Independent International Arbitration Lawyer
Dr. Hanno Wehland is a Zurich-based independent international arbitration lawyer with 20 years of experience in international dispute resolution. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb) and recognized as a leading practitioner by directories such as Who’s Who Legal and Legal 500.
Hanno has acted as counsel, arbitrator, legal expert or tribunal secretary in around 100 international arbitrations and arbitration-related proceedings throughout the world under the rules of all major institutions and in ad hoc arbitrations under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules. He has particular expertise representing parties in setting-aside proceedings regarding awards rendered in investment treaty arbitrations before the Swiss Federal Supreme Court.
Working as an independent practitioner, in collaboration with other legal teams where appropriate, allows Hanno to offer flexible and efficient solutions to clients and consistently deliver excellent value for money.
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Hanno advises on all aspects of investment and commercial arbitrations, including:
- Representing clients before arbitral tribunals and in related proceedings before national courts (such as setting-aside proceedings before the Swiss Federal Supreme Court)
- Case assessment, risk analysis, and advice on strategy
- Drafting arbitration clauses
- Structuring investments to obtain protection under International Investment Treaties (IIAs)
- Sitting as arbitrator
- Acting as legal expert
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Named a "Client Choice Winner" (Lexology, 2025)
"He is a knowledgeable and polished advocate" (Who's Who Legal, 2023)
"Hanno is brilliant for investment arbitrations" (Who's Who Legal, 2022)
"He is an excellent arbitration lawyer, deeply knowledgeable in particular in investor-state proceedings" (Who's Who Legal, 2022)
"Hanno is very practical and quick on his feet" (Who's Who Legal, 2021)
"He is very strong in investor-state arbitration" (Who's Who Legal, 2021)
"A top lawyer with unique knowledge of public international law" (Who's Who Legal, 2019)
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Ranked as a "Global Elite Thought Leader" (Who’s Who Legal, 2024)
a "gifted lawyer with great ‘all-round’ skills" (Global Arbitration Review)
"Hanno is … one of the leading practitioners of his generation when it comes to investment arbitration-related matters" (Global Arbitration Review)
"Hanno is very thorough and hard working - clients love him" (Who's Who Legal, 2022)"
"An accomplished practitioner" (Who's Who Legal, 2022)"
"He is an authority when it comes to thorny procedural issues" (Who's Who Legal, 2022)
"An excellent technical lawyer with a fantastic grasp of the law" (Who's Who Legal, 2021)
"a real pleasure to work with" (Global Arbitration Review)
A Truly International Perspective on Arbitration
Hanno combines a truly international perspective on the arbitral process with an intimate knowledge of several jurisdictions and particular expertise in the field of public international law. A German-trained lawyer who has spent the last 20 years working in the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, Hanno has a thorough understanding of different legal cultures that straddles the divide between civil and common law. This versatility helps him to keep an open mind and adapt his approach to every case in a way that best serves the interests of the client.
Hanno has extensive experience in a broad variety of industry sectors, including agency and distribution, commodities, construction, consumer goods, defense, financial services, joint ventures, licensing, mergers and acquisitions, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, renewable energies, technology, and telecommunications. He is qualified as a lawyer in Germany (Rechtsanwalt), Switzerland (Avocat), and England & Wales (Solicitor), and regularly advises clients with regard to each of these jurisdictions.
Hanno has particular expertise in public international law and has represented both States and investors in investment treaty arbitrations and related setting-aside proceedings. Having previously worked with the German Ministry of Finance, the European Commission, the United Nations, and the Permanent Court of Arbitration, Hanno also has first-hand experience with public institutions and international organizations.
Hanno holds a law degree from Humboldt University in Berlin, a specialized Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree in Public International Law from University College London, and a Ph.D. in International Investment Arbitration from the University of Geneva. He is fluent in English, German, and French, with a good working knowledge of Spanish.
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From 2004 to 2006, Hanno trained for the German Bar, including secondments to the German Ministry of Finance, the European Commission, the United Nations, as well as international law firms in Brussels and London.
From 2007 to 2013, Hanno was part of the international arbitration groups of WilmerHale and Herbert Smith Freehills in London, as well as the public international law team of Eversheds Sutherland in Paris. Each of these practices was ranked within the first tier of its category by publications such as the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners at the relevant time.
