Paolo Michele Patocchi “has unmatched experience and is a very skilled arbitrator” “Paolo is one of the best I’ve ever worked with in the arbitration space” “He is a leading figure in civil law arbitrations” (Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration 2023).

Ranked by Chambers and Partners 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 amongst “Most In Demand Arbitrators – Europe-wide”, “Arbitrators – Switzerland” and “Arbitration Counsel – Switzerland”.

Paolo Michele Patocchi is “very disciplined and will make sure every detail stands right” “He possesses strong knowledge of Swiss law and is a star of the Swiss arbitration system” (Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration 2022).

Paolo Michele Patocchi “is one of the leading authorities in the practice of international arbitration and commands respect from both clients and peers” (Legal 500 2021).

Paolo Michele Patocchi is “among the world’s most creative and analytical minds in arbitration” “He is an exceptional talent and is very admired by all people that meet and/or work with him” “I would recommend him without hesitation” “A sharp mind” “Excellent chairman skills on both jurisdictional and substantial aspects” (Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration 2021).

Paolo Michele Patocchi is “a leading figure in the arbitration community; he is thorough and very knowledgeable. He is invaluable for clients given his unparalleled experience in all domains of international dispute resolution practice” (Legal 500 2020).

Paolo Michele Patocchi is well respected for his “outstanding legal knowledge and practice skills”, as well as his extensive experience advising on international arbitration and contract law (Who’s Who Legal: Switzerland – Arbitration 2020).

Paolo Michele Patocchi is “among the world’s most creative and analytical minds in arbitration”, say peers who add: “He is an exceptional talent and is very admired by all people that meet and/or work with him” (Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration 2020).

Paolo Michele Patocchi is a “leading arbitration figure” and is recommended for his “great experience in all domains of international dispute resolution” (Legal 500 2019).

Paolo Michele Patocchi gains emphatic recognition from peers this year as “one of the best names in the market”. He is highlighted for “his huge experience in arbitration and mastery of the law, as well as his great sense of strategy” (Who’s Who Legal: Switzerland – Arbitration 2019).

Paolo Michele Patocchi is “noted for his ‘professionalism and unparalleled knowledge’ by peers. Sources are ‘impressed by his huge experience and mastery of the facts’ as well as his ‘great sense of strategy’” (Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration 2019).

Paolo Michele Patocchi is ”a master of both facts and law” according to sources – one of whom praises his performance in arbitration proceedings, noting: ”He is able to drive and streamline the process in a very efficient way” (Who’s Who Legal: Switzerland – Arbitration 2018).

Paolo Michele Patocchi is “an extremely good arbitrator” who comes recommended by sources for his “expertise and dedication to his clients” (Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration Thought Leaders 2017).

Paolo Michele Patocchi is “very knowledgeable and experienced” (Legal 500 2017).

“Effusive sources describe the ‘outstanding’ Paolo Michele Patocchi as ‘one of the best arbitrators in the country’” (Who’s Who Legal: Switzerland – Arbitration 2017).

Paolo Michele Patocchi is “lauded as ‘one of the best arbitrators around’, and is recognised for his ‘prestigious practice’” (Who’s Who Legal: Switzerland – Arbitration 2016 and Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration 2017).

Paolo Michele Patocchi is “very experienced and reliable” (Legal 500 Europe, Middle East & Africa 2016).

Ranked by ExpertGuides in the Guide to the World’s Leading Experts in Commercial Arbitration and in the Best of the Best guide.

After practising for four years in Geneva (1982-1986), Paolo Michele Patocchi further specialised in international trade law and arbitration in London (1986-1988).  He then joined an international law firm in London as an associate (1989-1991).  In 1989 he was appointed lecturer at the Faculty of Law of Geneva (Department of Private International and Comparative Law, Head: Prof. Dr. Pierre A. Lalive) to take over the lecture on the Introduction to the Anglo-American Law Tradition (1989-2006).

Having returned to Switzerland in 1992, Michele joined a national law firm in Zurich. In 1994 he moved back to Geneva and joined another national law firm where he was made a partner in 1997.  He has been in charge of the International Arbitration Group of the Geneva office of that firm from 1997 until 2013. In 2014 he established Patocchi & Marzolini with Paolo Marzolini.

Whether as counsel or as an arbitrator, Michele has taken part in over 240 international arbitrations to date.  He has also advised on the Swiss law of contract, the Swiss law of international arbitration and the Swiss private international law, as an expert or amicus curiae.

