
Paris/Zurich, 1 July 2021 - Claudia Salomon has begun her term as President of the ICC International Court of Arbitration – Three Swiss have been elected members of the Court
Ms Salomon, who takes the reins from former ICC Court President Alexis Mourre, was formally elected on 11 June by ICC’s supreme governing body, the World Council. Her election marks a milestone in the ICC Court’s almost 100-year history as the first woman to become President of the world’s preferred arbitral institution.
Ms Salomon is supported in her role by the ICC Court – comprising 195 members from 121 countries and including 17 Vice-Presidents – which begins its 2021-2024 mandate under Ms Salomon’s leadership today. The new ICC Court includes 68 new members and 12 new Vice-Presidents also elected during the World Council meeting of 11 June. Members of the ICC International Court of Arbitration ensures the quality and enforceability of ICC Awards.
Switzerland has a longstanding important position in the field of international arbitration and is traditionally strongly represented in the world’s preferred arbitral institution. Also this year, three recognised experts from the Swiss arbitration community have been elected. Daniel Hochstrasser has been elected new Vice-President of the Court. Diana Akikol has been elected as new member and Laurent Killias as new alternate member. ICC Switzerland is proud that again three outstanding Swiss arbitration practitioners will be on the Court, and sincerely congratulates them. A big thank you is addressed to Teresa Giovannini, outgoing member of the Court, and Anne Véronique Schlaepfer, Vice-President of the Court and Member of the Executive Board of ICC, for all her efforts during her two terms.
ICC Switzerland plans to organize a meeting to establish first contact with the new President of the Court either in Switzerland or on the occasion of a visit of the arbitrators in Paris.
Daniel Hochstrasser
Daniel Hochstrasser co-heads Bär & Karrer's arbitration practice, concentrating on commercial litigation and international arbitration. He primarily focuses on representing parties in complex disputes arising from M&A transactions, industrial and infrastructure projects, banking and finance, as well as license, distribution and development agreements, particularly in the pharmaceutical field.
In addition, Daniel Hochstrasser is frequently chosen as a party-appointed arbitrator and chairman of international arbitrations. While many of these proceedings are conducted under the ICC or Swiss Rules, his experience also extends to the rules of all other major institutions and ad hoc arbitrations. He is a lecturer at the Universities of Zurich and St.Gallen, and has published and lectured on arbitration and litigation in Switzerland and abroad. He has already been a member of the Court since 2015.
Diana Akikol
Dr Diana Akikol is a partner at Walder Wyss based in the Geneva office. She represents clients in commercial arbitrations and regularly sits as an arbitrator, often as president. Her practice has a particular focus on sales, M&A, shareholder agreements, agency, licence and distribution, consultancy, and other services. She also has extensive experience with claims relating to large infrastructure and construction projects. Dr Akikol is member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR (Paris) and the Swiss ICC Commission of Arbitration and ADR. She furthermore serves on the Board of the Swiss Arbitration Association (ASA), the Arbitration Court of the Swiss Arbitration Centre, and the International Advisory Board of the Vienna International Arbitral Centre (VIAC). Dr Akikol regularly speaks and publishes in her field.
Laurent Killias
Dr Laurent Killias is a partner with Pestalozzi and heading its arbitration group in Zurich. He focuses his practice on complex international arbitration and international litigation disputes. He has been involved in more than 150 international arbitration cases, both as counsel and arbitrator. As an arbitrator he acted under the rules of various leading institutions, such as the ICC, the Swiss Arbitration Centre and the AAA/ICDR. He is the co-founder of and head lecturer at the Swiss Arbitration Academy which has been established in 2008. In addition, since 2011 he is a lecturer on International Arbitration and International Litigation at the University of Zurich's LLM program. Laurent Killias has extensively published in the field of international arbitration as well as international litigation. In addition, he is a frequent conference speaker.
The full composition of the Court can be viewed on the ICC Website here