMCU’s effectiveness in line with international standards. Long-awaited reforms of AMCU, in particular, assurance of the transparency of its activity, are crucial for improving investment climate in Ukraine”, Denis Lysenko, Aequo’s Managing Partner, said. “Mariya has been a valued partner, and we are extremely proud of all that she has accomplished. We appreciate her substantial contribution to development of Aequo’s Antitrust and Competition Practice, which gained national and international recognition and growth of our firm’s business”.

“I am sincerely grateful to Aequo and my colleagues for our fruitful cooperation, for a strong teamwork and constant support. I believe that a successful future lies ahead of the firm. Among my top priorities in the new role is bringing Ukrainian competition environment in line with EU regulations and policies“, commented Mariya Nizhnik.

From now on Denis Lysenko, Managing Partner, chairs Aequo’s Antitrust and Competition team. For over 15 years Denis has been representing major companies and investors in the Ukrainian economy acting on behalf of foreign and domestic clients at the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine in acquiring Ukrainian strategic assets and establishment of joint ventures. Sergey Denisenko, Counsel, is one of Aequo team’s key contacts focusing on cartel and abuse of dominance investigations, cross-border and domestic merger control filings, competition advice in relation to joint ventures and a broad range of other commercial arrangements.