Petr Bříza

Practice Areas

Petr Bříza focuses on complex cross-border disputes, particularly international commercial and investment arbitration, high-value litigation and EU law matters. He represents clients before leading arbitral institutions and national courts, including in disputes involving state entities and EU institutions. His practice also covers private international law, recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards, and energy-related and other complex contractual issues.

Career

Petr Bříza is a co-founder and partner of Bříza & Trubač, a Prague-based law firm established in 2013. He leads the firm’s dispute resolution practice, advising clients in complex (especially cross-border) litigation and arbitration matters.

In addition to his legal practice, he serves as Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Law of Charles University in Prague, where he teaches private international law and international commercial law, including international arbitration.

Prior to co-founding Bříza & Trubač, he worked at the largest Czech law firm and at the Ministry of Justice of the Czech Republic, where he focused on EU and international law matters, including during the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Professional Memberships

Petr is a current president of the Czech Institute for the Popularisation and Revitalisation of Arbitration. In 2025, he was appointed by the Czech Republic as a Member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague for a six-year term.

He is a member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration. He also serves as a listed arbitrator at several institutions, including the LCIA, VIAC, the National Arbitration Court for Sport or the EU Commission’s list of arbitrators in bilateral disputes under the EU’s trade agreements with third countries. In the past he was a member of the Board of the Arbitration Court attached to the Czech Chamber of Commerce and the Agricultural Chamber of the Czech Republic and of the Commission for EU Law within the Czech Government Legislative Council.

He is a member of the Czech Bar Association, including its Sections for EU and International Law and for Arbitration.

Publications

Selected Challenges and Particularities of Arbitration in Czechia. Strani Pravni Život (Foreign Legal Life), 4/2024, p. 657-671 [co-authored with René Cienciala]

Determination of the Law Applicable to a Share Transfer Agreement: Are All Doubts Dispelled after the TVP Case? In: Pfeiffer, M., Brodec, J., Bříza, P., Zavadilová, M. (eds.) Liber Amicorum Monika Pauknerová. Prague: Wolters Kluwer, 2021

Czech perspective on validity of international arbitration clauses contained in an exchange of emails under the New York Convention, (2020) 4 ACTA UNIVERSITATIS CAROLINAE – IURIDICA 143

The CISG and the Law Applicable to International Factoring, Assignment, Set-off and Late Payment Interests, (2020) 1 The European Legal Forum 13

Vnitrostátní aplikace práva Evropské unie [National Application of European Union Law]. 2nd edition. Prague: C.H. Beck, 2022 [co-authored with Michal Bobek and Pavlína Hubková]

Občanský zákoník. Komentář [Civil Code. Commentary]. 2nd edition. Prague: C.H. Beck, 2019 [member of a team of authors]

More publications: www.brizatrubac.cz/en/briza-petr

Clients

Petr represents EU agencies, public authorities and state entities, banks, major construction and engineering companies, private corporations and high-net-worth individuals. His practice focuses on complex commercial disputes, cross-border litigation, international arbitration, EU law and the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards.

Work Highlights

Successful negotiation of multiple jurisdictions settlement of a complex investment dispute with the UK government

Successful representation of clients in ICC, VIAC, LCIA, or DIS commercial arbitrations

Successful representation in a high-value litigation over a recognition of US court decision in the Czech Republic

Successful representation in a complex international law dispute against a foreign state

Providing expert opinions and serving as expert (legal) witness in ICC and VIAC arbitrations, before foreign courts and for State and European institutions

Serving as arbitrator in roughly 80 domestic and international arbitrations (including ICC, VIAC, ad hoc UNCITRAL etc.)

Expert in these Jurisdictions

Czech law, EU law and international law, with a particular focus on cross-border disputes, private international law and international arbitration. Petr also has experience with US-related matters, especially where Czech, EU and foreign legal issues intersect.

Languages Spoken

Czech

English

Education

Awards