Anne Véronique Schlaepfer
Biography
“The ‘always well-prepared and never less than excellent’ Anne Véronique Schlaepfer is one of the foremost counsel in Geneva.” (Who’s Who Legal, Arbitration: Analysis)
Overview
Anne Véronique Schlaepfer is a Partner in the Firm's International Arbitration Practice and is based in Geneva. She is also the Executive Partner of the Firm's Geneva office.
Anne Véronique has acted as counsel in more than 150 arbitration proceedings involving, amongst others, construction contracts, pharmaceuticals, energy (upstream and downstream), joint venture agreements, sales contracts, collateral management agreements, and know-how license agreements.
She has also served as arbitrator in more than 30 cases and represents parties before Swiss courts in arbitration-related court proceedings, in particular in challenges to arbitral awards.
Anne Véronique has been active in various arbitration institutions and associations, and she notably held the following positions: Member of the ICC Executive Board; Vice-President of the ICC Court (2015-2021); Co-Chair of the Arbitration Committee of the IBA (2015-2016); President of the Arbitration Court administering Swiss Rules arbitrations (2010-2013); Expert consulted by the Parliament for the revision of the Chapter 12 of the Private International Law Act (parliamentary session of May 2019, Comité des affaires juridiques du Conseil National); Member of the Arbitration Committee of the Geneva Chamber of Commerce (2006-2013); Member of the working group for the revision of the Swiss Rules of International Arbitration (2010-2011); and Listed on the panel of arbitrators of the British Virgin Islands International Arbitration Centre.
"White & Case had certain partners carrying a big hearings load (six in particular – one of the busiest was Anne Véronique Schlaepfer)" (Global Arbitration Review methodology relating to the determination of the GAR awards in March 2022).
Anne Véronique is praised for being "incredibly smart, very efficient and very responsive" and another source describes her as "absolutely tenacious" and "she is very good at managing the process and understanding the big picture to achieve the results the client wants" (Chambers Global and Europe).
"Anne Veronique Schlaepfer continues to be a superb lawyer: smart, practical, no-nonsense, and very well informed about all things arbitration" (Legal500).
"'Leading practitioner' Anne Véronique garners extensive commendation from market sources, who note her as 'a brilliant counsel' for arbitration" (Who's Who Legal, Arbitration).
""She is a really experienced specialist in the international arbitration area. She knows the strategies of every step of the arbitration procedure and defends the client's interests in every way." She has particular knowledge of construction and energy disputes" (Chambers Europe and Global).
"The "always well-prepared and never less than excellent" Anne Véronique Schlaepfer is one of the foremost counsel in Geneva" (Who's Who Legal, Arbitration: Analysis).
Experience
Anne Véronique's recent experience as counsel includes:
Advising and representing parties in disputes relating to large and complex construction projects located across the globe. For instance:
- Representing a European general contractor in a dispute relating to the construction of a refinery in Western Europe (ICC arbitration proceedings);
- Representing a major European engineering and construction company in a dispute relating to the construction of a refinery in South-East Europe (EPCm contract, ICC arbitration proceedings);
- Representing a European general contractor in a dispute with a subcontractor relating to the construction of a petrochemical plant in Australia (ICC arbitration proceedings);
- Representing mediation proceedings of a general contractor in a dispute with the owner relating to the delayed completion of a plant;
- Representing a mechanical works contractor in a dispute relating to the construction of a hydro-power plant; and
- Representing the lead member of a consortium for a major infrastructure project in a dispute against other members of the consortium (ICC arbitration).
- Representing a major Asian company specialized in the mining industry in a dispute concerning the development and exploitation of mines in Africa (ICC arbitration).
- Representing of a major player in the oil and gas sector in arbitration proceedings relating to a gas price review dispute.
- Advising on res judicata effect of previous decisions under Swiss law in a gas price review dispute.
- Representing a party from the USA in a dispute relating to the design and supply of wind turbines (LCIA arbitration).
- Representing an Algerian Company in a dispute relating to the design and supply of a production line in the textile industry (Swiss Rules arbitration).
- Representing a Belgian company in a dispute relating to the design and supply of a line for the production of vegetable oil.
- Repreenting parties in various arbitration proceedings (ICC and Swiss Rules) relating to the performance of collateral management agreements (cereals, oil products).
- Representing a party in ICC arbitration relating to a license and know-how agreement in the pharmaceutical field.
