Sebastiano Nessi is a top-tier International Arbitration & Global Litigation Partner at Curtis, bringing a dual civil and common law background with extensive experience working in London, Dubai, Paris, and Geneva.
Ranked both as a world “Global Elite Thought Leader” and as a “Thought Leader” in Switzerland by Who's Who Legal, he is recognised for his expertise in high-stakes international and domestic arbitration (commercial, investor-state, sports), cross-border and domestic litigation, asset recovery, compliance, and international sanctions. He has successfully represented clients (including national and multinational corporations, private individuals, state-owned entities, and governments) in some of the most significant international arbitration and cross-border litigation cases of the past decade.
In addition to his counsel work, Mr. Nessi, who is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb) and a Swiss national, sits frequently as a co-arbitrator or presiding arbitrator.
Market-Leading Practice in International Arbitration
Mr. Nessi has extensive experience advising and representing private companies and individuals, states, and state-owned entities from Europe, the Russian Federation & the CIS region, the GCC and MENA regions, Africa, South America and Asia, in commercial arbitrations conducted ad hoc and under all major arbitration rules.
His experience encompasses some of the largest arbitration disputes in the construction and infrastructure, energy (including renewables), oil and gas, mining, chemicals, commodities, insurance, telecommunication and media, pharmaceuticals, banking, aerospace and transportation, real estate, maritime, and distribution sectors.
Mr. Nessi has also advised and represented parties, including states, in several investment treaty arbitrations under various rules (ICSID, UNCITRAL, ICC).
He has also experience in representing athletes and sports federations before the Court of Arbitration for Sports in Lausanne.
Mr. Nessi, who is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb) and a past Vice-Chair of the CIArb YMG group and a current Member of the Council of YSIAC (Singapore), sits regularly as arbitrator (Chairperson, Sole Arbitrator or Party-appointed Arbitrator) and also appears before arbitral tribunals and state courts as an expert on arbitration and other international matters.
Top-tier Expertise in Global Cross-Border Litigation
Sebastiano has extensive experience advising clients in transnational disputes before state courts. His litigation work spans multiple jurisdictions, including Swiss, English, US, and Dubai-DIFC courts, often involving complex cross-border legal issues.
Notably, he has secured multi-million- and multi-billion-dollar victories in highly publicized cases before the High Court in London. These high-profile disputes have reinforced his reputation as a leading disputes lawyer in cross-border litigation, particularly for major corporations.
Enforcement and Setting-Aside Proceedings in Switzerland and Abroad
Mr. Nessi also regularly advises clients on the enforcement of arbitral awards and foreign court judgments including by way of attachment orders.
In addition to enforcement proceedings, Mr. Nessi has advised clients in some of the most notable setting-aside and revision proceedings before the Swiss Supreme Court, English courts and Dubai-DIFC courts.
Thought Leadership
Sebastiano Nessi speaks frequently at conferences and seminars about international arbitration and international litigation issues and trends, and is the author of some 50 books and articles. He has lectured at various universities (University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, University of Geneva, Sciences Po Law School (Paris), etc.) and academic institutions (MIDS, Swiss Arbitration Academy, Delos Disputes Resolution – Remote Advocacy Programme in Construction Arbitration, etc.) since 2014.
He is recognised internationally in all major directories and publications at the top of the arbitration market.
He is ranked as one of a small number of Global Elite Thought Leaders: Arbitration by Who's Who Legal recognising “some of the world’s foremost lawyers”. According to clients and peers, he “is a masterful tactician, combining superb advocacy with gravitas” and one of the “superstars”.
He is also recognised as a Global Leader by Who’s Who Legal. For several years, Mr. Nessi has also been ranked among the ten (10) Most Highly Regarded Individuals in Europe, Middle East and Africa Region by Who’s Who Legal, which notes that he is “a blazing talent”, “a brilliant practical and strategic thinker with a great sense of leadership” and “probably the best arbitration counsel of the younger generation.”
Sebastiano Nessi is recognised as a Thought Leader by Who’s Who Legal Switzerland which praises him for being “a star advocate”.
According to Legal 500, clients and peers describe Sebastiano Nessi as “tremendously talented and a sharp minded practitioner and certainly a top lawyer to contact in Europe for complex matters. He is insightful, never misses a single detail and is always the first to propose an excellent legal solution which is highly regarded by clients”.
