You're reading: Top Lawyers: Vasil Kisil

Vasil Kisil - Vasil Kisil and Partners

Senior partner
9 points

Generally referred to by colleagues as the legend of Ukraine’s legal community, Vasil Kisil is credited as the man who brought McDonalds to Ukraine. But to understand how this story unraveled, ultimately leading to the establishment of his prominent law firm, you need to get a glimpse into Kisil’s life in Soviet Ukraine.

De facto, the roots of Kisil’s law practice trace back to the mid-1980s when he, a law student at Kyiv’s Shevchenko University, set up a student club for the in-depth study of international private law. Out of this desire to learn more about the Western legal system starts the story of one of Ukraine’s most prominent law firms.

Amazingly, as early as 1982, Kisil wrote his first book called “Foreigners and Soviet Law.” It was followed up in 1987 by another book, the “Legal Status of Foreigners in the USSR.”

Kisil was arguably one of the first Ukrainian lawyers not only to use the term “foreign investment,” but also to raise the possibility that Ukraine is not exactly a safe haven for it. The issue was raised prominently in his 1994 book involving the protection of foreign investments in Ukraine.

Kisil is considered by colleagues to be a leading Ukrainian expert on private international, civil and investment law.

Kisil’s work includes his legal advice to McDonalds in the early 1990s, when the fast food giant entered the market. International chemicals powerhouse Du Pont has also turned to Kisil on Ukraine-related matters.

Kisil is no longer a practicing lawyer. He devotes most of his time to teaching and scientific work. He is also a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, an intergovernmental organization established to assist arbitration and other forms of dispute resolution between states.

But clearly he still has the respect of the legal community contacted by the Kyiv Post, which voted him in as one of the top Ukrainian lawyers.