Boris Vittoz has been practicing international arbitration and litigating before State courts for over 20 years. As an arbitration practitioner, Boris has been involved in around 60 cases in various capacities. Boris mainly acts as counsel, but he also regularly sits as arbitrator in commercial cases, including as Sole Arbitrator or President. He was an arbitrator at the Court of Arbitration for Sports in Lausanne (Switzerland) and a member of the Arbitration Court of the Swiss Arbitration Centre during six years.

Boris’s practice focuses on international commercial disputes of various types across a range of industries; he is also frequently involved in sports and trust and estate disputes. His practice includes ancillary and enforcement proceedings, such as enforcement of foreign awards/judgements in Switzerland, attachment proceedings pertaining to assets located in Switzerland and bankruptcy proceedings. Boris has successfully led international teams composed of foreign lawyers and experts in high-value cases across several jurisdictions.

Boris’s experience includes crisis management situations for clients facing simultaneously multiple legal, governance and other challenges, such as investigations from foreign authorities and international institutions, disputes among internal bodies and with investors, debtors and employees involving arbitration, civil, disciplinary, criminal and other court proceedings in various fora.

On top of his Swiss law expertise, Boris holds a postgraduate diploma in EC and European law delivered by the University of Paris I, which included the study of European competition law.

Recent appointments include:

• (i) lead counsel in relation to the enforcement of a CHF 65M ICC award in various jurisdictions, including Switzerland, the UK and the Cayman Islands;
• (ii) counsel for a Swiss life science company in a Swiss-based post M&A arbitration;
• (iii) co-arbitrator in an ICC arbitration involving issues related to sanctions against Russia;
• (iv) lead counsel for a foreign pharmaceutical company before Swiss courts in relation to a distribution agreement of pharmaceutical products with a value in dispute of around CHF 60 million;
• (v) acting for an African conglomerate operating petroleum refineries in West Africa in relation to the enforcement of claims against a company in Switzerland;
• (vi) counsel for a life science company in a multi-million dispute related to the financing of heavy medical equipment.