My Career Journey: Andrii Lohvynenko, Our Chief Legal Officer

Introduction

Q: Andrii, could you shed some light on your current role and key responsibilities? 

As Chief Legal Officer, I lead a team of legal specialists, mentoring them to ensure excellence. My department’s key focuses include contract management, regulatory compliance, dispute resolution, intellectual property protection, and providing legal guidance across all areas of the company’s operations.

Q: What’s your favorite part about your role?

I am truly passionate about my role at SupportYourApp. I love the challenges: interesting cases, complex assessments, and meeting unique client requirements. Besides that, I love the dynamic nature of IT, with evolving legal practices, changing laws, and working across different jurisdictions. There’s always something new to navigate.

Let’s Reflect

Q: Can you share your journey at SupportYourApp?

Before joining SupportYourApp I worked as a legal counsel in the pharmaceutical industry. As many people at that time, I was eager to make the switch to IT and started looking for job opportunities. That’s when I found an opening with SUP, applied and was invited for an interview.

And then… I came, I saw, I learned it was a part-time opportunity… And I accepted it (despite aiming for a full-time role). Well, fast forward seven years, and I’ve never regretted it!

Q: And you joined the company for the role of Chief Legal Officer, right?

Before I joined, the company didn’t have any in-house counsel. At that time, I believe Daria, our CEO and Managing Partner, and Kateryna, our Chief Finance Officer, were handling the legal processes and agreements themselves. As the company was expanding, they decided to focus on their core tasks and find someone with legal expertise. That’s when I stepped in. 

Q: Can you remember your first day of Onboarding?

Absolutely! Before we implemented all the SOPs and security protocols, Onboarding process was pretty simple: signing documents, getting familiar with the policies, and taking an office tour: “Here’s the coffee machine, this is the toaster… the food on the table is for everyone, but the one in the fridge? Hands off!”.

One thing that I remember to this day was the coffee quality. At my previous job, the coffee was so bad it could literally give you a tachycardia attack. But here, the coffee was so good, I even mentioned it in my company review on social media.

Q: Now we know what empowered you to develop the whole legal procedure on your own — good coffee?

And Daria, our CEO and Managing Partner! She said we needed a clear document management process, so I developed the Document Control Policy and the SOP template. Paperwork is crucial in the legal industry: where to store signed documents, how to update them, what templates to use, who should have access, and how to request it. 

Additionally, I handled most of our initial certifications, like PCI-DSS, since we did not yet have a dedicated security department at that time. I was primarily responsible for managing and creating documentation, including policies and records. Developing these processes from scratch has been an incredibly rewarding experience for me.

Q: Wow, that’s a lot! And what made you stay in the company for more than 7 years?

This might sound a bit strange, but I’ll say it anyway: after all these years, a strong sense of belonging has driven me to always do my best and work as if this were my own company. When it’s your company, you put in that extra effort to do everything better, faster, and more efficiently. For some reason, I feel the same way about SupportYourApp.

Legal Precision: Career Insights

Q: Let’s talk about working as a legal counsel in IT. How does it differ from working in other industries?

For legal counsel, the industry doesn’t matter that much. I’ve worked in the pharmaceutical industry, the metals industry, and now in IT. What’s crucial for all legal counsels is being highly attentive to small details while simultaneously maintaining a broad, strategic perspective. You always need to anticipate potential risks and outcomes (especially when working with people) to secure the company’s needs as effectively as possible. 

The main difference in IT, I believe, is the dynamics of change. With numerous security protocols, constantly changing laws, and now the AI, you have to stay on top of many things to respond effectively.

Q: What skills are essential for a legal professional to keep up with such pace?

The most important skills are attention to detail and precision. A hunger for knowledge and proactivity are also crucial. And, of course, a strong command of English. Many people assume that legal professionals need to master overly complex legal English, but in reality, the approach to legal language has evolved. In recent years, many lawyers have moved away from overly intricate constructions and redundant phrasing, opting for clearer, more concise language. While understanding key legal terminology remains important, a strong overall command of English — especially for interpreting laws, professional articles, and legal documents — is far more valuable in practice.

Q: Thanks for the insights! Have you ever experienced déformation professionnelle, where you start looking at everyday things from a legal perspective?

Absolutely! I’m very meticulous when it comes to mistakes. When I read articles, the first thing I notice are errors. Besides that, my reading style has changed. Legal representatives tend to read quickly, focusing on the most important parts, using skimming and scanning methods. So, when I start reading a book, it becomes an issue for me to read every line.

Outside the Office

Q: Now it’s time for a round of personal questions. If you weren’t in this profession, what career would you have pursued and why?

When I was choosing my major, I was torn between software development and law. I thought, “Well, developers spend so many hours in front of a screen…definitely not what I want. Plus, they need to be good at math…” So, I went with the law. Little did I know, I’d end up spending even more time in front of a screen. At least I don’t need math! 

Q: No math, but plenty of responsibility. How do you manage stress?

They say lawyers have a high tolerance for stress… and for strong drinks. But I prefer to manage it in another way. Over the years, I’ve developed a few philosophical approaches to stress and problems. First: there are no desperate situations, just unfavorable or challenging ones. Second: it’s about accepting those unfavourable or challenging situations. If something can’t be fixed or improved, there’s no point in stressing over it.

Q: That’s an interesting perspective! What are your hobbies or passions outside of work?

I recently bought a bike and love going on the rides from time to time. Playing guitar is another favorite hobby, music is an incredible stress reliever. And, of course, there’s my furry stress managing assistant, Zefir [Marshmallow], my white cat. I walk him on a leash every day, and we both enjoy the picturesque sights of Cyprus.

Q: And our last, and probably most fun, question: can you share an interesting fact about yourself that most people don’t know?

Baking is my secret talent — perhaps because, like law, it requires precision, patience, and just the right ingredients to achieve the best result. My specialty? Panettone. It takes time to rise, just like a well-drafted contract, but the final outcome is always worth it!

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