From 2013 to 2016, Hanno worked as Legal Counsel with the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague. During this time he administered and acted as tribunal secretary in numerous high-profile cases, with a particular focus on investment treaty arbitrations and other public international law disputes. He also represented the PCA vis-à-vis various stakeholders, including States and other international organizations.
From 2016 to 2023, Hanno worked with the international arbitration team of Swiss firm Lenz & Staehelin in Zurich and Geneva. Throughout this period, Lenz & Staehelin was ranked within the top tier of law firms for international arbitration in Switzerland.
Since September 2023, Hanno has been practising as an independent counsel and arbitrator.
Know-How
Hanno regularly publishes and speaks on international arbitration issues. He is the author of a monograph published by Oxford University Press and over 20 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on international arbitration issues, many of which have been cited in decisions of arbitral tribunals and the highest courts of several jurisdictions (including the Swiss and German Federal Supreme Courts and the German Constitutional Court). Hanno has taught classes on investment arbitration at the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and has given guest lectures at several universities.
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Wehland, H., The Application of the Prohibition of Abuse of Process Principle in the Context of Corporate Restructurings Aimed at Obtaining Protection under Investment Treaties: a Critical Review, in: Journal of International Arbitration 2025, volume 42, issue 4, 409 et seq.
Wehland, H., Swiss Federal Supreme Court refuses to follow CJEU's Komstroy decision and rejects application to set aside intra-EU ECT award: case note and commentary regarding Swiss Federal Supreme Court decision 4A_244/2023 dated 3 April 2024 (Kingdom of Spain v. EDF Energies Nouvelles), in: b-Arbitra: Belgian Review of Arbitration 2024/2 (March 2025), pp. 492 et seq.
Wehland, H., Setting-aside Proceedings Against Treaty-based Arbitral Awards in Switzerland and their Contribution to the Debate Regarding the Fundamental Requirements for Protection Under Investment Treaties, in: Journal of International Arbitration 2024, volume 41, issue 5, 559 et seq.
Wehland, H., Procedural Rights: Access to Investor-State Arbitration, Chapter in: C. Baltag/ K. Duggal/ K. Gore/ E. Putilin (eds.), International Investment Law and Arbitration in Central Asia, Kluwer, December 2022
Wehland, H., Favre-Bulle, X., Swiss Arbitration Centre, in: Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Zivilprozess- und Zwangsvollstreckungsrecht 2022, issue 60, 429 et seq.
Wehland, H., German Supreme Court Confirms Intra-EU BIT Does Not Give Access to Investor-State Arbitration in Light of CJEU’s Achmea Decision, Kluwer Arbitration Blog, January 2022
Wehland, H., Iberdrola v. Guatemala – When Do Negative Jurisdictional Awards Have Res Judicata Effect in Investment Treaty Arbitrations?, in: ASA Bulletin 2021, volume 39, issue 1, 91 et seq.
Wehland, H., Forum Shopping: Investment Arbitration, in: Max Planck Encyclopedia of International Procedural Law (MPEIPro), March 2021
Wehland, H., Book Review: Investor-State Dispute Settlement and National Courts: Current Framework and Reform Options, Gabrielle Kaufmann-Kohler and Michele Potestà, in: The Law and Practice of International Courts and Tribunals 2020, volume 19, issue 3, 577 et seq.
Wehland, H., Investment Treaty Arbitration, Chapter in: S. Balthasar (ed.), International Commercial Arbitration: Practitioner’s Guide, 2nd ed., Beck, Hart Publishing, December 2020
Wehland, H., Switzerland: The Federal Supreme Court Has for the First Time Set Aside an Investment Treaty Arbitration Award, in: ICC Dispute Resolution Bulletin 2020, issue 3, 29 et seq.
Frey, H., Wehland, H., Arbitration 2020 - ICSID, in: Getting the Deal Through, March 2020, 22-24
Wehland, H., Domestic Courts and Investment Treaty Tribunals: The Effect of Local Recourse Against Administrative Measures on the Breach of Investment Protection Standards, in: Journal of International Arbitration 2019, volume 36, issue 2, 207 et seq.
Wehland, H., Book Review: A Guide to State Succession in International Investment Law, by Patrick Dumberry, in: Journal of International Arbitration 2018, volume 35, issue 6, 733 et seq.
