Olga Kozyr

Olga Mihajlovna Kozyr (Ольга Михайловна Козырь; 7 January 1960) is a candidate of Juridical Science, Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental and Land Law of Lomonosov Moscow State University Faculty of Law. She was born on January 7, 1960 in Moscow.

Education
She entered Lomonosov Moscow State University Faculty of Law in 1977 and graduated with honors (summa cum laude) in 1982.

She studied full-time at the graduate school of the abovementioned faculty in the Department of Legal Protection of Nature, Land and Agrarian Law from 1982 to 1985.

She defended the candidate’s dissertation on the “Legal Protection of Nature Against Pesticided Pollution in Agriculture” (thesis supervisor – Prof. V.V. Petrov) on September 27, 1985. The defense took place at the Faculty of Law of Lomonosov Moscow State University.

She was awarded the academic title of Associate Professor on July 26, 1995.

She studied for higher doctorate at the Department of Environmental and Land Law of Lomonosov Moscow State University Faculty of Law in 1996 and 1997.

Olga Kozyr started working at the Faculty of Law in January 1985 as junior research assistant. She took up a position as assistant in the abovementioned department in 1987, and she became associate professor in 1993.

She has experience in teaching lecture courses “Land Law” and “Environmental Law” in the evening department and the second university degree department at Lomonosov Moscow State University Faculty of Law, she teaches a special course  “Legal Regulation of Settlement Lands Use: Land and Urban Planning Legislation” as well as practical courses on land and environmental law.

Olga Kozyr, Candidate of Juridical Science and Associate Professor, is actively involved in teaching. She has been leading the AESOP Student Academic Community of the Department of Environmental and Land Law for eight years with Professor Mariya Vasilieva, Doctor of Juridical Sciences.

She interned at the Swiss Institute of Comparative Law (Institut Suisse de Droit Comparé, Lausanne, Switzerland) in 1994.

She completed a master’s program at Harvard Law School (Cambridge, USA) in 1995 and 1996 and obtained the Master of Laws degree (LL.M).

She taught (part-time) at the All-Union School for Advanced Training in Agriculture from January 1986 to September 1988.

Present posts and projects
Olga Kozyr worked from 1992 to 1995 as an expert in the Russian State Committee on Land Resources and the Russian State Property Committee, and she participated in drafting the Russian Federation Presidential decrees and government regulations in the field of land and agrarian reform as well as in the area of privatization.

She was a legal adviser at the Harvard Institute for International Development (HIID, Harvard University, USA) on the “Legal Reform” project from December 1992 to August 1997. After the end of this project, she continued working on drafting regulatory legal acts in the working group of the Rural Development Institute, Seattle, USA until April 1998.

She has been working in a number of major international law firms: Patterson, Belknap, Webb & Tyler, Hogan & Hartson LLP, Hogan Lovells, King & Spalding since April 1998 (as partner since 2006, part-time).

She also gives consultations to several Russian and foreign companies on real estate transactions, environmental law, natural resources law, and many other issues. Primary practice areas of Olga Kozyr are corporate law and real estate. She specializes in mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring, and initial public offering (IPO), including IPO at the London Stock Exchange.

Olga Kozyr, Candidate of Juridical Science and Associate Professor, represents the interests of American, European, and Russian companies on investments and major transactions in Russia, primarily related to the acquisition of land with office, industrial, storage, and residential real estate, including within infrastructure projects. She advises on construction and development projects, as well as project financing. She also consults international pharmaceutical companies and manufacturers of medical devices and equipment on a wide range of issues, including clinical studies, agreements, import, compliance with anti-corruption legislation (including FCPA), and corporate ethical standards (the so-called “compliance”).

Legislative activity
Olga Kozyr, Candidate of Juridical Science and Associate Professor, was a member of the Russian Federation State Duma working group for drafting the Russian Federation Land Code and Urban Planning Code of 1998, and she was drafter (with A.K. Golichenkov) of the Federal law “On Land” (1993 to 1994).

She participated in drafting the Russian Federation Land Code from June 1994 to November 1994 as a member of a working group of the Federal Assembly State Duma, the Russian Federation Parliament. She participated in drafting the first Urban Planning Code of the Russian Federation of May 7, 1998 with G.A. Volkov from October 1996 to May 1997.

She was a member of the Russian Federation expert group in the UNEP/RUSSIA project “Developing an Agreed Approach to Harmonization of the CIS Countries Environmental Legislation” from 1996 to 1997. She participated in developing the basic project of the Russian Federation Land Code with A.K.Golichenkov and G.A.Volkov in 2000 and 2001.

She also took part in drafting other federal laws and St. Petersburg laws in the field of urban planning and zoning.

Olga Kozyr was a lawyer at the Moscow City Bar Association and participated in proceedings in courts of general jurisdiction and arbitration courts as well as litigation of antimonopoly law violations in the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service (FAS) from April 1999 to April 2010.

