2025 Wrapped

In 2025, Astute Dispute Resolution entered a new phase of its journey: while arbitrator roles remained an important part of our practice, this year saw a clear rise in counsel mandates.

We were entrusted with complex, high-value disputes across sectors as diverse as energy, life sciences, or construction, acting as lead or co-counsel in international proceedings.

This shift would not have been possible without the continued trust of our clients, and the generous collaboration of peers and professionals who referred us, exchanged views, or co-pitched cases. We feel fortunate to count you among our network.

2025 was a year of deeper engagements, new collaborations, and strong professional relationships. We are confident that 2026 will continue to build on this foundation, step by step, through each meeting, exchange and project.

Here’s a quick snapshot of what we’ve been working on in 2025 ↓

Case Highlights

In 2025, Astute Dispute Resolution added significant work to its counsel caseload:

• Co-represents a state-owned entity in a commercial construction arbitration regarding an EPC Project for the rehabilitation of an electric sub-station;

  
  

• Co-represents an exclusive European distributor in a commercial arbitration against its Swiss supplier in a niche life sciences sector;

  
  

• Represented an energy company in a CHF 100M multi-party commercial arbitration involving complex contractual issues and intricated inheritance disputes;

  
  

• Assessed the claim of and advised a Central European wellness company in its dispute with its Swiss former partner;

  
  

• Provided Swiss law advice to foreign counsel in the context of arbitration proceedings between a European company and its Eastern European counterpart concerning the sale of goods;

  
  

• Provided ad hoc support to Swiss counsel in the context of an emergency arbitration between two European parties;

In parallel to this expansion of counsel work, Nhu-Hoang Tran Thang continues to be active as arbitrator.

In 2025, she rendered a final award as sole arbitrator in a Swiss Arbitration Centre arbitration in less than four months from her receipt of the file to the final award notification. She acted as co-arbitrator in two further cases related to technology licensing and energy concession rights, respectively.

In addition, Nhu-Hoang continues assisting two prestigious arbitral tribunals in an inter-State large scale ICC energy related arbitration and in an ICSID proceeding concerning the sport industry.

Astute Ressources

We believe that legal clarity starts with accessible content.

That’s why, in 2025, we expanded our efforts to make arbitration more accessible through a growing library of visual resources designed to be both practical and light in tone, while remaining carefully crafted and grounded in legal texts and practice.

From how-to checklists to explanatory guides and interactive tools, each resource reflects our intention to demystify arbitration without simplifying it.

In 2026, we aim to build further on this collection via the Astute News & Resources blog but before we do, take a moment to revisit some of 2025’s most useful additions:

Each carousel guide is designed to be swiped through, shared, and revisited, whether you're navigating an arbitration budget or drafting an arbitration clause. The series so far includes :

Conferences & Other Contributions

2025 began with Nhu-Hoang’s sharing the story of building the foundations of Astute Dispute Resolution with over 220 Vietnamese lawyers and other professionals gathered by ADR Vietnam Chambers LLC for an online event series on law firm management.

This year also marked her contribution to the now well-known ARBinBrief video podcast series, which features short interviews on practical arbitration topics. Her discussion of “Commodity Trading Arbitration Demystified: the essentials” with Juliette Asso (LALIVE) and Yasmine Fulena (King & Spalding) is available here.

Nhu-Hoang was also invited, for the second consecutive year, to lecture on arbitration procedure at the University of Lausanne’s International Arbitration Course.

She spoke at the ASA Below 40 Spring Seminar in Geneva, a favorite among young and young-at-heart arbitration practitioners in Switzerland. She joined a lively panel to discuss arbitration across the commodities supply chain, including operational and shipping disputes.

During Paris Arbitration Week 2025, Nhu-Hoang presented the official French translation of the ICCA Guide to the New York Convention to a French-speaking judicial audience, and moderated a highly successful Rising Arbitrators Initiative event, focused on how young arbitrators can raise their profile and stay relevant to arbitral institutions as they grow.

Beyond speaking engagements and content creation, Astute Dispute Resolution is proud to support the next generation by sponsoring the participation of the 2025–2026 University of Geneva team in the 33rd edition of the Willem C. Vis Moot Competition.

Continuous Learning & Arbitrator Panels

In March 2025, Nhu-Hoang received a certificate in Commodity Trading Fundamentals from the SuisseNégoce Academy after following a two-day immersive course exploring the entire supply chain from both the business and operational perspectives.

2025 also marked a new milestone in her arbitrator career: for the first time, Nhu-Hoang was appointed to the official panels of four respected arbitral institutions. She joined the rosters of the Paris International Arbitration Chamber (CAIP), the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board (KCAB) INTERNATIONAL, the Honk Kong International Arbitration Centre, and the Centre de Médiation et d’Arbitrage de Paris (CMAP).

These appointments reflect the growing trust placed in Nhu-Hoang’s arbitration expertise across multiple jurisdictions.

Sincere Thanks

Thank you to the clients who chose to work with us, and to our peers who continue to refer and exchange with generosity.