On 22-23 February 2015, the Higher Commercial Court of Ukraine hosted the 20th anniversary Ukrainian National Rounds of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition. 9 teams representing Ukraine's best law schools participated in the prestigious contest. Topics discussed by the students this year encompassed the central and paramount issues of annexation and secession currently faced by Ukraine.

The team representing the Institute of International Relations of Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University that enjoyed support from Asters law firm in the course of its preparation to the National Rounds, won the National Champion title. The winning team consists of Oleksiy Maslov (5th year), Oksana Matiyash (6th year), Alla Kushnirenko (4th year), Iryna Volkova (3rd year) and Yaroslav Lepko (5th year). Yaroslav Lepko was also named the National Round Best Oralist. Anna Tkachova, Associate with Asters, is one of the team's coaches. The team is coached also by Oleksandr Ioffe and Sergiy Yaroshenko.

The team of the Institute of International Relations of Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University will represent Ukraine at the International Rounds in Washington, D.C., on 5-11 April 2015.

Oleksiy Didkovskiy, Asters' Managing Partner, believes that the projects like this one will help foster new leaders of the country's jurisprudence. "We take pride that the team we are supporting won the National Champion title, and we are confident that the future of the Ukrainian legal system is in the hands of these young yet talented and promising intellectual elite. Naturally, we will further support the team in the international rounds."

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The Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition is the world's longest standing and the largest moot court competition. The Competition is a simulation of a fictional dispute between countries before the International Court of Justice, the judicial organ of the United Nations.