If someone says that moving to live in another country is easy, don't believe it. Adaptation and acceptance of you by another society is the most difficult. Iryna Kravtsova, Foreign Qualified Lawyer at Gateley Legal, who moved to London during the war, told us about her new path with one suitcase in her hands and about her pro bono project for Ukrainian lawyers Ukrainian British Lawyers Network. We talk more about it in the interview.
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— Iryna, before we start talking about your pro bono project, tell us how you decided to move to another country, having good career prospects in Ukraine? Was this decision influenced only by the war?
— The year 2022 was a turning point for all Ukrainians. Everyone had to make quick decisions that dramatically affected their future lives. There are no wrong decisions during a war, as they are all made under the influence of external circumstances, heightened emotional sensitivity and a clear understanding of the reality you are in. So last year was a period when I made a decision rather than daring to move to another country.
After the liberation of Bucha and the disclosure of all the tragedies that took place there during the occupation, I decided to accept the Raben Group's invitation and temporarily moved to Poland. From there, I continued to work remotely for Raben Ukraine for 7 months.
As I took an active pro-Ukrainian position in social media, I was noticed by English recruiters from Fides search. They offered me to have an interview at the English law firm Stephenson Harwood, which became my next employer. I got a temporary contract and moved to London. After the end of the contract, I was offered a position as a Foreign Qualified Lawyer in another English company that provides legal and other professional business services, Gateley Legal. I was happy to accept the offer, as Gateley Legal actively supports Ukrainian projects and intends to expand cooperation in the Ukrainian market, Central Asia and the CIS.
In my professional life, I always strive for something more. The most important thing for me is development. If I feel that I am growing out of a certain position, I try to move on. For me, a comfortable place of work is where I feel constant movement and development. The war, although tragic, was a key impetus for changes in my life.
— Was it difficult to adapt to a different mentality, laws and start a new life?
— If someone says that moving to another country is easy, don't believe them. Adapting and being accepted by another society is the hardest part. When you move to another country with only one suitcase, temporary housing, a temporary job and a limited budget, you start a period of survival. This situation is aggravated by the emotional state, because your whole family is in a country that is being shelled every minute. But no matter what, you have to gather all your inner strength and energy and spend it only on the goal at hand.
— How did you come up with the idea of creating the Ukrainian British Lawyers Network and what is its purpose?
— I founded the General Counsel Club Ukraine at the end of 2022. It is a platform for informal communication between heads of legal departments. It would seem that with the outbreak of the war, the Club would not develop and would decline, but the opposite happened. Not only has the Club survived, but new members are actively joining us. The main advantage is live communication and support. Unfortunately, we forget that behind every position there is a person who has his or her own emotions, experiences, feelings, and thoughts. General Counsel Club Ukraine is the place where top legal executives take off their "professional armor" and open up as people.
When I moved to London, I felt an urgent need for communication. I started looking for a Ukrainian professional community, but didn't find one. That's when I came up with the idea to create a platform that would unite Ukrainian lawyers living in the UK. With the help of Fides search, a recruitment company that recruits exclusively lawyers and has a pro bono project to employ Ukrainians, I built a network of contacts of Ukrainian lawyers based in the UK.
UBLN aims to unite, support and assist Ukrainian lawyers who live in the UK for notwithstanding time and reason of relocation. The basis of UBLN is networking, i.e. communication to share experiences and establish new contacts. UBLN is an open platform for anyone who wants to help and support Ukrainian lawyers.
— What are the plans for UBLN development?
— As they say, "an elephant should be eaten in small pieces, not swallowed whole". Therefore, I am currently planning to involve even more Ukrainian lawyers in UBLN, establish stable cooperation with law and consulting companies, attract more speakers and lecturers to conduct sessions at UBLN Academy, and establish contacts with recruitment agencies and local businesses to create jobs for Ukrainian lawyers. Of course, I will pay special attention to cooperation with English legal associations and educational institutions.
— Which law firms support UBLN?
— Since UBLN was founded recently, we are not yet known by many law firms. But among those who are already actively involved in helping UBLN are the English law firms Gateley Legal, Stephenson Harwood, Harrison Clark Rickerbys, as well as the Ukrainian consulting company Tomash consulting and the British Legal Center. I am currently in active negotiations with other law and consulting companies. UBLN is open to cooperation with Ukrainian, English and other jurisdictions' law firms.
— How often are events for lawyers held and what is discussed at them? Are representatives of foreign business involved in the exchange of experience? What do lawyers get from UBLN in the end?
— UBLN will hold four main annual offline events. These events are exclusively for networking. I plan to invite not only lawyers but also business representatives and recruiters. I want local businesses to see that Ukrainian lawyers are highly educated people who are professionals in their field. My goal is to change the attitude of business to Ukrainian lawyers and show that we can compete with local specialists. Unfortunately, it is still extremely difficult for a Ukrainian lawyer to find a job in the UK.
The UBLN Academy was created on the basis of UBLN. There the lectures, online discussions and webinars are held, as well as free classes in Legal English language. I invite interesting speakers and experts to participate in this educational process. In the future, I plan to hold events with associations located in other jurisdictions. I am confident that the UBLN educational program will help accelerate the adaptation of Ukrainian lawyers to life in the UK. I would like to note that some webinars are common practices that can be applied not only in the UK, so such webinars may be of interest to lawyers in any country. You can follow the schedule of all UBLN events on the Ukrainian British Lawyers Network LinkedIn page.
— Do you miss the work of the inhouse? Do you keep in touch with the companies you worked for?
— Undoubtedly, I am grateful to every company I have worked at for the experience gained and the invaluable development of me as a person and a professional. Now the next stage of professional development has come in my life and I am enjoying it. I have new projects, new plans, new opportunities to implement ideas, which are combined with a great atmosphere and professional team at Gateley Legal.
Yes, I keep in touch with L'Oreal and Raben Ukraine and, of course, I worry about my ex-colleagues who are in Ukraine.
— To create a product abroad, you need a lot of inspiration, motivation, and a reliable shoulder to stand on. Who is your support today?
— I have two big motivations. First, it is my family, which, unfortunately, is far away from me. I call my loved ones several times a day to hear their voices and make sure they are okay. For their sake, I cannot give up. They are my support and the biggest pillar in my life. Secondly, it is the instinct of self-survival. For a Ukrainian lawyer to survive in another country, he or she needs to move twice as fast as others. It's a very simple and primitive game: either you concentrate and achieve something, or the metropolis will swallow you up.
— Do you plan to return to Ukraine and continue your career as a corporate lawyer?
— After 2022, I can say that life is a very unpredictable thing. For now, I am here. There is only one certainty: wherever I am, I will always support Ukraine and help in the way I know best.