Giulio Palermo

- International arbitration

- Sports law

- International contracts

Giulio Palermo is an arbitration specialist qualified in Switzerland, Italy, and Spain. He has acted in over 100 international arbitration proceedings, including more than 60 appointments as arbitrator. His experience spans proceedings conducted in English, Spanish, French, and Italian under the rules of all major arbitral institutions.

Recognized internationally for his expertise, Giulio is consistently ranked among the leading arbitration practitioners worldwide across major legal directories. Early in his career, he was already listed among the “Global Elite Thought Leaders Under 45” by Who’s Who Legal in 2023 and named the most highly regarded arbitration practitioner in Europe in the Who’s Who Future Leaders ranking in 2020.

Clients and peers describe him as “an arbitration powerhouse” (Legal 500), praise him as “straight to the point and always delivers” (Chambers), and highlight his ability to combine “commercial and investment arbitration savvy with sports law arbitration” (Legal 500).

In addition to his work as counsel and arbitrator, Giulio acts as an expert before courts and arbitral tribunals and advises clients on dispute prevention, dispute strategy, and Swiss law aspects of cross-border business operations.

Giulio is also a leading practitioner in sports arbitration, with a particular focus on disciplinary matters. He serves as an arbitrator with the Court of Arbitration for Sport and the Swiss Sports Tribunal. In his capacity as UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector, he represents UEFA in proceedings before its disciplinary and appeal bodies.

- ICC proceedings between a Spanish construction company and a Balkan state-owned entity (seat: Zagreb / applicable substantive law: North Macedonian law)

- Counsel of two North American companies in a multi-party ICC arbitration related to the exploitation of natural resources in Africa, involving an amount in dispute exceeding USD 300 million (seat: Geneva; applicable substantive law: Swiss law)

- Counsel of two European cybersecurity companies in Swiss Arbitration Centre multi-contract and multi-party proceedings arising from several contracts for the design and operation of cybersecurity systems for an African State, involving an amount in dispute exceeding EUR 700 million (seat: Lugano; applicable substantive laws: Swiss law and ex aequo et bono)

- Co-arbitrator in proceedings under the ICC Rules between a Norwegian multinational corporation and a Danish company concerning the performance of construction and engineering contracts (seat: Zurich / applicable substantive law: Swiss law)

- President in proceedings before the Court of Arbitration for Sport between a European top football player and a top Mexican club, concerning the termination of an employment contract (Seat: Lausanne / applicable substantive law: Swiss law)

- Counsel of Europe’s largest producer of fertilizers in an ICC arbitration related to a contract for the supply of specialised mining equipment (seat: Zurich / applicable substantive law: Swiss law)

- Sole arbitrator in proceedings under the ICC Rules between Spanish and Vietnamese individuals and entities, concerning certain M&A deals (seat: Valencia / applicable substantive law: Spanish law)

- Counsel of a European sovereign state in an ad hoc arbitration against another European state and a European state-owned company (seat: Geneva (Switzerland) / applicable substantive laws: Spanish law and French law)

- Party-appointed legal expert in proceedings under the ICC Rules between Swiss and Mexican entities, concerning sales of goods (seat: Mexico City / applicable substantive laws: Swiss law and Mexican law)

- Counsel of an Italian multinational corporation in a multi-party ICC arbitration related to execution of construction and engineering contracts (seat: Geneva / applicable substantive law: Swiss law)

- Co-arbitrator in proceedings under the SCC Rules between a Russian and an Italian entity, concerning a supply contract (seat: Stockholm / applicable substantive laws: CISG and Swedish law)

- President in multiparty disciplinary proceedings before the Swiss Sport Tribunal (seat: Bern / applicable substantive laws: Swiss law)

Stockholm University

LL.M in International Commercial Arbitration

Instituto de Empresa Law School, Madrid

LL.M in International Business Law

Qualified in Switzerland, Italy, and Spain.