Trend line

• What trends are shaping the development of your core practice areas? Which segments of legal services will be most in demand in the short and medium term?

The intensification of state repressive policies driven by the war, alongside the resurgence of internal political struggles, are key trends shaping the evolution of our litigation core — criminal defense, dispute resolution, investment arbitration, business law, and the protection of rights and investments. These days, these are the main ways that the legal market works, so even though there's a lot more competition, we're really proud that we've kept our top spots in all the most important litigation practices. This shows just how great our firm is and goes perfectly with our Superlitigation marketing strategy. Another trend affecting the market as a whole is the deepening financial crisis and the lack of liquidity on the part of clients, which is making them more demanding in terms of quality of service. And it is not only the high level of knowledge and service that is the basis for the top firms, but also the availability of successful experience within the narrow specialisation of the client case. The latter quality is precisely the prerogative of long-term leaders.

• Your forecast for the development of the legal market in 2025. What aspects should be taken into account and what should lawyers be getting ready for.

The development of the legal market will be determined by the war situation, which will have the greatest impact on all processes in the country. But the current trends in the legal market aren't likely to change quickly or significantly. For example, litigation practices dominate over transactional practices. The latter may be revived by the end of hostilities and increased investment, but that won't stop the current boom in criminal defence, investment protection and dispute resolution. I expect bankruptcy and restructuring practices to continue to grow actively. In terms of internal processes, the market will probably continue to struggle with a shortage of staff, exacerbated by a sharp drop in the number of lawyers going abroad and the fact that the quality of university training for lawyers through distance learning has deteriorated since the pandemic (the zoom graduate generation).