KluwerLawOnline.com - ASA Bulletin

President’s Message: The Lame Duck's Last Quack

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 00:01:06 GMT

Volume 43 Online ISSN 1010-9153

The Bulletin in Brief

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 00:01:06 GMT

Volume 43 Online ISSN 1010-9153

Insights from the Swiss Federal Supreme Court

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 00:01:06 GMT

This article examines the role of the Swiss Federal Supreme Court in shaping the framework of international arbitration in Switzerland. It analyses the Court’s limited yet decisive powers of review under the Swiss Private International Law Act, its strict case law on substantive public policy and the procedural rigour required of appellants. Providing insights into the Court’s inner workings, it discusses selected procedural matters, such as the language of the proceedings, advance on court fees, suspensive effect or interim measures, standing, nova and the increased statutory justification requirements. The article outlines how the Court’s jurisprudence reinforces Switzerland’s standing as a leading arbitration venue while offering guidance to practitioners navigating this narrow avenue of judicial scrutiny.

Volume 43 Online ISSN 1010-9153

Arbitration for Private-Wealth Disputes – The New Paradigm under the Swiss Rules

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 00:01:06 GMT

With the entry into force of the Supplemental Swiss Rules for Trust, Estate and Foundation (TEF) Disputes on 1 July 2025, Switzerland further consolidates its position as a leading jurisdiction for the arbitration of private-wealth disputes. These new rules which supplement the Swiss Rules of Internal Arbitration offer a suitable framework tailored to the needs of high-net-worth families as well as trusts and foundations. By addressing the procedural and substantive complexities inherent in international trust, estate, and foundation matters, the TEF Rules are a welcomed development to increase the use of arbitration in this field.

In addition to providing model arbitration clauses, the TEF Rules contain dedicated provisions on their scope of application, the safeguard of rights and entitlements of individuals that might be affected by the arbitration and its award, including minors and unborns, the appointment of the arbitral tribunal, and the determination of the applicable law in estate arbitration.

Volume 43 Online ISSN 1010-9153

“Taming the Beast” – A Whitepaper on Document Production

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 00:01:06 GMT

Users of international arbitration experience document production as a burdensome, costly, and all too often ineffective exercise. Drawing on an analysis of various legal traditions and existing instruments, a working group of the ASA User Council now takes the initiative to call for a robust readjustment of current procedures and offers concrete recommendations aimed at keeping arbitration efficient and attractive. In this whitepaper, guidance on the key standards defining current practice – relevance and materiality – is thus combined with proposed measures that can be applied by parties, counsel, arbitral tribunals, and institutions.

This whitepaper does not advocate for a blanket abolition of document production, although such proposals have been made and some companies make a deliberate choice to that effect. It rather seeks to recommend a variety of options, with possible measures ranging from numerical limitations to substantive standards and procedural techniques aimed at countering parties’ and counsel’s propensity to “leave no stone unturned.”

Arbitral institutions and other organizations will be well-advised to support parties, counsel, and arbitral tribunals in keeping arbitration as efficient as possible. The current tendency to favour expedited procedures, which seem to be received well by the market and which avoid document production to a large extent, demonstrates that it can be successfully achieved.

Volume 43 Online ISSN 1010-9153

Introduction to the Case Law Section

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 00:01:06 GMT

Volume 43 Online ISSN 1010-9153

4A_288/2023, Arrêt du 11 juin 2024 [Arbitrators’ duty of independence and impartiality ends with issuance of award – Revision denied – IBA Guidelines]

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 00:01:06 GMT

Volume 43 Online ISSN 1010-9153

4A_572/2023, Arrêt du 11 juin 2024 [Arbitrators’ duty of independence and impartiality ends with issuance of award – Revision denied – IBA Guidelines]

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 00:01:06 GMT

Volume 43 Online ISSN 1010-9153

Cantonal Court of Schwyz, Decision BEK 2024 90 of 22 October 2024 [Public policy – Punitive damages – Global claims]

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 00:01:06 GMT

Volume 43 Online ISSN 1010-9153

4A_638/2024, Arrêt du 27 mars 2025 [Public policy – Finding a contractual clause valid under applicable FIFA regulations, but null under Swiss employment law is not a violation of public policy (pacta sunt servanda)]

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 00:01:06 GMT

Volume 43 Online ISSN 1010-9153

4A_136/2024, Arrêt du 5 septembre 2024 [CAS arbitration – Jurisdictional defense rejected (forced arbitration) – Athlete had subsequently acknowledged CAS jurisdiction by conduct – Subjectmatter arbitrability of doping case]

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 00:01:06 GMT

Volume 43 Online ISSN 1010-9153

4A_616/2024, Urteil vom 24. März 2024 [Domicile of a party – Domestic or international arbitration?]

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 00:01:06 GMT

Volume 43 Online ISSN 1010-9153

4A_626/2024, Urteil vom 21. März 2025 [Professional liability insurance – Arbitration]

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 00:01:06 GMT

Volume 43 Online ISSN 1010-9153

4A_269/2024, Arrêt du 30 septembre 2024 [Substantive public policy – Limitation of liability]

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 00:01:06 GMT

Volume 43 Online ISSN 1010-9153

4A_590/2023, Arrêt du 20 septembre 2024 [Increase of cost advance – Withdrawal of annulment request – Costs against plaintiff]

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 00:01:06 GMT

Volume 43 Online ISSN 1010-9153

4A_646/2023, Urteil vom 31. Januar 2024 [Enforcement of ICC award in Switzerland – New York Convention]

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 00:01:06 GMT

Volume 43 Online ISSN 1010-9153

4A_430/2023, Arrêt du 23 février 2024 [Interpretation of arbitration agreement – Carve out of employment disputes – No arbitral jurisdiction]

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 00:01:06 GMT

Volume 43 Online ISSN 1010-9153

ASA News: Local and Practice Groups

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 00:01:06 GMT

Volume 43 Online ISSN 1010-9153

ASA News: ASA Below 40

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 00:01:06 GMT

Volume 43 Online ISSN 1010-9153

ASA News: New Members

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 00:01:06 GMT

Volume 43 Online ISSN 1010-9153

Bibliography

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 00:01:06 GMT

Volume 43 Online ISSN 1010-9153

4A_488/2023, Urteil vom 23. Januar 2024 [Right and means of proof – ‘negativa non sunt probanda’ is not part of public policy]

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 00:01:06 GMT

Volume 43 Online ISSN 1010-9153