Magisters
Magisters was a Kyiv-founded international law firm that expanded across the CIS before merging with Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners in 2011.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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History
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]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]Magisters merges with Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners in July, ending its independent operation.
- 2009
Astana office and London representation
[1]The firm opens an office in Astana and establishes a representative office in London early in the year.
- 2008
Expansion into Belarus
[1]Magisters expands its regional network through a merger with Belarusian firm BelJurBureau.
- 2006
Ukrainian merger and entry into Russia
[1]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]Oleg Riabokon and Serhii Sviriba establish the law firm that later becomes Magisters.
Products and positioning
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.
Brand decisions
2011
Merger with Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & PartnersM&ABackground
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.
2006
Combination with Pravis and LegasM&ABackground
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.
Recent events
- 2011
Magisters merges with Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners[1]
M&A
Magisters combined with Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners in July 2011, ending its existence as an independent law-firm brand and integrating its regional platform into the larger firm.
- 2011
Magisters office raided by Ukrainian police[1]
Other
The Kyiv office of Magisters was raided by Ukrainian police on February 3, 2011. The available reference material does not state the reason for the raid or its outcome.
Sources1 sources
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