Swiss Arbitration Conferences and Gala Dinner 2022

Event Details

Two days of hybrid conferences on 3-4 February, 2022 at the President Wilson Hotel in Geneva.

Thursday 3 February 2022: Swiss Arbitration Centre – The Innovation Conference.

"Money in Arbitration" organized by Gisela Knuts and Christian Oetiker.

Friday 4 February 2022: Swiss Arbitration Association – The ASA Conference.

"Good Faith in International Arbitration – Myth, Reality, Label… or All of the Above?" organized by Elliott Geisinger and Christoph Müller.

Documents

Agenda

February 3, 2022
February 4, 2022

February 3, 2022

Main Schedule

8:00 AM - 9:30 AM

Covid-19 antigen testing

Location: at the beauty center next to the reception

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Registration and Morning Coffee

10:30 AM - 10:35 AM

Welcome address

Xavier Favre-Bulle (Partner at Lenz & Staehelin, Geneva, Switzerland, President of the Arbitration Court of the Swiss Arbitration Centre)

10:35 AM - 10:45 AM

Introduction

Christian Oetiker (Partner at VISCHER AG)

10:45 AM - 12:15 PM

Innovations relating to money in arbitration

Short presentations by panelists followed by moderated discussion.

Crypto currency claims and crypto-currency disputes.

Crowd-funding of arbitration proceedings – the next third-party funding?

Impecunious claimants – is there a right to forego the arbitration agreement?

The ICCA – ASIL Damages in International Arbitration app – Are the legal apps the innovation we were waiting for?

Alexander Foerster (Independent Arbitrator at Advokat Foerster)

Donata Freiin von Enzberg (Salary partner at Taylor Wessing)

Noor Kadhim (Principal and Founder of Kadhims Ltd and Senior Case Assessor for Axia Funder)

Gabrielle Nater-Bass (Partner at Homburger)

James Rogers (Partner at Norton Rose Fulbright LLP)

12:15 PM - 1:30 PM

Lunch Break

1:30 PM - 2:45 PM

Remuneration of arbitrators - what is enough, but not too much?

World Café followed by moderated discussion

Genevieve Poirier (Partner at LALIVE (London) LLP)

Paolo Marzolini (Partner at Patocchi & Marzolini)

2:45 PM - 3:15 PM

Coffee Break

3:15 PM - 4:15 PM

How should arbitral institutions be financed?

Debate followed by moderated discussion

Christopher Boog (Partner at Schellenberg Wittmer)

James Freeman (Partner at Allen & Overy)

Eva Kalnina (Independent Arbitrator at Arbitration Chambers)

Mélanie van Leeuwen (Partner at Derains & Gharavi)

Ola Ø. Nisja (Partner at at Wikborg Rein)

4:15 PM - 4:30 PM

Joint Recording of Conclusions and Final Remarks

Korinna von Trotha (Executive Director of Swiss Arbitration Association and Swiss Arbitration Centre)

4:30 PM - 6:00 PM

Break

6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Apéro

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Gala Dinner

Speakers

Mohamed S. Abdel Wahab

Professor at Cairo University, Founding Partner at Zulficar & Partners

Neil Andrews

Professor at University of Cambridge

Andrea Bianchi

Professor at The Graduate Institute, Geneva

Christopher Boog

Partner at Schellenberg Wittmer

Felix Dasser

Swiss Arbitration Association President and Partner at Homburger

Xavier Favre-Bulle

Partner at Lenz & Staehelin, Geneva, Switzerland, President of the Arbitration Court of the Swiss Arbitration Centre

Alexander Foerster

Independent Arbitrator at Advokat Foerster

James Freeman

Partner at Allen & Overy

Donata Freiin von Enzberg

Salary partner at Taylor Wessing

Elliott Geisinger

Partner at Schellenberg Wittmer

Anya George

Partner at Schellenberg Wittmer

Céline Greenberg

Partner at Mayer Greenberg

Duarte Henriques

Founding Member at Victoria Associates

Noor Kadhim

Principal and Founder of Kadhims Ltd and Senior Case Assessor for Axia Funder

Eva Kalnina

Independent Arbitrator at Arbitration Chambers

Gisela Knuts

Partner at Roschier

Paolo Marzolini

Partner at Patocchi & Marzolini

Maurice Mendelson

Barrister (Queen's Counsel) at Blackstone Chambers

Christoph Müller

Professor at University of Neuchâtel

Gabrielle Nater-Bass

Partner at Homburger

Ola Ø. Nisja

Partner at at Wikborg Rein

Christian Oetiker

Partner at VISCHER AG

Sabrina Pearson-Wenger

Co-founder of Arbius AG

Flavio Peter

Counsel at Peter&Kim Ltd.

