Programme
9:00 AM | Welcome coffee
9:30 AM | GILW 2026 kick-off and keynote addresses:
- Delphine Bachmann
State Councillor of Geneva - Ambassador Dr Roberto Balzaretti
Swiss Ambassador to Italy - Cédric-Laurent Michel
President of the Court of Justice of Geneva - Sandrine Giroud
Partner, LALIVE
President of GILA and Geneva Bar Association
10:15 AM | The architecture of international Geneva: from Host State to International Organisations
This panel explores the legal ecosystem of International Geneva through the lens of representatives of the Host State, the Swiss academic community and international organisations (IOs). Discussions address the contribution of IOs to Geneva’s role as a global hub of multilateralism, the relevance of the work carried out by IOs within the wider Swiss context, as well as the partnerships between IOs and a broad range of entities. Panelists will share insights on the institutional actors operating in the International Geneva, privileges and immunities, the role of the legal function within IOs, and other legal issues of topical importance.
Moderator
- Jean Abboud
Principal Legal Counsel, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
Speakers
- Lance Bartholomeusz
General Counsel, Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees - Kirsten Baxter
Legal Counsel and Head of the Legal Service, European Organization for Nuclear Research - Ambassador Anna Ifkovits Horner
Deputy Permanent Representative, Head of Host State Division, Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations Office and to the other international organisations in Geneva - Prof. Christine Kaddous
Full Professor, Faculty of Law of the University of Geneva - Annika Talvik
Senior Legal Specialist, International Labour Organization
11:15 AM | Coffee break
11:45 AM | Foreign law in domestic commercial courts: proving and applying foreign norms across borders
When commercial disputes cross borders, courts must often do more than interpret contracts – they must interpret foreign law. This panel explores how judges establish and apply foreign norms, the use of expert evidence and comparative law reports, and what happens when foreign law is unclear or inaccessible. Through comparative insights, speakers discuss how courts balance discretion, deference, and practicality in transnational litigation.
Moderator
- Grégoire Chappuis
Senior Associate, Niederer Kraft Frey
Speakers
- Daniel Barlow
President of the International Commercial Chamber of the Paris Court of Appeal - Sir Clive Freedman
Arbitrator, Three Verulam Buildings
Former Judge at the High Court of London (King’s Bench Division) - Stéphanie Musy
Judge at the Civil Court of Justice of Geneva - Jason Otto
Global Head of Litigation & Investigations and Managing Director, EFG Bank
12:45 PM | Lunch
2:00 PM | The Singapore Convention on mediation: a new opportunity for Switzerland and Geneva?
The Singapore Convention is to mediation what the 1958 New York Convention is to arbitration – a uniform framework for recognising and enforcing international settlement agreements. This session discusses whether, when, and how Switzerland might join the Convention, and what it would mean for Geneva as a centre for cross-border dispute resolution. It addresses the legal, institutional, and political dimensions, and the strategic value for businesses operating in and from Switzerland.
Moderators
- Birgit Sambeth
Partner, Altenburger
Accredited Mediator
Former President of the Swiss Bar - Jeremy Lack
Attorney-at-Law, Étude de Me Jeremy Lack (LAWTECH.CH & InnovADR SA)
Speakers
- The Honourable Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon
Supreme Court of Singapore
(video address) - Prof. François Bohnet
Full Professor, Faculty of Law of the Université of Neuchâtel
Attorney-at-Law, KGG Law firm
Member of the Council of the Swiss Bar Association - George Lim
Chair, Singapore International Mediation Centre
Former President of the Law Society of Singapore - Prof. Nadja Alexander
Full Professor and Director, Singapore International Dispute Resolution Academy at Singapore Management University - Niklaus Meier
Co-Head, Private International Law Unit, Swiss Federal Office of Justice
3:00 PM | Swiss contract at the crossroads of certainty and flexibility
Swiss contract law offers a distinctive balance between legal certainty and interpretative flexibility, emphasising the true and common intention of the parties. This session explores how these principles make Switzerland an attractive venue for international contracting, comparing civil-law and common-law approaches to interpretation.
Moderator
- Guillaume Jeangros
Attorney-at-Law
Speakers
- Charlotte Pender
Partner, Charles Russell Speechlys - Mr Justice Liam Kennedy
Judge of the Irish High Court - Noradèle Radjai
Partner, LALIVE - Clarisse von Wunschheim
Partner, Altenburger
4:00 PM | Coffee break
4:30 PM | General counsel roundtable: managing legal costs and dispute strategy
This roundtable adresses the key challenges faced by general counsels in managing legal budgets – from resource allocation and selection of external counsels to the impact of dispute venues and technology.
Moderators
- Frédérique Bensahel
Partner, FBT Avocats - Aurélie Conrad Hari
Partner, Bär & Karrer
Speakers
- David Garrido
General Counsel, Lombard Odier - Axel Meyer
Group General Counsel, Richemont International SA - Jeremy Nacht
Legal Team Leader, UBS - Ella Zimmerman
Manager, Swiss Legal Finance
5:30 PM | Closing remarks
6:30 PM | Welcome cocktail
Join us for what promises to be a fantastic evening opening GILW26 in one of Geneva’s emblematic buildings.
Keynote address
Alfonso Gomez, Mayor of the City of Geneva
Venue
Palais Anna et Jean-Gabriel Eynard
