Arbitration
Nadja Jaisli Kull
Nadja Jaisli co-heads Bär & Karrer's arbitration practice and specializes in international commercial arbitration and litigation. She has extensive experience in representing clients before Swiss courts and in international arbitrations (both ad hoc and institutional), involving a wide array of matters. She has gained particular experience in the banking and finance, the pharmaceutical and the construction industries and regularly handles complex disputes arising from M&A transactions, joint ventures and shareholders' agreements, license and supply agreements as well as inheritance disputes. In addition to her work as party counsel, Nadja Jaisli frequently sits as arbitrator (in particular under ICC, Swiss, DIS and VIAC Rules and in ad hoc proceedings).Nadja Jaisli serves as a Vice President of the ICC Swiss Commission on Arbitration and ADR and as a member of the Swiss Nomination Committee that proposes arbitrator candidates to the ICC Court in Paris. She is also a member of the Executive Committee and of the Board of the Swiss Arbitration Association (ASA) and regularly speaks and publishes in the field of international dispute resolution. She is listed in Chambers Global and Chambers Europe, Legal 500 and by Who's Who Legal in the fields of arbitration and litigation. Who's Who Legal ranked her amongst the four most highly regarded future leaders in arbitration 2018 and 2019 in Europe, listed her as a global leader in arbitration since 2020 as well as a global elite thought leader in litigation. In 2021 and 2022, Nadja Jaisli was awarded with the Europe Women in Business Law Award as Commercial Arbitration Lawyer of the Year.
Pascal Hachem
Pascal Hachem's practice focuses on contentious and non-contentious commercial matters as well as corporate internal investigations. He further assists clients with claim-management and the gathering, securing and evaluation of evidence. Pascal Hachem represents clients in state court, arbitration and in front of domestic and foreign authorities. He has acted as sole arbitrator and member of an arbitration panel. Pascal Hachem holds law degrees from Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg i.Br. (Germany) and the University of Basel.
Pascal Hachem is a frequent speaker at international conferences in his areas of expertise, contributes to leading commentaries on international sales law and treatises on corporate internal investigations and has authored and co-authored books and articles in the field of general contract and sales law. Who's Who Legal lists him as Future Leader in Arbitration.
Aurélie Conrad Hari
Aurélie Conrad Hari leads the civil litigation practice of Bär & Karrer in Geneva, where she has been a partner since 2017. She has a broad experience in handling complex multi-jurisdictional disputes in financial, banking and commercial disputes. She also specializes in private clients' assistance and representation.
Her practice encompasses shareholders' and employment disputes, insolvency as well as asset recovery, with the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards. She also frequently acts as counsel representing parties in commercial arbitration related to various industries, eg, sale, distribution, agency, construction (including power plants) and energy. Additionally, she conducts internal investigation on specific fact findings and compliance issues upon instructions from clients or supervisory authorities.
Aurélie Conrad Hari is a regular speaker and publisher on topics of her expertise. She is co-chair of the officers of the commissions committee and member of the Extended Bureau of the International Young Lawyers Association and chairs the Expert Forum on Dispute Resolution established by the Geneva Bar Association in 2017.
Who's Who Legal lists her as a leading lawyer in litigation, asset recovery and as a future leader in arbitration. She is also recognized by Chambers and Partners and Legal500 for her litigation practice as well as by Leaders League, the Global Elite Private Client Directory as well as Citywealth where she is featured in in the IFC Powerwomen Top 200 since 2018.
Cesare Jermini
Cesare Jermini has extensive experience in court litigation as well as international and domestic arbitration, in which he specializes. He regularly acts as a party counsel before state courts and the Federal Tribunal (in civil, criminal and administrative matters) as well as in domestic and international arbitration proceedings.
Cesare Jermini is often appointed as chairman, sole arbitrator and co-arbitrator in international and domestic arbitration proceedings, conducted under the ICC Rules, Swiss Rules, Rules of the Camera Arbitrale Nazionale e Internazionale di Milano, UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules as well as in ad hoc proceedings.
Cesare Jermini also advises clients in commercial and company law, private international law, joint ventures, transportation, labor, administrative, real estate and inheritance law.