In 2021, Mr. Nessi was awarded two Rising Star Awards (EMEA) delivered by the International Financial Law Review (IFLR).
He served as the Vice-chair of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators' Young Members Group (CIArb YMG), and as ICC YAF Representative for Europe and Russia (2019-2021). He currently serves as a Member of the Council of YSIAC (Singapore).
Publications
Book/Treatise Chapters
The Concise Encyclopedia on International Commercial Arbitration (Edward Elgar Publishing): forthcoming
The consequences of Achmea on arbitrations seated in Switzerland, in: The future of Investment Treaty Arbitration in the EU: Intra-EU BITs, the Energy Charter Treaty, and the Multilateral Investment Court / C. Baltag, A. Stanic (eds.), Wolters Kluwer 2020, p. 115 – 142 (co-authored with Prof. Dr Nathalie Voser)
Price revision in long-term energy contracts: when is it possible to adjust prices or modify the terms of a long-term energy contract?, in: 40 under 40 International Arbitration (2018), Carlos Gonzalez-Bueno ed., Dykinson S.L., pp. 386-398
Insolvency and Arbitration, in: Arbitration in Switzerland, The Practitioner's Guide, in: Manuel Arroyo (ed.), Arbitration in Switzerland - The Practitioner's Guide: Commentary, 2nd edition,. Kluwer Law International, 2018, pp. 2687-2705
Expert Witness: Role and Independence, New Developments in International Commercial Arbitration 2016, (C. Müller / S. Besson / A. Rigozzi (eds.)), 2016, Schulthess, pp. 72 et seq.
Anti-Suit and Anti-Arbitration Injunctions in International Commercial Arbitration: The Swiss Approach, SAA Series on International Arbitration, Vol. 3, Selected Papers on International Arbitration, Bern 2013, pp. 163 et seq.
Assessing Damages under the Discounted Cash Flow Approach (DCF): Sound Tool or Speculative Method? A Swiss Perspective, Revue Suisse du droit des affaires et du marché financier (RSDA/SZW), No. 4, 2012, pp. 269 et seq. (co-authored with Prof. Dr Benoît Chappuis)
Frégates de Taïwan: comment une procédure pénale française peut conduire à la révision d’une sentence arbitrale rendue en Suisse, Les Cahiers de l’Arbitrage – The Paris Journal of International Arbitration, No. 3, 2010, pp. 897 et seq. (co-authored with Prof. Dr. Xavier Favre-Bulle)
Articles
Arbitration Hearings: Top 10 Tips for junior associates, Delos Dispute Resolutions, January 2021
Go for broke! Arbitration and insolvency in Switzerland (Chapter 3), Thomson Reuters Practical Law Arbitration Blog, September 2020
Death of a salesman: arbitration and insolvency in Switzerland (Chapter 2), Thomson Reuters Practical Law Arbitration Blog, August 2020
Where credit is due: arbitration and insolvency in Switzerland (Chapter 1), Thomson Reuters Practical Law Arbitration Blog, June 2020
New Law Maintains Switzerland at the Forefront of International Arbitration, Wolters Kluwer - Kluwer Arbitration Blog, August 2020
States of exception: UNCITRAL Working Group III releases its latest report, Thomson Reuters Practical Law Arbitration Blog, April 2020
An appealing reform? UNCITRAL Working Group III releases its latest report, Thomson Reuters Practical Law Arbitration Blog, March 2020
The immune system: enforcing arbitral awards in Switzerland (Chapter 5), Thomson Reuters Practical Law Arbitration Blog, January 2020
Mr Freeze: enforcing arbitral awards in Switzerland (Chapter 4), Thomson Reuters Practical Law Arbitration Blog, November 2019
Don’t stop me now! Enforcing arbitral awards in Switzerland (Chapter 3), Thomson Reuters Practical Law Arbitration Blog, August 2019
Oh, happy payday! Enforcing arbitral awards in Switzerland (Chapter 2), Thomson Reuters Practical Law Arbitration Blog, July 2019
For a few Swiss francs more: enforcing arbitral awards in Switzerland (Chapter 1), Thomson Reuters Practical Law Arbitration Blog, June 2019
Get your Act together: Switzerland to update its arbitration law!, Thomson Reuters Practical Law Arbitration Blog, November 2018
Blade runner: new developments in Pechstein’s judicial marathon, Thomson Reuters Practical Law Arbitration Blog, October 2018
The architects of change: the Swiss Association of Engineers and Architects’ revised arbitration rules, Thomson Reuters Practical Law Arbitration Blog, September 2018
