Timely and Innovative Business Law Offering at Kyiv-Mohyla Faculty of Law

Faculty Member Nataliia Kravchenko and Visiting Professor Taisa Markus recently collaborated on a unique course offering intended to acquaint National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy students with issues arising in cross-border financing in the context of the reconstruction of Ukraine.

Nataliia Kravchenko, a Ukrainian financial and banking law expert, teaches a class to master’s degree students at the Faculty of Law on Ukrainian banking law with an emphasis on theory and regulation. Taisa Markus, who also serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Law, worked for 35 years on emerging markets finance transactions before retiring from White & Case LLP in 2021.

The joint offering focused on a case study of a Ukrainian company seeking financing from a US bank under a cross-border credit agreement. Students considered the transaction from both the borrower’s and lender’s viewpoints, with Professor Markus lecturing and providing guidance on cross-border aspects of the agreement, while Nataliia Kravchenko offered insights into Ukrainian legal and regulatory requirements, particularly those applicable under martial law.

Consistent with the Faculty of Law’s objectives to prepare students for EU accession, the offering was held in English, providing students with the opportunity to enhance their technical legal vocabulary.

Nataliia Kravchenko commented: “The feedback from students was very positive, and I hope to repeat this offering,” while Taisa Markus added: “I very much value this opportunity to work with such talented and dedicated students and enjoy this collaboration with Nataliia Kravchenko.”

Such initiatives underscore the importance of academic exchange and professional dialogue between Ukrainian and international legal communities.