Dr. Petra Rihar

2024 Co-founder of RIHAR & THOUVENIN DISPUTE RESOLUTION

2013 – 2024 Partner with focus on dispute resolution in smaller Zurich law firms

2006 – 2012 Associate and Senior Associate with international law firms in Zurich and London

2006 Ph.D. (Dr. iur., magna cum laude), University of Lucerne

2006 LL.M., Columbia University, USA

2004 – 2005 Legal Counsel at The Thomson Corporation, Zug

2004 Zurich bar (admitted to all Swiss courts)

2001 – 2003 Law clerk at the District Court of Zurich and teaching assistant in corporate, banking and securities law at the University of Zurich

2000 – 2001 Trainee lawyer with international law firm, Zurich

2000 Law Degree (lic. iur., magna cum laude), University of Zurich

German, English, Slovenian, Croatian and Serbian. Basic knowledge of French and Italian. 

Zurich Bar Association (ZAV), Swiss Bar Association (SAV), Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb), Swiss Arbitration Association (ASA), International Bar Association (IBA), ICC Institute of World Business Law, LCIA Users’ Council, Arbitration Association of Central and Eastern Europe (ArbCEE)

SIAC Panel of Arbitrators, DIAC Arbitrator List, LCIA Database of Arbitrators, ICC Switzerland, ICC Slovenia, Ljubljana Arbitration Centre (LAC), Vienna Arbitration Centre (VIAC), EODID Roster of Arbitrators, ICAC at the Ukrainian CCI, Court of Arbitration for Art (CAfA), Blockchain Lawyers Forum (BLF)

Arbitrator work

Co-Arbitrator in a dispute between an Eastern European leader of the subcontracting consortium and a Western Asian contractor concerning a construction project (ICC Rules / Serbian law applicable / seat: Belgrade, Serbia / language: English)

Sole Arbitrator in a dispute between two Eastern European parties concerning the existence of a fiduciary (trust) agreement and the rights and obligations that arise from it (ICC Rules / Serbian law applicable / seat: Zurich, Switzerland / language: English)

Sole Arbitrator in a dispute between a Central Asian and a South Asian party concerning the reconstruction of an international transit project (SIAC Rules / law of the Republic of Kazakhstan applicable / seat: Singapore / language: English)

Legal Expert in two parallel proceedings before the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), The Hague, on issues of Swiss arbitration law

Co-Arbitrator in a dispute between an Eastern European and a Central European party concerning the sale of aluminium alloys (ICAC Rules / CISG and Ukrainian law applicable / seat: Kyiv, Ukraine / language: English)

Co-Arbitrator in a multi-party dispute arising from a consortium agreement between Central European parties concerning the supply of an IT system for centralized case management in courts (Ljubljana Arbitration Rules / Slovenian law applicable / seat: Ljubljana, Slovenia / language: English)

Presiding Arbitrator in a dispute between two Middle Eastern parties concerning the establishment and operation of a financial institution (ICC Rules / law of Qatar applicable / seat: Doha, State of Qatar / language: English)

Presiding Arbitrator in a dispute between two European parties arising out of a share purchase agreement relating to the development of a solar power plant (Vienna Rules / Croatian law applicable / seat: Vienna, Austria / language: English)

Presiding Arbitrator in a dispute between a South Asian and a Middle Eastern party arising from a joint venture construction project in a Middle Eastern country (LCIA Rules / law of Qatar applicable / seat: Qatar Financial Centre (QFC), Doha, State of Qatar / language: English)

Co-Arbitrator in a dispute between two European parties concerning supply of armoured personnel carriers (Vienna Rules / CISG and Slovenian law applicable / seat: Vienna, Austria / language: English)

Sole Arbitrator in a dispute between two European parties concerning the fulfilment of a settlement agreement (Expedited Procedure under Swiss Rules / Albanian law applicable / seat: Geneva, Switzerland / language: English)

Co-Arbitrator in a dispute between an European and an American party over the supply of defence equipment (Swiss Rules / CISG and Swiss law applicable / seat: Geneva, Switzerland / language: English)

Presiding Arbitrator in a dispute between two European parties concerning seller’s warranties under a share purchase agreement in the hospitality industry (ICC Rules / German law applicable / seat: Frankfurt am Main, Germany / language: English)