Philippe Pinsolle

Partner at QUINN EMMANUEL, Geneva

Genevieve Poirier

Partner at LALIVE (London) LLP

Natalie Reid

Partner at Debevoise & Plimpton, New York

James Rogers

Partner at Norton Rose Fulbright LLP

Maxi Scherer

Professor at Queen Mary University of London, Special Counsel at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP

Ingeborg Schwenzer

Professor at University of Basel

Emily Sipiorski

Assistant Professor at Tilburg University

Philippe Stoffel-Munck

Professor at Panthéon-Sorbonne

Mélanie van Leeuwen

Partner at Derains & Gharavi

Korinna von Trotha

Executive Director of Swiss Arbitration Association and Swiss Arbitration Centre

Professor of International Arbitration, Private International Law and English Contract Law at Cairo University; Founding Partner and Head of International Arbitration, Construction and Energy Groups at Zulficar&Partners Law Firm (Egypt); ICCA Treasurer & Member of the Governing Board; Dean of the Africa Arbitration Academy; Chair of the International Expert Committee of the Permanent Forum for China Construction Law; Senior Vice Chair, IBA Arab Regional Forum; Vice-Chair of the Advisory Committee of the CRCICA; Member of the CIMAC Court of Arbitration; Member of the Advisory Board of the MIAC; Member of the LACIAC Court of Arbitration; Member of the Board of Trustees of the CIArb; Member of the ITA Academic Council; Member of the Advisory Board, Indonesian Arbitration Centre; Member of the Court, PCA; and Member of ICODR’s Governing Board; Member of the ICC Governing Body for Dispute Resolution Services.

Full Professor of International Law at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva since 2002. Previously, full professor at the Catholic University in Milan; associate professor at the University of Parma, and professorial lecturer at the Johns Hopkins SAIS Bologna Centre.

Andrea Bianchi has been a Visiting Professor at King’s College London, Hebrew University, Jerusalem; the University of Vienna Faculty of Law, the Catholic University in Milan and the University of Paris 1 (Panthéon-Sorbonne). He has consulted for international organizations on matters related to security and human rights; for multinational corporations on business and human rights issues; and for States and private parties in international investment arbitration.

Christopher Boog is a Vice-Chair of the International Arbitration Practice Group and co-heads the Sports Practice. He represents clients in complex international commercial, investment and sports arbitration matters as well as in setting-aside proceedings before the Swiss Supreme Court.

Chris is ranked as one of a small number of Global Elite Thought Leaders by Who's Who Legal Arbitration recognizing lawyers "at the peak of the profession". He is the 2020 recipient of the ASA Prize for Advocacy in International Commercial Arbitration, awarded every two years to international arbitration counsel to recognize exceptional advocacy in international arbitration. Chris is described as "one of the best in the business", “one of the superstars in Switzerland”, and "definitely a leader in the field" (Who's Who Legal). According to clients and peers, he is "outstanding", "just brilliant" and "one of the best advocates I have ever seen" (Who's Who Legal). The same directory remarks that “Chris belongs among the best arbitration counsel of his generation.” Other sources report that he is "brilliant and to-the-point" (Chambers Global) and "has superb analytical and advocacy skills. He is admired for his ability to explain (orally and in writing) complex technical or factual issues in simple terms" (Legal 500).

Duarte Henriques is a lawyer and arbitrator based in Lisbon – Portugal.

He is ranked as Global Leader in Arbitration by Who’s Who Legal and recommended by “WWL” Arbitration 2019 as a “go-to lawyer in Portugal, standing out for his extensive knowledge of commercial and investment treaty disputes” and in “WWL Arbitration 2020” as “an outstanding practitioner, who is well versed as both counsel and arbitrator in investment, banking, finance and construction disputes”

Since 1990, he has acted as both counsel and arbitrator in a number of litigation and arbitration cases related to investment disputes, banking & finance, corporate, commercial, distribution and construction disputes. Duarte Henriques has a strong experience in advising and securing “third-party funding” for clients.

Noor is an international arbitration and art law specialist with over 12 years' experience. She is a Solicitor Advocate of the English Courts. Her focus areas are investment and commercial arbitration, public international law, and art law. She was previously a Deputy Counsel at the ICC and a case assessor at Vannin Capital. Her representative experience includes advising investors and States in ICSID and UNCITRAL arbitrations, and acting for corporations and individuals in ICC, LCIA, DIAC, DIFC-LCIA and ADCACC arbitrations, as well as litigation in the English courts and DIFC courts. Her academic work has included partnering with the US Department of Commerce, corporations, and universities worldwide, on legal drafting courses and art law and arbitration programmes she has engineered and led.

