Harold Frey Partner, Head of Litigation and Arbitration
Attorney at Law, LL.M.

Harold Frey

Partner, Head of Litigation and Arbitration

Attorney at Law, LL.M.

+41 58 450 80 00

harold.frey@lenzstaehelin.com

Zurich

Brandschenkestrasse 24

CH-8027 Zurich

www.lenzstaehelin.com

  • Expertise

    Harold Frey leads our Litigation and Arbitration practice in Zurich.

    Over the years, Harold has represented clients in several hundred international arbitrations and court litigations. His practice has a particular focus on corporate and M&A disputes as well as energy and construction related disputes. He regularly acts in cases involving states and state-owned companies (several cases pending).

    Ranked as top tier dispute resolution practitioner in Switzerland and included in the Legal 500 Hall of Fame, Harold has been praised by clients for his continued excellence over the past ten years and for being 'at the pinnacle of the profession'.

  • Specialist Areas

    International Arbitration, Litigation, Investigations, International Legal Assistance, Sports
  • Practices

  • Professional Experience and Education

    and Education

    2009Partner at Lenz & Staehelin
    2005Arbitration Group of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr, London
    2001District Court of Dielsdorf, Zurich
    2001Admission to New York Bar
    2001New York University School of Law (LL.M.)
    1997Admission to Zurich Bar
    1996University of Zurich (lic. iur.)
  • Languages

    German, English
  • Memberships

    Board member of the Swiss Arbitration Association (ASA), member of the Arbitration Court of the Swiss Arbitration Centre, The London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), German Institution of Arbitration (DIS), Zurich Bar Association (ZAV), New York Bar Association
  • SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

    • Frey Harold, Müller Dominique, M&A Litigation 2022 - Switzerland, in: Getting the Deal Through, April 2022, 48-54
    • Frey Harold, Christen Severin, Chapter 27: Das erstinstanzliche Verfahren: Besonderheiten bei spezifischen Streitigkeiten, section II: Aktienrechtliche Anfechtungsklage, in: Haas/Marghitola (eds.), Fachhandbuch, Zivilprozessrecht, Expertenwissen für die Praxis
    • Frey Harold, Rötheli Andreas, Favre-Bulle Xavier, Riz à Porta Gian, The Mergers and Acquisitions Litigation Review - Switzerland, in: The Law Reviews, 1st edition, December 2020, 120-128
    • Frey Harold, Arbitration 2020 - ICSID, in: Getting The Deal Through, October 2020, 20-22
    • Frey Harold, Schärli Patrick, Schleiffer Patrick, Securities Litigation 2020 - Switzerland, in: Getting the Deal Through, May 2020, 75-81
    • Frey Harold, Arbitration 2019 - ICSID, in: Getting The Deal Through, February 2019, 22-24
    • Frey Harold, Müller Dominique, Arbitrating M&A Disputes, in: Manuel Arroyo (ed.), Arbitration in Switzerland, 2nd edition, The Netherlands 2018, Vol. I, 1113-1190
    • Frey Harold, Arbitration 2018 - ICSID, in: Getting the Deal Through, March 2018, 22-24
    • Favre-Bulle Xavier, Frey Harold, Arbitration 2018 - Switzerland, in: Getting the Deal Through, February 2018, 317-323
    • Frey Harold, Lenggenhager Fadri, M&A Disputes in Switzerland, in: Legally India, February 2018, 108-112
    • Frey Harold, Favre-Bulle Xavier, Aebi Martin, Arbitration procedures and practice in Switzerland, in: Practical Law Multi-Jurisdictional Guide, Arbitration 2016/17
    • Frey Harold, Christen Severin, Statutarische Schiedsklauseln, Besprechung des Urteils 4A_492/2015 des schweizerischen Bundesgerichts vom 26. Februar 2016, in: GesKR 2/2016, 238-241
    • Frey Harold, Lenggenhager Fadri, Anti-Corruption Survey 2014 - Switzerland, in: International Financial Law Review, 2014, 23-24
    • Tschäni Rudolf, Frey Harold, Müller Dominique, Streitigkeiten aus M&A-Transaktionen, Zurich 2013
    • Frey Harold, Aebi Martin, Commentary to Art. 12-14 of the Swiss Rules of International Arbitration, in: Zuberbühler/Müller/Habegger (eds.), Swiss Rules of International Arbitration: Commentary, 2nd edition, Zurich 2013
    • Tschäni Rudolf, Frey Harold, Streiterledigung in M&A-Transaktionen (Dispute Resolutions in M&A-transactions), in: Tschäni, R. (ed.), Mergers & Acquisitions XIII, Zurich 2010, 33-92
    • Frey Harold, Müller Dominique, Preisanpassungsstreitigkeiten bei Unternehmenskäufen unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des Schiedsgutachterverfahrens, in: Oertle/Wolf/Breitenstein/Diem (eds.), M&A - Recht und Wirtschaft in der Praxis, Liber Amicorum for Rudolf Tschäni, Zurich 2010, 191-228
    • Aebi Martin, Frey Harold, Impact of Bankruptcy on International Arbitration Proceedings - A Special Case Does not Make a General Rule, in: ASA Bull. 1/2010, 113 (Case Note)
    • Patocchi P.M., Frey Harold, The Provisional Timetable in International Arbitration, in: Aksen/Böckstiegel/Mustill/Whitesell/Patocchi (eds.), Global Reflections on International Law, Commerce and Dispute Resolution - Liber Amicorum in honour of Robert Briner, Paris 2005, 575-599
    • Frey Harold, Commentary to Art. 13 and 14 of the Swiss Rules of International Arbitration, in: Zuberbühler/Müller/Habegger (eds.), Swiss Rules of International Arbitration: Commentary, Zurich 2005
  • Contact Details

