News | 19 November 2025

LALIVE announces new Partner and Counsel promotions

The Partners are delighted to announce the promotions of Laura Azaria and Robert Bradshaw in international arbitration, and Adam El-Hakim, Christian Exner and Sébastien Zulian in litigation to Partner as of 1 January 2026.

Laura Azaria joined LALIVE’s Geneva office in 2014. She specialises in both international arbitration and litigation. Laura has extensive experience with disputes, particularly those arising out of infrastructure and construction projects, sales, distribution, joint venture and shareholders agreements, as well as M&A transactions and technology-related disputes, including in relation to blockchain technology and smart contracts. She also routinely represents clients in set aside proceedings before the Swiss Federal Supreme Court, as well as recognition and enforcement proceedings.

Laura holds an LLM from Columbia Law School, as well as a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Legal Professions, a Master of Laws in Economic Law, and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Geneva. She was admitted to practise in Switzerland in 2012.

Robert Bradshaw joined LALIVE’s London office in 2019. He practises international commercial and investment arbitration, with a focus on the energy and mining sectors. Robert was one of the first members of LALIVE’s London office, has higher rights of audience before the English courts and is a registered foreign lawyer with the Singapore International Commercial Court. He also currently serves as the Thought Leadership Co-Chair for the Young ITA, the under-40 group of the Institute for Transnational Arbitration.

Robert holds a Master of Laws from BPP University, London and a Bachelor of Laws with German from the University of Birmingham. He was admitted as an English solicitor in 2016.

Adam El-Hakim joined LALIVE’s Zurich office in 2019. He is a specialist in white collar crime, compliance, asset recovery, international mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, and internal investigations. Adam advises and represents clients before authorities and courts at all stages of criminal proceedings. He has significant experience in complex domestic and cross-border criminal litigation, including matters involving anti-fraud, anti-money laundering, and anti-bribery regulations.

Adam holds a PhD, a Master of Laws and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Basel, as well as an LLM from University College London. He was admitted to the Swiss Bar in 2014.

Christian Exner joined LALIVE’s Zurich office in 2021. He concentrates on domestic and international litigation, with a particular focus on insolvency-related disputes. In this context, he advises both creditors and debtors in domestic and cross-border proceedings. His practice also includes complex commercial and banking litigation, as well as the enforcement of foreign judgments and awards.

Christian holds a Master of Laws from Zurich University and an LLM from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. He was admitted to practise in Switzerland in 2011 and in the State of Illinois, USA, in 2021.

Sébastien Zulian joined LALIVE’s Geneva office in 2017. He specialises in private client matters, advising and representing clients in complex domestic and cross-border litigation and transactional cases, with a focus on inheritance and family business disputes and pre-contentious situations.

Sébastien is a Swiss Bar Association Certified Specialist in inheritance law. He holds an LLM from Columbia Law School, a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Legal Professions, a Certificate in Transnational Law, and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Geneva, as well as a Bilingual Master of Laws from the University of Basel and the University of Geneva. He was admitted to practise in Switzerland in 2016.

The Partners are equally delighted to announce the promotions of Isabel San Martín in international arbitration and Nikita Ognivtsev in litigation to Counsel, also as of 1 January 2026.

Isabel San Martín joined LALIVE’s London office in 2021. She specialises in international arbitration and public international law. Isabel represents and advises clients across a range of sectors, including renewable energy, oil and gas, mining, construction, and banking and finance. She also has experience in human rights law and was a member of the ICC Task Force on Resolving Climate Change Related Disputes through Arbitration.

Isabel holds a Master of Laws from Boston University School of Law and a Bachelor of Laws from ICADE – Universidad Pontificia de Comillas, Spain. She also completed a Master in Legal Practice at Universidad Carlos III. Isabel was admitted to practise in Spain in 2015 and in New York in 2018.

Nikita Ognivtsev joined LALIVE’s Geneva office in 2019. He advises and represents clients in domestic and cross-border litigation, with a particular focus on complex financial matters, white collar crime and banking disputes. His practice also includes asset recovery and judicial assistance in civil and criminal matters, as well as compliance and internal investigations. Nikita has extensive experience in issues involving Russian-speaking jurisdictions (CIS and Ukraine).

Nikita holds a Master of Laws and a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Legal Professions from the University of Geneva. He was admitted to practise in Switzerland (Geneva) in 2019.

These promotions underscore LALIVE’s commitment to deliver the highest level of expertise and service to our clients in all areas of domestic and international disputes. The firm now has 40 lawyers in litigation and 48 in international arbitration, based in its Geneva, Zurich and London offices.

The Partners welcome Laura, Robert, Adam, Christian and Sébastien to the Partnership and wish Isabel and Nikita every success in their new roles as Counsel.

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