Wehland, H., Blue Bank International v. Venezuela: When Are Trust Assets Protected under International Investment Agreements?, in: Journal of International Arbitration 2017, volume 34, issue 6, 947 et seq.
Wehland, H., Jurisdiction and Admissibility in Proceedings under the ICSID Convention and the ICSID Additional Facility Rules, Chapter in: C. Baltag (ed.), ICSID Convention after 50 Years: Unsettled Issues, Kluwer, February 2017 (cited by Singapore High Court in BAZ v BBA and others and other matters, [2018] SGHC 275, para. 131)
Wehland, H., The Enforcement of Intra-EU BIT Awards: Micula v Romania and Beyond, in: Journal of World Investment & Trade 2016, volume 17, issue 6, 942 et seq.
Wehland, H., The Regulation of Parallel Proceedings in Investor-State Disputes, in: ICSID Review 2016, volume 31, issue 3, 576 et seq.
Wehland, H., Competing Dispute Resolution Mechanisms in Public Contracts and International Investment Agreements, Chapter in: M. Audit/ S. Schill (eds.), Transnationalization of Public Contracts, Bruylant, June 2016
Wehland, H., Investment Treaty Arbitration, Chapter in: S. Balthasar (ed.), International Commercial Arbitration: Practitioner’s Guide, Beck, Hart Publishing, January 2016 (cited by Swiss Federal Supreme Court in Decision 4A_396/2017 of 16 October 2018, Russian Federation v. A., para. 4.4.3)
Wehland, H., The Transfer of Investments and Rights of Investors under International Investment Agreements - Some Unresolved Issues, in: 30(3) Arbitration International (2014), 565 et seq. (cited by English High Court of Justice in Operafund Eco-Invest and Schwab Holding v Kingdom of Spain, [2025] EWHC 2874 (Comm), paras. 47, 53)
Wehland, H., The Coordination of Multiple Proceedings in Investment Treaty Arbitration, Oxford University Press, International Arbitration Series, June 2013 (cited by ad hoc Committee in Orascom TMT Investments v. People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, ICSID Case No. ARB/12/35, Decision on Annulment of 17 September 2020, paras. 203-222)
Wehland, H., Intra-EU Investment Arbitration: Is Community Law an Obstacle?, in: 58(2) International and Comparative Law Quarterly, 2009, 297 et seq.
Wehland, H., Arbitral Proceedings Based on Bilateral Investment Treaties Between EU Member States and the Objection of Conflicting Community Law, in: SchiedsVZ (German Arbitration Journal) 2008, 222 et seq. (cited by German Federal Supreme Court in Decision I ZB 2/15 of 3 March 2016, Slovak Republic v. Achmea BV, paras. 26, 49, 78; cited by German Constitutional Court in Decision 2 BvR 557/19 of 23 July 2024, para. 79)
Wehland, H., Schwarz, F., Arbitration 2007 - Germany, in: The International Comparative Legal Guide to International Arbitration 2007
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Mind the Gap (in Review Standards): England vs Switzerland as Seats for Investment Treaty Arbitration, Panelist at event hosted by ASA - Swiss Arbitration Association and WilmerHale, London, May 2026
Enforcement of intra-EU Treaty-based Awards Outside of the EU: the Swiss Perspective, Panelist at event organized by the European Dispute Resolution Society, Brussels, June 2025
Setting-aside Proceedings Against Treaty-based Arbitral Awards Before the Swiss Federal Supreme Court, Speaker at symposium organized by the International Investment Law Centre of the University of Cologne, Montabaur, June 2024
Climate Change and Investment Arbitration, Panelist at ICC YAAF Conference on Climate Change and Arbitration, Geneva, March 2023
Access to Investor-State Arbitration Under Treaties Involving Central Asian States, Speaker at launch event of Kluwer publication on International Investment Law and Arbitration in Central Asia, London, January 2023
The Protection of Multiple Entities and the Need to Coordinate Parallel Proceedings under International Investment Agreements, Guest lecture given at the University of Lucerne, December 2019
The ECJ’s Achmea Decision – What Does it Mean for the Future of Intra-EU BIT Arbitrations Within the EU?, Presentation given at DIS40 Event, Geneva, July 2018
Multiple Entities at Different Levels of an Investment Structure as Protected Investors under International Investment Agreements, Panelist at 30th Annual ITA Workshop and Annual Meeting, Dallas, Texas, June 2018
Drafting Prayers for Relief – Dos and Don’ts, Panelist at ASA Below 40 Seminar, Zurich, November 2017
The Prohibition of Abuse of Process as a Mechanism for Coordinating Parallel Proceedings in Investment Treaty Arbitrations, Panelist at 2nd UNCITRAL Asia Pacific Judicial Summit, Hong Kong, October 2017
Enforcement of intra-EU BIT awards within and outside of the European Union, Panelist at International Conference on Intra-EU BITs and Intra-EU Disputes organized by the University of Vienna and Saarland University, Vienna, March 2016