  • Assistant

  • Other Activities

    • Lecturer on Arbitration and M&A related disputes at the University of Zurich.
  • References

    He is one of my top choices.

    Who's Who Legal, 2018

    An excellent litigator, who excels when it comes to high-profile commercial, corporate and transactional disputes.

    Who's Who Legal, 2018

    Harold Frey is hailed as "very brilliant" and a "star among stars" when it comes to international arbitrations.

    Who's Who Legal, 2020

    Extremely intelligent and strategic

    Chambers, 2021

    Leading figure

    Who's Who Legal, 2021

    A leading light in the Swiss market

    Who's Who Legal, 2021

    Sharp and extremely well prepared

    Who's Who Legal, 2022

    He is brilliant, creative, strategic, and experienced. A true stand-out – not afraid to proceed outside the box when circumstances warrant.

    Legal 500, 2022

    Harold Frey is one of the best known litigators in the market and an expert on disputes over acquisitions.

    Chambers, 2023

    He is a really top-tier counsel.

    Chambers, 2023

    He is my go-to person

    Legal 500, 2022

He is one of my top choices.

Who's Who Legal, 2018

An excellent litigator, who excels when it comes to high-profile commercial, corporate and transactional disputes.

Who's Who Legal, 2018

Harold Frey is hailed as "very brilliant" and a "star among stars" when it comes to international arbitrations.

Who's Who Legal, 2020

Extremely intelligent and strategic

Chambers, 2021

Leading figure

Who's Who Legal, 2021

A leading light in the Swiss market

Who's Who Legal, 2021

Sharp and extremely well prepared

Who's Who Legal, 2022

He is brilliant, creative, strategic, and experienced. A true stand-out – not afraid to proceed outside the box when circumstances warrant.

Legal 500, 2022

Harold Frey is one of the best known litigators in the market and an expert on disputes over acquisitions.

Chambers, 2023

He is a really top-tier counsel.

Chambers, 2023

He is my go-to person

Legal 500, 2022

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Insights

Insights 21.12.2022

Arbitration law: the Swiss Arbitration Centre introduces Supplemental Swiss Rules for corporate law disputes

Arbitration law: the Swiss Arbitration Centre introduces Supplemental Swiss…

On the occasion of the enactment of the new Article 697n of the Swiss Code of Obligations ("CO") allowing for the incorporation of an arbitration clause in the articles of association of certain types of Swiss companies, the Swiss Arbitration Centre has issued Supplemental Swiss Rules for corporate law disputes (the "Supplemental Swiss Rules"), which concretise and adapt the Swiss Rules of Arbitration (the "Swiss Rules") for the administration and conduct of such arbitration proceedings.

Insights 03.12.2021

New precedent does not provide clear guidance on the boundaries of the Swiss blocking statute

New precedent does not provide clear guidance on the boundaries of the…

In its decision 6B_216/2020 of 1 November 2021, the Swiss Federal Supreme Court confirmed the conviction of an asset manager for illegal acts on behalf of a foreign state. This asset manager had personally transferred client data from Switzerland to the US and handed it over to the US authorities in the context of the tax dispute between Switzerland and the United States. However, this new precedent on Art. 271 of the Swiss Criminal Code does not provide clear guidance on the boundaries of this blocking statute as regards the crucial question as to whether Swiss data can be used in connection with proceedings abroad.

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