From Licensing Powerhouses to Legal Simplicity: The Story Behind Ation Law
Polina Varfolomeeva — Founder, Ation Law
From negotiating deals with Netflix to building her own legal agency, Polina Varfolomeeva, the founder of Ation Law is redefining how legal support should work for fast-moving companies. This is a story of insight, initiative, and starting with usefulness over perfection.
Can you share a brief note about yourself?
I'm not one of those lawyers who dreamt of being one since childhood. I chose international law thinking it would help if I ever built a business of my own. Turned out I was right. I ended up launching my own legal agency.
One of the turning points was working at Animaccord, the animation studio behind Masha and the Bear, one of the most well-known animated series in the world. I led international licensing deals, worked with brands like Ferrero, Netflix, and ByteDance, and helped protect IP in dozens of countries. Later, at Gaijin Entertainment, one of Europe's leading game developers, I deepened my expertise in game publishing and global operations. That's when it became even clearer how important it is for legal solutions to grow and adapt with the product and the market.
That's why I started my own legal agency, Ation Law. I wanted legal support to feel like part of the business, not something separate or overly complicated. We help with all kinds of tasks. Sometimes it's a one-off request, like reviewing a contract or structuring a deal. Sometimes it's full project packaging, launching a social app, setting up an outstaffing service, or doing a legal check-up of an existing product or business. And sometimes we step in as the legal back office so the team can focus on building while we handle the rest.
In 2025, I personally won Gold at the Global E-Commerce & Digital Marketing Awards (ECDMA) for Outstanding PR Achievement. It showed how legal, especially when it sits at the intersection of strategy, communication, and business growth, can do more than just protect a company. It can help it grow, stand out, and lead.