Please, take a seat: Switzerland among users’ preferred choices according to ICC statistics, Thomson Reuters Practical Law Arbitration Blog, August 2018
EU-reka! The application of EU law by Swiss-seated arbitral tribunals, Thomson Reuters Practical Law Arbitration Blog, July 2018
2018 Queen Mary International Arbitration Survey: nihil novi sub sole?, Thomson Reuters Practical Law Arbitration Blog, May 2018
The CJEU decision in Slovak Republic v Achmea: what opportunities for Switzerland?, Thomson Reuters Practical Law Arbitration Blog, April 2018
Les tribunaux spéciaux sont contraires au droit européen, Newspaper Le Temps, Ringier editor, 4 April 2018
WTO appellate body: can arbitration break the current deadlock?, Thomson Reuters Practical Law Arbitration Blog, February 2018
Looking back on 2017: spotlight on arbitral secretaries, Thomson Reuters Practical Law Arbitration Blog, January 2018
Price review arbitration in long-term energy contracts: the power of arbitral tribunals to modify the terms of a contract under Swiss law, Thomson Reuters Practical Law Arbitration Blog, December 2017
Definition of “investment”: an intriguing obiter dictum of the Swiss Supreme Court with unknown consequences, Thomson Reuters Practical Law Arbitration Blog, December 2017
Long awaited trade facilitation agreement enters into force at the World Trade Organisation, Thomson Reuters Practical Law Arbitration Blog, March 2017
Introducing English as a possible language in setting-aside proceedings before the Swiss Supreme Court: a good idea?, Thomson Reuters Practical Law Arbitration Blog, 20 February 2017
Using the discounted cash flow method when assessing a potentially recoverable loss under Swiss law, Thomson Reuters Practical Law Arbitration Blog, January 2017
Creation of a Global Arbitration Ethics Council: the Swiss Arbitration Association declares that time has not yet come, Thomson Reuters Practical Law Arbitration Blog, November 2016
Arbitration, human rights and due process: recent developments in Switzerland, Thomson Reuters Practical Law Arbitration Blog, July 2016
International arbitration and insolvency: the Swiss position in a nutshell, Thomson Reuters Practical Law Arbitration Blog, June 2016
Navigating the pitfalls of multi-tier arbitration clauses: the Swiss Supreme Court (finally) completes the circle, Thomson Reuters Practical Law Arbitration Blog, April 2016
Yukos: une saga à 50 milliards encore loin de son dénouement final, Newspaper Le Temps, Ringier editor, April 2016
Third-party funding: a Swiss law perspective, in: Thomson Reuters Practical Law Arbitration Blog, March 2016
Seeking a second bite at the apple in setting aside proceedings: Swiss Supreme Court voices concern and sets the record straight, in: Practical Law Arbitration Blog, published on 26 February 2016
TTIP: l’arbitrage d’investissement à la croisée des chemins, Newspaper Le Temps, Ringier editor, Janvier 2016
Sentence Micula: un tribunal condamne la Roumanie à payer 250 millions de dollars, Les Echos, April 2014
Enjeux et portée de la sentence Micula, Capital Finance, March 2014
Un meilleur Règlement suisse d’arbitrage, Newspaper Le Temps, Ringier editor, December 2012
Languages
French
English
German
Spanish
Italian
Sebastiano Nessi is a top-tier International Arbitration & Global Litigation Partner at Curtis, bringing a dual civil and common law background with extensive experience working in London, Dubai, Paris, and Geneva.
Ranked both as a world “Global Elite Thought Leader” and as a “Thought Leader” in Switzerland by Who's Who Legal, he is recognised for his expertise in high-stakes international and domestic arbitration (commercial, investor-state, sports), cross-border and domestic litigation, asset recovery, compliance, and international sanctions. He has successfully represented clients (including national and multinational corporations, private individuals, state-owned entities, and governments) in some of the most significant international arbitration and cross-border litigation cases of the past decade.
In addition to his counsel work, Mr. Nessi, who is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb) and a Swiss national, sits frequently as a co-arbitrator or presiding arbitrator.