Sole Arbitrator in a dispute between two European parties concerning the construction of a sewage treatment plant (ICC Rules / Montenegrin law applicable, FIDIC Yellow Book contract / seat: Podgorica, Montenegro / language: English)

Presiding Arbitrator in a dispute between a European supplier and an African buyer concerning the supply of aircraft, electrical, electronic and radar spare parts (Vienna Rules / seat: Vienna, Austria / language: English)

Sole Arbitrator in a dispute arising out of a share purchase agreement between two European parties concerning representations and warranties made by the seller (Ljubljana Arbitration Rules / Slovenian law applicable / seat: Ljubljana, Slovenia / language: English)

Presiding Arbitrator in a dispute between a European engineering company and an East Asian contractor concerning the license for and supply of equipment for the expansion of a petroleum refinery in a Middle Eastern country (ICC Rules / laws of Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) applicable / seat: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates / language: English)

Presiding Arbitrator in a dispute arising out of a maintenance contract between a European maintenance and repair company and a Middle Eastern airline concerning the repair of aircraft parts (ICC Rules / laws of England applicable / seat: London, England / language: English)

Sole Arbitrator in a dispute between a European manufacturer and a buyer from a Central Asian country concerning the sale of equipment for production of ice cream (Vienna Rules / Austrian law applicable / seat: Vienna, Austria / language: English)

Co-Arbitrator in a post-M&A dispute between two European parties in a dispute arising from the sale of a majority shareholding (ICC Rules / Slovenian law applicable / seat: Vienna, Austria / language: English)

Sole Arbitrator in a dispute between a European seller and a buyer from a Central Asian country concerning the sale of heifers (ICC Rules, Expedited Procedure / German law applicable / seat: Osnabrück, Germany / language: German)

Sole arbitrator in a dispute concerning services provided by a European company for the design and manufacture of lighting concepts in several projects in a Middle Eastern country  (ICC Rules / Swiss law applicable / seat: Zurich, Switzerland / language: English)

Sole Arbitrator in a dispute concerning a foreign investor’s investment in a marina in the coastal town of an Eastern European country (appointed by the PCA, ad-hoc arbitration under UNCITRAL arbitration rules / Montenegrin law applicable / seat: Vienna, Austria / language: Montenegrin) (see also GAR report “Montenegro sees off claim over marina sale”)

Sole Arbitrator in a dispute between two European parties in connection with a framework agreement for the purchase of centrifugal fans (ICC Rules / Austrian law applicable / seat: Munich, Germany / language: German)

Sole Arbitrator in a dispute between two European parties concerning the payment of the purchase price for the supply of hardware and software for a drive service testing system (ICC Rules / Swiss law applicable / seat: Zurich, Switzerland / language: English)

Co-Arbitrator in a dispute over a foreign investor’s investment in a large state-owned tourism complex in an Eastern European country (ICC Rules / Serbian law applicable / seat: Belgrade, Serbia / language: Serbian)

Counsel work – arbitration proceedings

Counsel to Claimant in a post-M&A dispute between an Eastern European seller and European buyers over the price payment in the purchase of a Swiss company (Swiss Rules / Swiss law applicable / seat: Zurich, Switzerland / language: English)

Counsel to Claimant, minority shareholder, in a multi-party dispute between the shareholders of a company operating in the sports hospitality industry (ICC Rules / Swiss law applicable / seat: Zurich, Switzerland / language: English)

Counsel to Respondent, minority shareholder, in Emergency Arbitration proceedings concerning interim measures directed against members of the Board of Directors (ICC Rules / Swiss law applicable / seat: Zurich, Switzerland / language: English)

Counsel to Appellant, minority shareholder, in Emergency Arbitration proceedings for interim measures against the majority shareholder (ICC Rules / Swiss law applicable / seat: Zurich, Switzerland / language: English)

Counsel to Respondent, an Eastern European manufacturer of high precision cutting tools for the automotive industry in a dispute concerning the purchase of a laser machine for the production of tools from a Swiss seller (ICC Rules / Swiss law applicable / seat: Zurich, Switzerland / language: German)