He is a member of the executive board of GASI (Gruppo Arbitrato della Svizzera italiana – the Local Group Ticino of ASA, the Swiss Arbitration Association), the ASA Marketing Committee and the International and Domestic Panels of Arbitrators of several arbitral institutions.
Michele Bernasconi
Michele Bernasconi advises on a broad range of sports, media, energy, telecom and IT matters, acting for both domestic and international clients. He has particular expertise in international litigation and arbitration as well as in commercial and transactional work relating to such industries.
His recent experience includes advice on outsourcing and joint venture projects, broadcasting and sponsorship agreements, ambush marketing, regulatory and antitrust work in both the telecom and sport sector, software licensing, electricity transmission and distribution, doping matters as well as international transfers of football players.
Michele Bernasconi lectures on international sports law at the University of Zurich. He regularly speaks and publishes articles on topics within his practice areas. He is Co-director of the UEFA Football Law Programme.
Michele Bernasconi is recognized as a leading lawyer in Chambers and Legal 500 further lists him in the Hall of Fame for his excellent work. Legal 500 and Who's Who Legal have listed him among the leading lawyers in Switzerland in the sports as well as in the technology, media and telecommunications sector for years. In 2018 Who's Who Legal recognized Michele Bernasconi with the global award "Sports Lawyer of the Year" as well as "Thought Leader" for the sports and data protection sector. In 2016 Who's Who Legal ranks him among the nine "Most Highly Regarded Individuals" for Sports & Entertainment worldwide. In its 2013 edition, the International Who's Who of regulatory communication lawyers described Michele Bernasconi as one of the "10 Most Highly Regarded Individuals Worldwide".
Cinzia Catelli
Cinzia Catelli's preferred area of practice focuses on domestic and international arbitration and litigation. She also acts as arbitrator in ICC and SCAI proceedings. Her practice encompasses commercial disputes in various industries, including real estate development contracts, distribution agreements, sales contracts, lease agreements, labour law, and corporate law disputes litigation.
Cinzia Catelli is admitted to all Swiss courts since 2010. Since 2014 she is a member of Bär & Karrer's litigation and arbitration practice teams in Zurich, working regularly also with the litigation practice in Ticino. She holds a degree from the University of Zurich, an LLM degree from Harvard Law School and passed the New York Bar Exam in 2013.
Massimo Chiasera
Massimo Chiasera's practice focuses on white-collar crime, internal investigations, domestic and cross-border litigation as well as international judicial and administrative assistance.
He advises and represents clients in internal and regulatory investigations led by Swiss and foreign authorities, in complex compliance matters (including money laundering as well as anti-bribery and corruption) and in criminal proceedings.
Massimo Chiasera has an in-depth knowledge of the financial services industry, based on his prior experience as a Litigation & Investigations Counsel at a major Swiss bank where he managed a wide range of internal investigations, white collar and whistleblowing proceedings. In parallel to his work at Bär & Karrer, he was a former prosecutor of the Office of the Swiss Armed Forces Attorney General and now acts as a presiding judge within the Swiss Military Justice Corps.
He is listed as a "Rising Star" in the white-collar crime category by Euromoney Legal Media Group (2020, 2021 and 2022).
Léonard Lavanchy-Prack
Léonard Lavanchy-Prack's practice focuses on domestic and international litigation. Furthermore, he is regularly involved in internal investigations relating to white collar crime and regulatory issues.
Saverio Lembo
Saverio Lembo heads Bär & Karrer's White Collar Crime practice group.
He has extensive experience in white collar crime, commercial and financial litigation, international judicial assistance (civil and criminal), arbitration and insolvency. During recent years, he has been involved in a number of complex commercial litigation proceedings, has served as a party representative or arbitrator in various domestic and international commercial arbitrations and has assisted clients in Swiss and foreign criminal proceedings. He regularly represents clients before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Saverio Lembo's practice also extends to pharmaceutical litigation, inheritance law, employment matters and enforcement of foreign judgments and awards.