As a practising lawyer or as an arbitrator, Michele has been called upon to work on matters involving a number of legal systems other than Swiss law, including in particular the laws of Albania, Algeria, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, China, Egypt, England and Wales, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Latvia, the Netherlands, Palestine, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Qatar, Russia, Spain, South Korea, Turkey, the UAE, the U.S.A. and Venezuela.

Michele has been a lecturer at the Faculty of Law of Geneva (1989-2006) and at the Geneva School for Translators and Interpreters (ETI; 1990-1993) and he has been teaching international commercial arbitration at the Faculty of Law of İ. D. Bilkent University (Ankara) since 2013.  He has taught the first five-day module (Introduction to International Arbitration) at the Swiss Arbitration Academy in October 2008 and October 2009.

Michele has also been active in international law.  He has been on the ICSID list of arbitrators since 2012 (List of arbitrators designated by the Swiss Government) and has been involved in two ICSID cases, two ICSID Additional Facility Rules cases, one ICSID annulment case and one case under the OIC Treaty.

He has been a member of the team in charge of representing the Swiss Confederation before the International Court of Justice in the legal proceedings brought by the Kingdom of Belgium with respect to an alleged breach of the Lugano Convention by Switzerland.  These proceedings were withdrawn by the Kingdom of Belgium after Switzerland filed its first memorial setting out its preliminary objections.

Michele has collaborated with the arbitral institutions of the Swiss Chambers of Commerce in the past two decades. After the arbitration rules of the Swiss Chambers were unified in 2004, he was the first President of the National Arbitration Committee and the Special Committee in charge of hearing challenges (2004-2006) and a member of the Arbitration Court of the Swiss Chambers’ Arbitration Institution from 2013 to 2016. From 2005 to 2011 he has been a non-resident member of the Arbitration Committee of the Milan Chamber of Commerce.  From 2001 to 2019 he has been a member of the Board of the Swiss Arbitration Association.

“Paolo ensures highly professional standards and extreme competence in arbitration proceedings” “He is very well equipped to handle the stress of clients and explores alternative solutions to produce satisfying outcomes” “Mr Marzolini is highly structured and organised in his approach to arbitration matters” (Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration 2023).

“Paolo Marzolini is an outstanding arbitration lawyer, very responsive, practical”; he “is very responsive and capable of giving strategic legal advice to increase the chances of success of the proceedings.  His practical judgement and litigation skills inspire confidence”; “I have been working with Paolo Marzolini for over a year and I can say that he is a very talented lawyer with unique skills.  He manages to propose and implement complex strategies with incredible attention to all details. He works very hard to make sure nothing is left to chance”; “Paolo Marzolini is an incredible professional, very competent and effective in negotiations” (Legal 500 2022).

Paolo Marzolini is “One of the best Swiss lawyers I have ever met” “He is very responsive and capable of giving strategic legal advice to increase the chances of success of the proceedings” “His practical judgement and advocacy skills inspire confidence” “He is very committed and highly active in the managing of the cases” (Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration 2022).

Paolo Marzolini “has a great legal mind and his attention to detail is remarkable”; he is “Very competent and professional”; he “is the most enthusiastic and driven colleague I have ever worked with.  He is very hardworking and responsive and has one of the sharpest minds in the business. Despite the highly demanding nature of the work, he is a joy to work with”; “We worked closely with Paolo Marzolini, who is brilliant, meticulous, very hard working and a pleasure to watch in action” (Legal 500 2021).

Paolo Marzolini “is meticulous and leaves no stone unturned”, “He has a very acute sense of strategy which always points the client in the right direction”, “Paolo shows dedication to his clients and an obsessive care for details”, “He has excellent strategic vision” (Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration 2021).

Paolo Marzolini “possesses vast experience in the field of arbitration.  He combines experience as counsel and as arbitrator” (Legal 500 2020).

Paolo Marzolini is a “‘thoughtful and meticulous’ lawyer who is applauded for his ‘very acute sense of strategy, which always points the client in the right direction’” (Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration Future Leaders 2020).

Paolo Marzolini is “‘super smart and outstanding’, and ‘very well known’ for his ‘strategic vision and broad legal knowledge’”(Who’s Who Legal: Switzerland – Arbitration 2020).

Paolo Marzolini is “efficient, competent and collaborative” (Legal 500 2019).

Paolo Marzolini is “highlighted for his ‘strong legal knowledge’ and ‘precise legal reasoning’. He wins high praise from sources one of whom notes, ‘He impressed me with his dedication to his client as well as his mastery of the facts and the law’” (Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration Future Leaders 2019).

“Paolo Marzolini has ‘a great sense of strategy’, say sources who consider him ‘one notch above most other practitioners’ in the arbitration space” (Who’s Who Legal: Switzerland – Arbitration 2019).

