Lawyers Diana Akikol

Diana Akikol

Partner
Dr. iur., Attorney at Law

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Location

Geneva

Contact

Direct phone: +41 58 658 30 61
diana.akikol@walderwyss.com

Curriculum Vitae

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Areas of activity: Commercial Contracts Arbitration

Diana Akikol leads the Geneva International Arbitration Group.

Drawing on over 20 years of experience as an advocate, Ms. Akikol represents multinational corporations, national companies, states and state-owned entities in international arbitration proceedings under the major institutional rules and ad-hoc arbitrations under the UNCITRAL Rules. Additionally, she acts for clients in arbitration-related proceedings before the Geneva courts.

Ms. Akikol is also an accomplished arbitrator, having sat as tribunal member (often as president) in more than 60 arbitrations seated in various jurisdictions (Geneva, Zurich, London, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Istanbul, Hong Kong, etc.) and conducted under a variety of rules (including ICC, Swiss, LCIA, HKIAC, VIAC and DIS).

Ms. Akikol’s practice spans a wide range of matters, with a particular focus on sales of goods, commodities and energy trading, mergers & acquisitions, shareholder agreements, joint ventures, construction and engineering, agency, licence and distribution agreements, as well as services and consultancy agreements.
Ranked as a leader in her field, both in Europe and globally, Diana Akikol “impresses peers with her mastery of complex technical facts and very profound legal knowledge” (Who's Who Legal Arbitration 2019) and is described as “very quick in understanding and very dedicated” (Chambers Global 2020). She is recommended as “one of the best Swiss arbitration lawyers” (Who's Who Legal Global Leader 2023), “a very strong practitioner” (Who's Who Legal 2020 Switzerland Arbitration) and “a highly intelligent and accurate arbitrator” (Who's Who Legal Arbitration Future Leaders Partners 2018).

Ms. Akikol serves as ICC Court member for Switzerland. She is also a member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR, the Arbitration Commission of ICC Switzerland, the Board of the Swiss Arbitration Association (ASA), a Court member of the Swiss Arbitration Centre, and a member of the Board of the Vienna International Arbitral Centre (VIAC).

Ms. Akikol has published a doctoral thesis on the warranty regime under Swiss law and the UN Sales Convention (CISG) and co-authored a commentary on the CISG. She regularly speaks and publishes in the arbitration field. Several of her contributions deal with award set aside proceedings before the Swiss Federal Supreme Court. She recently co-authored a commentary on the Swiss International Arbitration Act.

Ms. Akikol holds a law degree from the University of Fribourg and a doctorate degree from the University of Lucerne, both summa cum laude. She was admitted to the bar in 2002, ranked first of her class. Ms. Akikol started her professional career as law clerk on the Superior Court of Berne, Switzerland (2002-2005) and completed her PhD as a visiting scholar at the University of Michigan Law School (2005-2006), before specializing in international arbitration with another Swiss national law firm (2007-2014). She successfully continued her arbitration practice as a co-founder of a Geneva-based business law boutique (2014-2020) before joining Walder Wyss in 2020.

Diana Akikol is fluent in English, French and German (native).

WWL ranking - Arbitration Switzerland 2023

7 December 2023

The Best Lawyers Awards 2024

16 June 2023

Chambers and Partners has moved Walder Wyss’s Arbitration Team up to Band 2 in its 2023 Global Ranking

16 February 2023

Who’s Who Legal has again recognized a record number of Walder Wyss arbitration practitioners as leaders in their field

31 January 2023

Diana Akikol and Andrea Meier have been recognised amongst Switzerland’s twelve "most highly regarded” arbitration specialists

25 March 2022

Diana Akikol appointed to the International Court of Arbitration

5 July 2021

Record number of arbitration practitioners of Walder Wyss featured in Who’s Who Legal 2020

12 August 2020

Double boost for our dispute resolution team

1 April 2020

Commentary on Article 180a and 180b of the PILS

31 December 2021 | by Diana Akikol and Francesca Borio | in: Simon Gabriel/ Marco Stacher (Editor[s]) | "Berner Kommentar, Internationale Schiedsgerichtsbarkeit, Art. 176-194 IPRG sowie Art. 7 und 196 IPRG" | Bern

Real Estate Sale and Purchase Agreements - Risks Associated with the Payment of the Broker's Commission by the Buyer / Bankruptcy of a Tenant of Business Premises / Liquidated Damages and Penalties in International Construction Agreements

21 December 2021 | by André Kuhn, Albane Selimi, Julia Lehner, Diana Akikol and Nicole Cleis

Liquidated Damages and Penalties in International Construction Agreements

21 December 2021 | by Diana Akikol, Andrea Meier and Nicole Cleis

International Arbitration 2021: Switzerland - Trends and Developments

16 August 2021 | by Diana Akikol, Rodolphe Gautier, Andrea Meier and Dieter Hofmann | in: "Chambers Global Practice Guide" | pp. 20-30

Hearing, Award; Annulment Proceedings

21 May 2020 | Speaker Diana Akikol | LL.M. Program on International Trade Law, ILO International Training Centre | Turin

Disclosure, Objection, Challenges – the View from the Swiss Courts

6 February 2020 | Speaker Diana Akikol | ASA Annual Conference “Clear Path or Jungle in Commercial Arbitrators' Conflicts of Interest?” | Zurich

Setting Aside of Arbitral Awards – the Swiss Perspective

17 November 2019 | Speakers Diana Akikol and Dr. Bernhard Berger | ITOTAM Arbitration Days Turkish-Swiss Arbitration Forum | Istanbul

Hearing, Award; Annulment Proceedings

27 May 2019 | Speaker Diana Akikol | LL.M. Program on International Trade Law, ILO International Training Centre | Turin

Emergency Arbitrator Proceedings

3 April 2019 | Speaker Diana Akikol | Paris Arbitration Week, Conference organised by Revue de Droit des Affaires Internationales/Queen Mary University “Provisional Measures in International Arbitration" | Paris

Commentary on Articles 45 to 48 CISG

17 March 2019 | by Diana Akikol and Lucien Bürki | in: Christoph Brunner/Benjamin Gottlieb (Editor[s]) | "Commentary on the UN Sales Law (CISG)" | Kluwer Law, Haywards Heath