Gisela Knuts is Head of the Helsinki office and she also heads Roschier’s Dispute Resolution practice in Finland.

Gisela is specialized in commercial dispute resolution, including international and domestic arbitration, complex cross-border litigation, and ADR. She also acts as counsel in white collar crime matters.

The main part of Gisela’s practice focuses on counsel work in commercial disputes. She has acted as lead counsel and advised clients in multi-million euro disputes in fields such as post-M&A, construction (on and off shore), engineering, projects & energy, distribution, sale of goods, insolvency, tax, financial instruments, corporate law and shareholder relations, director’s liability, ICT, and competition damages.

In addition to her counsel work, Gisela also regularly sits as arbitrator in international commercial arbitrations mainly seated in the Nordic region and continental Europe. Her arbitrator experience comprises of more than thirty cases, most of which as chair or sole arbitrator.

In addition to her dispute resolution practice, Gisela takes a special interest in risk management and is frequently sought out for boardroom and C-suite advice on legal and strategic issues by both corporations and not-for-profit organizations.

Gisela holds an LL.D. from the University of Helsinki and has been a visiting scholar at the University of Uppsala (2004). In addition, Gisela graduated from the Swedish Arbitration Association’s Training Programme for Arbitrators in 2011.

Maurice has acted for numerous governments, central banks and other state-owned corporations from all continents, intergovernmental and nongovernmental organisations, multinational and national corporations, and individuals.

For most of his career, as well as his practice at the Bar, Maurice developed a distinguished academic reputation. As well as full-time posts at King's College London, Oxford University, and University College London, he has also held visiting professorships in the United States, France and Australia, as well as giving lectures and seminars by invitation in all continents. He took early retirement from academic life in 2001, and is now Emeritus Professor of International Law at the University of London.

Christian Oetiker is one of our proven specialists in litigation and arbitration. He represents businesses in proceedings before national courts throughout Switzerland, as well as before national and foreign arbitral tribunals. He also acts as arbitrator. Christian studied at the University of St. Gallen (HSG) and the London School of Economics, and he has an in-depth understanding of economic issues. He regularly represents both national and international companies from the chemical industry and aviation industry. He also acts as counsel in proceedings on claims based on derivative agreements which are governed by the ISDA Master Agreement. In addition to dispute resolution, he advises on private international law and unfair competition law. Christian publishes and speaks regularly on litigation and arbitration matters as well as other selected topics. He is a member of the Board of the Swiss Arbitration Association (ASA) and of the Swiss Commission of Arbitration and ADR of the ICC. From 2008 until 2019, he was a member of the Arbitration Court of the Swiss Chambers' Arbitration Institution.

Sabrina Pearson-Wenger is the co-founder of Arbius AG, a firm specializing in international arbitration and IT legal services, as well as a collaboratrice scientifique at the University of Neuchâtel.

Prior to founding Arbius AG, Sabrina was a PhD candidate and Teaching Assistant to Professor Christoph Müller at the University of Neuchâtel. She also previously worked as an associate in the international arbitration departments of two leading law firms in Paris and Geneva.

Sabrina graduated with a double masters’ degree in law from the Université de Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas and the University of Cambridge in 2007 and also holds an LLM in International Legal Studies from New York University (2008). She is currently finalizing her PhD thesis.

Philippe Pinsolle is a partner of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP, he is heading international arbitration for continental Europe. He is based in the firm’s Geneva Office.
Philippe Pinsolle has over twenty-five years of experience as counsel, expert and arbitrator in international arbitration. He has acted as counsel in more than 300 international arbitrations, with a particular focus on Investor-State arbitrations and commercial disputes involving the energy, power, oil & gas, construction and defense industries. He has been involved in
arbitrations under the auspices of virtually all major arbitration institutions including the ICC, the LCIA, the ICSID, the SCC, the AAA, the ICDR, the Swiss Chambers of Commerce, the AFA, the ADCCAC, as well as in ad hoc cases under the UNCITRAL rules or otherwise. Philippe Pinsolle has also served as arbitrator in more than 60 cases, as well as expert witness on arbitration and French law issues.

Genevieve Poirier joined LALIVE’s London office in 2021. She is an arbitration and litigation specialist, advising on the resolution of high-value international commercial disputes. Her experience covers a broad range of commercial matters, including cross-border disputes in the telecommunications, oil and gas, insurance, shipping and financial services sectors, as well as shareholder and joint venture disputes.

