Melissa Magliana

Partner, Zurich

+41 58 105 2100

mmagliana@lalive.law

Melissa Magliana

Melissa specialises in international arbitration. She has experience in both common and civil law jurisdictions, holds legal degrees in US and Swiss law, and advises and represents clients in ad hoc and institutional arbitration proceedings under all major rules of arbitration.

Melissa also acts as sole arbitrator, co-arbitrator and chair of arbitral tribunals and advises on other forms of dispute resolution and related proceedings, such as mediation and international legal assistance.  She “boils complex matters down into manageable, bite-sized pieces and gives clear and rational argumentation”, Chambers Global, Arbitration Counsel, 2023.

Her expertise spans different industry sectors with a particular focus on highly complex construction and engineering disputes as well as disputes arising in the life sciences industry, including shareholder, partnership and joint venture disputes arising in a post-M&A context.

Recognition

“She is an eloquent speaker and presenter who presents persuasive arguments.”
Chambers Global, Arbitration Counsel, 2023

Ranked Band 3
Chambers Europe, Arbitration Counsel, 2023

Ranked as “Next Generation Partner”
Legal 500 EMEA, Dispute Resolution, Arbitration, 2023

Recent publications

Mechanisms for resolving construction disputes
MELISSA MAGLIANA, BENOÎT KOHL
In: Construction and Arbitration: The Essential Building Blocks (Kluwer 2024)

Managing risk in nuclear construction projects
MELISSA MAGLIANA, ROOPA MATHEWS
In: Construction Law International, 26 July 2024 and LALIVE Blog, 06 May 2024

Dispensing with written consent – or consent altogether – in third party extensions under the New York Convention: A critical examination of the recent Swiss and U.S. Supreme Court decisions in B. Suisse and GE Energy
MELISSA MAGLIANA, PHILIPPE HOVAGUIMIAN,
In: b-Arbitra, Belgian Review of Arbitration, February 2021

Recent conferences

FIDIC Official International Contract Users Conference
Speaker: Construction Adjudication, Application of DAABs, Dispute Avoidance
London , 4 December 2024

CEPANI Colloquium on Construction and Arbitration: The Essential Building Blocks
Speaker: Different techniques available for resolving construction disputes
Brussels, 15 November 2024

ASA Annual Conference - Laureate Panel: Excellence in Advocacy, today and beyond
Speaker
Geneva, 2 February 2024

Read more

Current professional memberships

  • Member, Arbitration Court of the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA)
  • Member, Board of the Swiss Arbitration Association (ASA)
  • Officer, IBA Arbitration Committee; co-chair, In-House Counsel Working Group
  • Representative of Switzerland, United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) working group on dispute settlement (Working Group II)
  • Co-chair, CPR Task Force on the Arbitration of Life Sciences Disputes

Career history

  • Partner, LALIVE, 2018 – present
  • Counsel, Homburger, 2012 – 2018
  • Associate, Homburger, 2005 – 2011

Academic qualifications

  • MLaw, University of Lucerne School of Law (magna cum laude), 2014
  • Juris Doctor (JD), Columbia University School of Law (James Kent Scholar), 2004
  • Bachelor of Arts (BA), Princeton University (magna cum laude), 1999
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Practices

  • Arbitration - International Commercial

Sectors

  • Construction & Infrastructure
  • Energy
  • Mining
  • Pharma
  • Sports

Languages

  • English
  • French
  • German
  • Spanish
  • Italian

Nationality

  • Italian
  • Swiss

Admission

  • New York, 2005
“A standout name in Zurich” Who’s Who Legal National Leaders, Arbitration, 2023