Sebastiano Nessi

Personal Bio

Job Title: Managing Partner (Arbitrator & Counsel)

Areas of Expertise:

With almost 15 years of experience working in Paris, London, and Geneva (Switzerland) where he is based, Sebastiano Nessi is a Partner with Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle Ltd. He is a leading Swiss and international attorney-at-law specializing in international arbitration (commercial, investor-state, sports), commercial litigation and public international law. He has advised and represented clients (including several states and state-owned entities) in numerous litigation and arbitration proceedings, with seats in Brussels, Cairo, Dubai, Geneva, London, Milan, Moscow, New York, Paris, São Paulo, Singapore, Stockholm, and The Hague.

He has a broad range of expertise with a particular focus on energy, oil & gas, chemicals, commodities, telecoms, luxury industry, pharmaceuticals, distributorships, real estate, sales, hospitality, aerospace, maritime, infrastructure and construction disputes.

Sebastiano sits regularly as an arbitrator himself (including as Chairperson) and taught for several years international arbitration at the University of Paris I, Panthéon Sorbonne. He is also a lecturer at the Swiss Arbitration Academy.

Sebastiano is ranked as one of a small number of “Global Elite Thought Leaders – Arbitration – Under 45” by Who's Who Legal recognizing “some of the world’s foremost lawyers” “at the peak of the profession”. Who’s Who Legal – Arbitration also recognizes him as a world Global Leader. He is further recognized as a National Leader by Who’s Who Legal Switzerland and comes highly recommended by Legal500. In 2021, Sebastiano won two awards delivered by the International Financial Law Review (IFLR): Winner of Rising Star Award EMEA Region for Arbitration / Winner of Rising Star Award for Switzerland. Market commentators praise Sebastiano as “a blazing talent, a very bright individual and a brilliant advocate” with "impressive client management skills". He is also described by clients and peers as “a brilliant practical and strategic thinker”, and “probably the best arbitration counsel of the younger generation and obviously a star advocate”.

Sebastiano is the former Vice-Chair of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Young Members Group (CIArb YMG), and a former Representative for Europe and Russia of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC YAF).

Sebastiano is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in London (FCIArb).