International Investment Arbitration, Lectures given at Chartered Institute of Arbitrators’ Malaysian Diploma Courses, Kuala Lumpur and Penang, November 2013, April 2014, January 2015, and January 2016
The 1907 Hague Convention and the Permanent Court of Arbitration Today, Panelist at Georgian International Arbitration Days, Tbilisi, Georgia, October 2015
Conflicts of Interest and Arbitral Institutions, Panelist at 13th Biennial IFCAI Conference, Co-organized with the BCDR-AAA, Manama, Bahrain, March 2015
The Role of the PCA in Investment Arbitrations under the UNCITRAL Rules, Presentation given at DIS40 Event, Berlin, October 2014 (in German)
The Permanent Court of Arbitration and the Settlement of Disputes under the Energy Charter Treaty, Presentation given at Energy Charter’s Executive Training Programme, Astana, Kazakhstan, June 2014
The PCA and its Role in the Context of International Investment Arbitration, Guest lectures given as part of the International Investment Arbitration course of the University of Amsterdam, May 2014 and April 2015
The Permanent Court of Arbitration and Africa, Panelist at APAA Conference on International Commercial and Investment Arbitration in Africa, Yaoundé, Cameroun, October 2013
Experience
With 20 years of dispute resolution experience in four jurisdictions and a major arbitral institution, Hanno is recognised as a leading international arbitration lawyer. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb) and included in the arbitrator lists of various institutions, such as the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC) and the Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC).
Hanno has acted for both States and investors in investment treaty arbitrations and has extensive experience advising on the substance and procedure of bringing claims based on bilateral investment treaties (BITs) and other international investment agreements (IIAs), notably under the ICSID and UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules, as well as defending against such claims.
Hanno frequently represents parties in setting-aside proceedings against arbitral awards rendered in investment arbitrations seated in Switzerland and he is widely recognized as an expert in this field. In 2020, Hanno obtained the first (and so far only) decision by the Swiss Federal Supreme Court setting aside an award rendered in a Swiss-seated investment treaty arbitration. He has also repeatedly successfully defended arbitral awards against setting aside applications brought before the Swiss Federal Supreme Court (see decisions of 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025).
Hanno regularly acts for parties in commercial arbitrations, conducted e.g. under the Swiss, ICC, LCIA, and UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules. He has handled cases in numerous sectors, including agency and distribution, commodities, construction, consumer goods, defense, financial services, joint ventures, licensing, mergers and acquisitions, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, renewable energies, technology, and telecommunications. Additionally, Hanno’s previous work at the Permanent Court of Arbitration provides him with particular expertise regarding the constitution of arbitral tribunals in UNCITRAL proceedings that require the involvement of a designating or appointing authority.
In addition to representing clients in arbitral proceedings, Hanno advises on pre-dispute strategy and transactions, including corporate restructurings aimed at obtaining protection under bilateral investment treaties (BITs) and other international investment agreements (IIAs). He regularly assists with the drafting of arbitration clauses and other dispute resolution mechanisms, as well as settlement agreements.
Hanno also has extensive experience advising States, international organizations and NGOs on a broad range of public international law issues, including international responsibility, privileges and immunities, the law of treaties, and host country agreements.
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Acting as Sole Arbitrator in an SCC arbitration arising out of a consultancy agreement governed by English law.
Acting for a Swiss company in an ICC arbitration against a German company arising under a conversion agreement in the field of chemical industry governed by Swiss law.
Defending a middle-Eastern telecommunications company before the Swiss Federal Supreme Court in setting-aside proceedings regarding an arbitral award rendered in an ICC arbitration against an African State.
Acting as Sole Arbitrator in a commercial arbitration arising out of an agency contract governed by Swiss law under the Arbitration Rules of the Swiss Arbitration Centre.