“Paolo Marzolini of Patocchi & Marzolini has strong experience acting as counsel on Swiss law-governed matters, as well as in other jurisdictions under ICC, UNCITRAL and WIPO rules. He represents clients in construction, IP, finance and M&A-related disputes.” (Chambers and Partners 2019).

Paolo Marzolini is “’definitely one to watch’ in the arbitration space. He possesses invaluable experience handling proceedings under various international rules including ICC, Swiss and UNCITRAL Rules” (Who’s Who Legal: Switzerland – Arbitration 2018).

Paolo Marzolini “impresses peers and clients alike with ‘his knowledge and outstanding mastery of the file. Market sources say they ‘would recommend him for all arbitration-related matters’” (Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration Future Leaders 2018).

Paolo Marzolini “impressed me for his dedication to the client and his capacity to leave no stone unturned in order to pursue the client’s interests.  I also appreciated and valued his strategic skills and his legal analysis” (Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration Future Leaders 2017).

“The ‘excellent’ Paolo Marzolini is extremely highly regarded by his peers. He acts as both counsel and arbitrator on a broad range of commercial cases” (Who’s Who Legal: Switzerland – Arbitration 2017).

Paolo Marzolini is “very thorough” (Legal 500 2017).

“Paolo Marzolini is regarded as a ‘star’ in the field and is recognised for his ‘strategic’ and ‘practical’ approach to cases” (Who’s Who Legal: Switzerland – Arbitration 2016).

Ranked by Chambers and Partners 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 as “Arbitration Counsel”.

Paolo Marzolini is “very diligent” (Legal 500 Europe, Middle East & Africa 2016).

Ranked by ExpertGuides in the Guide to the World’s Leading Experts in Commercial Arbitration (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018).

Paolo Marzolini is a partner of Patocchi & Marzolini, the law firm established with Paolo Michele Patocchi on 1 January 2014. Paolo is acting as counsel representing clients and he is sitting as arbitrator in Switzerland and a number of other jurisdictions under various sets of arbitration rules (including, but not limited to, the ICC Rules, Swiss Rules, LCIA Rules, UNCITRAL Rules, DIAC Rules, ISTAC Rules, VIAC Rules, CAS Rules, JAMS Rules, QICCA Rules and WIPO Rules).

Paolo has had practical experience in a number of systems of law such as Italian, Swiss, French, English, Spanish, U.S., German, Dutch, Bahamian, Libyan, Iranian, Qatari, Emirati, Egyptian, Chinese, South Korean, Japanese, Senegalese, Malaysian, Turkish, Romanian and Greek.

Paolo has worked in the international dispute resolution departments of leading law firms in Geneva and London.

Paolo has been involved in several major international arbitrations and his field of expertise includes construction disputes (including project financing disputes), IP disputes, turnkey contracts, consultancy agreements, joint venture agreements, agency, licensing in the pharma industry, State contracts, contracts and disputes in the aviation and aerospace industry, M&A and post-M&A disputes, gas price review disputes, banking and finance disputes, sport and sponsoring disputes, commodities disputes.

Paolo has experience acting as mediator and counsel in mediations in commercial cases.  He is listed in the panel of mediators for IP disputes jointly drawn up by the WIPO and the Chamber of Arbitration of Milan.

Paolo has also experience as member of dispute boards in complex construction projects.

Paolo has served as case manager at the Chamber of Arbitration of Milan in the period 2003-2007 and, in that capacity, he has acted as administrative secretary to domestic and international arbitral tribunals in over 150 arbitrations.

He completed his graduate and post-graduate studies in Geneva and Zurich (Swiss Arbitration Academy, ArbP, 2010), Pavia (Laurea in giurisprudenza Dr. iur., 2002) and Paris (University of Paris 1, Pantheon – Sorbonne and Cornell Law School, Institute of International and Comparative Law, International Arbitration and Litigation, 2001).

Paolo has published extensively on international arbitration and is very often called as lecturer in seminars dealing with arbitration-related matters.

Paolo serves as a member of the Court of the Swiss Arbitration Centre (1 June 2020) and as a member of the Special Committee of the Court of the Swiss Arbitration Centre (1 July 2022); he is former co-chair (2015-2016) and current member of the Advisory Board of ArbIt – Italian Forum for Arbitration and ADR as well as member of the International Bar Association (IBA), the International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA), the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (MCIArb), the Swiss Arbitration Association (ASA), the Italian Arbitration Association (AIA), the Geneva Bar Association and the Pavia Bar Association.

Academic Degrees/Qualifications