Practice areas
- International arbitration
- Sports law
- International contracts
An arbitration powerhouse.
Clients love Giulio Palermo.
An excellent lawyer with unquestionable advocacy skills [who] tackles complex issues with ease and is a pleasure to work with.
Giulio has a sharp intellect and is incredibly quick at resolving issues as they arise.
Giulio Palermo is an arbitration specialist qualified in Switzerland, Italy and Spain.
Giulio has been involved in over 50 international arbitrations (out of which more than 20 as arbitrator and more than 30 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 member of the Sport Resolutions’ International Panel of Arbitrators and Mediators. Moreover, in his role as UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector, he represents UEFA in proceedings before the latter’s internal disciplinary and appeal bodies.
He is an active member of several professional associations (e.g. President of the Swiss Chapter of the Club Español e Iberoamericano del Arbitraje and Member of the Plenary of the Madrid International Arbitration Centre).
Before joining Archipel, Giulio practiced arbitration in Geneva with Lalive, in Madrid with Juan Fernández-Armesto and in Paris with the ICC International Court of Arbitration. He initially trained with Barbera & Associati in Rome practising domestic and cross border commercial litigation.
He holds an LL.M in International Commercial Arbitration from Stockholm University and an LL.M in International Business Law from the Instituto de Empresa Law School in Madrid.
Recent projects
President in proceedings under the ICC Rules between a Spanish entity and a Romanian state-owned entity, concerning 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)
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
Co-arbitrator in proceedings under the Arbitration Rules of the Milan Chamber of Arbitration between Belgian, UK and Italian entities, concerning certain M&A deals and IP rights (seat: Milan / applicable substantive law: Italian 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 company in a multi-party ICC arbitration related to construction and engineering contracts (seat: Geneva / applicable substantive law: Swiss law)
Sole arbitrator in proceedings before the Corte de Arbitraje de Madrid between a Swiss and a Spanish entity, concerning a distribution agreement (seat: Madrid / applicable substantive law(s): Spanish 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)
Sole arbitrator in proceedings under the Swiss Rules between Italian individuals and entities, concerning a share purchase agreement and a bank guarantee (seat: Geneva / applicable substantive laws: Swiss law and Panamanian law)
Sole arbitrator in proceedings before the Corte de Arbitraje de Madrid between Spanish and Brazilian entities, concerning an agent’s fees under a sports contract (seat: Madrid / applicable substantive law: Spanish law)
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)