Member of a Counsel team representing the Claimant, a European provider of telecommunications hardware, software and related services, in a dispute arising out of a service contract for the installation of a mobile telephone network in the capital of a Middle Eastern country (ICC Rules / Swiss law applicable / seat: Zurich, Switzerland / language: English)

Member of a Counsel team representing the Respondent in a post-M&A dispute between a European seller and a Middle Eastern buyer of a Swiss company regarding a price adjustment based on two-tier purchase price mechanism (ICC Rules / Swiss law applicable / seat: Zurich, Switzerland / language: English)

Member of a Counsel team representing the Claimant, a European telecommunications company in an arbitration involving the break-up of an Eastern European joint venture (ICC Rules / Swiss law applicable / seat: Geneva, Switzerland / language: English)

Counsel work – state court proceedings

Counsel to claimant, a Slovenian manufacturer of custom-made wooden furniture and doors in a construction dispute concerning the renovation of a five-star hotel in Zurich (Commercial Court of Zurich, Swiss law and SIA-Norm applicable)

Counsel to applicant, a Slovenian assignee, in proceedings concerning the recognition and enforcement in Switzerland of an assigned Bosnian judgment against a debtor resident in Switzerland (Regional Court Bern-Mittelland / Bosnian, Slovenian and private international law applicable)

Counsel to the respondent engineer in a dispute concerning a non-competition clause in interim-relief and ordinary proceedings (Cantonal Court of the Canton of Zug / Slovenian law applicable)

Counsel to respondent, a company founder, in a dispute concerning D&O liability (Commercial Court of the Canton of Zurich / Swiss law applicable)

Counsel to claimant, an investor in structured products, in a dispute concerning an investment by the bank (Commercial Court of the Canton of Zurich / Swiss law applicable)

Counsel to claimant, a Slovenian company, in a dispute concerning the transport of goods from Slovenia to Kenya (Civil Court of Basel-Stadt / various laws applicable)

Counsel to a Slovenian bankruptcy administrator in proceedings for the recognition of a foreign bankruptcy decree and the subsequent conduct of (limited) Swiss insolvency proceedings (Regional Court Bern-Mittelland / Swiss and Slovenian bankruptcy law, private international law applicable)

Counsel to the defendant, a Swiss bank in a dispute concerning investments in structured products (District Court of the Canton of Zurich / Swiss law applicable)

Shareholder Disputes Arising From Shareholders’ Agreements, Protection of Minority Shareholders in Multiparty Proceedings Through Emergency Measures and Joinder – Case Study, Austrian Yearbook on International Arbitration 2023, p. 190 et seqq.

Scope and Interpretation of Arbitration Agreements under Swiss Law, ICC Dispute Resolution Bulletin 2021, Issue 2 (June 2021), p. 55 et seqq.

Kluwer Arbitration Blog:

• 2025 Year in Review: Switzerland, 23 Feb 2026
• 2024 in Review: Switzerland, 11 Feb 2025
• 2023 Year in Review: Switzerland (Part I: Scope of Arbitration Clause, Capacity of Discernment, Res Iudicata), 17 Feb 2024
• 2023 Year in Review: Switzerland (Part II: Enforcement and Parties’ Duty of Curiosity), 17 Feb 2024
• 2022 Year in Review: Switzerland (Part I: Arbitrator’s Independence and Impartiality, Enforcement), 8 Feb 2023
• 2022 Year in Review: Switzerland (Part II: Revision, Treaty Shopping and Legislative Developments), 8 Feb 2023
• Decisions of the Swiss Federal Supreme Court in 2020, 5 Feb 2021
• Decisions of the Swiss Federal Supreme Court in 2019 – Part I, 9 Feb 2020
• Decisions of the Swiss Federal Supreme Court in 2019 – Part II, 9 Feb 2020
• Decisions of the Swiss Federal Supreme Court in 2018: Part I, 9 Feb 2019
• Decisions of the Swiss Federal Supreme Court in 2018: Part II, 9 Feb 2019
• Swiss Federal Supreme Court Confirms the Principles for the Admissibility of a Success Fee, 7 Oct 2018 (co-author)
• The right to a tribunal appointed expert, 9 Aug 2011 (co-author)
• Swiss Federal Supreme Court Denies the Applicability of an Arbitration Clause in the Articles of Association to Liability Claims Against Board of Directors of an Insolvent Company, 7 July 2010 (co-author)
• The Swiss Federal Court Dismisses Two Appeals Concerning the Constitution of an Arbitral Tribunal, 7 July 2010 (co-author)
• The Swiss Federal Court Confirms an Award Granting Damages for the Violation of an Arbitration Clause, 7 July 2010 (co-author)
• New Rules on Domestic Arbitration and Their Relation to the Rules Governing International Arbitration in Switzerland, 19 Feb 2010 (co-author)
• Piercing the Corporate Veil – Effect on the Arbitration Clause and Jurisdiction, 24 Nov 2009 (co-author)
• A decision based on a written submission of a third party does not violate the right to be heard if the parties to the proceedings had enough time to comment on it, 15 Oct 2009 (co-author)

