Pierre-Yves Gunter

Bär & Karrer AG

Geneva www.baerkarrer.ch

pierre-yves.gunter@baerkarrer.ch Tel: +41 58 261 57 00

Biography

Pierre-Yves Gunter has been active in international commercial arbitration since 1991. He has acted as counsel and arbitrator in over 241 cases. After 19 years with Python (formerly Python & Peter), he joined Bär & Karrer in January 2017 as partner and co-head of the international arbitration group, which consists of 40 lawyers.

What qualities make for an effective arbitrator in today’s climate?

A solid preparation and a good organisation combined with a good understanding of the expectations of the parties and of their counsel.

What role do in-person arbitration hearings have to play in a world that has been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic?

The pandemic has demonstrated that virtual hearings could be effective. However, whereas they will probably remain the norm for short hearings such as procedural hearings, in person arbitration hearings will continue to play an important role and will quite often be preferred. Counsel tend to prefer conducting crossexaminations during in-person hearings. The interaction between the various participants as well as the interaction within the arbitral tribunal are better and more effective with in-person hearings.

What role do you see third-party funding playing in arbitration moving forward?

Third-party funding will continue to play an increasingly important role.

How has your previous chairmanship of and memberships on committees across various arbitration centres compliment your practice?

Those experiences were and are very helpful in my practice. They allowed me to develop my network and to better As co-head of Bär & Karrer’s international arbitration group, what are your main priorities for the firm’s development over 2022–2023?

With my new co-head Nadja Jaisli we will continue to ensure that our experienced arbitration team enjoys the recognition and visibility that it deserves. When possible and in order to further strengthen the integration of the team we will involve members of more than one office on cases.

To what extent has the international arbitration community met the challenge of improving diversity in recent years?

The situation has in my view has really improved in particular in Switzerland, whereas in some countries further efforts are necessary.

As a result of the shift towards virtual arbitration, what is the effect on arbitration hearing centres and their future?

The situation is more challenging today but as mentioned previously there is still a real demand for in-person hearings therefore I am not too concerned about the future of arbitration hearing centres.

What has been your greatest achievement to date?

To be recognised at the international level as counsel and arbitrator.

Peers and clients say: “Pierre-Yves is a really excellent practitioner” “He is THE go-to arbitrator” “Pierre-Yves is one of the best” “He’s always a pleasure to work with”