The International Law Institute wishes to celebrate the lives of two very special and significant leaders in the rule of law and commemorate their significant contributions not only to ILI but more importantly to the foundations and expansion of legal, economic, social and political reforms in the United States and Russia.

 Robert Herzstein

Mr. Herzstein led an extraordinarily distinguished and influential career:

Robert earned his B.A., M.A. as well as his law degree from Harvard.

Bob served as Under Secretary – U.S. Department of Commerce.  In the practice of law Robert served as Chair and Senior Partner Miller & Chevalier, LLP, Partner of Arnold and Porter, LLP and Partner at Sherman & Sterling, LLP.  Bob was very conscious to assist and lead non governmental organizations and organizations focused on advancing social and economic advancements.  Robert served as Chairman of Partners for Democratic Change; Chairman of Gulf of Mexico States Partnership, Inc.; Chairman of the International Law Institute; Founding Director of the Appleseed Network; Board Member of the Council of the Americas, Inc. and served with the International Human Rights Law Group and was a founder and Board Member of the Senior Lawyer Project.

Robert Herzstein was noted as one of the best international lawyers and best lawyers in America for over 20 years.

TRADE

As U.S. Under Secretary for International Trade, US Department of Commerce  Robert was the first head of the International Trade Administration, which enforces the anti-dumping and countervailing duty laws. He negotiated access for U.S. businesses to the Chinese market, following the first trade agreement between the United States and the Peoples Republic of China, and negotiated market access and anti-dumping issues with Japan, Europe, and other countries.

In private practice Mr. Herzstein was lead counsel to Mexico in the NAFTA negotiations. Robert advised companies, trade associations, and governments on international trade, foreign investment, antitrust, and other aspects of government regulation of international markets.  He is consistently recognized for his work in the field of International Trade.  Robert litigated on behalf of U.S. and foreign clients in the U.S. courts and international tribunals on trade agreements and on questions of sovereign immunity, citizenship, extradition, and access to discovery abroad. He has represented parties in some of the largest U.S. countervailing duty and anti-dumping cases."1

Professor Viktor Pavlovich Mozolin died on February 15, 2015. He was a Doctor of Law, the Chief Scientific Researcher of the Department of Civil Law and Procedure at the Institute of Legislation and Comparative Law.

Viktor Pavlovich was born on October 27, 1924 in the village of Yurino, Mari El Republic (Mari ASSR). At age 18 he joined the Soviet Army. From 1942 to 1944 he fought in the infantry (second lieutenant, commander of the infantry platoon) at the Stepnoi, the 1st and the 2nd Ukrainian Fronts, as part of the 80th Guards Division and the 99th Infantry Division. He was discharged from the Red Army in 1946 due to severe battle wounds. He was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War 1st degree, the Order of the Patriotic War 2d degree and other medals.

In 1951 V.P. Mozolin graduated from Moscow State University where in 1954 he defended his thesis on "Civil procedural law under the Soviet Law". In 1967 he defended his doctoral thesis on "The legal status of business corporations and main development trends of legislation on corporations in the United States" at Moscow State University.

From 1954 to 1971 Mozolin was a lecturer, senior lecturer, associate professor and professor at Moscow State University. In 1961-1962 he was an invited scholar at Columbia University. In 1971-1981 he served as the Head of Department, Dean and Deputy Rector of the University of Peoples' Friendship.

From 1981 to 1999 he worked as the Chief Scientific Researcher at the Institute of the State and Law under the Russian Academy of Sciences. From December 1999 to January 2012 he headed the Department of Civil and Family Law at Moscow State Law Academy. At the time of his death, he taught at the Institute of Legislation and Comparative Law.

Mozolin was a member of the Presidential Council of the Russian Federation for the codification and improvement of civil legislation (2003-2014) and the Scientific Advisory Board of the Supreme Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation. He served as an arbitrator at the International Commercial Arbitration Court under the Chamber of Commerce of the Russian Federation.

Viktor Pavlovich was an extremely active man fascinated by science, creative arts and sports. He raised two sons. The memory of this brilliant man and scientist, a fearless patriot will remain in our hearts.

Condolences to the relatives and colleagues of Viktor Pavlovich come from all over the world.

While with University of Peoples' Friendship, Professor Mozolin met with Prof. Don Wallace Jr., at Georgetown University Law Center where they formed a lifelong relationship. Both Prof. Mozolin and Prof. Wallace worked closely under IREX [International Research & Exchanges Board] on scholarly exchanges of experts between the US and the former USSR. Together,they established multiple exchanges and legal conferences.

Through the International Law Institute Prof. Mozolin published one book involving comparative contract law and property law in the US and the USSR.

Prof. Mozolin and the ILI maintained close relations and periodic exchanges throughout the years.

The International Law Institute recognizes Prof. Mozolin for his intellect, legal and economic reforms and never ending dedication to expanding rule of law.

--reprint: Press Release: The Institute of Legislative and Comparative Law Under the Government of the Russian Federation