Log in or register
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn

ARTICLE · 05 JUNE 2026

Efficiency By Design – The 2026 ICC Arbitration Rules

Bär & Karrer Ltd.
Bär & Karrer Ltd.
Contributor
Bär & Karrer Ltd.

Bär & Karrer Ltd.

Bär & Karrer is a leading Swiss law firm with more than 200 lawyers in Zurich, Geneva, Lugano, Zug,...

View firm profile
Explore more from Bär & Karrer Ltd.

The 2026 ICC Arbitration Rules ("2026 ICC Rules") came into force on 1 June 2026. Applicable to all requests for arbitration filed on or after that date (unless the parties agree to submit to the Rules in effect on an earlier date), the new 2026 ICC Rules mark a significant revision of the previous 2021 ICC Rules. They reflect recent developments in arbitration practice and aim to enhance clarity, efficiency and user-friendliness.

SwitzerlandLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
Nadja Jaisli Kull
Nadja Jaisli Kull
Romana Weinöhrl-Brüggemann
Romana Weinöhrl-Brüggemann
Anaïs Frischknecht
Anaïs Frischknecht
Author LinkedIn connections

Introduction

The 2026 ICC Arbitration Rules ("2026 ICC Rules") came into force on 1 June 2026. Applicable to all requests for arbitration filed on or after that date (unless the parties agree to submit to the Rules in effect on an earlier date), the new 2026 ICC Rules mark a significant revision of the previous 2021 ICC Rules. They reflect recent developments in arbitration practice and aim to enhance clarity, efficiency and user-friendliness.

Among the key changes introduced in the 2026 ICC Rules are the removal of mandatory terms of reference, a broadened emergency arbitration framework and the introduction of a Highly Expedited Arbitration Procedure, designed to deliver a final, enforceable award in just over three months. Below is a summary of what has changed and what it means in practice.

We operate a free-to-view policy, asking only that you register in order to read all of our content. Please login or register to view the rest of this article.

Register for freeORLog in

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

View source

Related Articles

Legal Intelligence Newsletters: sign up for the latest legal and regulatory news on your chosen topics

Read more about

Related Comparative Guides

See more popular content from

Article

Can Arbitrators Ask Artificial Intelligence For Its View On Legal Issues?

Artificial intelligence is increasingly being used in international arbitration for legal research, document review, and drafting. However, its use becomes difficult to assess when an arbitrator turns to AI not merely to process information, but to obtain a view on a legal issue that the tribunal must decide. This article examines emerging guidance on whether arbitrators can ask AI for its opinion on legal questions and explores the boundaries between AI as a research tool and AI as a decision-maker.
SwitzerlandLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
Aceris Law
Aceris Law
Article

Piercing The Corporate Veil In Swiss Enforcement Proceedings

Swiss law generally maintains a strict separation between a company's assets and those of its shareholders, but courts may exceptionally disregard this principle when it constitutes an abuse of rights. This analysis explores the legal framework and practical requirements for both piercing and reverse piercing the corporate veil in Switzerland, with particular emphasis on how these doctrines apply in debt enforcement and attachment proceedings.
SwitzerlandLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
Loyens & Loeff
Loyens & Loeff
Article

Swiss Federal Supreme Court Upholds The Municipal Minimum Wage Regulations In The Cities Of Zurich And Winterthur

The Swiss Federal Supreme Court has validated minimum wage regulations in Zurich and Winterthur, overturning lower court decisions and affirming that municipalities possess constitutional autonomy to establish local wage floors. With minimum wages of CHF 23.90 and CHF 23.00 per hour respectively now set to take effect, the ruling settles a key question about the division of legislative powers between cantonal and municipal authorities in Switzerland's federal system.
SwitzerlandEmployment and HR
Bär & Karrer Ltd.
Bär & Karrer Ltd.