Interview with Iuliia Kruk

 

Interview with Iuliia Kruk

 

– At SRDB Law, what are your everyday roles?

I am partner of SRDB , which represents a group of lawyers and specialists, and me among them, with extensive experience in advising large international corporations with their most complex issues.

My everyday roles are to advise French, English and Russian-speaking clients on different international corporate and contract law issues in various fields of international private and public law, including the negotiation of international contracts and searching the most reliable business countries for international commerce and foreign investments.

From the other side, the business development role, which consists of the maintenance and development of a large network of business partners in different countries, which allows me to efficiently assist my clients in M&A transactions.
– What attracted you to practicing international business law?

It is a job that attracts and makes many people dream, especially young people who are looking to choose their future job.

My choice of private international law was based on its rigor, its logic, the ability to provide solutions or defend a cause in situations of international level.

Yet being a lawyer in international business law is primarily a legal professional. But unlike the classic lawyer, I do not often plead in court (only in case of litigation), my primary mission is to defend with passion the interests of my clients (businessmen and economic actors) in case of litigation, and to advise them legally in mergers, disposals, investments or seeking financing.

And this daily challenge attracts me a lot and needs to be extremely versatile and excel in several areas by accumulating specialties, namely: in addition to being specialized in commercial law and corporate law, the lawyer of a private international law must master financial and tax law, real estate law, banking and securities law and intellectual property law.

Moreover, this practice requires mastery of the language of Shakespeare and other foreign languages ​​which is also part of my passions.
– In your career so far, what was your biggest success?

Any success of the project represents success with the specificities that characterize it.

The variety of my assignments is enriching and vary which allows me to touch several specialties and to have unique expertise in different sectors of activity.

One of my most proud successes was when I assisted my client in the development of a new product in the field of electric yachting on the Monegasque market by advising them on the corporate and financial structure that allowed them to implement the marketing of a single product to public and private customers in this luxury country.

Other important successes that come to mind are all the projects of foreign investors in the Ukrainian market, where my origins are from, which allow me to put my knowledge and my expertise in favor of trade and to participate in the development of this great market in the numerous fields, among others the renewable energy, catering, raw materials industry, international trade, real estate.

 

 – When negotiating international contracts, what are the biggest challenges?

 To create the necessary conditions for the synergy of the interests of the actors with the different objectives, the experience, vision while respecting the norms of foreign legal orders and the liberties of the parts.

For that, the challenges are:

– To know the habits and customs of the different countries in terms of negotiation (Anglo-Saxon countries, Latin countries, China, Japan …)

– To master the different techniques of negotiation and drafting of contracts while applying essential clauses

– To prevent the difficulties of execution and the risks of litigation

– Make cultural differences an asset in the negotiation to guarantee the good execution of its contracts

– Manage serenely situations of tension.

– Identify the negotiator’s pitfalls by proposing the solution for the successful outcome

 

 –  How do you navigate through the foreign investment process? 

An investment is a capital investment for future earnings, so interest must be present for all participants.

With the process of globalization, foreign investment has begun to experience a period of expansion, limited only to times of economic crisis.

Globalization includes the free flow of capital, the lifting of customs and tax restrictions, the movement of people and goods, and other features that help foreign investment.

My role is to organize and manage the existence of such consequences.

 

On the one hand, the foreign investment gives rise to the creation of new jobs and generates revenue for the host country. However, these recipes return to the country of origin. In addition, it is worth mentioning that, very often, projects driven by foreign investment cause environmental damage that can harm the local community.

These are the risks and issues that are part of my duties as part of the due diligence project and the legal consultation on the best way to proceed with the realization of the project. In short, we are again talking about the synergy of interests.

– In what ways do you assist international investors? 

My mission is to advise them on all legal aspects of their investment project to contribute to its success by providing them with all the useful information and by assisting them in all their legal steps (choice of corporate and financial structure , Due Diligence, Legal Advice on Funding Opportunities and State Support Programs for Foreign Investments etc.).

My assistance is to check whether the business environment in the market in question is very secure, clear and favorable to foreign investors.

Also,  in the framework of SRDB the micro-business bank, SRDB Alliance, was created bringing together experts from different fields to offer investors the many investment opportunities after the legal and economic audit made by SRDB experts including I am proud to be a part.

Also, I am a member of international business associations and unions, namely AFJE, Business Club France-Luxembourg, France-Ukraine, France-Belgium and others which allows me to facilitate the exchanges and the relationship with “right” persons and decision-makers.

 – What types of investment do you enjoy to work with?

 One of the types of investment I am often involved in is Capital Development, which involves providing capital to support and accelerate growth, whether it involves development in new markets, the acquisition of one or more companies or the increase of production and / or distribution capacities.

Also, real estate, because this type of investment offers one of the best risk/return ratios. It is an asset that tends to appreciate over time and that resists fairly well in times of financial instability. During these projects, I am led to discover the countries from the point of view of the beauty of nature.

And of course, artificial intelligence. This sector is very dynamic. After the Internet of Things or robotics, data and artificial intelligence make the next industrial revolution.

– In your opinion, how could investment be made easier between former USSR and EU countries? 

The question is quite political because the political decisions influence often the business.  The political will should be very strong in this issue.

However, I will give my vision of some important points:

Firstly, reliable due diligence of all main aspects

Secondly, good contact on the governmental level

And absolutely, to be assisted by an experimented legal advisor.

– Which skills are most important for your profession?

 Firstly, to be bilingual or trilingual: in this profession I am frequently required to travel abroad, to communicate and to draft contracts or other official documents in English. The perfect command of this language, especially with regard to legal, commercial and economic vocabulary is essential

Second, be meticulous: have a developed sense of organization. Indeed, all information relating to each file must be studied and used thoroughly. Discretion must also be part of ethics.

Likewise, to be a pedagogue: the international lawyer must know how to explain the various technical and legal terms to his clients.

As well as the speaker: to convince and demonstrate trust and confidence, a good sense of persuasion and great strength of character.

And for the end, be on the lookout for the slightest evolution in law and in business: we must conduct a continuous watch in the field of European and international law and the business community to avoid confusion in case of changes in legislation.

– Do you have a motto in life?

 I have several, for my professional life I really like the quote of one of my favorite writers, Antoine d.

In life there is no solution, there are forces on the move: you have to create them and the solutions follow.

All steps I make based a simple analysis of the subject by asking me 5 times a simple question “Why” and its 5 answers determine the choice and make it succeed.