Юридическая фирма VERBA LEGAL

Ratings and Awards

Selected Experience

News and publications

Kirill Ponasyuk

Partner, Attorney

Corporate Law and M&A Dispute Resolution Bankruptcy Investment Support

Phone

+7 (495) 374-74-03

kirill.ponasyuk@verba.legal

Contacts

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Languages

Russian, English

Kirill has over 15 years of experience specializing in defending directors, shareholders, and beneficiaries against liability claims, resolving corporate conflicts, handling complex litigation matters, major commercial disputes, and bankruptcy-related disputes.

He advises and assesses management risks for key clients in transactions involving distressed assets and defends businesses against takeovers.

Kirill is a licensed attorney and has been a member of the Moscow Bar Association since 2013.

According to the 2025 Pravo.ru litigation study, under Kirill's leadership VERBA LEGAL's dispute resolution practice ranked in the top 5 firms in the federal market by average claim value. Over the past year, the total value of claims handled by the team exceeded RUB 430 billion.

achievements

Ratings and Rewards

Kirill is recommended by international and Russian rankings, including Best Lawyers, Pravo-300, Kommersant, and Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

Best Lawyers in the category: Litigation

Pravo-300 in the categories: Arbitration Litigation (corporate disputes), Arbitration Litigation (major commercial disputes: high market), Bankruptcy (mid-market disputes)

Rossiyskaya Gazeta in the categories: Arbitration Litigation, Bankruptcy

Kommersant in the categories: Manufacturing and Industry, Commercial Dispute Resolution, Corporate Dispute Resolution

Selected Experience

Commercial Disputes

Kirill advised:

a client in a dispute on recovery of damages under lease agreements totaling RUB 1.5 billion for failure to conduct commercial activities, reducing liability from RUB 1.5 billion to RUB 6 million;

United Colors of Benetton in a landmark case on judicial termination of a long-term lease agreement due to substantial change in circumstances during COVID-19, leading to contract termination under Article 451 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation;

a major federal developer in a dispute with the Khanty-Mansiysk city administration and a state investment company on a claim to recognize ownership of an unfinished construction project valued at RUB 1.8 billion, with the opponents' claims rejected in all instances, including the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation;

a major construction company in disputes against Oboronenergo and the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on recovery of debt in the amount of RUB 2.2 billion for capital construction work on an airfield in Krasnodar Territory, with the client's claims fully satisfied;

a major manufacturer of metalworking equipment and industrial machinery in a dispute with the Moscow Department of City Property and the Moscow Government on a claim to recognize a property valued at RUB 1.2 billion as unauthorized construction and its demolition, with the property preserved for the client and the opponents' claim rejected;

a service company in a dispute with Oboronenergo and the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on termination of a contract and recovery of debt in the amount of RUB 470 million under a state contract for maintenance of electrical infrastructure at military units in the Republic of Crimea;

a client in a dispute with Promsvyazbank on challenging the largest banking commission in 2024 judicial practice, setting a precedent for judicial reduction of banking commissions;

Lacoste in a lease dispute with Moscow's largest shopping center, where after six months of negotiations the dispute was settled with the plaintiff withdrawing the claim and the client receiving compensation under a counterclaim;

a leading company in the Russian market for fresh-frozen fish and seafood in a series of disputes on debt recovery totaling over RUB 6 billion.

Corporate Disputes

Kirill advised:

a minority shareholder of a major oil pipeline and surface facilities construction company in a corporate conflict involving over 60 disputes with claims exceeding RUB 3.5 billion, resolved through a comprehensive settlement agreement;

a minority shareholder of a major developer in a corporate conflict that resulted in consolidation of 100% of the company's shares with assets of RUB 7.8 billion through judicial exclusion of the majority participant (67% of shares) and subsequent comprehensive settlement agreement;

beneficiaries of a medical complex in Moscow in a dispute on recovery of damages in the amount of RUB 500 million, where after reversal of lower court decisions in the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, the clients' rights were restored and the recovery of damages was cancelled;

shareholders of a major IT company in a lengthy corporate conflict since 2017 aimed at consolidating shares and eliminating a hostile shareholder — the former CEO — including recovery of damages, challenging transactions, initiating personal bankruptcy proceedings, and concluding a settlement agreement in 2023;

minority participants of a major federal construction company in a corporate conflict on recovery of damages from the former CEO and company participant in the amount of over RUB 480 million with subsequent initiation of criminal prosecution and personal bankruptcy proceedings;

shareholders of a major bakery in a corporate conflict with restoration of corporate control over the enterprise with assets exceeding RUB 2 billion;

a subsidiary of Russia's largest technology company in a dispute with an investment fund on challenging a company sale transaction valued at RUB 1.4 billion, resolved through a mediation agreement with the fund withdrawing its claim.

Bankruptcy-Related Disputes

Kirill advised:

a former executive of a company within the structure of Russia's largest insurance company in a dispute on subsidiary liability in the amount of RUB 1.5 billion, where the key issue was proving causation between the executive's actions and the company's bankruptcy, in line with Supreme Court practice on such cases;

a beneficiary of a construction company in bankruptcy proceedings before the Supreme Court on challenging a company sale transaction for RUB 860 million, considering the specifics of judicial practice on challenging transactions and subsidiary liability;

a beneficiary of a major clothing retailer in a dispute on subsidiary liability in the amount of over RUB 3 billion, applying principles aimed at preventing double liability of controlling persons and maintaining the balance of parties' rights;

a client in comprehensive defense against a claim by an oil refining company for debt recovery in the amount of RUB 940 million, including defense of transactions and bringing controlling persons of the debtor to subsidiary liability within bankruptcy proceedings, requiring strict compliance with conditions for liability and distribution of the burden of proof;

a beneficiary of a company specializing in production and supply of banking equipment in a dispute on subsidiary liability in the amount of over RUB 800 million, considering the latest Supreme Court positions on criteria and grounds for bringing controlling persons to liability.

what's new

News and publications

01 / 08 / 25

Case Law Digest: Holding Top Executives Liable as per Article 53.1 of the Russian Civil Code

On July 30, 2025, the Presidium of the Russian Federation Supreme Court approved a case law digest dealing with arbitration proceedings on the corporate disputes related to the application of Article 53.1 of the Russian Civil Code (the “Digest”)

#legal alerts

17 / 05 / 25

VERBA LEGAL Takes Part in the XII International Charity Race Legal Run 2025.

Every year the Legal Run project brings together more and more lawyers willing to join their efforts to help children

#events

06 / 05 / 25

Holding a Director Liable. Losses on Below-Cost Transactions: Yes, or No?