Arbitration · Enforcement · Expert Witness opinions
Gennadii Tsirat
Our key experts
When foreign courts and arbitral tribunals need expert evidence on Ukrainian law — or when international parties need lead counsel in proceedings involving Ukraine — they instruct Gennadii Tsirat. He is the founding senior partner and Doctor of Laws at JVS.LAW, a Kyiv-based boutique specialising in international arbitration, enforcement of arbitral awards, and expert legal opinions on Ukrainian law — with over 35 years of practice.
Recognition and Industry Involvement
- Co-author, Civil Procedure in Ukraine (Kluwer Law International, annually since 2012)
- Author of six monographs on international arbitration, private international law, and cross-border civil procedure
- Expert contributor to the HCCH public consultation on parallel proceedings convention (2025–2026) — responses accepted for publication on the HCCH Secure Portal
- Associate Professor at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv — teaching international commercial arbitration and international civil procedure
- Doctor of Laws, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (International Unification of Civil Procedure, 2015)
- Member, Ukrainian working group on recodification of private international law
Gennadii leads every arbitration and enforcement matter personally — from first instruction through final resolution. At JVS.LAW, there is no delegation to junior associates; the partner who accepts the instruction is the lawyer who delivers the work. The firm has maintained uninterrupted service to international clients throughout the full-scale invasion, including during periods of infrastructure disruption.
International Commercial Arbitration
Gennadii Tsirat has acted as lead counsel in international commercial arbitration proceedings for more than 25 years. His arbitration practice covers both claimant and respondent-side representation across energy, manufacturing, banking, and trade disputes, in institutional and ad hoc proceedings.
Representative Matters
- Ukrinterenergo — SCC proceedings against Austrian counterparties; ad hoc arbitration against German contracting parties
- English investors v. Mosinraschet (Russia); Demos (Ukraine) v. VTB Bank (Austria) — VIAC
- Kryukivsky Railway Car Building Works and Dneprospetsstal (Ukraine) v. German, Belgian, and Swiss counterparties — ICAC at the CCI of Ukraine
- Kashtan Petroleum (Ukraine) v. Cypriot counterparties — ICAC at the CCI of Ukraine
- Vinnitsa plant Krystal; German investors — ICAC at the CCI of the Russian Federation
Institutional Experience
- Vienna International Arbitral Centre (VIAC)
- Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC)
- International Commercial Arbitration Court at the CCI of Ukraine
- International Commercial Arbitration Court at the CCI of the Russian Federation
- Ad hoc arbitration under UNCITRAL Rules
Enforcement of Arbitral Awards
A distinct and long-standing part of Gennadiiʼs practice is the recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards — both in Ukraine and in foreign jurisdictions. He advises on enforcement strategy from the outset of arbitration proceedings, treating enforceability as a structural question rather than a post-award issue. His 2000 PhD thesis on enforcement of foreign arbitral awards remains a reference point in Ukrainian academic and judicial practice.
Representative Matters
- Mirtal AG (Switzerland) — one of the first enforcement proceedings in Ukraine involving an SCC award against Yahotyn Poultry Farm
- Norbert Schaller GmbH (Austria) — enforcement of a VIAC award against First Investment Bank (Ukraine). Enforcement phase coordinated by Dmytro Salatiuk
- VA Intertrading Aktiengesellschaft (Austria) — enforcement of a VIAC award against Hekro Pet Ltd (Ukraine). Enforcement phase coordinated by Dmytro Salatiuk
- Outbound enforcement of ICAC at the CCI of Ukraine awards in Belgium and Cyprus on behalf of Ukrainian companies
Enforcement Approach
- Enforceability analysis integrated into arbitration strategy from the outset
- Recognition and enforcement in Ukraine under the New York Convention 1958
- Outbound enforcement coordination with foreign counsel in EU jurisdictions
- PhD thesis (2000) on enforcement of foreign arbitral awards — cited in Ukrainian judicial practice
Expert Legal Opinions on Ukrainian Law
Foreign courts and arbitration tribunals require expert evidence on Ukrainian law — on questions of corporate law, enforcement of judgments, contractual validity, procedural rules, and applicable statute. Dr. Tsirat has been instructed as a Ukrainian law expert in proceedings before English courts and international tribunals. His expert opinions draw on his doctoral research, his academic publications, and over 35 years of litigation and arbitration experience.
One example is the expert opinion on Ukrainian enforcement law prepared for proceedings before the High Court of Justice in London in a dispute involving shareholders of Ukrtatneft.
Further Practice Areas
Hague Conference on Private International Law — Expert Contributor. In 2025–2026, Dr. Tsirat submitted detailed expert responses to the HCCH public consultation on a possible convention on parallel proceedings and related actions in civil and commercial matters. His submission engaged substantively with scope, jurisdiction criteria, court cooperation mechanisms, and the interaction with the New York Convention 1958 and the 2005 Hague Choice of Court Convention. His responses were accepted for publication on the HCCH Secure Portal, accessible by HCCH Member States.
Representation in Ukrainian and Foreign Courts. Gennadii represents Ukrainian and foreign clients in commercial courts across all levels, including the Supreme Court of Ukraine. Representative matters include the consortium of foreign insurance companies against Aerosvit, International Trade Services GmbH (Austria) in debt recovery proceedings, and Ukrainian asset owners before Russian commercial courts in cases concerning property in Crimea.
Selected Publications
- Kluwer Law International: Civil Procedure in Ukraine (annually since 2012, with Anna Tsirat)
- Monograph: International Civil Procedure (Yurinkom Inter, Kyiv, 2026, 448 pp.) — forthcoming
- Monograph: International Commercial Arbitration (Alerta, Kyiv, 2019, 410 pp.)
- Pravo Ukrayiny: Reform of international civil procedure in the context of private law reform in Ukraine (4/2026) — forthcoming
- Actual Problems of International Relations: The Role of Mediation and Conciliation in International Investor-State Dispute Settlement (vol. 1, no. 163, 2025, with O. Maslov)
- Visnyk NAPrN Ukrayiny: Current issues in codification of PIL and international civil procedure (no. 3, 2022, with A.S. Dovhert)
Education and Credentials
Academic Degrees
- Doctor of Laws — Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, 2015
- PhD in Law — “Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards”, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, 2000
- Diploma in Law (specialisation: international law) — Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, 1989
Professional Memberships
- Associate Professor — Institute of International Relations, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv
- Kyiv Regional Bar Association — practicing attorney
- International Law Association “Centre for International Legal Research”, Salzburg — honorary member
- Ukrainian working group on recodification of private international law — member
- Expert contributor — HCCH public consultation on parallel proceedings convention (2025–2026)
Related Practices
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