From defending clients in complex international disputes to building legal frameworks that fuel business growth, Yulia Shilova’s career proves that legal expertise can be a powerful engine for innovation.
Today, as Chief Legal Officer at Yzzy, she’s helping a fast-growing platform expand across the U.S. — not by saying “no” to risk, but by designing the conditions for growth. We spoke with Yulia about her journey, lessons from high-stakes litigation, and how she’s redefining the role of legal leadership in business.
On starting in high-stakes litigation
Can you tell us about your early career and how you entered the legal field?
After earning my master’s degree in law from Lomonosov Moscow State University — one of the top law schools in the CIS region — I joined one of Russia’s top law firms, recognized by The Legal 500 and Chambers Europe. For eight years, I worked on high-stakes legal matters — cross-border insolvency cases in Europe and Asia, complex commercial disputes, and the largest bankruptcy case in Russian state court history.
It was incredibly intense work that required precision under pressure. But even then, I realized my favorite part wasn’t just winning cases — it was seeing how legal frameworks could shape business outcomes.
On making the shift to strategy
When did you decide to transition from litigation to a more strategic business role?
That shift happened when I moved into Head of Legal positions. In a European startup, I handled cross-border corporate, tax, and operational structuring in Poland and Cyprus, optimized tax strategies, and advised on governance for family-owned assets. It was a much more entrepreneurial environment, and I found I loved building the structures that allow companies to grow.
On scaling fast at Whizz
You later joined Whizz in the U.S. What was your role there?
Whizz https://www.getwhizz.com was in rapid expansion mode, and my role went far beyond traditional legal work — I was responsible for making sure we could open physical retail stores across multiple U.S. states while navigating an evolving regulatory landscape for e-bikes. Laws on speed limits, battery safety, and licensing for e-bike sales were changing quickly from state to state, as the industry itself was still new.
Within a year, I led both the legal and operational launch of stores in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Chicago, and San Francisco. This meant ensuring each location met zoning requirements, had the proper licenses for secondhand sales, complied with fire codes for storing and charging lithium batteries, and was fully prepared for staff hiring in line with local labor laws. Instead of reacting to challenges, I built a repeatable launch framework — covering entity registrations, tax accounts, occupancy permits, operational safety checks, and all the regulatory pieces needed to get a store open and running fast.
On turning regulations into a competitive edge
That’s a very systematic approach. What’s your philosophy on working with regulations?
I believe government agencies can be allies to business. If you reach out directly, you can often get the information you need faster — and even build relationships that help in the long run. For me, the earlier you identify the rules of the game, the faster you can win it.
On building compliance into company culture
Tell us about your current role at Yzzy.
Yzzy https://yzzyapp.com/ is a platform reconnecting people through offline experiences. As CLO, I go beyond contracts and IP strategy — I work with marketing, product, and operations to embed compliance into everything we do. That means ensuring event and service bookings meet licensing rules, payment flows comply with financial regulations, and marketing campaigns follow privacy laws. By aligning legal with day-to-day operations, we can launch fast without sacrificing safety or compliance.
On the future of legal leadership
What’s your perspective on the future of legal leadership?
The next generation of legal leaders will be more than advisors — they’ll be architects of growth. In the U.S., where innovation moves fast and markets can shift overnight, the most valuable legal leaders won’t sit on the sidelines. They’ll be in the room where strategy is made, shaping products, guiding market entry, and building trust with customers before the first contract is even signed. The best don’t just mitigate risk — they turn it into a competitive advantage, creating the legal and operational foundations for growth that’s not only fast, but built to last.