Acting for a West African company in an ICC arbitration arising out of a construction project against a French consortium, with the law of a West African State applicable to the substance.
Representing a Chinese client in arbitral proceedings under the Swiss Rules of International Arbitration against a Turkish company arising out of a sales contract for commodities, governed by English law.
Acting for a French company in a Swiss Rules arbitration against a Swiss company arising out of a Sale and Purchase Agreement regarding the acquisition of a furniture retailer, with Swiss law applicable to the substance.
Advising a Swiss commodities trader on complex issues of State liability, diplomatic protection and individual rights under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Representing a Swiss company in an ICC arbitration against a US company arising under a distribution agreement governed by Swiss law.
Defending a European company in an arbitration conducted under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules against claims regarding an electricity supply agreement, with the law of an Eastern European State applicable to the substance.
Defending a European engineering company in an ICC arbitration against multi-billion EUR claims brought by a State in the sector of naval shipbuilding, with Greek law applicable to the substance.
Representing a Brazilian bank in a dispute arising out of a Sale and Purchase Agreement regarding the acquisition of a Swiss bank, governed by Swiss law.
Representing a European engineering company in an ICC arbitration against a Turkish defendant regarding the construction of a chemical plant, governed by Swiss law.
Representing a Nigerian oil company in an LCIA arbitration arising under a Joint Operating Agreement governed by English law.
Representing a Russian investment bank in an LCIA arbitration arising out of consultancy services provided to a major mining company in an African State, with English law applicable to the substance.
Defending a State-owned company in the telecommunications sector in an ICC arbitration brought under a Shareholders Agreement, with UNIDROIT principles applicable to the substance.
Representing a European watch manufacturer in an ICC arbitration arising out of a failed strategic alliance with a US software company, with German law applicable to the substance.
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Acting for a Singaporean investor in setting-aside proceedings before the Swiss Federal Supreme Court with regard to a treaty-based arbitral award rendered in a PCA-administered UNCITRAL arbitration.
Representing a group of investors with different nationalities in setting-aside proceedings brought by a North African State against an arbitral award rendered in a Geneva-seated UNCITRAL arbitration.
Representing an Eastern European State in relation to setting-aside proceedings against an arbitral award rendered in a Swiss-seated investment arbitration under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules.
Representing a Spanish investor in setting-aside proceedings before the Swiss Federal Supreme Court against an arbitral award rendered in an UNCITRAL arbitration based on the Spain-Venezuela BIT.
Advising a group of investors in relation to their rights under a Bilateral Investment Treaty with a North African State.
Advising an investor on the protection available under various investment treaties against the measures of a Central Asian State.
Representing an investor in proceedings before the Swiss Federal Supreme Court in relation to the setting aside of several arbitral awards rendered in an UNCITRAL arbitration under the Spain-Venezuela BIT.
Advising a Swiss commodities trader in relation to the protection available under a Bilateral Investment Treaty with a West African State.
Acting as legal expert in a dispute under the ADR Institute of Canada Arbitration Rules regarding claims under a Bilateral Investment Treaty against an Eastern European State.
Representing a Swiss investor in negotiations with an Eastern European State regarding its rights under a Bilateral Investment Treaty.
Advising an investor in relation to its substantive and procedural rights arising under a Bilateral Investment Treaty with an East African State.
Acting as tribunal secretary in around 20 investment treaty arbitrations brought against African, American, Asian, and European States under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules, involving claims under the ECT, the NAFTA and various Bilateral Investment Treaties.
Representing a Southern European State in an arbitration brought under the Energy Charter Treaty conducted under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules.
Advising a Northern European investor in relation to the protection available under several International Investment Agreements regarding its investment in a Southern Asian State.
Defending a Middle Eastern State in UNCITRAL proceedings brought by a Southern European investor under a Bilateral Investment Treaty in relation to a bidding process in the telecoms sector.
Advising a consortium of investors with regard to their substantive and procedural rights under several International Investment Agreements in relation to their investments in the oil and gas sector in a Central Asian State.
Advising a European investor in relation to the protection available under the Energy Charter Treaty against an Eastern European State.
Contact
Dr. Hanno Wehland, FCIArb
Wehland Arbitration
+41 22 575 44 80
CH-8005 Zurich