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Marlena
Harutyunyan
Counsel
Geneva
Member of the Paris Bar, Registered at the Geneva Bar
+41 (0) 22 555 82 20
CV (English)
Expertise
International arbitration
Construction
Cross-border litigation
Enforcement
Professional background
Practiced international arbitration and litigation in the Paris and New York offices of Baker McKenzie
Trained with the litigation and arbitration practice group of K&L Gates
Trained with the corporate practice group of Linklaters
Trained with the corporate practice group of Jeantet Associés
Education
Queen Mary University of London – LL.M in International Dispute Resolution
University Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas – Magistère de Juriste d’Affaires – D.J.C.E.
University Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas – Master’s degree in Commercial Law
Languages
French
English
Russian
Armenian
Ukrainian (good knowledge)
Professional affiliations
Arbitration & ADR commission of ICC Armenia
ArbitralWomen
French Association of arbitration practitioners (CFA)
Geneva Bar Association
ICC Young Arbitration & ADR Forum
Swiss Arbitration Association (ASA)
VIAC Ambassador for Armenia
Marlena focuses her practice on international arbitration and cross-border litigation.
Marlena mainly represents and advises clients in arbitration proceedings, both commercial and investment, before major arbitral institutions (ICC, ICSID, Swiss Arbitration Centre, LCIA, etc.).

Marlena has significant experience in handling complex and high-stake disputes in different industry sectors, including construction, aviation, energy, oil and gas, automotive.
She also acts for clients in enforcement of arbitral awards and foreign court decisions.
Details of recent activities
Recently, she:

Represented North American and European private investment funds on the worldwide recognition and enforcement of a North American judgment against a South American state

Successfully represented a Swiss consultancy company in an ICC arbitration in relation to a major bank fraud against a Romanian insurance company

Represented a Spanish construction company before a dispute adjudication board in a dispute against the owner relating to the termination of a Red Book FIDIC contract

Successfully represented a Swiss national in Swiss-rules arbitration in relation to a post-M&A dispute against his former shareholder

Represented a pan-African EPC Contractor in an ICC mediation with the owner in a dispute relating to the performance of a contract to modernize electrical power stations in an African state

Represented a Moroccan electronic payment company in an ICC arbitration against a French company relating to the performance of a procurement contract

Successfully represented an Eastern European state in an ICSID arbitration brought by a U.S. and UAE investors in relation to concessions to build and operate strategically important road and rail links

Successfully obtained recognition of foreign insolvency decisions in Switzerland in the context of a large-scale fraud recovery
Full bio
Conferences
It’s Me, Hi – I’m the Problem, It’s Arbitration?, ASA Below 40 Spring Seminar, Geneva, 2026

From Award to Recovery: Enforcing Arbitral Awards in Europe, Dutch Arbitration Day, Amsterdam, 2026

Dispute Boards or Arbitration: Which forum better serves construction disputes?, Young AMCA and ASA Below 40, Yerevan, 2026

Secret (and Not-So-Secret) Ingredients for Efficient International Arbitration Proceedings, VIAC and Arbmenia, Yerevan, 2026

Lecture on International arbitration advocacy skills, Resolve Academy and the University of Bologna Summer School on Cross-border Litigation and International Arbitration, Venice and Ravenna, 2025-2026

L’Arménie, ses start-up et ses licornes, International Commission of the Paris Bar, Paris, 2025

Lifting the Veil: Boutique Associates share their experiences, London, 2025

Lecture on Investment Arbitration for Resolve Academy, French University of Armenia, Yerevan, 2024

Protections offered to foreign investors in the CIS region, Arbmenia, Yerevan, , 2024

Litigation and Arbitration, friends or foes, ICC YAAF, Yerevan, 2023
Full bio
Publications
Contract termination in M. Rubino-Sammartano, T. Harris ‘Major Issues in International Construction Law’, Wiley, first ed., January 2026 (co-author)

The Revised ICSID Rules: A Further Step Towards Transparency and Efficiency, ASA Bulletin, Vol. 40, Issue 3, September 2022

Part I of a trilogy: state measures in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Global Arbitration News, March 2021 (co-author)

The International Commercial Chamber of the Paris Court of Appeal confirmed that a failure to disclose by arbitrators did not lead necessarily to setting aside of the award, Global Arbitration News, July 2020

The Paris Court of Appeal confirms arbitrators' application of UNIDROIT principles in the absence of a choice by the parties as a ruling in law, Global Arbitration News, May 2020 (co-author)