Arbitration Lawyer (Partner position)

Location: Geneva

Employer: an international law firm

Job description:

Key Responsibilities:

1. Case Leadership & Strategy

- Lead high-stakes international arbitration cases (commercial and investment treaty arbitrations) under major institutional rules (ICC, ICSID, UNCITRAL, LCIA, etc.) and/or commodities trading regulations (GAFTA, FOSFA, LME, SFA rules...).

- Develop case strategy, manage pleadings, witness preparation, and expert testimony.

- Act as lead counsel in hearings and negotiations.

- From time to time and if connected to the commodities sector, handle disputes over:

• Contract non-performance (quality disputes, delivery delays, force majeure).
• Pricing & valuation (index-linked pricing, benchmarks like Platts, Argus).
• Trade finance & letters of credit (fraud, UCP600 disputes).
• Sanctions & compliance (OFAC, EU embargoes, contract frustration).

2. Client Development & Relationship Management

• Bring a portfolio of clients and cultivate relationships with multinational corporations, sovereign states, and financial institutions.
• Drive business growth by securing new arbitration mandates and cross-selling firm services such as commodities trading, shipping and trade finance.
• Represent the firm at conferences, panels, and industry events to enhance visibility.
• Advise international organisations, large corporates, commodities traders, producers, banks, and hedge funds on dispute avoidance and risk mitigation.

3.Team & Practice Management

• Supervise and eventually recruit associates, junior partners, and external experts on complex arbitration matters.
• Oversee billing, profitability, and resource allocation for arbitration matters.
• Contribute to the firm’s thought leadership (publications, client alerts, training programs).

4. Cross-Border Coordination

• Collaborate with other practice areas (litigation, M&A, regulatory) on disputes with international dimensions.
• Liaise with foreign counsel and arbitrators across jurisdictions.
• Coordinate with sanctions, regulatory, and white-collar teams on investigations impacting trade (e.g., corruption in supply chains).
• Support M&A and restructuring teams on dispute risks in infrastructures, corporate finance and commodity assets deals.

5. Firm Governance & Strategic Growth

• Participate in firm management (practice group leadership, hiring, and lateral recruitment).
• Expand the arbitration practice through geographic or sector-specific initiatives (e.g., energy, metals, shipping, construction, finance).

6. Technical & Market Expertise

• Draft and negotiate arbitration clauses tailored to commodities contracts (e.g., English law + LMAA arbitration).
• Leverage knowledge of standard trade terms (INCOTERMS, B/Ls, assay certificates).
• Work with commodities experts (inspectors, assayers, trading analysts) on evidence.

7. Thought Leadership & Market Visibility

• Publish on trends like energy transition disputes (carbon credits, renewable contracts).
• Speak at commodities conferences (IP Week, S&P Global events, GAFTA seminars).

Requirements (Commodities Arbitration Specialist)

Experience and Track Record:

• 12+ years of focused international arbitration experience, preferably with a mix of private practice (top-tier Swiss or international firm), exposure to government or Trading house in-house roles (disputes team at a major trader).
• Proven record of handling high-value arbitrations (USD 100M+ disputes) and a strong network of arbitrators/institutions.
• Familiarity with trade associations’ arbitration rules (e.g., GAFTA’s 126-day procedure, FOSFA appeals).

Legal and Technical Skills:

• Deep knowledge of international arbitration laws, treaties (e.g., NY Convention, ICSID), and procedural rules.
• Bilingual or multilingual proficiency (English + French/Spanish/Arabic/Mandarin preferred).
• Mastery of commodities contract structures (term contracts, SPOT deals, long-term offtakes).

Business Acumen:

• Demonstrated ability to generate revenue (EUR/CHF 1M+ annually in billings or portable book of business).
• Experience pitching to large and mid-size trading, shipping companies and financial institutions and/or Fortune 500 companies, state entities, or private equity firms.

Leadership & Reputation:

• Recognized in rankings (Chambers, Legal 500, Who’s Who Legal) and active in professional bodies (ICC, IBA, ASIL, GAFTA, FOSFA...).
• Strong managerial skills with the ability to mentor associates and drive team collaboration.

Education & Credentials:

• Top-tier law degree (LL.M. in International Arbitration or related field preferred).
• Admission to a major bar (Swiss, NY, UK, EU, etc.). Dual-qualification in civil/common law jurisdictions would be a huge asset.

Compensation & benefits:

Highly competitive base salary with legal firm's shareholding options and revenues based performance.

International network of senior partners and efficient support teams locally and internationally.

Prime office location and collaborative corporate culture.