Diana Akikol is a founding partner of ABR Avocats. She has practised exclusively in the field of international arbitration for over 10 years.

Diana Akikol represents parties to arbitration proceedings in Switzerland and abroad. She has also developed extensive experience as an arbitrator, having served as sole arbitrator, emergency arbitrator, co-arbitrator and presiding arbitrator in numerous proceedings, including high-value cases and disputes involving state entities. Both as counsel and arbitrator, she has been involved in ad hoc (including UNCITRAL) and administered arbitrations (under the Swiss, ICC, LCIA and DIS Rules) governed by various arbitration acts and substantive laws.

She has particular experience in disputes involving sales, M&A, shareholder agreements, joint ventures, construction and engineering, agency agreements, licence and distribution agreements (mainly in the pharmaceutical sector), and maritime cargo claims.

Diana Akikol was ranked second among the most highly regarded arbitration practitioners in Europe aged under 45 in WWL: Arbitration – Future Leaders 2018. She is included in the list of arbitrators of ICC Switzerland.

She regularly speaks and publishes in her field, including on setting aside proceedings before the Swiss Federal Supreme Court. She has published a book on the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) and co-authored a commentary on the CISG.

Diana Akikol holds a law degree from the University of Fribourg and a PhD from the University of Lucerne, both summa cum laude. She was admitted to the bar in 2002 and served as a clerk to the High Court of Berne (2003–2005). From 2007 to 2014 she practised international arbitration in Geneva with a leading Swiss law firm, before joining ABR Avocats.

Diana Akikol is fluent in German, English and French.
With around 230 legal experts, Walder Wyss is one of the most successful and fastest growing Swiss commercial law firms, with offices in Zurich, Geneva, Basel, Berne, Lausanne and Lugano. They specialise in corporate and commercial law, banking and finance, intellectual property and competition law, dispute resolution and tax law. Their clients include national and international companies, publicly held corporations and family businesses as well as public law institutions and private clients.

Diana Akikol has been practising as an arbitration specialist for over 13 years. She has a particular focus on disputes arising out of sales, M&A, shareholder agreements, joint ventures, large construction and engineering projects, and agency agreements, as well as licence and distribution agreements.

Diana also has extensive experience as an arbitrator, having sat as president, co-arbitrator and sole arbitrator in over 30 proceedings.

Both as counsel and arbitrator, Diana has been involved in ad hoc (including UNCITRAL) and administered arbitrations (under the ICC, Swiss, LCIA and DIS Rules) governed by various arbitration acts and substantive laws.

In 2018, Diana was ranked second on the Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration – Future Leaders list of the most highly regarded arbitration practitioners in Europe aged under 45 (partner section).

Diana serves on the ICC National Committee and on the ICC Arbitration Commission. She is a member of the Court of the Swiss Chambers’ Arbitration Institution (SCAI), the Board of the Swiss Arbitration Association (ASA) and the International Advisory Board of the Vienna International Arbitration Centre (VIAC).

Diana regularly speaks and publishes in her field, including on setting aside proceedings in Switzerland. She has published a book on the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) and co-authored a commentary on the CISG.

Diana obtained a law degree from the University of Fribourg and a PhD, both summa cum laude, and was admitted to the Bar in 2002, ranked first of her class. She worked as a law clerk for the High Court of Berne, before specialising in arbitration with a national law firm (2007–2014). She continued her practice as a co-founder of a Geneva-based boutique firm (2014–2020), before joining Walder Wyss as a partner in 2020.

Diana is fluent in German, English and French.