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Giulio
Palermo
Partner
Geneva
Admitted to the bars of Rome, Madrid and Geneva
+41 (0) 22 555 82 20
Expertise
- International arbitration
- Sports law
- International contracts
Professional background
- Previously practiced with the arbitration teams of international firms in Geneva and Madrid
Education
- LL.M in International Commercial Arbitration, Stockholm University
- LL.M in International Business Law, Instituto de Empresa Law School, Madrid
Languages
- Italian
- English
- French
- Spanish
Professional affiliations
- Co-Founder of the Sports Arbitration Moot
- President of the Swiss Chapter of the Club Español e Iberoamericano del Arbitraje
- Member of the Plenary of the Madrid International Arbitration Centre
- Former President of the Italian Chapter of the Club Español e Iberoamericano del Arbitraje (2017-2020)
- Former Co-Chair of the Club Español e Iberoamericano del Arbitraje menos 40 (2017-2018)
- Former Co-Chair of the Italian Forum for Arbitration and ADR (2015-2016)
- Former Regional Representative of the Young Arbitrators Forum of ICC (2013-2016)
Giulio Palermo is an arbitration specialist qualified in Switzerland, Italy and Spain.

Giulio has been involved in over 70 international arbitrations (out of which 33 as arbitrator and more than 40 as counsel) in English, Spanish, Italian and French administered by all major institutions (e.g. International Court of Arbitration, Court of Arbitration for Sport, Swiss Chambers’ Arbitration Institution, Corte de Arbitraje de Madrid, London Court of International Arbitration, Milan Chamber of Arbitration, etc.), in matters including transnational sales contracts, construction, shareholders’ agreements, agency, distribution and license agreements, joint ventures, post M&A disputes, sport etc.

In 2023, he has been ranked among the 40 best lawyers (worldwide) in the category Global Elite Thought Leader – Under 45 by Who’s Who Legal. In 2020, he was voted as the most highly regarded arbitration practitioner in Europe by Who’s Who Future Leaders. Clients and peers single him out as “an excellent lawyer with unquestionable advocacy skills” who “tackles complex issues with ease and is a pleasure to work with” and who “has a sharp intellect and is incredibly quick at resolving issues as they arise”. Giulio is a CEDR-accredited mediator and advises clients on contractual matters, pre-arbitration/litigation assessments, negotiations and mediations.

He is also deeply involved in sports disputes, with a special focus on disciplinary matters. In particular, he is an arbitrator of the Court of Arbitration for Sport and a judge of the Swiss Sports Tribunal. Moreover, in his role as UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector, he represents UEFA in proceedings before the latter’s internal disciplinary and appeal bodies.
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Details of recent activities
- President in proceedings under the ICC Rules between a Spanish entity and a Romanian state-owned entity, concerning the execution of construction activities (seat: Paris / applicable substantive law: Romanian law)
- Counsel of two North American companies in a multi-party ICC arbitration related to the exploitation of natural resources in Africa (seat: Geneva / applicable substantive laws: Swiss law and ex aequo et bono)
- Co-arbitrator in proceedings under the ICC Rules between a Norwegian multinational corporation and a Danish company concerning the performance of construction and engineering contracts (seat: Zurich / applicable substantive law: Swiss law)
- President in proceedings before the Court of Arbitration for Sport between a European top football player and a top Mexican club, concerning the termination of an employment contract (Seat: Lausanne / applicable substantive law: Swiss law)
- Counsel of Europe’s largest producer of fertilizers in an ICC arbitration related to a contract for the supply of specialised mining equipment (seat: Zurich / applicable substantive law: Swiss law)
- Sole arbitrator in proceedings under the ICC Rules between Spanish and Vietnamese individuals and entities, concerning certain M&A deals (seat: Valencia / applicable substantive law: Spanish law)
- Counsel of a European sovereign state in an ad hoc arbitration against another European state and a European state-owned company (seat: Geneva (Switzerland) / applicable substantive laws: Spanish law and French law
- Party-appointed legal expert in proceedings under the ICC Rules between Swiss and Mexican entities, concerning sales of goods (seat: Mexico City / applicable substantive laws: Swiss law and Mexican law)
- Counsel of an Italian multinational corporation in a multi-party ICC arbitration related to execution of construction and engineering contracts (seat: Geneva / applicable substantive law: Swiss law)
- Co-arbitrator in proceedings under the SCC Rules between a Russian and an Italian entity, concerning a supply contract (seat: Stockholm / applicable substantive laws: CISG and Swedish law)
- President in multiparty disciplinary proceedings before the Swiss Sport Tribunal (seat: Bern / applicable substantive laws: Swiss law)
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