Schoenherr CEE Compass 2026: Steering the conversation on Ukraine's reconstruction

"Ukraine's reconstruction will be one of Europe's defining projects of the coming decade," said Alexander Popp, Managing Partner of Schoenherr. "As a firm deeply rooted in CEE, we see it as our responsibility to help shape the legal and commercial frameworks that will enable meaningful, long term investment. We are ready to accompany businesses along the way." 

"For 30 years, Schoenherr has advised the private sector through every stage of Romania's transition, from post-communism reforms to EU accession and beyond," said Sebastian Gutiu, Office Managing Partner at Schoenherr Romania. "We hope that Romania and other neighbouring countries will be able to contribute this experience to Ukraine's post-war rebuilding efforts."

This year's edition welcomed high level representatives from leading European institutions, international financial organisations, development banks and major companies across energy, infrastructure and banking, reflecting a broad cross-sector dialogue on current economic and geopolitical developments.

Panellists included Sam Weinberg (European Commission), Fianna Jurdant (OECD – OCDE), Yue Man Lee (The World Bank Group), Victoria Zinchuk (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development), George Agafitei (PPC Romania), Adela Bradu (Romcim, CRH), Cristina Harea (Diligent Capital Partners), Yannis Kyriakopoulos (Piraeus Bank Ukraine), Nataliia Pashchenko (Raiffeisen Bank International), Natalie Polischuk (Dobrobut Foundation), Edward Randolph (Amber Infrastructure), Petru Ruset (Siemens Energy), Rebecca Steinacher (Wien Energie), Vasile Tofan (Horizon Capital) and Vitalii Ovsiiuk (European Business Association), who each contributed to panel discussions throughout the day.

Schoenherr's own experts from across the region contributed as moderators and speakers, with Tatiana Iurkovska (Attorney at Law, Head of Schoenherr's Ukrainian Desk) serving as host and guiding participants through the event. Additional speakers included Ivana Panić (Partner), Markus Piuk (Partner), Paweł Halwa (Office Managing Partner Poland), Georgiana Bădescu (Partner), Alfred Amann (Partner), Monica Cojocaru (Partner), Marcin Czatrowski (Partner), Attila Csongrádi (Partner) and Bianca Duca (Attorney at Law), reflecting Schoenherr's deep regional integration and long-standing commitment to Ukraine related advisory work.

Throughout the day, speakers examined the scale of Ukraine's reconstruction needs, the evolving legal and regulatory environment, and the investment conditions required to attract private capital. Discussions highlighted the importance of predictable frameworks, credible risk mitigation instruments and early alignment with EU standards. Energy and infrastructure emerged as core priorities, alongside the need for sophisticated financing structures and strong public private partnerships.

The conference's most important message was partnership — being prepared and building partnerships now, rather than waiting for the end of the war. The closing remark captured the shared aspiration: through joint efforts, to build a Ukraine that is more transparent, more credible and more closely integrated into Europe. 

Tatiana Iurkovska, Head of the Ukrainian Desk, also emphasised the importance of early engagement: "Reconstruction is not something that starts after the war — it is already underway. Investors who prepare now, who understand the legal landscape and the risk mitigation tools available, will be the ones positioned to make a real impact."

A full executive summary, including panel highlights and selected quotes, is available here: https://schoenherr.eu/cee-compass/2026-summary.