Corporate Disputes Resolution and Protection from Hostile Takeovers

More and more often highly profitable or possessing attractive assets companies (corporations) are exposed to hostile takeovers and raider attacks that constitute one of the most serious threats to legal business. As a rule, raider attacks are very well-organized, elaborated and unexpected allowing raiders to change business owners actually and legally within just a few days. The problem of corporate raids becomes more challenging in turbulent times, particularly, during economic and political crisis, after the parliamentary or presidential elections, etc.

Magisters has years of experience in effective opposition to hostile takeovers (including corporate raids), as well as successful protection of the rights of shareholders and management of companies during the corporate conflicts. Currently, the Group on Protection from Hostile Takeovers and Corporate Raids operates within the Litigation practice of Kyiv office of Magisters.

Magisters’ projects for protection from hostile takeovers and corporate raids include the following, but are not limited to:

• defending a Kyiv based company Kvazar OJSC from a raider attack;
• protecting the rights of Nikopol Ferroalloy Plant OJCS shareholders in corporate conflicts;
• protecting Kievavtomatika OJSC from a hostile takeover;
• protecting the rights of Zaporozhya Aluminium Plant OJSC shareholders during a corporate conflict;
• representing the interests of shareholders of “Souvenir” Industrial-Trading Company OJSC while defending the company from a raider attack;
• defending a Kyiv based auto transportation company from a corporate raider attack

and other corporate disputes and conflicts resolution related cases.

Experience gained by the lawyers of Magisters during numerous and large-scale corporate wars allows us to successfully resist hostile takeovers, even in cases of actual loss of the control over business by its legitimate owners. Knowledge of schemes used by the raiders during their illegal activity enables the lawyers of Magisters to develop and successfully implement an effective action plan aimed at prevention of raider attacks or elimination of its negative consequences.

Assisting clients during implementation of the approved action plan on protection from hostile takeovers, lawyers of the group represent the interests of businesses and individuals in courts, State and law enforcement authorities.