Raphael (Ray) Kuyler
Partner, Corporate & Financial Services
Ray Kuyler is a partner in Willkie’s Corporate & Financial Services Department. He is based in the Firm’s Washington, DC office.
Ray has over two decades of experience practicing law in the nuclear sector, including a decade of senior in-house experience at a large U.S.-based global nuclear power provider, where he served as the company’s primary advisor on nuclear regulatory legal matters worldwide, including licensing, compliance, enforcement, investigations, export controls, and nuclear liability. His practice focuses on utilizing his technical, regulatory, and legal background to find practical solutions to facilitate successful nuclear projects. He has led international commercial contract negotiations for major reactor projects in the US, Europe, and beyond, and managed high-stakes commercial claims and disputes. His practice spans the nuclear energy field, including regulatory compliance, government contracts, trade compliance, environmental law, health and safety, ethics, safety culture and employment law.
A former U.S. Navy Surface Warfare and Qualified Nuclear Engineer Officer, Ray brings technical nuclear experience to his practice. He is a frequent speaker at nuclear legal industry conferences and serves on the Nuclear Energy Institute Legal Advisory Committee Steering Group.
Experience
Ray was previously Principal Deputy General Counsel of Westinghouse Electric Company LLC, a global provider of nuclear power products and services. Earlier in his career, he practiced in the nuclear energy practice of a large U.S. law firm in Washington, DC, representing nuclear industry clients before the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, other federal agencies, and the federal courts.
Prior to his legal career, Ray served as a Surface Warfare Officer (Nuclear) in the U.S. Navy and a Qualified Nuclear Engineer Officer. He was also an instructor at the U.S. Naval Academy.
- Nuclear Energy Institute Legal Advisory Committee, Steering Group (2024-present)
- International Nuclear Law Association (INLA), Chair of Working Group 1 (Safety & Regulation) (2024-present)
- Instructor, Nuclear Projects, Contracting & Procurement, International Atomic Energy Agency & George Washington University Law School, Summer School on the Legal Framework for Nuclear Energy, June 24, 2026
- Speaker, Deploying Next-Generation Nuclear Technologies, Pennsylvania Environmental Law Forum, Harrisburg PA, April 22, 2026
- Speaker, Powering the Future: Approaches to Constructing and Financing Nuclear Projects, White & Case LLP, Washington, DC, March 9, 2026
- Speaker, Nuclear Law & Policy, Energy Bar Association Annual Meeting (May 2, 2025)
- Speaker, Licensing of New Nuclear Projects in Multiple Jurisdictions, INLA, Inter Jura Congress 2024, Warsaw, Poland, November 2024
- Instructor, Westinghouse eVinci Microreactor, INLA, Working Group 2 (Nuclear Liability), March 18, 2024
- Speaker, The Role of Nuclear in the Clean Energy Transition, Ukrainian Bar Association, September 14, 2023
- Speaker, Regulatory and Legal Lessons Learned from AP1000 Plant U.S. Licensing Process, INLA, Inter Jura Congress, Washington, DC, October 24, 2022
- Successful negotiation of multi-million-dollar engineering service and equipment procurement contracts for gigawatt-scale nuclear new build projects in multiple jurisdictions. Favorable resolution of U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) investigation and enforcement matters.
- Handled nuclear licensing proceedings of all types for industry clients in multiple jurisdictions, including strategic transactions, license transfers, new reactors, license renewals, license amendments, import and export proceedings, waste disposal, fuel cycle facilities, and uranium mining, including contested proceedings and appeals to the federal courts.
- Advised industry clients on the full spectrum of nuclear legal matters, including cross-border and first-of-a-kind licensing initiatives and regulatory compliance.
*Ray advised on some of these matters prior to joining Willkie.
Credentials
Education
Georgetown University Law Center, J.D., 2005 University of Maryland, M.A., 1996 U.S. Naval Academy, B.S., 1995