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Panagiotis
Kyriakou
Associate
Geneva
Member of the Athens Bar, Registered at the Geneva Bar
+41 (0) 22 555 82 20
CV (English)
Expertise
International arbitration
Sports
Cross border litigation
International trade
Fintech and crypto assets
Enforcement & asset recovery
Professional background
PhD research and teaching assistantship (Geneva Graduate Institute)
Article editing for the Journal of International Economic Law (Oxford University Press)
Traineeships in arbitration, trade and corporate law (White & Case, Lalive, Derains & Gharavi and Dryllerakis & Associates)
Education
PhD in International Law, Geneva Graduate Institute
Master in International Dispute Settlement, University of Geneva & Geneva Graduate Institute
LLB in Law, University of Athens
Languages
English
Greek
Spanish
Portuguese
French
Mandarin (elementary)
Professional affiliations
Athens Bar Association
Swiss Arbitration Association
Associação Lusófona de Arbitragem e Mediação
Associação Portuguesa de Arbitragem
Blockchain Lawyers Forum
Panagiotis’ practice focuses on complex cross-border disputes, primarily related to agency and distribution contracts, SPAs, finance and crypto assets, sports, and construction.

Panagiotis also focuses on international trade, including WTO, EU and FTA rules.

Among others, he has handled arbitral proceedings under various rules (ICC, ICSID, CAS, Swiss Rules), appeared before the WTO’s Appellate Body, and advised clients in proceedings before the Caribbean Court of Justice and Swiss courts.

Panagiotis is a member of the Blockchain Lawyers Forum’s list of arbitrators.
Details of recent activities
Recently, he:

Acted as tribunal secretary in two sets of ICC proceedings

Represented a European construction company in a dispute governed by ICC Rules against a Middle Eastern company

Represented a European engineering company in a dispute governed by ICC Rules against a European company

Represented a national sports federation and an athlete in proceedings before FIFA and the CAS regarding sports nationality, against FIFA

Represented a national sports federation in proceedings before the CAS regarding a disputed election, against a national Olympic committee

Represented an African state as Third Participant before the WTO’s Appellate Body

Advised a European investor in initiating ICSID proceedings against a European state

Provided strategic advice to Middle Eastern and African clients on agency and distribution contracts governed by Swiss law
Full bio
Conferences
Speech on the topic of “Needs-driven” vs “narrative-driven” greening: what does sovereign debt law stand to learn from environmental reforms in international trade and investment agreements?” in the context of the 81st ILA Conference

Speech on the topic of “Sovereign Sustainability-Linked Bonds” in the context of the 2024 ESIL Research Forum

Speech on the topic of “Differences between Investment and Commercial Arbitration” in the context of the 2023 IPA Investment Arbitration Seminar (in Spanish)

Guest lecturer on the topic of “Non-discrimination in International Investment Law” – 2023 European Law Students’ Association Summer School on International Investment Law

Guest lecturer on the topic of “Security Token Offerings in International Economic Law” – University of Buenos Aires

Speech on the topic of “Financial Crisis Response and Regime Complexity: An Uneasy Compromise” in the context of the ESIL Econ Law Interest Group Workshop, held during the 2023 ESIL Annual Conference

Speech on the topic of “Third-Party Funding” in the context of the 2023 Athens Mediation and Arbitration Conference

Speech on the topic of “International Legal Discourse and Digital Eco-systems: Between Sensationalism and Liberation” in the context of the 2023 CEU/ESIL Conference on the “Aesthetics of International Law”
Full bio
Publications
“International Law Shaping and Digital Ecosystems: Between Sensationalism and Empowerment”, 15(1) Asian Journal of International Law (2025)

“Book review: The Parthenon Marbles and International Law by Catharine Titi”, 13(1) Cambridge International Law Journal (2024)

“European Superleague Company - Case C-333/21” (with N. Mantatzis) in 2(1) Athlitismos & Dikaio (2024) (in Greek)

“The New Greek Arbitration Law”, Kluwer Arbitration Blog (2023)

“SFT Decision of 1/11/2022, 4A_246/2022”, 1 Athlitismos & Dikaio (2023) (in Greek)

“CAS 2023/O/9370, Professional Football Agents Association (PROFAA) v. FIFA” (with A. Zavolakis), 1(2) Athlitismos & Dikaio (2023) (in Greek)

“The Credit Suisse Crisis and International Law: Time to Embrace Regime Complexity?”, EJIL: Talk! (2023)

“CAS 2019/A/6148, World Anti-Doping Agency v. Sun Yang & Fédération Internationale de Natation, Award of 28 February 2020” (with G. Palermo) in A. Duval and A. Rigozzi (eds.), Yearbook of International Sports Arbitration 2018-2020 (Asser, 2023)