35 Years of Leadership: Philipp Dickenmann

Philipp Dickenmann, CMS Switzerland
Co-chair WLG Dispute Resolution Group

How did you first get involved with WLG, and what led you to take on a leadership position?

l first got involved with the WLG when I was a senior associate. We handled a very large arbitration for an Israeli company, together with the WLG member firm Herzog Fox & Neeman. I realized how important and valuable it is for our firm to be a member of a global network of prestigious law firms, allowing us to seamlessly handle cross-border cases. Therefore, when I became a partner in 2008, I immediately started attending WLG meetings.

What do you believe is the Dispute Resolution Group's most significant accomplishment during your term as one of its chairs?

In the beginning, the Dispute Resolution Group met only during the bi-annual WLG summits. During my term, we successfully introduced quarterly virtual meetings of the Dispute Resolution Group which allows us to include many dispute resolution practitioners who do not regularly attend the WLG summits. Our most recent meeting on crypto-related litigation took place on October 3rd.

How has your role as group chair helped build your global network and impact your practice?

Switzerland is a small country, and most of the arbitrations and many litigation cases involve foreign parties. For this reason, the WLG network has always been crucial for both my outbound and inbound work. As group chair of WLG, I have the privilege to be in contact with dispute resolution practitioners from the entire world, which is helpful for my practice and life-enriching at the same time.

As we reflect upon our growth during our 35th anniversary, tell us about the changes you've seen in the network during the years you have been involved and what leads you to believe our best days are ahead of us.

The WLG network of member firms has been constantly growing during my years – Hunton Andrews Kurth, ENSafrica, Zhong Lun, WongPartnership and more prominent firms joined during this time.

In the future, the importance of international trade will continue to grow while, at the same time, we see increased tensions as well as tendencies towards protectionist measures. In such times, it will be even more crucial for us, as lawyers, and our clients to rely on the global WLG network.