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SRDB Law Firm and EarlyBird Global partner with Ukrainian City of Nizhyn to boost investment in local economy




SRDB Law Firm, consulting firm EarlyBird Global, and the city of Nizhyn, represented by Mayor Oleksandr Kodola, have signed an investment memorandum designed to attract an influx of public and private investment into key sectors of the local economy, such as energy security, industrial parks, and water treatment.



SRDB Law Firm and EarlyBird Global are joining forces to promote investment in Ukraine through the application of their cutting-edge legal and strategic expertise. Under the terms of the memorandum, SRDB Law Firm will provide legal expertise to facilitate the implementation of the envisaged projects. The firm, which boasts a Ukraine Desk, has developed comprehensive multidisciplinary legal expertise dedicated to the Eastern European country over the years and regularly collaborates with several local law firms, selected based on their skillset and type of case.


Earlybird Global, a business consulting firm founded in 2018 in the USA, works in sectors such as multidisciplinary technological innovation, public-private technology transfer, and financial advisory to public entities. Earlybird Global is particularly invested in projects designed to modernize Ukraine, and works with a new generation of Ukrainian leaders who, in a total break with the past, are resolutely oriented towards the methods of the European Union and International Financial Institutions.


EarlyBird Global president, Nabil Sioufi, remarked: "The Ukrainian economy has shown extraordinary resilience in recent years. We are not talking here about repairing and rebuilding, but about building a new, modern Ukraine. For investors, participating in this major project means preparing investment projects today, not waiting until the day of victory to step forward."


"By joining forces with EarlyBird Global, we combine our knowledge and experience to facilitate the implementation of the envisaged projects, guaranteeing a strong legal framework tailored to the needs of investors. We are proud to contribute to this crucial process," added Georges Sioufi, founding partner of SRDB Law Firm.


Nizhyn: Promising Agro-Industrial Potential


The city of Nizhyn, located about a hundred kilometers north-east of the capital, Kyiv, has a population of 80,000, the prestigious Nicolas Gogol University, excellent transport connections, and is situated in the heart of an agriculturally rich region, thanks to the presence of Chernozem, the world’s most fertile black soil. Energy security in Ukraine is currently the absolute strategic priority for international financial institutions. In this regard, Nizhyn has natural potential to become a highly competitive agro-industrial center in the Kyiv catchment area. Additionally, water treatment modernization is one of the major initiatives of the Ukrainian government's national reconstruction plan.


Oleksandr Kodola, a former member of the Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, elected mayor of Nizhyn in January 2021, has been tirelessly promoting his city internationally. He has forged ties with Latvia, Germany, Poland, and Finland, and his visit to France in November 2022 saw him received at the senate.


This initiative is a major step for a medium-sized Ukrainian city like Nizhyn. Indeed, since 2022, the vast majority of new projects have been concentrated in western Ukraine near the European Union. By signing this memorandum, Nizhyn is sending a strong signal to investors.


Mobilization of Leading Financial Partners


A series of financial partners have been approached to support these promising initiatives. They have been selected for their expertise, commitment to Ukraine, and ability to contribute significantly to the success of the projects. Among them are:


• International financial institutions active in Ukraine such as the EBRD (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development), the EIB (European Investment Bank), the MIGA agency (Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency), and the IFC (International Finance Corporation)

• Financial institutions from countries investing in Ukraine, such as the DFC (The United States’ International Development Finance Corporation)

• Private equity funds with proven experience in implementing similar projects in Ukraine. The envisaged funding will include various instruments such as grants, preliminary studies, financial guarantees against the risks of war, loans, and capital. This diversity of instruments will effectively address the specific needs of each project, ensuring their long-term success.


Governmental partners met with in Kyiv include the Ministry of Economy, which is responsible for Ukraine’s industrial parks law and supports the registration processes of industrial parks, as well as the National Ukrainian Public-Private Partnership Agency, which supports and assists local PPP projects.


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