Investor nationality remains a crucial issue in investment arbitration. For natural persons, tribunals generally apply a formal test based on citizenship, with limited flexibility outside the ICSID system. For legal entities, while incorporation provides a starting point, tribunals frequently consider the company’s seat, control, and ownership to determine its true nationality – especially in the face of jurisdictional objections.

It is a paradox in international arbitration that although parties in international contracts often agree on multi-tier alternative dispute resolution clauses («multi-tier ADR clauses») to settle their querries in an amiable, cost- and time-efficient fashion, once a dispute arises, such clauses regularly give raise to procedural skirmishes and delay the proceedings. This blog discusses the pros and cons of multi-tier ADR clauses in international contracts and gives three advises on how to avoid the pitfalls such clauses may entail.

On 29 January 2025, during the Swiss Arbitration Summit in Zurich, Bratschi organized and hosted a session on ESG-compliance in the supply chain and arbitration. The focus of the session was on the legislation on human rights compliance in the supply chain, and on whether arbitration could be the right mechanism to solve related disputes. While Marco Vedovatti, Partner and Co-head of the Practice Group Arbitration, set the stage with introductory remarks, Christian Wind, Partner and Co-head of the Practice Group Compliance and Investigations, gave an overview on the EU and Swiss statutory framework. Then, Gina Santos, Director and Head Controversy Analysis of S&P Global shared her insights on S&P’s Global ESG Scores and Serena Alonso provided an inside look of the industry and talked on the human rights due diligence at dormakaba Group. Finally, Juan Valderas of Alvarez & Marsal in Madrid held a presentation on the thought-provoking subject of reputational damage, and how to possibly quantify it. Marco then shared some closing remarks specific to arbitration. 

The event attracted great interest. This blog contains the main takeaways of the authors of this hot topic and some tips for companies dealing with contractual clauses on human rights compliance in the supply chain. The blog also contains some advice for companies envisaging to include arbitration clauses or conclude arbitration agreements with their business partners. 

We are pleased to inform you that Bratschi AG has been recognized in the prestigious Chambers Europe 2025 edition.

Mabco Constructions SA, a leading Swiss-based construction company with international operations, has successfully secured a favorable award in an investment arbitration dispute against the Republic of Kosovo. The arbitration was administered by the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) in Washington, DC.

We are pleased to announce that our Managing Partner Sandra De Vito has once again been recognized as «Thought Leader - Arbitration» in the Switzerland Report 2024 of the renowned «Who's Who Legal» ranking.