TETIANA ZELKINA
Tetiana Zelkina is a seasoned defense attorney with extensive experience in criminal law and procedure. Her key area of expertise lies in defending clients against accusations related to white-collar crime, including economic, financial, and official misconduct such as fraud, bribery, abuse of office, and money laundering.
Tetiana advises businesses on highly sensitive criminal matters - from developing strategic defense in high-profile proceedings to preparing companies for investigative actions, such as searches, asset seizures, and property arrests. She also successfully represents companies that act as victims in criminal cases.
Her deep command of criminal procedure is grounded in years of practical experience and academic research. She holds a PhD in Law with a dissertation on “Restrictions on Property Rights in Criminal Proceedings at the Pre-Trial Stage.” This foundation allows her to identify vulnerabilities in the prosecution’s case and to build legally sound, reputationally aware defense strategies tailored to each situation.
Tetiana has acted in numerous high-profile and socially significant cases and knows how to operate effectively under intense media scrutiny and public pressure. Her approach is marked by precision, systematic analysis, and a willingness to pursue unconventional solutions in even the most complex scenarios.
- Challenging Notices of Suspicion: Successfully contested numerous notices of suspicion in cases involving especially grave offences, without a single revocation being overturned by prosecutors or courts
- Bail and Asset Recovery: Secured the return of bail funds exceeding UAH 10 million at the pre-trial investigation stage
- Acquittals: Achieved a series of acquittals, including in high-profile cases concerning allegations of corruption
- High-Profile Representation: Acted in many matters that attracted significant media attention and public scrutiny
- Reclassification of Charges: Obtained reclassification of charges from grave or particularly grave offences to minor offences in over 20 cases
- Appellate Success: A 9-year custodial sentence was overturned on appeal; the case was remitted for retrial, after which the prosecution withdrew all charges
- Pre-Trial Detention Avoided: Successfully opposed applications for remand in custody in multiple high-stakes criminal cases; personal undertakings were imposed instead
- Search Support: Provided strategic legal support during dozens of searches, preventing the seizure of assets through proactive defence measures
- Asset Return: Secured the return of property seized during searches in more than 70 cases
- Victim Representation: Delivered adequate legal support to victims of serious financial crime, including successfully recovering assets exceeding €800,000
- Release from Criminal Liability: Achieved release from criminal liability for clients in dozens of complex proceedings
- Top Executive Representation: Acted for CEOs and senior executives of major companies, defending against unfounded suspicion and asserting their rights as victims
- Minimising Custodial Exposure: Over the past five years, only one client has remained in custody for more than four months, and only under exceptional circumstances
Professional and Public Activities
- Member, Committee for the Protection of Lawyers' Rights, Kyiv Region Bar Council (since 2023)
- Co-founder and Board Member, Dobrosud Legal Association (since 2021)
- Member, Ukrainian National Bar Association (UNBA)
- Member, Business Protection Office at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine (2021-2023)
Bar qualification
- Admitted to the Bar in Ukraine since 2012
- PhD in Law since 2021
Education
- Master of Laws, Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University, 2009
- PhD in Law, National Academy of Internal Affairs, 2021
Expertise in pratcices
Expertise in industries
Bar Council of the Kyiv region
Office protection business mvs
Member of the National Attorneys Association of Ukraine
DOBROSUD Law Association