Pascal Hollander

Practice Areas

PASCAL HOLLANDER is a founding partner of the Brussels law firm Hollander Vermeire Dispute Resolution. Besides his activities as counsel (both in arbitration and in court proceedings), he has built for more than 20 years a substantial practice as arbitrator in international arbitration proceedings under various sets of arbitration rules (ICC, ICSID, PCA, SCC, SAC (Swiss Chambers), WIPO, UNCITRAL, CEPANI, ad hoc …) and various substantive laws (civil and common law). He has acted as arbitrator in more than 150 international cases, including more than 70 cases as president of the tribunal or sole arbitrator. He has also acted as mediator in international disputes.

Career

Having started his legal career as a commercial litigator at the Brussels Bar focusing on international commercial distribution and franchising, Pascal Hollander expanded his dispute resolution experience into international commercial arbitration. Prior to setting up Hollander Vermeire Dispute Resolution in 2025, he was was one of the founding partners at Hanotiau & van den Berg, which was widely regarded as the top Belgian arbitration law firm.

In 2025, he was appointed as member of the LCIA Court.

Pascal lectures on arbitration law at the University of Brussels (ULB) and is the author of numerous publications in the fields of arbitration and of commercial distribution.

Professional Memberships

• London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) (Member of the Court)

• International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)

• CEPANI (Belgian Center of Arbitration)

• International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA)

• International Arbitration Institute (IAI)

• International Bar Association

• International Distribution Institute (IDI)

Publications

• « Arbitrage et distribution commerciale : The End of History », R.D.C., 2023-10.

• « Quel tribunal (étatique) est compétent pour connaître d’une action en responsabilité dirigée contre un arbitre ? », note under C.A. Paris, 22 June 2021, B-Arbitra, 2022/1, p.158 (co-authored with Maureen Martins)

• « Report on the Concept of ‘Arbitrability’ under the New York Convention », 11 Dispute Resolution International 1 (2017), p. 47.

• « Report on the Public Policy Exception in the New York Convention », 10 Dispute Resolution International 1 (2016), p. 35.

• « Choosing the right forum for your client’s dispute » in What Counsel in Arbitration can do, must do and must not do?, Bruylant, 2015, p. 41.

• « Conflits de lois et de juridictions et questions touchant à l’arbitrage en matière de contrats de distribution commerciale », in Regards croisés sur la distribution : concession, agence et franchise, Larcier, 2015, p. 127.

• Confidentiality under Art. 44 Swiss Rules », in 10 Years of Swiss Rules of International Arbitration (N. Voser, Ed.), ASA Special Series No. 44, p. 83.

• « Applicable law, jurisdiction and arbitration issues affecting international distribution agreements », in Commercial Distribution, Larcier, Brussels, 2014, p. 329.

• « L’arrêt UNAMAR : une bombe atomique sur le droit belge de la distribution commerciale ? », Journal des Tribunaux (J.T.), 2014, p. 297.

• « Développements récents concernant les conflits de juridictions et de lois et l’arbitrage en matière de contrats de distribution commerciale » in Actualités en matière de rédaction des contrats de distribution, Bruylant, 2014, p. 81.

• «The New Belgian Arbitration Law », Les Cahiers de l’Arbitrage – The Paris Journal of International Arbitration, 2013-4, p. 1013.

• « Aspects de droit international privé (européen) du contrat d’arbitre et du contrat d’organisation d’arbitrage », B-Arbitra, 2013-2, 405.

• « Commentaire des articles 23 (« Instruction de la cause) et 38 (« Disposition supplétive ») du nouveau Règlement d’arbitrage du CEPANI », CEPANI Newsletter 74, April 2013

• «The CEPANI 2013 Arbitration Rules», Les Cahiers de l’Arbitrage – The Paris Journal of International Arbitration, 2013-1, p. 231

• « G. Keutgen & G.A. Dal, L’arbitrage en droit belge et international - tome II : Le droit international », Annales de Droit de Louvain, 2012-4, 461 (Book Review)

• « Choice of Law, Venue and Jurisdiction, Arbitration v. Litigation », in 2012 International Journal of Franchising Law 6, p.3 (co-authored with Kerry L. Bundy & Marco Hero).

