$90M Governance Damage Claim

Lions Lawyers represented a senior public official in one of the largest and most high-profile cases involving state claims against its own officials for alleged damage caused through improper governance decisions.

The case concerned allegations of damages amounting to USD 90 million, with the state asserting that our client had made an unlawful decision in relation to the procurement of equipment subsequently supplied to Ukrainian public authorities and utilised in their operational activities. The state argued that this procurement decision had caused significant financial loss.Following extensive evidentiary proceedings, the court ruled that our client bore no liability for any alleged losses. Crucially, the court determined that no damage had in fact occurred.

Our legal team demonstrated that the equipment in question had been effectively deployed by state bodies and had generated operational and financial benefits exceeding its acquisition value. This evidence proved decisive in refuting the state’s claim.

The judgment is widely regarded as a landmark decision in Ukrainian legal practice, establishing an important precedent regarding the liability threshold of public officials in governance and procurement decision-making. In addition to securing the dismissal of all claims, our team prepared and advanced evidence supporting compensation for reputational and legal harm suffered by our client as a result of the proceedings.

Details have been anonymised to preserve client confidentiality.