On April 22, 2024, Everlegal announced it had been appointed to provide legal support to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees – the UN Refugee Agency – for its activities in Ukraine.
The UNHCR is a global inter-governmental organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights, and building a better future for refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people.
According to Everlegal, the UNHCR has been present in Ukraine since 1994, when the agency supported the repatriation of Crimean Tatars, and concluded a Host Country Agreement with the Government of Ukraine in 1996. In line with its mandate, the UNHCR provides protection services and assistance to help refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees, war-affected, and stateless people access their rights and essential services and find sustainable solutions.
"In 2014, the UNHCR scaled up its presence in eastern Ukraine to provide humanitarian services and assistance to people impacted by the war," the law firm reported. "Following the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation in February 2022, UNHCR has further expanded its operation and is now present in several locations across the country."
"We are proud of such a significant collaboration and sincerely thank the UNHCR team for their important mission in Ukraine and for trusting Everlegal. Our team will make every effort to ensure the successful operation of the UN Agency in Ukraine," the law firm announced.
Back in 2023, Everlegal also announced a partnership with the Norwegian Refugee Council in Ukraine, to offer the NRC legal support on a number of day-to-day legal issues (as reported by CEE Legal Matters on September 27, 2023).
The Everlegal team includes 15 lawyers under the leadership of Managing Partner Yevheniy Deyneko, Partner Andriy Porayko, and Project Manager Daria Kravets.
