Thomas Legler

Partner
Attorney at law, Dr. iur., FCIArb
Head Arbitration Geneva

Cours de Rive 13
1204 Genève
Switzerland
T +41 22 999 96 21
thomas.legler@pestalozzilaw.com

vCard Publications list (pdf)

Thomas Legler is responsive, well prepared, very experienced and pleasant to work with in an arbitration context, say sources. Clients emphasise that he is one of the few practitioners to specialise in both IP and arbitration matters.

Who's Who Legal, 2020

Geneva team leader Thomas Legler is highly praised in arbitration related to complex legal issues in the field of IP law.

Leaders League, 2020

Thomas Legler offers a very balanced and reasonable approach to mandates according to one source. His practice spans copyright, trademark and patent law. He boasts expertise in arbitration cases.

Chambers Europe (Arbitration and IP), 2020

Disputes expert Thomas Legler is experienced in handling cases involving corporates and private individuals.

The Legal 500 (Arbitration, Data Protection, TMT, IP), 2020

The unit has a dispute resolution aficionado in Thomas Legler, who keeps a cool head in fiery clashes. He also serves as an arbitrator for WIPO, including domain name disputes.

World Trademark Review, 2020

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Thomas Legler is a partner and Head of Arbitration in Geneva. His practice focuses on representing clients in (inter)national arbitration and acting as arbitrator. In addition, he advises clients in the field of intellectual property (trademarks, patents, copyright), IT and data protection. Swiss Parliament elected him as deputy judge of the Federal Patent Court.

Thomas Legler is specialized in general contract and corporate law (incl. distributorship and licensing; pharmaceuticals and watch industry); international and domestic arbitration; litigation in civil law; intellectual property law (patents, trademarks, copyright); telecommunications, computer and Internet law; media and privacy law; construction law.

Thomas Legler is author of several publications, in particular in the field of arbitration, IP and Internet issues, and he is a frequent speaker at national and international conferences (see specific list).

Thomas Legler is recommended as litigator and arbitrator in professional publications and listings, such as The Legal 500, Chambers and Partners Europe, Who’s Who Legal, Best Lawyers, Patent Law Experts, Managing Intellectual Property (MIP) and Lexology. In 2020, Thomas Legler was awarded with the Lexology / Client Choice award for Patent Law in Switzerland.

2015

Partner, Pestalozzi Attorneys at Law

2014

Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Fellow (FCIArb)

1997

Partner of a major Swiss law firm in Geneva

1996

University of Geneva: Doctorate in law

1995

Foreign Associate, Wilmer Cutler & Pickering (now: WilmerHale)

1993

University of Geneva: LLM ("D.E.S."; Diplôme Etudes Supérieures en droit)

1991

Associate in a major Swiss law firm in Geneva
Canton of Geneva: Bar admission

1989

Legal Counsel, Swiss Union of Privat Railways (UTP)

1988

University of Berne: Degree in law ("Fürsprecher")
Canton of Berne: Bar admission

Languages

English, French, German

Expertise & Industries

Compliance
IP & TMT
Life Sciences
Prozessführung & Schiedsgerichtsbarkeit

Membership

Fédération suisse des avocats (FSA)
Ordre des avocats de Genève (OdA)
International Bar Association (IBA), officer of the IP and Entertainment Law Committee
Association suisse de l'arbitrage (ASA)
Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb), Fellow
Indicative list of WTO Panelists
London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA)
Deutsches Institut für Schiedsgerichtsbarkeit (DIS)
World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), member of list of neutrals
Silicon Valley Arbitration and Mediation Center (SVAMC), member of Tech List
Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC), member of the IP panel
Institut für gewerblichen Rechtsschutz (INGRES)
Association romande de la propriété intellectuelle (AROPI)
MARQUES

Publications

Chambers: Doing Business in Switzerland 2021

By Thomas Legler, Michèle Burnier, Nils Harbeke, Christoph Lang, Martin L. Mueller, Oliver Widmer: Chambers and Partners, London, 2021

The Guide to IP Arbitration - A Look to the Future

By Thomas Legler, Andrea Schäffler: Global Arbitration Review, London, 2021

Patent Litigation 2021 - Switzerland: Law and Practice

By Thomas Legler, Severin Etzensperger: Chambers Global Practice Guides, London, 2021

Kommentar zum Schweizerischen Privatrecht, Internationales Privatrecht

By Thomas Legler: Ed. Honsell/Vogt/Schnyder, Ed. Helbing & Lichtenhahn, Basel, 2020

Panelist on the topic of "Use of videoconference by IP Courts"

By Thomas Legler: Webinar of MARQUES, 28 July 2020

Panelist on the topic “Efficient and workable virtual hearings: the benefit of experience from arbitration and mediation”

By Thomas Legler: Webinar of AIPPI, 21 July 2020

Arbitration of Intellectual Property Disputes

By Thomas Legler: ASA Bulletin p. 145 ff, 2/2019 (June)

Schiedsgerichtsbarkeit im Bereich des geistigen Eigentums

By Thomas Legler: Jusletter (Weblaw), 11. Mai 2020

Moderator of a panel on "Artificial intelligence in arbitration"

By Thomas Legler: Club Español de Arbitraje, Warsow, 22 May 2019

Moderator of the GAR Live Symposium panel 2019

By Thomas Legler: Global Arbitration Review (GAR) Live event, Zurich, 7 March 2019