Partners of ETERNA LAW acquitted in Swiss criminal proceedings

The Court of Lugano, Switzerland, has rendered a verdict declaring not guilty Mr Andrey Astapov, Mr Oleh Malskyy and Mr Eugene Blinov, partners of ETERNA LAW in Kyiv, upon a court hearing after examining charges brought against them consisting of allegations of fraud, forgery of documents and breach of professional secrecy. The charges had been brought by an ex-client of ETERNA LAW who had refused to settle the professional fees of ETERNA LAW in a large-scale complex arbitration.

The Public Prosecutor of the Canton of Ticino acknowledged at the court hearing that the charges should never have been raised since the allegations of perpetrated crimes were entirely unsupported. ETERNA LAW always pointed out that the investigation should have been terminated from the very beginning and that the reopening of the investigation had been the consequence of a plain mistake of a former prosecutor, who does not work anymore at the Prosecution Office. The partners of ETERNA LAW were awarded by the Court of Lugano a full indemnity for their legal expenses incurred in hearing the criminal case before this Court. The Canton of Ticino has borne the costs.

ETERNA LAW further confirms that the dispute with its ex-client in respect of the professional fees has been entirely settled.

The partners of Eterna Law were represented in these Swiss proceedings by Dr. Nicolas Rouiller and Clarissa Indemini.