Saverio Lembo is ranked in tier 1 of the leading lawyers in White-Collar Crime Switzerland by Chambers & Partners. He was awarded "Lawyer of the Year for Switzerland" in the categories "Business Crime Defence" and "Investigations" at the Who's Who Legal Awards in 2020 as well as "Lawyer of the Year 2016" in the categories Criminal Defence and Litigation in the Geneva area by Best Lawyers. Since 2012, the International Who's Who lists him among the world's leading practitioners in the areas of Business Crime Defence, Asset Recovery Lawyers and Commercial Litigation. In The Legal 500, Saverio Lembo has been listed among the leading individuals in Switzerland in Dispute Resolution since 2010.
Matthew T. Reiter
Matthew Reiter heads Bär & Karrer’s litigation practice. He specializes in litigation and arbitration. He has extensive experience in a wide range of state court and administrative proceedings, including criminal investigations, white collar crimes, enforcement proceedings and international judicial assistance, but focuses on the resolution of large domestic and international commercial disputes.
Matthew Reiter has successfully represented clients in numerous domestic and international arbitrations, both in ad hoc and institutional proceedings (primarily ICC, ZCC/Swiss Rules), especially relating to joint ventures and shareholders' agreements, large construction contracts, M&A transactions and supply agreements. Recent highlights include the successful defense of EnBW in a CHF 1 billion arbitration proceeding concerning the Thermoselect technology.
Clients of Matthew Reiter include individuals as well as listed and non-listed domestic and foreign companies from various sectors such as the banking and services industry as well as the pharmaceutical, chemical, energy, automotive, aviation and construction industries.
The Legal 500 recommends Matthew Reiter in dispute resolution matters (since 2012).
Predrag Sunaric
Predrag Sunaric's practice focuses on international and domestic arbitration as well as domestic and cross-border litigation. He advises and represents Swiss and foreign individuals and entities before Swiss courts and acts as counsel in international arbitration proceedings.
Laura Widmer
Laura Widmer's practice focuses on advising Swiss and foreign individuals and entities on various aspects of Swiss employment law, in particular with regard to individual and mass dismissals, reorganizations, compensation plans, employment litigation and transactions. Furthermore, she regularly represents clients in employment disputes before state courts.
Andreas D. Länzlinger
Andreas D. Länzlinger heads Bär & Karrer's Internal Investigations Practice Group and is one of the leading partners of the firm's Litigation/Arbitration Practice Group. He has extensive experience in handling complex banking/financing, commercial, corporate, contract and insurance litigations, both before Swiss courts and in cross-border proceedings. He and his team have conducted many large scale internal investigations at global enterprises in the financial, pharmaceutical and construction business. He has represented a number of Swiss clients in mass tort litigation cases before US courts. During the last years, he has regularly advised and represented Swiss corporate clients regarding compliance questions and in investigations, including proceedings before US authorities (Department of Justice, SEC and FED), especially in matters under the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
Team Services
When disputes arise out of sophisticated, complex and international transactions, arbitration is often a better solution than national courts which are often not suited or unable to solve the disagreement.
Party representation in arbitration proceedings: tactical and strategic
Bär & Karrer represents clients in commercial arbitrations and related court and enforcement proceedings. We act in ad hoc and institutional arbitrations governed by Swiss or foreign law. We are experienced in proceedings administered by major arbitral institutions.
Decision making in abitral tribunals: prudent and balanced
Members of our arbitration team regularly serve as party-appointed arbitrators, sole arbitrators, and chairpersons of arbitral tribunals, as well as mediators. Partners of the firm are also active members of executive bodies of arbitral institutions and organizations such as the ICC, Swiss Chambers and the Swiss Arbitration Association (ASA).
The quality, size, and experience of our international arbitration team allow us to handle large and complex cases. We regularly act in cases involving international acquisitions, joint ventures, privatizations, R&D, technology transfers, financing, sales of goods, construction and large projects, commodity trading, sports arbitration, oil and gas, as well as IP/IT.
Some of the ways we support clients on arbitration:
- Party representation as counsel in arbitration proceedings both ad hoc and institutional (ICC, the Swiss Chambers of Commerce, DIS, LCIA, the Vienna Center, the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce, the Milan Chamber of Arbitration, SIAC, AAA/IDCR, and CAS
- Chairman, co-arbitrator or sole arbitrator
- Counsel in the enforcement or challenging of arbitral awards and in preliminary measures supporting arbitration proceedings
- Mediator or counsel in mediation
- Expert in arbitration proceedings