Pascal Pichonnaz, former Dean of Fribourg Faculty of Law (2014-2017), is professor for Swiss and Comparative Contract Law, European Consumer Law and Roman Law. He was educated at the University of Fribourg, where he got his PhD and his Habilitation. He took the bar exam in Fribourg (1994). He studied also at Berkeley Law (LL.M., 1997) and has spent a research year at the University of Regensburg (Germany, 1997-1998, Chair of Prof. Dr Reinhard Zimmermann), and then several months at the MPI Hamburg (2005), at Università la Sapienza (2005) and at Stellenbosh University, South Africa (2010). He has also been fellow of the Robbins Collection, Berkeley (2005).
Since 2008, he his co-founder and co-Director of the LL.M. in Business Law at the Faculty of Law of Fribourg (www.unifr.ch/ius/llm) Master of Laws in cross-cultural business practice.
He has been visiting professor at several Universities around the world, including Georgetown Law (2017-2018), Paris Panthéon-Assas (Paris 2) (February 2017 ; January 2013 – November 2012; May 2012; February 2008); Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (Santiago, November-December 2014); Trento (April 2014); Liège (Chaire David-Constant 2013) ; Istanbul, Bilgi University (April 2012); Center for Transnational Legal Studies (CTLS), London (http://ctls.georgetown.edu; Aug.-Dec. 2011 and Jan-June 2009); Georgetown Summer Program (London; August 2011); Montpellier (March-April 2011); University of Rome 2 “Tor Vergata” (April 2007).
He is the editor in chief of the Revue de droit suisse/Zeitschrift für Schweizerisches Recht, as well as member of the editorial board of several Law journals, including Revue suisse de jurisprudence/Schweizerische Juristenzeitung; Baurecht/Droit de la construction; Revue Internationale des Droits de l’Antiquité (RIDA) (Brussels); Fundamina (South Africa); and on the scientific committee of many others, including Index (Naples); Iura (Catania); Revista Internacional de Derecho Romano (RIDROM ; Spain).
He is member of the Council of the ELI (European Law Institute), since 2017. He has been President of ELFA (European Law Faculties Association ; 2008-2009) and previously member of the board (2004-2008). He is vice-president of the (Swiss) Federal Consumer Commission. Dean (2014-2017), associate Dean for international relations (2004-2014) of Fribourg Law School, he has also been the President of the professoral body of the University of Fribourg (2007-2009). Since 2010, he is a standing member of the International Jury of the Premo Internazionale di diritto romano ‘Gérard Boulvert’ (Roman Law; http://www.premioboulvert.unina.it/giuria.php).
He was the scientific co-director of the project European Law Online School of Law of Fribourg in coordination with the University of Strasbourg IIIM (2004-2008), scientific director of the Master of advanced studies in Children Rights (University of Fribourg in collaboration with the Institute Kurt Bösch in Sion and the Institute for children’s rights, Bramois/Sion; 2002-2006).
He is regularly President, sole arbitrator, or co-arbitrator in various arbitral proceedings (ICC, ad hoc; national and international contract Law, Construction Law).
Among his recent publications, one can mention several books, among which:
– Vincent Martenet/Pascal Pichonnaz, Commentaire romand de la Loi contre la concurrence déloyale (LCD), Bâle 2017 (645p.) ISBN
– Pascal Pichonnaz/Benedict Foëx/Denis Piotet (édit.), Commentaire romand du Code civil II, Art. 457-977 CC, Art. 1-61 Tit. fin. CC, Bâle 2016 (XLII+3307p.) ISBN
– Pascal Pichonnaz / Franz Werro (edit.), La pratique contractuelle 5, Genève /Zurich 2016 (176 p.) ISBN
– Pascal Pichonnaz/Louise Gullifer, Set-off in Arbitration and Commercial Transactions, Oxford 2014, 480 p.
– Pierre Tercier/Pascal Pichonnaz, Le droit des obligations, 5e éd., Genève/Zurich 2012, XXII + 467 p.
– Pascal Pichonnaz, Les fondements romains du droit privé, Zurich/Paris 2009, 610 p.
And many articles, including recently:
– Pascal Pichonnaz, Legal Interpretation in Multilingual States: An Opportunity, Journal of Comparative Law [JCL], 12:2 (2017), p. 124-141 (published in 2018)
– Pascal Pichonnaz, Plurilinguisme des juristes romains … et des romanistes: quelques réflexions, Index 45(2017), p. 707-722.
– Mathieu Devinat/Pascal Pichonnaz, L’égalité des langues officielles devant les cours suprêmes : regards croisés sur le droit canadien et le droit suisse, RDS 2017/3 I 271-287.
For further details, see www.unifr.ch