Ukraine Holds its III Vis Pre-Moot

Ukrainian rounds of Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot were for the third time held on 17 February 2018. The event was organized by Vasil Kisil & Partners with the support of the International Commercial Arbitration Court (ICAC) at the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UCCI).

Five teams from the leading universities of Ukraine participated in the competition. They represented Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of International Relations of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, and National University Odessa Academy of Law.

Opening the event, Oleg Alyoshin, Partner and Head of International Arbitration practice at Vasil Kisil & Partners, said, "We have been supporting the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot in Ukraine for three years in a row. This is our investment in the future of legal market and development of the arbitration as dispute resolution method. The international arbitration community is very promising. We would like the students who participate in the competition now and who will after a while take jobs with the leading domestic and international law firms to represent our country before international arbitration institutions and follow high standards of knowledge and professional skills. Our purpose is to help Ukrainian students to become the best in such area of law as international commercial arbitration. Moreover, I would like to note that the level of competitors who participate in Vis Moot grows each year. I am convinced that the teams who will win these Ukrainian rounds of Vis Moot will represent Ukraine honorably and strongly at the international competition."

Olga Kostyshyna, advisor to the President of the ICAC at the UCCI, said, "ICAC facilitates holding Ukrainian rounds of Willem C. Vis Moot for two consecutive years now. Celebrating our 25th-anniversary last year, we introduced the Academician Igor Pobirchenko cash prize to recognize the best of the best for their profound knowledge and practical skills of arbitration. Thus, we strive to support students learning arbitration not alone, but to facilitate the establishment of arbitration-oriented practices in Ukraine to involve the widest possible audience in the arbitration and give them the understanding what the arbitration is, show our potentials, and show how the court looks like, so that, when the time comes, they could choose arbitration as a dispute resolution method and understand its advantages."

Based on results of the competition, the team of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy won and was named the “Best Team”, while Marta Popyk, a student of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, was awarded the “Best Speaker” prize.

The Vis Moot is aimed at promoting professional training of law students to international commercial law and arbitration. By participating in the Ukrainian Vis Pre-Moot, students from various universities were afforded an opportunity to present their arguments on the case to the leading legal practitioners and receive valuable advice for their further participation in the international competition. It was a great honor for Vasil Kisil & Partners to join the community of those who organize the Vis Moot. Similar competitions are held in 100 countries and attended by almost 300 teams.

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