Urs Zenhäusern practices mainly in the areas international arbitration and litigation. He advises clients on antitrust law and sports law, as well as legal matters related to unfair competition and distribution, agency and licensing contracts. He is a frequent writer and speaker at seminars on litigation and arbitration law, as well as intellectual property law topics. He has also been appointed as lecturer at the University of Fribourg and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, and for the MBA Post-Graduate Program at the University of St. Gallen.

Practice Focus

Building on his professional experience with the Zurich District and the Zurich Commercial Court, Mr. Zenhäusern mainly handles commercial, transactional and intellectual property disputes before state courts and international arbitral tribunals. Mr. Zenhäusern has acted as sole arbitrator and secretary to arbitration panels, and as a party-appointed counsel in the area of national and international litigation and arbitration.

Representative Legal Matters

• Acting for a German supplier in an arbitration initiated by a customer from the Middle East concerning the completion of a nuclear power plant and the transfer of power plant components from Europe to the Middle East.
• Acting for a German EPC contractor in defending arbitration claims brought against it by its consortium partner in relation to three combined cycle gas turbine power stations in a Latin American country.
• Acting for an English EPC contractor in an arbitration relating to the design, supply and erection of the piping system for a combined cycle gas turbine power station in Scotland.
• Acting for a US agricultural/chemical company in an arbitration against a Swiss supplier of an animal drug.
• Acting for a Swiss chemical company in defending arbitration claims brought by a private equity firm in connection with the sale of a business division.
• Representing a French manufacturer of hotel mini bars in a patent litigation before the Zurich Commercial Court against its competitor.
• Representing a Swiss wholesale dealer in a design/unfair competition litigation before the Zurich District and Zurich High Court against a Dutch manufacturer of detergents in connection with the sale of detergent tablets.
• Acting as Sole Arbitrator in an ICC arbitration between a Hungarian manufacturer of drugs and a Dutch pharmaceutical company regarding the termination of a contract manufacturing agreement.

Professional Associations and Memberships

• AIPPI Association Internationale Pour La Propriete Intellectuelle
• INGRES Institut für Gewerblichen Rechtsschutz
• Swiss Arbitration Association
• International Bar Association
• Licensing Executives Society
• International Law Association

Admission

Switzerland (1993)

Education

University of Fribourg  (Doctorate) (1991)
University of Fribourg  (Licenciate) (1986)
Urdorf  (Swiss Abitur B) (1979)