Vasil Kisil

Vasil Kisil is one of the founders of Vasil Kisil & Partners. Running one of the first Western-style Ukrainian law firms for over 15 years and holding the position of a senior partner for over 10 years, Vasil Kisil advocated three underlying principles that have remained unchanged throughout the entire 30-year history of the firm: leadership, high professionalism, and talent development.

Vasil Kisil dedicated all of his life to the scientific work and lecturing. Doctor of Laws, Professor of Private International Law at the Institute of International Relations of the National Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv, Vasil I. Kisil has authored numerous legal publications, including, without limitation:

• course books and textbooks (Private International Law: Textbook (1986), International Family Law: Student Textbook (1993), Private International Law. General Part: Textbook (2012));
   
• scientific and practical publications such as Civil Law: Questions & Answers (1987), Protection of Foreign Investments in Ukraine (Theoretical and Practical Aspects) (1994), Private International Law. Scientific and Practical Commentary on the Law (2008));
   
• scientific and theoretical works (Private International Law: Codification Issues (2000, 2005));
   
• publications in periodicals (Conflict-of-Law Regulation in the Modern International Law // Scientific Bulletin of the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine (2000); Governing Law of Foreign Economic Contracts: Legislative Regulation Development Trends // The Legal Journal (2004)).

Dr. Kisil has brought up several generations of lawyers and supervised a lot of Ph.D. and Doctoral students. His students have become presidents, ministers, politicians, statesmen, heads of the most successful law firms in Ukraine.

For a significant contribution to the development of higher education and training of highly qualified professionals, he was awarded the Order of Merit of the 3rd Degree.

By skillfully combining scientific work, lecturing and legal practice, Vasil Kisil has become a leading Ukrainian expert in Private International Law, Civil Law, and Investment Law.

Following the proclamation of independence, Dr. Kisil was directly involved in drafting a number of bills that determined the future of our young State. These included, in particular, draft laws on business companies, auditing, and ownership.

He was a member of the Public Council with the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, a member of the Judicial Reform Committee with the President of Ukraine, a member of the Scientific Advisory Council of the High Commercial Court of Ukraine, an Arbitrator of the International Commercial Arbitration Court at the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.

Vasil Kisil advised the relevant Parliamentary Committee of Ukraine on the improvement of legislation in the field of concession, natural resources, production sharing agreements, rights of foreign investors. He was a member of the Ukrainian Bar Association and the International Bar Association (IBA).

In all of his professional activities as a lawyer, head of the law firm, scholar, and lecturer, Vasil Kisil followed a simple rule of his life: law is the art of goodness and fairness. Outside his professional environment, Dr.Vasil was a kind and fair-minded man. Vasil Kisil’s name has become a brand in the legal services market and is synonymous with honesty, ethics, high professional and moral principles.

We want the legacy of Vasil Kisil to live on. Accordingly, we have established the Dr. Kisil Memorial Fund. The Fund will finance programs aimed at supporting young scholars and students and developing the Ukrainian canon of international law. To find more about the Fund, follow the link.