Fabrice Robert-Tissot

Practice Areas

Dr. Fabrice Robert-Tissot's practice areas include International Commercial Arbitration, Sports Law and domestic/cross-border litigation.

Career

Dr. Fabrice Robert-Tissot worked as a legal trainee in the District Court of La Chaux-de-Fonds in Switzerland (2002 to 2003), continued his traineeship in the Law firm Juvet Schweizer Lambert Burgat in Neuchâtel (2003 to 2004) and finished at the Swiss Competition Commission in Bern (2004 to 2005). After working as a research and teaching assistant in contract law whilst doing his PhD at the University of Fribourg, Dr. Robert-Tissot worked as a senior associate at Lévy Kaufmann-Kohler in Geneva, Switzerland from 2011 to 2017. He became partner at Bonnard Lawson Geneva Area in 2017 and is the co-head of the department of International Commercial Arbitration and Sports Law. He is also lecturing at the University of the Fribourg in the field of international commercial contracts.

Dr. Robert-Tissot is registered to the Geneva and New York bars.

Professional Memberships

Swiss Arbitration Association (ASA) and ASA Below 40; Young International Arbitration Group (YIAG); Swiss Bar Association (FSA); Geneva Bar Association; Association Suisse du Droit du Sport (ASDS); Member of Swiss Basketball’s Disciplinary Chamber.

Publications

« Arbitration – Overview of the Swiss Federal Supreme Court’s Case Law in Arbitration (1 January 2023 to 31 December 2024) », in: Jusletter 2025, Weblaw Ed. (with Sumin Jo and Léa Steudler); Commentaire des Articles 166 à 175 LDIP (faillite internationale) [Commentary on Articles 166 to 175 LDIP (international bankruptcy)], in: B. Foëx/N. Jeandin/A. Braconi/B. Chappuis (Eds.), Commentaire romand Poursuite et faillite (CR LP), 2nd ed., Helbing Lichtenhahn (with Gabrielle Kaufmann-Kohler et Antonio Rigozzi) (to be published) ; « Droit applicable, for et règlement des différends » [Applicable law, jurisdiction and dispute resolution mechanism], in: S. Marchand/C. Chappuis/ L. Hirsch (Eds.), Recueil de contrats commerciaux – Modèles en français et en anglais commentés selon le droit suisse, 2nd ed., Helbing Lichtenhahn (to be published); « Arbitration – Overview of the Swiss Federal Supreme Court’s Case Law in Arbitration (1 March 2018 to 31 December 2022) », in: Jusletter 14 August 2023, Weblaw Ed. (avec Sumin Jo et Patrick Pithon); How will the COVID-19 pandemic change arbitral proceedings ?, in New Developments in international commercial arbitration, 2020; Arbitrage et Mediation, 2018-2019 [Arbitration and Mediation, 2018-2019], in Demi-journée "Marathon" de formation continue, samedi 11 mai 2019, Ordre des Avocats de Genève; Arbitration in Banking and Finance, BSL, Banking in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, 2018-2019; Arbitrage, Chronique de jurisprudence du Tribunal fédéral en matière d’arbitrage international et interne (1er mars 2016 au 28 février 2018) [Arbitration – Review of the Swiss Federal Supreme Court's case law in international and domestic arbitration], in Jusletter 3 décembre 2018, Weblaw Ed.; Arbitrage en matière sportive [Sports Arbitration], in Laurent Hirsch et Christophe Imhoos (éds.), ADR Genève 2020, Schulthess 2018 (with Luca Beffa); Arbitrage et Mediation, 2017-2018 [Arbitration and Mediation, 2017-2018], in Demi-journée "Marathon" de formation continue, samedi 21 avril 2018, Ordre des Avocats de Genève; CAS 2015/A/4162, Liga Deportiva Alajuelense v. Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), Award of 3 February 2016 – Case commentary, in A. Duval/A. Rigozzi (Eds), Yearbook of International Sports Arbitration 2016, pp. 263-283; Enforcement of claims in football-related matters – A practitioner’s view (Available remedies to obtain the payment of monetary claims, in particular based on Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) awards), in Football Legal # 5 May 2016, pp. 106-120; "Consent" in Sports Arbitration: Its Multiple Aspects, in ASA Special Series - Sports Arbitration as a Coach for Other Players, pp. 59-94 (Elliott Geisinger & Elena Trabaldo-de Mestral eds., Juris 2015) (with Antonio Rigozzi); Review of the Recent Case Law of the Swiss Federal Supreme Court, in New Developments in International Commercial Arbitration 121-262 (Christoph Müller, Antonio Rigozzi & Sébastien Besson eds., Schulthess 2014); L’interprétation arbitrale [Arbitral Interpretation], Revue de l'arbitrage 861 (2013) (with Laurent Lévy); La pertinence du "consentement" dans l’arbitrage du Tribunal Arbitral du Sport, Les enseignements de l’arrêt Cañas, notamment en matière de mesures provisionnelles [The relevance of "consent" in arbitration before the Court of Arbitration for Sport, The lessons from the Cañas decision, in particular for provisional measures], in Jusletter of 16 July 2012 (with Antonio Rigozzi); The Effects of a Reorganization on (Executory) Contracts: a Comparative Law and Policy Study [United States, France, Germany and Switzerland], in International Insolvency Law Review 234 (2012); 21.5 Norton Journal of Bankruptcy Law and Practice 637 (2012); Les effets du concordat sur les obligations, Analyse en particulier des effets du concordat sur les contrats [The effects of a reorganization on obligations, Study in particular of the effects of a reorganization on contracts] (Schulthess 2010).

Expert in these Jurisdictions

Dr. Fabrice Robert-Tissot specializes in commercial and sports arbitration, as well as in domestic and cross-border litigation. He regularly appears before arbitral tribunals and Swiss courts in commercial disputes. His experience includes participation in over 50 commercial and sports disputes, whether as counsel or arbitrator, under various rules, such as ICC, UNCITRAL, LCIA, Swiss Rules and the CAS Code. He regularly appears as counsel before the CAS representing athletes, clubs and sports federations.

Languages Spoken

French (native), English (fluent), German (fluent), Spanish (basic)

Clients

Dr Robert-Tissot has represented clients in high profile case, the Sun Yang case, the Mukto case, sports governing bodies and athletes in the Russian sports-related case, the International Skating Union in the Teams event related to the Valieva case, and prominent football club and player in high value disputes.

Education

Awards