Marc Blessing, Introduction to Arbitration – Swiss and international perspectives, Basel 1999 ; excerpt: Swiss Traditions and Legal Culture, p. 63-66
G_2.4_BLESSING_Swiss Traditions and Legal Culture
a) Background
The text at hand is a short excerpt of an introduction of the book by Marc Blessing Introduction to Arbitration, Swiss and International Perspectives, which appeared in English in 1999. It is a precise overview of Switzerland’s current important – even leading – position as one of the most sought after countries in which to conduct international arbitration proceedings. If in any field of law Swiss law and legal culture nowadays has a visible and important impact on the legal process of globalization, it is in commercial arbitration.
Marc Blessing has been a partner of a Swiss international law firm for many years. He is an eminent specialist in arbitration, having acted as an attorney before arbitration tribunals and in particular as an arbitrator, often as president of arbitral tribunals. He has written widely on the subject and is the author of the main commentary on the Swiss Arbitration Act. He has actively shaped Switzerland as a forum for international commercial arbitration and is internationally known and well connected. He was the president of the Swiss Arbitration Association, the representative professional association of commercial arbitration in Switzerland.
b) Summary
Marc Blessing’s text gives the historic background that led to Switzerland securing a key role in international arbitration. It covers public law arbitration and a series of cases, which have taken place in Switzerland. It contains a brief description of the acknowledged legal culture, which is the basis of Switzerland’s competitive position as a principle location for commercial arbitration in the legal world.