Genevieve is experienced with the major institutional rules, including ICC, LCIA and AAA, and a variety of arbitral seats including London, Stockholm, New York, and Vienna. She is also a solicitor advocate with rights of audience in the English High Court. She has worked extensively on India-seated and India-related disputes, and CIS-client and CIS-related disputes. She has acted in some of the world’s largest and most complex arbitrations and was recognised as a ‘Future Leader – Arbitration’ by Who’s Who Legal in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

Prior to joining LALIVE as partner, Genevieve was Counsel at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. She graduated from Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand in 2003 (LLB First Class Honours).

Natalie Reid is a partner in the firm’s International Dispute Resolution Group and co-chair of the firm’s Caribbean practice. She focuses on international arbitration, public international law, and complex commercial litigation matters.

Ms. Reid advises on a broad range of international matters, with particular experience advising on ESG issues, including business and human rights considerations. She has deep sector experience with clients in energy (including renewables), natural resources, mining, and oil and gas.

A Jamaican national, she advises and represents multinational corporations, sovereign States, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations in proceedings in international courts and tribunals and in U.S. courts. Ms. Reid acts as counsel in commercial, investment treaty, and public international law arbitrations, and sits as an arbitrator in a wide range of commercial cases.

James Rogers is an international arbitration lawyer based in London. His experience extends across a broad range of industry sectors and includes corporate and commercial, technology, M&A, licensing and joint venture disputes. He has particular experience of the energy, infrastructure and construction sectors and significant recent experience in arbitration matters involving states and state-controlled entities.

James has a uniquely international practice, serving clients' needs across multiple jurisdictions and tailored to the relevant project, dispute and/or seat of arbitration. He has practiced law in New Zealand, Hong Kong, Japan and the UK; has advised clients on projects and investments in numerous jurisdictions across the Americas, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia; and regularly acts as lead counsel and as advocate before all the major arbitral institutions.

Chambers & Partners, 2019 note that "sources describe him as 'flexible and extremely efficient', adding that 'he is excellent at what he does.'" James was also recognised in The Legal 500, 2019 where he is described as "thorough, with an incisive understanding of international arbitration law and practice."

James also accepts arbitrator appointments.

Ingeborg Schwenzer is Dean of Swiss International Law School and Professor emerita of Private Law at the University of Basel, Switzerland. Additionally, she is an adjunct professor at Bond University, Gold Coast, Australia, and has been an adjunct professor at City University, Hong Kong, and at Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia. She has published numerous books and more than 200 articles in the fields of law of obligations (contracts, tort law and unjust enrichment, sales law both domestic and international), commercial arbitration as well as family law. In particular, she is the editor and main contributor of the world's leading Commentary on the Convention on the International Sale of Goods (CISG) (4th edition, Oxford, OUP: 2016) and its German, Spanish, Portuguese, Turkish, and Polish counterparts. From 2011 to 2018 Ingeborg Schwenzer was the chair of the CISG Advisory Council. She is also active in all areas of legal practice. In particular, she regularly acts as arbitrator, counsel and legal expert in international disputes.

Melanie van Leeuwen joined Derains & Gharavi as a partner in 2011.

Who’s Who Legal describes Melanie as “a Dutch superstar in Paris, who is lauded as an outstanding professional and great personality”, noting that “she is the best of the best”. Chambers Europe ranks Melanie in the category of Most in Demand Arbitrators, describing her as “a real powerhouse with a very strong presence and a sharp sound legal mind.” Legal 500 lists Melanie as “an excellent strategist who has a profound knowledge of investment law and impresses by the outstanding quality of her written and oral pleadings.”

Since 1996, Melanie has been practising international arbitration exclusively. She has solid experience as counsel and arbitrator in both commercial and investment arbitration, conducted under all major sets of arbitration rules (ICC, LCIA, LCIA-MIAC, ICSID, SCC, ICDR, UNCITRAL, PCA, DIAC, NAI, CEPANI and Swiss Rules) and governed by various procedural and substantive laws. She has handled over 100 arbitrations as counsel and arbitrator concerning disputes arising out of international commercial contracts, cross-border investment, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, construction projects and investment protection under international law. She has been particularly active in the sectors of energy, mining, media, information and communication technology, construction and engineering, real estate, aviation and infrastructural and defence projects. She also regularly represents clients in annulment, enforcement and consolidation proceedings before the Netherlands state courts.

Melanie has been appointed to the ICSID panel of arbitrators by the Kingdom of the Netherlands. At present, she is serving as chair of the ICC Commission on Arbitration, as co-chair of the ICCA-IBA Joint Task Force on Data Protection in International Arbitration, as a member of the Arbitration Court of the Swiss Chambers’ Arbitration Institution, as a member of the board of Paris, the Home of International Arbitration and as a board member of the Swiss Arbitration Association.