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.

Fabrice’s 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 or ad hoc arbitration.

With respect to commercial disputes, he has expertise in various fields of business, such as oil and gas, other natural resources, international sales of goods, distribution contracts, share and purchase agreements, shareholders’ agreements, construction and infrastructure, joint ventures and consortia agreements as well as service agreements, including in information and communication technologies.

In sports disputes, he regularly appears as counsel before CAS representing athletes, clubs and sports federations. He has been involved in high-stake disputes during the last decade.

He has acted as counsel before the Swiss Federal Supreme Court in several setting aside proceedings against arbitral awards. He regularly represents clients in proceedings for the enforcement of arbitral awards and foreign judgments in Switzerland.

Fabrice holds a Ph.D. (doctoral thesis) and has published several articles on commercial and sports arbitration, domestic and international contracts, insolvency and corporate reorganization procedures (including international bankruptcy and other similar procedures) and the enforcement of arbitral awards.

Fabrice is a  Member of the ASA’s Board and Executive Board.

Fabrice lectures at the University of Geneva the uniform principles of contract law. He published in Swiss and comparative law.

He is also an associate lecturer at the Faculty of Law of the University of Geneva, where he teaches uniform principles of contract law, in particular the UNIDROIT principles of international commercial contracts.

Fabrice Robert-Tissot has been recognized, for several years, as Thought Leader in Who’s Who Legal: Sports & Entertainment and leading individual in Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration. He is also ranked as leading individual in Chambers Europe 2025: Sports.

He has been ranked in Band 2 in the Europe Guide 2026: Sport.

About

Education
  • Ph.D. (summa cum laude, Walther Hug Award), University of Fribourg, Switzerland (2010)
  • LL.M. (Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar), Columbia Law School, New York (2011)
  • Law degree (magna cum laude), University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland (2002)

Bar
  • Attorney-at-law, New York (2013)
  • Attorney-at-law, Geneva (2011)
  • Attorney-at-law, Neuchâtel (2004)

Membership
  • Member of the ASA’s Board and Executive Board
  • Swiss Arbitration Association (ASA)
  • Swiss Bar Association (FSA)
  • Geneva Bar Association
  • Association Suisse du Droit du Sport
  • Member of the SIAC Panel of Arbitrators
  • Member of Swiss Basketball’s Disciplinary Chamber

Languages
  • French (mother tongue)
  • English (bilingual proficiency)
  • German (professional working proficiency)
  • Spanish (reading proficiency)

Professional Experience
  • Associate lecturer at the University of Geneva, Law Faculty, Department of
  • Civil Law, Uniform Principles of Contract Law (2024 – Present)
  • Partner, Bonnard Lawson, Geneva (2017 – present)
  • Senior associate, Lévy Kaufmann-Kohler, Geneva (2011–2017)
  • Research assistant and Ph.D. candidate, University of Fribourg (2006–2010)
  • Legal trainee, Swiss Competition Commission, Bern (2004–2005)
  • Legal trainee, Juvet Schweizer, Neuchâtel (2003–2004)
  • Legal trainee, District Court of La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland (2002–2003)

Publications
  • Commentaire des Articles 166 à 175 LDIP (faillite internationale), in: B. Foëx/N. Jeandin/A. Braconi/B. Chappuis (Eds.)
  • Commentaire romand Poursuite et faillite (CR LP), 2e éd., Helbing Lichtenhahn 2025 (avec Gabrielle Kaufmann-Kohler et Antonio Rigozzi)
    “Droit applicable, for et règlement des différends” , in: S. Marchand/C. Chappuis/ L. Hirsch (Eds.)
  • Recueil de contrats commerciaux – Modèles en français et en anglais commentés selon le droit suisse, 2e édition, Helbing Lichtenhahn 2026 (avec Gabrielle Kaufmann-Kohler)
  • “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
  • 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), Football Legal # 5, Mai 2016, p. 106-120
  • “Consent” in Sports Arbitration : Its Multiple Aspects – Lessons from the Cañas decision, in particular with regard to provisional measures, in : Geisinger/Trabaldo-de Mestral (édits.), ASA Special Series No. 41 – Sports Arbitration as a Coach for Other Players, Huntington (NY) 2015, p. 59-94

Ranking
  • Chambers and Partners
    • Europe Guide 2026, Band 2: Sport
    • “Fabrice Robert-Tissot of Bonnard Lawson is well known in the market for his experience representing clients in disputes, including acting as arbitrator before the CAS.”
    • Strengths:
      • “Fabrice Robert-Tissot is fantastic to work with. He is extremely knowledgeable, practical and very responsive.” — Sport respondent, Chambers European Guide
      • “His extremely sophisticated strategic mind and legal precision are his assets.” — Sport respondent, Chambers European Guide
  • Who’s Who Legal
    • Thought Leaders – Switzerland
      • Category: Switzerland – Sports & Entertainment
      • Index Ranking: Thought Leader
    • Thought Leaders – Sports & Gaming
      • Category: Sports
      • Index Ranking: Thought Leader
    • Category: Arbitration
      • Index Ranking: Highly Recommended
    • Switzerland – Category: Switzerland – Arbitration
      • Index Ranking: Recommended

