- International Business Transactions
- Business & Human Rights
- Corporate Governance
- Contract Law & Theory
- Global Supply Chains
Kish Parella
- Professor of Law
- ECGI Research Member
- Business and Human Rights Expert
- board member
- research fellow in corporate reputation
- ASIL Executive Council
Scholar of international business transactions examining how corporate governance and international law shape corporate behavior in global markets—especially in compliance, ethical governance, and geopolitical risk.
I am the James P. Morefield Professor of Law at Washington and Lee University School of Law, where I teach courses in business associations, contracts, international business transactions, corporate social responsibility, and corporate compliance. My research contributes to the field of international business transactions (IBT) but with a focus on the intersection of corporate governance and international law: I explore how companies operate across borders and how legal systems—both domestic and international—shape responsible corporate conduct. This interdisciplinary approach allows me to address timely and complex questions: How do companies design contracts to manage legal and ethical risks in global supply chains? How can boards oversee compliance with international legal standards? What role should corporate governance play in responding to geopolitical risk and national security concerns?
Across these projects, I examine the legal architecture that supports—or hinders—responsible business conduct in an interconnected world. My published research covers topics such as contract design for sustainability and human rights in global supply chains; corporate compliance with international law; and board-level governance of social and ethical risks. My current work focuses on the role of corporate governance in managing geopolitical risk, particularly as it relates to supply chain resilience in critical and emerging technologies.
My research has been recognized internationally across both business law and international law communities. I am a Research Member of the European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI), reflecting my contributions to corporate governance and regulatory scholarship. I also serve as an International Research Fellow at the Oxford University Centre for Corporate Reputation at Saïd Business School, where I engage with research on corporate ethics, legitimacy, and global strategy. While my work is grounded in the regulatory and governance challenges of global business, it also contributes to core debates in international law—particularly around corporate accountability, transnational regulation, and the evolving role of non-state actors. Reflecting this engagement, I serve on the Executive Council of the American Society of International Law (ASIL), and have held leadership roles as Co-Chair of the 2022 ASIL Annual Meeting and the 2025 ASIL Midyear Forum. I am also a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.
Global collaboration is a cornerstone of my work. I have held visiting appointments at leading international research institutions, including the Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law (Hamburg) and the Yong Pung How School of Law at Singapore Management University. These experiences inform my global perspective on corporate law, international regulation, and the legal challenges facing today’s transnational enterprises.
Through my teaching, scholarship, and international partnerships, I aim to contribute to a deeper understanding of how legal and institutional design can foster responsible and resilient global business practices.
Kish Parella
Courses Taught
- Business Associations
- Contracts
- Corporate Compliance
- Corporate Social Responsibility Seminar
- International Business Transactions
- James P. Morefield Professor of Law, Washington and Lee University School of Law (present)
- Class of 1960 Professor of Ethics and Law (2022-2025)
- Professor of Law (2021 – present)
- Associate Professor of Law (with tenure)(2018-2021)
- Associate Professor (2016-2018)
- Assistant Professor of Law (2013-2016)
- Visiting Scholar, Singapore Management University, Yong Pung How School of Law (Singapore)
- Visiting Scholar, Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law (Hamburg, Germany)
International Business Transactions Initiatives
International business today unfolds against a backdrop of rapid geopolitical shifts, evolving corporate governance norms, and intensifying national security concerns. My initiatives in international business transactions create a platform where scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and industry experts come together to analyze these challenges and identify solutions. Through a mix of virtual seminars, high-level roundtables, and academic conferences, I aim to foster conversations that cut across disciplines, borders, and professional communities.
Virtual Seminar Series
Since January 2024, I have organized a virtual seminar series on international business transactions that connects legal scholars with industry leaders, policymakers, and fellow academics worldwide. This ongoing series highlights cutting-edge research on topics ranging from cross-border contracting and corporate governance to the implications of supply chain resilience and emerging technologies. By convening diverse voices in an accessible online format, the series builds a truly global community of inquiry and practice.
Regional Roundtables
In addition to the seminar series, I have convened regional roundtables to focus on the intersection of international business and national security—a theme of growing urgency. The first, held in Washington, DC in 2024, brought together U.S.-based experts to examine how trade, investment, and national security priorities increasingly shape one another. The second, held at Chatham House in London in 2025, extended this conversation across the Atlantic, engaging policymakers and scholars from the United Kingdom and Europe. Both roundtables underscored the importance of bridging national perspectives in order to understand global patterns.
Academic Conferences
In March 2025, I co-organized the Berle XVII corporate governance conference at Seattle University School of Law, dedicated to the theme International Business Transactions in a Fragmented World: National Security, Geopolitics, and Corporate Governance. This conference brought together leading scholars and practitioners to explore how corporate governance must adapt to a world where geopolitics increasingly intrudes on business decision-making.
Building a Global Conversation
Together, these initiatives form a coordinated effort to advance knowledge and debate about the shifting landscape of international business. They provide a forum for examining how global commerce intersects with law, policy, and governance in an era of fragmentation and uncertainty.
I invite you to explore these projects in greater detail. Whether through seminars, roundtables, or conferences, each initiative is designed to build connections, share insights, and shape the future of international business transactions.