• « La vérité par la parole ? », in Hommage à Guy Keutgen, Bruylant, 2012, pp.425-438.

• « La transposition de la Directive Médiation (2008/52/CE) du 21 mai 2008 en Belgique », Les Cahiers de l’Arbitrage – The Paris Journal of International Arbitration, 2012-2, 331.

• Chapter « Belgium » in IBA Arbitration Committee 2012 Arbitration Guide, (co-authored with Maarten Draye).

• « L’importance des preuves orales dans la procédure arbitrale », Journal des Tribunaux (J.T.), 2011, p. 41.

• Chapter « Belgium », in A. Loewinger & M. Lindsey (Ed.), International Franchise Sales Laws, ABA (American Bar Association) Publishing, 2010 (co-authored with Joe Sepulchre)

• « La preuve par témoins en arbitrage : aspects de droit belge et considérations déontologiques et pratiques sur le rôle de l’avocat dans l’établissement de la preuve par témoins », in L’administration de la preuve en matière d’arbitrage, Bruylant (Bruxelles), 2009, p. 137.

• Le droit de la distribution (Ed.), Anthemis, 2009 (General Editor)

• « Questions de droit international privé et d’arbitrage touchant à la distribution commerciale », in Le droit de la distribution, Anthemis, 2009, p. 271

• “Enforcement of International Arbitral Awards”, International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) PIDA Training, Paris, 13-16 October 2008

• “Arbitrators’ Bias because of Previous Appointments: a Civil Law Perspective”, in Transnational Dispute Management (TDM), 2008, vol. 5, issue 4.

• « L’arbitrabilité des litiges relatifs aux contrats de distribution commerciale en droit belge », in L’arbitrage et la distribution commerciale, Bruylant (Bruxelles), 2005.

• Commentaire de la sentence arbitrale CEPANI n° 1081 in « Recueil des sentences arbitrales du CEPANI, Bruylant (Bruxelles), 2005, p. 314.

• « L’arbitrabilité des litiges en matière de résiliation de concessions de vente soumises à la loi du 27 juillet 1961 : fin de la controverse ? - note sous Cass., 15 octobre 2004 », Revue de Droit Commercial (R.D.C.), 2005, p. 498.

• « Evidentiary Privileges in International Arbitration – Belgium », [2000] 3 Arbitration and ADR 13.

• « Arbitrability of Disputes Relating to Distribution Agreements under Belgian Law », 1 International Business Law Journal (1998) 86.

• « Aspects de droit international privé et d’arbitrage de la distribution commerciale » in La distribution commerciale dans tous ses états, Editions du Jeune Barreau de Bruxelles, 1997, pp. 219 - 277.

Personal

Pascal Hollander is a past Vice-Chair of the IBA Arbitration Committee and a past Chair of its Subcommittee on Enforcement and Recognition of Arbitral Awards. He is a former member of the ICC Commission and of its task forces on Emergency Arbitration and on Maximizing the Probative Value of Witness Evidence. He is Honorary Board Member of CEPANI, the Belgian Centre for Arbitration and Mediation.

He regularly speaks at conferences on international arbitration as well as on commercial distribution & franchising.

Languages Spoken

French, English, Dutch

Industry Sector Expertise

Pascal Hollander's experience as arbitrator covers a wide array of subject matters in areas such as M&A, distribution and franchising, construction and engineering, aeronautics, luxury and fashion, pharma, energy, telecom, intellectual property, competition, insurance.

Expert in these Jurisdictions

Pascal has arbitrated cases under a variety of substantive laws, including Belgium, France, Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Italy, Romania, Hungary, England, Georgia, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Senegal, Burkina Faso, DR Congo, Angola, Madagascar, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, New York, Canada, Quebec, Haiti, Brazil, and at a variety of seats, including Brussels, Paris, London, Geneva, Zurich, Berlin, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Vienna, Algiers, Doha, New York.

Education