Elliott Geisinger heads Schellenberg Wittmer's international arbitration group as Global Chair. He has acted as counsel and arbitrator in over 120 international arbitrations in complex commercial disputes involving international construction contracts, consortia and joint venture agreements, sponsorship contracts, and sales and distribution contracts. He has also advised foreign States and Swiss corporations in investment disputes.
Elliott is particularly specialized in construction and engineering matters. He is co-founder of the Istanbul International Construction Law Conferences project, with Professor Dr Yesim Atamer of Istanbul Bilgi University (www.construction-law.bilgi.edu.tr). Contract management in large-scale construction and infrastructure projects is a further specialization of his.
Elliott regularly represents clients in arbitration-related court proceedings. Elliott has represented parties before the Swiss Supreme Court in several landmark cases, many of which have been reported in the official collection of Swiss Supreme Court cases and in arbitration journals.
Elliott is highly recognized and ranked for his work as Counsel and Arbitrator by leading international directories such as Chambers & Partners, Legal 500, GAR, Expert Guides, ILO and Who's Who Legal. They describe him as "a high-caliber arbitration counsel who is a fantastic technician and construction specialist." As a winner of ILO's Client Choice Award, clients said "as a lawyer, Elliott is flexible enough to think like an engineer or a project manager." Additionally according to clients "he is very careful with the details, but never lets go of the big picture. He is reliable, responsive and quick." He comes "highly recommended," by sources, who report that he is "extremely well regarded, efficient and organized". Elliott's reputational expertise is further described as "a well-known arbitrator with a wealth of experience acting as both counsel and arbitrator in complex construction disputes."
Elliott is President of the Swiss Arbitration Association (ASA) since 2014, having been elected to the ASA Board in 2007 and becoming ASA Vice-President in 2007. He sat on the Arbitration Committee of the Geneva Chamber of Commerce and Industry from 1999 to 2003. Elliott is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation for International Arbitration Advocacy. Elliott is one of four arbitration experts currently advising the Swiss government on the on-going revision of Swiss law of international arbitration. He has authored several publications in the fields of international arbitration and private international law.