Latest Articles

List of cases

COMMERCIAL ARBITRATION

  • 2025–today: Sole arbitrator in an ICC arbitration between a French company and an American company, both involved in industrial maintenance.
  • 2025–today: President of the arbitral tribunal in an ICC arbitration between a Swiss company active in the management of companies and enterprises and a Swiss individual, regarding the purchase price of shares.
  • 2025–today: Co-arbitrator in a Swiss Rules arbitration between a UAE company active in amusement park operations and a Cypriot company involved in fund management and transactional financial consulting, regarding the validity of an arbitration clause.
  • 2024–2025: Sole arbitrator in an ICC arbitration between a French soccer club (claimant), a Hong Kong company (respondent 1) and a French company (respondent 2), concerning a sale and purchase agreement.
  • 2024: Emergency arbitrator in an ICC emergency arbitration between several French companies and a state-owned company, concerning a construction project.
  • 2023–today: Counsel in an ICC arbitration between a Liechtenstein-based company and an individual, concerning a sale and purchase agreement.
  • 2023: President of the arbitral tribunal in an ICC arbitration between an Italian company and an Angolan company, concerning agreements related to a construction project.
  • 2022–2024: Co-arbitrator in a Swiss Rules arbitration between a Swiss company and a Polish company, concerning the sale of commodities.
  • 2022: Sole arbitrator in an ICC arbitration between an Italian company and a Polish company, concerning the termination of a supply contract.
  • 2022: President of the arbitral tribunal in an ICC arbitration between a Hong Kong company and a Japanese company (claimants) and a Swiss company (respondent), concerning the performance of a shareholders’ agreement.
  • 2022: Emergency arbitrator in a Swiss Rules arbitration between a Swiss company and a Swiss individual, concerning a share purchase agreement.
  • 2022: Co-arbitrator in an ICC arbitration between Luxembourg, Swiss and Cayman Islands companies, concerning three lease agreements concluded between the parties.
  • 2021–today: Counsel in a Swiss Rules arbitration between several companies within a family-owned group, concerning international intra-group commercial transactions.
  • 2021–2024: Counsel in an ICC arbitration between a Chinese company and a Swiss company, concerning a distribution contract.
  • 2021: Sole arbitrator in an ICC arbitration between two French companies, concerning a services agreement.
  • 2021: Sole arbitrator in a Swiss Rules arbitration between two Swiss companies, concerning delivery under a sales agreement.
  • 2021: Co-arbitrator in an ICC arbitration between a Chilean company and an Italian company, concerning a supply agreement related to the construction of a photovoltaic plant.
  • 2019–2021: Sole arbitrator in a Swiss Rules arbitration between two Swiss companies, concerning the development of IT software.
  • 2019: Sole arbitrator in an ICC arbitration between a Luxembourg company and an Algerian company, concerning a sales contract.
  • 2017: Counsel in three separate proceedings (one ordinary proceeding and two emergency proceedings) between a Swiss private bank and an investment company based in the Bahamas, concerning a sale and purchase agreement and related contracts.

SPORT ARBITRATION

  • 2025–today: Counsel in three CAS arbitrations initiated by various parties, including athletes and national sports entities, concerning a decision rendered by an international sports federation.
  • 2025–today: Counsel in a CAS arbitration between an international sports federation and a national sports union, concerning an eligibility dispute involving several athletes.
  • 2025: Counsel in a CAS arbitration between an international sports federation and an individual, concerning a disciplinary matter.
  • 2025: Counsel in a CAS arbitration between an international sports federation and a national sports union, concerning an eligibility dispute involving several athletes.
  • 2025: Counsel in a CAS arbitration between an association of national sports federations and one of its members, concerning a decision issued by the association’s adjudicatory body.
  • 2025: Counsel in a CAS arbitration between a professional sports club and an international sports federation, concerning the breach and termination of an agreement.
  • 2024: Counsel in a CAS arbitration between an international sports federation and a non-profit sports association, concerning the alleged breach of a memorandum of understanding concluded between the parties.
  • 2024: Counsel in a CAS arbitration between a regional sports federation and a member of the executive body of an international sports federation, concerning alleged ethics code violations and a ban from all related activities.
  • 2023: Counsel in a CAS arbitration between the president of a national federation and the federation itself, concerning an alleged denial of justice.
  • 2022–2023: Counsel in set-aside proceedings before the Swiss Federal Supreme Court, between two professional sports clubs, concerning a decision rendered by the CAS.
  • 2022–2023: Counsel in a CAS arbitration between a professional athlete and the Dispute Resolution Chamber of an international sports federation, concerning a decision relating to the athlete’s transfer.
  • 2022: Counsel in a CAS arbitration between the president of a national federation and the federation itself, concerning a decision rendered by the federation’s Ethics and Disciplinary Commission.

Practice Areas