Continuing our tradition of wrapping up the year 2024 together with top managers and experts from the gaming industry (and related sectors), we present an interview with Artem Handriko, head of the IT/IP practice at REVERA.
What was the year like for the law firm? What achievements would you like to highlight?
In 2024, REVERA continued to expand its global presence and build relationships with new partners. Legal panels in the UAE, Uzbekistan, and Armenia joined our offices in Belarus, Cyprus, Georgia, Poland, and Kazakhstan. Thus, we dedicated the entire year to integrating these offices and teams.
This increased presence enables us to more actively develop cross-country competencies, truly becoming a single point of contact for clients as they operate in multiple markets, thanks to both our own offices and panels, as well as a large partner network.
Thanks to the coordinated efforts of our teams in 2024, we released several cross-country guides for our clients, addressing corporate issues, taxation, intellectual property protection in the countries where we operate, and arbitration. More such activities are expected in 2025.
In 2024, we conducted a major strategic session with representatives from all REVERA offices and set strategic goals. Overall, the company’s development in 2024 was positive, with all key business indicators on the rise, so we enter 2025 with optimism.
How did gaming legal practices change in 2024?
Globally, compared to 2023, gaming legal practices in 2024 remained unchanged. The demand for supranational legal products (international structuring, international taxation, global brand protection, multi-jurisdictional transactions, etc.) was observed in 2024 as well.
Interestingly, we observed the emergence of new funds, incubators, and accelerators. It seems that in the context of increasing competition and market density, the race to enhance investment portfolios with excellent teams and projects starts at a very early stage.
What legal issues did gaming companies frequently inquire about this year?
In 2024, the top legal requests from gaming companies remained consistent. They include:
- International structuring of corporate groups, guidance on business scaling, and entry into new markets.
- Brand Protection/Brand Management.
- Securing investments and M&A.
- Obtaining benefits and preferences for IT companies in various jurisdictions.
- Contractual bindings and risk management.
Notably, there was a high demand for IP protection. We received weekly requests for brand protection in the EU, USA, China, the UK, as well as in rather exotic jurisdictions such as Japan, Australia, Canada, and others.
What legal trends do you expect to strengthen or emerge in 2025?
We have identified two trends that may influence our work in 2025:
- The rise of the crypto industry, resulting in a boom of GameFi projects;
- The development of AI leading to increasing queries about copyright when AI technologies are used in creating IP.
What are the company's plans for the coming year?
As mentioned, we enter 2025 with optimism, maintaining our strategic focus on growth, scaling, and expanding into new markets. We will be concentrating on developing cross-country and supranational products for international businesses.