Publication
She is the author of 78 academic publications, including monographs, two commentaries to the Russian Federation Law “On Environmental Protection” of 1991 (co-authorship), three commentaries to the Russian Federation Land Code of 2001 (co-authorship), 7 textbooks and study guides (co-authorship). Selected papers:
 * “Specially Protected Areas – Contemporary Legal Regulation Analysis.” // М., “Agrarian and Land Law” magazine, “Law and Government” Publishing House, 2009, # 11, p. 68–77;
 * Alteration of Permitted Use of Land Plots for the Purpose of Construction” // Environmental Law of Russia. Digest of Research and Practice Conferences. Sixth edition. 2008–2009: Study Guide for Higher Education Institutions / Edited by Prof. A.K. Golichenkov, Doctor of Juridical Science. Compilers: A.K. Golichenkov, E.I. Efimova, E.V. Matveeva. М.: Forgreifer, 2009. – 524 p.;
 * “Some Issues Concerning New Construction on Land Plots that have been Leased Out or Acquired Before for Other Purposes” (co-authorship with I.O. Zotkin) // M., “Agrarian and Land Law” magazine, “Law and Government” Publishing House, 2008, # 11(47), p. 46–53;
 * “Land Law of Russia: Practicum” (co-authorship) // M., Gorodets, 2008, 352 p.;
 * “Environment Protection Law in Agriculture” // M., “Agrarian and Land Law” magazine, “Law and Government” Publishing House, 2006, # 10(22), p. 100–111;
 * “Peculiarities of Legal Regime of Settlement Land” // М., “Environmental Law” magazine, # 1, 2005, p. 27–34;
 * “Peculiarities of Land Dealing Regulation Pursuant to Land Legislation” // Environmental Law of Russia. Digest of Research and Practice Conferences. Anniversary issue. 1995–2004 / Edited by A.K. Golichenkov. М.: Tisso, 2004. In 3 vol.;
 * Commentary to the Russian Federation Land Code. Supplement to the monthly magazine for business people “Economy and Law.” 2002. Supplements #1 and #2. – 172 p. (co-authorship with G.A. Volkov and A.K. Golichenkov);
 * Commentary to the Russian Federation Land Code / Edited by A.K. Golichenkov. М.: BEK Publishing House, 2002 – 448 p. (co-authorship with G.A. Volkov and A.K. Golichenkov);
 * Russian Federation Land Code. Article-by-article academic and practical commentary. М.: Agency “Russian Gazette Library”. 2002 – 352 p. (co-authorship with Gennady Volkov and A.K. Golichenkov);
 * Meeting environmental law requirements for natural resources privatization (denationalization). Environmental protection legislation of the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Belarus, and the Russian Federation: Contemporary state and assessment of meeting environmental requirements in other branches of legislation. (UNEP/Russia project on “Developing an Agreed Approach to Harmonization of Environmental Protection Legislation in the CIS Countries”) // M.: Center for International Projects. 2001. Co-authors: S.A. Bogolyubov, M.M. Brinchuk, A.K. Golichenkov and others. – 192 p.;
 * “Concept of Development of the Russian federation Legislation on Zoning. Environmental Law of Russia at the Turn of the XXI Century.” Collection of articles // M. Zertsalo. 2000. P. 217–240;
 * “Russia’s Embattled Land Laws.” // AmCham News. July- August 1998. P. 9-11;
 * “Environmental Law Practicum” (co-authorship with G.A. Volkov, A.K. Golichenkov and others) // М.: BEK. 1996;
 * “Land Law of Russia.” Editor in chief – V.V. Petrov (co-authorship with V.V. Petrov, A.K. Golichenkov, and others) // M.: Stoglav. Textbook. 1995. – 300 p.;
 * Federal law “On Land.” Project (co-authorship with A.K. Golichenkov) // The Moscow University Herald. Series 11. Law. 1994. Special edition. P.17–158;
 * “Concept of the Federal Law on Land” (co-authorship with A.K. Golichenkov) // State and law. 1994. # 7. P. 60–69;
 * “Guidance on Privatization.” V. 1 and V.2 (Chapters 4, 8, 10, selection of normative acts for Volume 2) (in Russian and English) London. Euromoney publication. 1993 (co-authorship with P. Mut and R. Lloyd);
 * “Environmental Protection: Article-by-Article Commentary to the Law of Russia” / Edited by V.I. Vorfolomeeva and V.V. Petrova (co-authorship) // M.: Republic. 1993. – 224 p.;
 * “Environmental Protection Law in Eastern European Countries: Study Guide.” M.: Higher School Publishing House, 1990 – 268 p. (co-authorship);
 * Article-by-article commentary to the Russian Federation Law “On Environmental protection” / Editor in chief - V.V. Petrov (co-authorship) // Legislation and economy. 1992. #16–17;
 * “Legal Issues of Environmental Protection Against Agrochemicals,” M.: Moscow University Press. 1989. – 98 p.

Olga Kozyr served as the thesis supervisor of four candidates of juridical sciences (O.V. Shatrova, O.G. Shestakova, O.V. Tarasenko and E.V. Starova). She was featured in several accredited international lawyer rankings:
 * Chambers Europe, 2008-2010, real estate transactions in Russia, 2008-2010, 2012
 * The Legal 500 EMEA, 2002-2010, real estate transactions in Russia, 2002-2010
 * PLC Which lawyer?, Construction – Russia, 2010
 * Best Lawyers – Russia, 2010, 2011, and 2012 as a practicing lawyer in the field of environmental protection and real estate law.

She is mentioned in 45 sources in the ConsultantPlus reference system databases.