LexisNexis:

• Case Analysis of the Swiss Federal Supreme Court Decision 4A_187/2020 of 23 Feb 2021, 1 April 2021

Practical Law Arbitration:

• Right to be heard not violated by arbitrator’s refusal to hear witness whose evidence anticipated to be irrelevant, 2 May 2012 (co-author) 
• Supreme Court finds that right to appointment of expert by arbitral tribunal was not violated as request made out of time and not in proper form, 4 Aug 2011 (co-author) 
• Swiss Supreme Court dismisses appeal to set aside CAS award for lack of jurisdiction, 30 Jun 2011 (co-author)
• Swiss Federal Supreme Court dismisses appeal to set aside decision of the FEI Tribunal and CAS award, 30 Sep 2010 (co-author)
• Swiss Federal Supreme Court dismisses an appeal to set aside a CAS award, 31 Aug 2010 (co-author)
• Swiss Federal Supreme Court is bound by factual findings of lower courts, 13 Aug 2010 (co-author)
• Swiss Federal Supreme Court dismisses appeal without examining the merits where the party filing the appeal declined to pay advance on costs, 4 Aug 2010 (co-author)
• Directors cannot rely on arbitration clause in articles of association of an insolvent company for liability claims by company’s creditors, 30 Jun 2010 (co-author)
• Swiss Federal Supreme Court dismisses two appeals concerning the (irregular) constitution of an arbitral tribunal, 5 May 2010 (co-author)
• Swiss Federal Supreme Court confirms award granting damages in principle for breach of an arbitration clause, 5 May 2010 (co-author)
• Switzerland: anticipated arbitration developments of 2010, 4 Feb 2010 (co-author)
• Switzerland: important arbitration developments of 2009, 16 Dec 2009 (co-author)
• Court of Arbitration for Sport amends its rules, 5 Nov 2009 (co-author)
• Effect on arbitration agreement of piercing the corporate veil, 2 Oct 2009 (co-author)
• Swiss Federal Supreme Court holds right to be heard not violated, 3 Sep 2009 (co-author)
• Law firm providing services to an arbitral tribunal is exempt from VAT, 3 Sep 2009 (co-author)
• Ongoing international arbitration discontinued vis-à-vis insolvent co-respondent, 13 Aug 2009 (co-author)
• Award based on matters not directly addressed in submissions does not violate the right to be heard, 12 Aug 2009 (co-author)

Petra Rihar, Das Einzelunternehmen im Schweizer Privatrecht (The Sole Proprietorship in Swiss Private Law), Luzerner Beiträge zur Rechtswissenschaft, Band 17, Zurich 2007

Petra Rihar, Obseg varstva pravic blagovnih in storitvenih znamk (The Scope of Protection of Trade and Service Marks in Swiss and Slovene Law), 11 Pravnik 717, Ljubljana 1997

Arbitration in the crypto era, 8th Basel Arbitration & Crime Conference, Basel, 8-9 Jan 2026

Moderator of ‘Multi-tiered Dispute Resolution Clauses’ panel, Slovenian Arbitration Conference 2025, Ljubljana, 26 Nov 2025

Expert Speaker at the ICC Advanced Arbitration Academy I Eastern Europe, Budapest, 20-21 Nov 2025

Moderator of ‘Crypto-consensus: cryptocurrency and arbitration’ panel, GAR Live: London 2025, London, 15 Oct 2025

