Aurélie Conrad Hari

Bär & Karrer Ltd

Geneva www.baerkarrer.ch

aurelie.conradhari@baerkarrer.ch Tel: +41 58 261 57 00

Biography

Aurélie Conrad Hari co-heads the Litigation practice, where she has been a partner since 2017. She has a broad experience in handling complex multi-jurisdictional disputes in financial, banking and commercial disputes. She also specialises in private clients' assistance and representation. Her practice encompasses shareholders' and employment disputes, insolvency as well as asset recovery, with the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards. She also frequently acts as counsel representing parties in commercial arbitration related to various industries, e.g., sale, distribution, agency, construction (including power plants) and energy.

What qualities make for a successful practitioner in asset recovery?

Responsiveness, strong legal, technical and strategic skills. Given the issues generally at stake when processing asset recovery, counsel needs to be able to act and react quickly as time is generally of the essence. Coordinating proceedings in various jurisdictions as well as assessing the right move to do when also prove crucial when dealing with asset recovery. Playing chess with the opposing side can only be successful when relying on the right strategy.

What key challenges arise for multinationals with litigation proceedings across several jurisdictions? How can practitioners best prepare for these challenges?

Cost and time efficiency certainly raise regular concerns for clients. The choice of jurisdiction also is of clear relevance to try to manage those to the best extent. The recent Brexit and its impact on the enforcement of UK judgments also called for reassessment of some jurisdiction clauses and choices to maximise the efficiency of the judgments to be rendered.

How effective are hybrid hearings, and what challenges do they pose?

Remote hearings prove much more helpful and efficient than expected. This compulsory move demonstrated that the use of hybrid hearings should be more regular and can certainly be an efficient tool to speed up the proceedings, especially when it comes to administrative hearings in particular, i.e. organisational hearings to discuss the next steps of the proceedings or mere formalities. Actually, remote hearings also proved better than expected even for hearings on the merits, although for those we still experience some – to some extent legitimate – reluctance from counsel and judges. While a remote hearing will never be able to have it all and the live hearing retains the comprehensive aspects especially in respect of assessing witnesses, it is a tool that will certainly now be part of our kit when managing litigation. However the judiciary still needs to embrace that new technology in jurisdictions where it is not used to it.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

Be yourself, trust yourself and never save your efforts.

WWL says: Sources praise Aurélie Conrad Hari as “a very good litigator” who possesses expert knowledge of civil and commercial disputes.