Geneva

Christian Girod, LL.M.

Partner, Certified Specialist SBA Inheritance Law, TEP

+41 22 707 8140 christian.girod@swlegal.ch

Oriane Banovski

Assistant

Christian Girod is a Partner in our Dispute Resolution Group as well as in our Private Wealth Group in Geneva. His main areas of practice are commercial, banking and insurance litigation, as well as estate and trust disputes.

Expertise

Dispute Resolution Private Wealth

Trade and Transport

Experience

His practice is almost exclusively devoted to international matters and covers a broad range of issues which include: pre-litigation strategic advice; representation of parties in cases related, inter alia, to estate and trusts, private banking disputes, international commodity sales, manufacturing contracts, partnerships, charter parties, insurance; and the securing and freezing of assets in aid of domestic and international proceedings
Representation of a Swiss Foundation as defendant in relation to estates opened in 1928 and 1968 which involve artworks and other assets confiscated by the Nazis in the 1930's and are governed by the laws of different states
Representation of a bank sued by a former client in relation to investment proposals made by the bank, their implementation and subsequent investments (claims totaling several tens of millions Swiss francs)
Representation of a refinery of precious metals in proceedings against a customer, a watchmaker, to recover quantities of precious metals such as gold and palladium owed by the latter
Representation in several proceedings for provisional measures and on the merits related to the disputed ownership of a Gerhard Richter painting
Representation of a Lloyd's syndicate in proceedings brought against it in relation to the alleged robbery of a diamond and jewels. Fraudulent insurance claim
Representation of an alleged debtor opposing to an attachment order obtained by a creditor on more than two dozens of accounts (claims totaling several hundreds of millions Swiss francs)

Career

Professional Experience

2000-2001

Member of the Management Committee at Schellenberg Wittmer

1994

Partner at Schellenberg Wittmer

1986

Associate at Schellenberg Wittmer

Education and Admission

1986

LL.M., Harvard Law School

1985

Bar Admission in Switzerland

1982

lic. iur., University of Geneva

Recognitions

Chambers and Partners Global/Europe: Litigation since 2009
Chambers and Partners High Net Worth Guide: Private Wealth Law since 2023
The Legal 500: Key Lawyer in Dispute Resolution
Who's Who Legal: Recommended in Insurance & Reinsurance since 2019; Recommended in Commercial Litigation since 2023
Leaders League: Litigation

Languages

French
English
German

Selected Publications

La protection du dénonciateur en droit du travail de Lege Ferenda : quelques réflexions Institutional vs. ad hoc Arbitration

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Speaking Engagements

Christian Girod: Parliamentary Hearing Concerning Revision of Swiss Civil Code (Chapter on Inheritance) Christian Girod: Speaker on Succession Law at the Geneva Marathon of Law