Arbitration and Asset Recovery in the Fintech Industry: Swiss and Cypriot Perspectives, Swiss & Cypriot Arbitration Event, part of Cyprus Arbitration Days 2025, Limassol, 15 May 2025

Practitioners’ Seminar on “Insolvency and Arbitration”, Swiss Arbitration event at VIS Moot, Vienna, 12 April 2025

Best Practices in Arbitration in the Region and Beyond, Regional Conference: Strengthening Legal Security for Investment Arrival and Development, Podgorica, 21 March 2025

‘Burden of Proof’ and ‘Standard of Proof’ in International Arbitration, 32^nd Croatian Arbitration Days, Zagreb, 5-6 Dec 2024

Taking of evidence in international arbitration – Approaches to evidence across jurisdictions, ArbCEE, Dubrovnik, 4-5 Oct 2024

Arbitration – An Overlooked Tool for Settling Disputes, Comparison of Different Arbitration Rules, Ljubljana Arbitration Centre & CMS Slovenia, Ljubljana, 26 Oct 2023

Construction disputes – Preparing a credible claim, 11^th Baltic Arbitration Days, Riga, 12-13 June 2022

Should arbitration adapt to local lawyers or should lawyers adapt to arbitration? – the Arbitrator’s Perspective, XII Belgrade Arbitration Conference, Belgrade, 1 April 2022

Joinder & Multiparty Arbitration, Vienna Arbitration Days, webinar, 25 Feb 2022

Conflict of Interest in Arbitration – the Arbitrator’s Perspective, 29^th Croatian Arbitration Days, webinar, 9 Dec 2021

Neutrality of arbitrators against the backdrop of the relationship between arbitrator and co-arbitrator or counsel, Arb | Aut Forum, Austrian Arbitration Association, webinar, 18 June 2020

Co-moderator of 12^th Arbitration Forum, ZAV/ASA, Zurich, 28 Aug 2018

Providing services in Switzerland and new developments in 2018, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia, Ljubljana, 5 Oct 2017

How to do business in Switzerland – Overview of Swiss regulations on doing business in Switzerland, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia, Ljubljana, 16 June 2016

Repeatedly ‘highly recommended’ in the category ‘Arbitration’ by WWL / Lexology Index, including Arbitration 2026.

Lexology Index Thought Leaders – Arbitration 2025: «Peers and clients say:
‘Petra is a safe pair of hands to represent a party in arbitration’,
‘Petra is very reactive and demonstrates a fighting spirit’,
‘She is able to distinguish what is important and focus on it’,
‘Petra is an excellent lawyer and is always well prepared, qualities that serve her perfectly not only as counsel but also as arbitrator’».

Lexology Index Thought Leaders – Arbitration 2024: «Peers and clients say:
‘Petra is a strong and sensible arbitration practitioner’, 
‘She is highly communicative with clients’, 
‘She always has the knowledge and accuracy needed to win a case’».

WWL Arbitration 2023: «Peers and clients say:
‘She is an excellent practitioner with great knowledge of Eastern European markets’,
‘She has an impressive track record in the industry’».

WWL Arbitration 2022: «Peers and clients say:
‘Petra is an excellent arbitrator’,
‘She combines an extremely quick analytical mind with excellent knowledge of the law’,
‘She is a prominent arbitration mind’,
‘There is a lot to be learned from her’».

WWL Arbitration 2021 – Future Leaders: «Peers and clients say:
‘Petra is a highly experienced arbitration practitioner who is valued for her thorough work, excellent legal knowledge and talent for efficient procedural solutions in complicated situations’,
‘She is excellent arbitrator and counsel’,
‘Petra is an absolutely reliable and highly professional lawyer, with an outstanding work ethic and friendly approach’».

WWL Arbitration 2020 – Future Leaders: «Petra Rihar is ‘an outstanding arbitrator’ who is well acquainted with handling complex commercial and investment-related disputes».

Recommended also in WWL / Lexology Jurisdiction Reports Switzerland – Arbitration in 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026.

Lexology Index Thought Leaders: Switzerland – Arbitration 2025: «Petra Rihar is a prominent name in the Swiss market, thanks to over 20 years of experience handling an array of disputes relating to contracts, shareholder disputes and transactional matters».