Baker McKenzie's Kyiv office acted as legal counsel to VARUS supermarket chain in connection with the signing and closing of its acquisition of KOLO, a leading Ukrainian convenience retail operator. The signing and closing of the transaction took place on 4 August 2026. Following completion of the transaction, the combined network comprises 374 stores and employs more than 9,000 people.
The acquisition of KOLO further advances VARUS' market expansion strategy. As part of this strategy, VARUS intends to combine KOLO's unique expertise in the convenience store segment with VARUS' scale and capabilities in procurement, marketing and IT.
Baker McKenzie advised VARUS on the memorandum of cooperation and provided comprehensive legal support throughout the preparation of the transaction documentation, signing and closing of the transaction.
The Baker McKenzie team was led by Alyona Bon, Counsel in the Corporate and M&A Practice Group, under the overall supervision of Viacheslav Yakymchuk, Partner. Associate Oleksandr Savvi played a key role in the successful completion of the transaction, with support from Associate Yuliia Seredynska.
Commenting on the transaction, Maryna Panina, CFO of VARUS supermarket chain, said:
"In complex M&A transactions, it is particularly important for us to work with legal counsel that not only has a strong command of the legal aspects of a deal but also understands its underlying business rationale and helps identify practical solutions that keep the transaction moving forward. The Baker McKenzie team demonstrated exactly this approach, combining outstanding legal expertise, a strong commercial mindset and the ability to effectively navigate complex issues throughout an intensive negotiation process. We highly value this collaboration and greatly appreciate the professionalism of the team that supported us throughout the transaction."
The acquisition of KOLO further advances VARUS' market expansion strategy. As part of this strategy, VARUS intends to combine KOLO's unique expertise in the convenience store segment with VARUS' scale and capabilities in procurement, marketing and IT.
Baker McKenzie advised VARUS on the memorandum of cooperation and provided comprehensive legal support throughout the preparation of the transaction documentation, signing and closing of the transaction.
The Baker McKenzie team was led by Alyona Bon, Counsel in the Corporate and M&A Practice Group, under the overall supervision of Viacheslav Yakymchuk, Partner. Associate Oleksandr Savvi played a key role in the successful completion of the transaction, with support from Associate Yuliia Seredynska.
Commenting on the transaction, Maryna Panina, CFO of VARUS supermarket chain, said:
"In complex M&A transactions, it is particularly important for us to work with legal counsel that not only has a strong command of the legal aspects of a deal but also understands its underlying business rationale and helps identify practical solutions that keep the transaction moving forward. The Baker McKenzie team demonstrated exactly this approach, combining outstanding legal expertise, a strong commercial mindset and the ability to effectively navigate complex issues throughout an intensive negotiation process. We highly value this collaboration and greatly appreciate the professionalism of the team that supported us throughout the transaction."
Explore Our Newsroom