Cases we have handled
Criminal proceedings
Closure of criminal proceedings overturned
The investigator closed the proceedings. We challenged this decision, and the investigating judge upheld the complaint and overturned the ruling.
Ruling of the Biliaivka District Court, Odesa Region, 02.09.2026. Case No. 496/3277/25
We do not name our clients. The outcome depends on the facts of each case, so these decisions show our practice but do not guarantee the same result.
/ About the practice /
Criminal law and procedure
In a criminal case the first days decide a lot: questioning, a search, a notice of suspicion, a preventive measure. A criminal defence lawyer in Odesa is most useful before the defence position has been fixed in the case records.
We defend suspects and accused persons and represent victims, witnesses, companies and their executives. Your case is handled by lawyer Ivan Ablov, from the first call during the pre-trial investigation to appeal and cassation.
When can we help?
From the first investigative action: a summons for questioning, a search or a detention. Contact us if:
- you have been summoned for questioning by the police, SBU, SBI, NABU, ESBU or the prosecutor’s office
- your home or company is being searched; for these cases we offer an urgent lawyer call-out 24/7
- you have been served with a notice of suspicion
- you have been detained or a preventive measure is being decided
- your property, bank accounts or documents have been seized
- criminal proceedings have been opened against you or your business
- you are charged with a military criminal offence, such as going AWOL
- you are a victim and law enforcement is not acting on your complaint
- you need to appeal a verdict or another court decision
Drink-driving without injured people is an administrative case under Art. 130 of the Code of Administrative Offences, not a criminal one. See the Art. 130 lawyer page. In Odesa, preventive measures and asset seizures are decided by investigating judges of the district courts, such as the Prymorskyi, Kyivskyi or Malynovskyi District Court, and appeals against their rulings go to the Odesa Court of Appeal.
What does a lawyer do in a criminal case?
Defends you at every stage: takes part in investigative actions, challenges the suspicion, preventive measures and asset seizures, then handles the case in court.
Defence during the pre-trial investigation
- a lawyer present during questioning, searches, detention and other investigative actions
- assessing whether the notice of suspicion is well-founded and challenging it
- opposing and appealing preventive measures
- complaints against decisions, actions or inaction of investigators and prosecutors
- motions for investigative actions, expert examinations and closure of proceedings
- reviewing the case materials and preparing for trial
Defence in court
- building the defence position and working with evidence
- participation in the preparatory hearing and the trial
- examining witnesses and experts, filing motions
- support in concluding plea agreements or reconciliation agreements
Economic and official misconduct offences
- tax evasion, fictitious entrepreneurship
- fraud, misappropriation and embezzlement of property
- abuse of office, official negligence
- defence of company executives and officers
- support for businesses during searches and temporary access to documents
During a search of an office we make sure only what the investigating judge’s ruling allows is taken, and we press for the return of anything seized.
Military criminal offences and mobilisation
- defence in cases of unauthorised absence from a military unit (AWOL) and desertion
- cases of insubordination and failure to obey an order
- cases of evasion of conscription during mobilisation
- support with returning to service and release from criminal liability where the law allows
Seizure of property
- opposing motions to seize property
- lifting the seizure of bank accounts, real estate, vehicles and equipment
- recovering property and documents taken during a search
Representation of victims
- preparing and filing a criminal complaint
- challenging a failure to register the complaint in the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations and the closure of proceedings
- monitoring the progress of the pre-trial investigation
- civil claims within criminal proceedings and compensation for damage
Appeal and cassation
- analysing the verdict and the prospects of an appeal
- preparing appeals and cassation appeals
- representation before the court of appeal and the Supreme Court
How we work
The first conversation
Before we even meet, we will tell you whether to attend questioning and what to bring, how to act during a search and whether there are grounds to challenge the suspicion. If investigative actions are already under way, the lawyer comes to you.
Everything you tell us is protected by attorney-client privilege.
Why Ablov & Partners?
- one lawyer handles your case; it is not passed from one specialist to another
- in tax evasion cases (Art. 212 of the Criminal Code) the lawyer checks the tax authority’s calculations himself: his second master’s degree is in finance, from the University of the State Fiscal Service (2020)
- call-outs to searches and arrests in Odesa and the region, around the clock
- defence at every stage, from the first questioning to the Supreme Court
An open criminal case is not a conviction. The earlier a defence lawyer joins the case, the fewer mistakes have to be fixed in court.
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The first consultation is free. Available 24/7, with no days off.