"Nouveau règlement ICC: Êtes-vous prêts?", 16 December: ICC France
"Arbitration and human rights", 5 November 2020: IBA 2020 Virtually Together
"Arbitrage et déontologie", 28 November 2019: ASA Groupe genevois
"What happens when parties from different cultures bring different expectations and practices to a cross-border proceeding?", 4 October 2019: College of Commercial Arbitrators Annual Conference in San Francisco
"COVID-19 related claims", 1 October 2020: The Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic 10th Investment Treaty Arbitration Conference
"Enforcement, Setting Aside And Related Treaty Claims: A View From Europe", 10 May 2019: ICC Conference on Arbitration & ADR
"Breach of Compliance duties as the cause of the arbitral dispute", 7 May 2019: Rio de Janeiro Conference on International Arbitration
"Status of Arbitration in Europe", Arbitration and Human Rights, 2 April 2019: Paris Arbitration Annual Conference (Paris Arbitration Week)
Among others, Anne Véronique organized the IBA Arbitration Day in Milan (2017) and Shanghai (2016) and the IBA annual conferences in Washington (2016), Vienna (2015) and Tokyo (2014).
Lexology GTDT Energy Disputes 2022 - Switzerland
"Drafting Arbitration clauses in M&A Agreements", Amy C. Kläsener (ed.) GAR's The Guide to The M&A Arbitration, 2021 (co-authored with Alexandre Mazuranic)
"Drafting Arbitration clauses in M&A Agreements", Amy C. Kläsener (ed.) GAR's Guide to The M&A Arbitration, 2018 (co-authored with Alexandre Mazuranic)
Direct and Re-Direct Examination, in: Stephen Jagusch KC and Philippe Pinsolle (eds.), GAR's The Guide to Advocacy, Law Business Research Ltd, 2016, pp. 47-59, co-authored with Vanessa Alarcón Duvanel.
Striking the Right Balance: The Roles of Arbitral Institutions, Parties and Tribunals in Achieving Efficiency in International Arbitration, in: Bahrain Chamber for Dispute Resolution, International Arbitration Review, Volume 2, Number 2, December 2015, Kluwer Law International, pp. 329-341, co-authored with Marily Paralika.
The Burden of Proof in International Arbitration, in: A.J. van den Berg, ed., Legitimacy: Myths, Realities, Challenges, ICCA Congress Series no. 18, Kluwer Law International, 2015, pp. 127-133.
Adaptation of Contracts by Arbitrators: the Example of Gas Price Revision Disputes, in: Müller/Rigozzi/Besson (eds.), New Developments in International Commercial Arbitration 2014, Schulthess Juristische Medien AG, 2014, pp. 105-119.
Offers in International Arbitrations and their Impact on the Allocation of Costs: A Focus on Sealed and Final Offers, in: Arbitration: The International Journal of Arbitration, Mediation and Dispute Management, Volume 80, Issue 4, 2014, pp. 405-412, co-authored with Alexandre Mazuranic.
Jurisdiction and admissibility: a subtle distinction, not always easy to make in international arbitration, in: Les Cahiers de l'Arbitrage = The Paris Journal of International Arbitration, Issue 2, 2013, pp. 327-336.
"La motivación de los laudos en arbitraje comercial internacional y en arbitraje de inversión", in: Liber Amicorum in honour of Yves Derains & Bernardo Cremades, Instituto Peruano de Arbitraje, 2013, pp. 1411-1435, co-authored with Anne-Carole Cremades.
The Role of the Institution at the Commencement of the Proceedings, in: P. Habegger et al. (eds.), Arbitral Institutions under Scrutiny, ASA Special Series No. 40, Huntington, N.Y.: Juris, 2013, pp. 55-63.
Institutional versus Ad Hoc Arbitration, in: Geisinger/Voser/Petti (eds.), International Arbitration in Switzerland: A Handbook for Practitioners, 2nd ed., The Hague: Kluwer Law International, 2013, pp. 13-24, co-authored with Angelina M. Petti.
The Revised Swiss Rules of International Arbitration, in: Revista de Arbitragem e Mediação RArb Ano 9 • 35 • Outubro-Dezembro • 2012, Editora Revista dos Tribunais Ltda., pp. 215-224, co-authored with Philippe Bärtsch.
Swiss Supreme Court: arbitral tribunal competent to make new award after original award annulled, in: PLC Arbitration, July 2012, co-authored with Philippe Bärtsch.
The Swiss Rules of International Arbitration and the Practices of the Swiss Chambers' Court of Arbitration and Mediation, in: World Arbitration Reporter (International Encyclopedia of Arbitration Law and Practice), 2nd ed., 2010, edited by Loukas Mistelis and Laurence Shore, co-authored with Philippe Bartsch.
