Giulio Palermo is an arbitration specialist qualified in Switzerland, Italy, and Spain. He has acted in over 100 international arbitration proceedings, including more than 60 appointments as arbitrator. His experience spans proceedings conducted in English, Spanish, French, and Italian under the rules of all major arbitral institutions. Recognized internationally for his expertise, Giulio is consistently ranked among the leading arbitration practitioners worldwide across major legal directories. Early in his career, he was already listed among the “Global Elite Thought Leaders Under 45” by Who’s Who Legal in 2023 and named the most highly regarded arbitration practitioner in Europe in the Who’s Who Future Leaders ranking in 2020. Clients and peers describe him as “an arbitration powerhouse” (Legal 500), praise him as “straight to the point and always delivers” (Chambers), and highlight his ability to combine “commercial and investment arbitration savvy with sports law arbitration” (Legal 500). In addition to his work as counsel and arbitrator, Giulio acts as an expert before courts and arbitral tribunals and advises clients on dispute prevention, dispute strategy, and Swiss law aspects of cross-border business operations. Giulio is also a leading practitioner in sports arbitration, with a particular focus on disciplinary matters. He serves as an arbitrator with the Court of Arbitration for Sport and the Swiss Sports Tribunal. In his capacity as UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector, he represents UEFA in proceedings before its disciplinary and appeal bodies.
“He stands out for straight talk and real-world judgment. He is honest and direct with no fluff, and he consistently puts our interests first. His advice is practical and actionable, not academic”
Chambers - Arbitration - 2026
“He is pragmatic, sound with details and calm under time pressure. He gives usable options and keeps documents clean and on schedule, with great responsiveness”
Chambers - Arbitration - 2026
“Giulio is super responsive, thorough and super honest. His responsiveness, analysis and human touch are his key strengths”
Chambers - Arbitration - 2026
Ranked in Chambers and Partners (Sport band 3 and Arbitration band 4) Switzerland
2025 – Present
Ranked in Legal500 (Sport band 4 and Arbitration band 4) Switzerland
2024 – Present
Arbitrator at the Swiss Sports Tribunal
2024 – Present
- Swiss Law in International Sports Disputes: Practical Examples and Outlook (CAS Bulletin 2/2025)
2025
- El precedente en el arbitraje internacional - Arbitraje y Jurisdicción. Homenaje a Miguel Ángel Fernández-Ballesteros (La Ley Soluciones Legales, March 2024)
2024
- Indépendance du TAS vis-à-vis de ses financeurs et des utilisateurs réguliers de ses services - Les Cahiers de l'Arbitrage (Lextenso, January 2024)
2024
Stockholm University — LL.M. in International Commercial Arbitration
2010 – 2011
IE Law School — LL.M. in International Legal Practice and Transnational Corporate Law
2009 – 2010
Universidad de La Laguna — Spanish Law Degree
2009