NBU leadership’s lawyer and founder of the Artius law firm
My name is Vitalii Matseliukh, and today I am a lawyer in Kyiv and the head of the law firm Artius — a Kyiv-based legal company working at the intersection of business protection, corporate dispute resolution, and GR projects.
For four years, I represented the entire leadership of the National Bank of Ukraine in criminal proceedings. I also served as an adviser to the Mayor of Lviv on city security. My professional focus is on complex, systemic cases where decisions affect not only companies but also institutions and entire industries.
I am originally from Zhytomyr. Moving to Kyiv was my entry point into ‘big processes’ and the formation of my professional identity as a lawyer specializing in business protection. In 2006, while still a student at Taras Shevchenko University, I began working at the Tender Chamber of Ukraine. It was a strong start: studying at one of the country’s leading universities and landing my first job on Khreshchatyk. When the Tender Chamber was shut down and hundreds of people were left without work, I did not look for a ‘comfortable job.’
I created work for myself and founded my own law firm. In our first years, we worked exclusively in public procurement, providing legal support for tenders and helping contracting authorities and bidders. Later, I began developing a corporate law practice, which grew and was complemented by a business protection practice.
We began working on anti-raiding protection. This involved nighttime callouts, forceful confrontations, and working under public and political pressure. I personally led operations to protect business properties—from large commercial complexes to industrial enterprises in Kyiv. In some cases, confrontations escalated into physical altercations, the involvement of armed security, and mass provocations. There were situations when we were literally carried off construction sites during organized political rallies. It was an experience that toughens you and forces you to think quickly, calmly, and strategically.
At the same time, I gained unique experience working against state institutions and alongside them. I filed lawsuits against the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and handled complex proceedings in which the state was the opposing party. Later, I began working with senior government officials and taking part in preparing decisions and regulatory initiatives. This gradually sparked my interest in GR lobbying and public administration, where legal expertise becomes a tool for influencing the rules of the game. 2015 was a pivotal year for the business. We dropped the nondescript name ‘World of Legal Services’ and undertook a complete rebrand, creating ‘Artius’—a clear, bold, recognizable brand with a more aggressive marketing strategy. This was not a cosmetic update but a rethinking of our positioning.
The result was a qualitative leap in growth and entry into a different tier of clients and requests. A second, parallel vector of my development was personal discipline.
Triathlon taught me to stick to a calendar, a routine, and a plan without ‘rescheduling.’ I brought the logic of sport into business: deadlines, consistency, and accountability. Sport taught me discipline and to keep pursuing my goals, stubbornly, one small step at a time. For me, the office is a space for concentration. I consciously separate work from home. I do not work at home: there is no computer and no work-related activity there. If necessary, I will come to the office on a Saturday or at night, but I do not mix a place of rest with a place for making decisions.
A distinct strategic focus in recent years has been GR projects and work at the intersection of business and government. I have a second degree in public management and administration, which I earned at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. I have completed a number of specialized programs, including studies at the Aspen Institute. My professional vision goes beyond providing legal services: I am interested in influencing the rules of the game through reform, lawmaking, and public administration.
In the coming years, I see myself in public policy—as a deputy minister, minister, or member of parliament—with a focus on legal affairs and security. After the full-scale war began, we launched the volunteer project ‘Legal Army’—a Telegram channel that brought together dozens of lawyers to provide free legal assistance. At first, we helped with evacuation, employment, and finding resources. Later, we focused on legal consultations. To me, this is an example of how a professional community can quickly organize itself and serve society without external motivation.
At the same time, I am involved in mentoring. In particular, I was invited to mentor at KSE. For me, sharing experience is an investment in an environment that shapes future leaders. If I talk about my personal life, my sense of happiness is connected to the people close to me. I enjoy results—winning cases, strategies put into action, and large-scale projects. But my family is my greatest source of inner strength. For my own 40th birthday, I organized a week-long trip for the whole family instead of a personal celebration. It matters to me that everyone around me is doing well, not just me.
I live at a high intensity. Ideas, new projects, and strategic decisions often keep me awake longer than I would like. That feels natural to me—movement, development, and scaling up. I think in terms of systems and influence. And that is the trajectory I see for myself going forward.
