Law Firm TEGOS (Formerly TGS Baltic)

Dispute Resolution / Arbitration / Mediation / Commercial Litigation / Insolvency & Restructuring

Described by Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 as “extremely knowledgeable” and “widely respected,” Paul Varul is often referred to as the father of Estonian bankruptcy law.

He advises on all areas of private law, with deep expertise in insolvency and contract law, and has acted in numerous high-profile disputes, including international arbitration in Stockholm, London, and Washington.

He is also a respected arbitrator and expert witness in global proceedings.

Paul was a principal drafter of the Estonian Bankruptcy Act and chairs the Ministry of Justice’s Insolvency Law Expert Commission. A member of the International Insolvency Institute and INSOL Europe, he also co-authored the European Common Frame of Reference and led the drafting of Estonia’s Law of Obligations Act, Commercial Code, and Civil Code General Part as Chair of the Private Law Commission.

Since 2017Senior Partner, law firm TEGOS (formerly TGS Baltic)

1994–2017Senior Partner, law firm Varul

1995–1999Minister of Justice of the Republic of Estonia

1992–2015Civil Law Professor, University of Tartu

Estonian, English, Russian

2011–2016Leader of the Estonian work group of The Scandinavian/Baltic Network on Insolvency

2011Founding Member of The European Law Institute

2008INSOL-Europe and INSOL-International

2007International Insolvency Institute

2006-2009Compilation and Reduction Team for Common Frame of Reference, operating under the auspices of the European Commission

2006Expert Commission in Insolvency Law within the Ministry of Justice

2003-2008Study Group on European Civil Code

2002Academy of European Private Lawyers

1999-2002Chairman of the Expert Commission for the Law of Obligations Act and the General Part of the Civil Code Act

1994Estonian Bar Association

1992-1999Chairman of the Head Commission for the development of the Estonian Civil Code Act and Commercial Code

1985St. Petersburg University, Legal Science, PhD

1975University of Tartu, Faculty of Law, BA (cum laude)