What LALIVE does

LALIVE is an international disputes-only law firm founded in 1973 by Jean-Flavien Lalive d'Epinay and Professor Pierre Lalive d'Epinay, pioneering figures in international arbitration and public international law. Headquartered in Geneva with additional offices in Zurich and London, the firm employs 85+ lawyers drawn from 22 nationalities and qualified across 17 jurisdictions, with 48 lawyers dedicated to international arbitration and 40 to litigation. LALIVE represents States, sovereign entities, multinational corporations, financial institutions, international organizations, and high-net-worth individuals in complex cross-border matters spanning investment treaty arbitration (ICSID, UNCITRAL), international commercial arbitration (ICC, CAS), commercial litigation, asset recovery, white-collar crime, regulatory compliance, and private client work.

The firm's service portfolio covers twelve practice areas organized around two core pillars—international arbitration and commercial litigation—supported by sector expertise in banking and finance, energy, mining, construction and infrastructure, pharma, technology, sports, and art and cultural property. Notable representations include a USD 4.4 billion ICSID arbitration for Romania, USD 3 billion-plus multi-jurisdictional litigation for Credit Suisse AT1 investors, USD 2.5 billion-plus claims for Greensill collapse investors, USD 830 million investment arbitrations for Prairie Mining against Poland, and a USD 120 million UNCITRAL arbitration for Ecuador. The firm holds tier 1 Legal 500 EMEA rankings in Swiss Banking & Finance, Construction & Infrastructure, and Regulatory/Compliance; Chambers rankings in Arbitration, Litigation, Public International Law, IP, and Corporate/M&A; and is included in the GAR 30 2026 list of the world's top 30 arbitration firms.

LALIVE generates revenue through bespoke, quote-based legal fees for professional services, with no publicly disclosed pricing or financial information. The go-to-market is partner-led direct engagement; the firm does not use intermediaries. Its principal long-tenured competitive assets are the Lalive family heritage, the ASA Bulletin (founded 1983), the annual LALIVE Lecture (since 2007 with the Graduate Institute), the Pierre Lalive and John Henry Merryman Fellowship (since 2018), and dense institutional ties to the major arbitral institutions. LALIVE is a private partnership operating through LALIVE SA (Switzerland) and LALIVE (London) LLP (UK), with no external ownership, no public listing, and no disclosed subsidiaries or M&A activity.

Name

LALIVE

Legal name

LALIVE SA and LALIVE (London) LLP

Website

https://lalive.law

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

LALIVE is a Geneva-headquartered international disputes law firm (founded 1973) with 85+ lawyers across Geneva, Zurich, and London, representing States, multinationals, financial institutions, and HNW individuals in complex international arbitration, commercial litigation, asset recovery, and white-collar matters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Dispute Resolution Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Litigation & Dispute Resolution (BPAHAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Litigation & Dispute Valuation (damages, shareholder disputes) (FSAEAHAI), Treaties, International Law & Boundary Affairs (BPAIAIAD), Transaction Tax Structuring & Deal Advisory (BPAHAOAJ)

Keywords

• International arbitration services
• Commercial litigation
• Investment treaty arbitration
• Asset recovery law
• White collar crime defense

Headquarters

HQ city

Geneva

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Fees: Revenue generated through legal advisory, arbitration, and litigation services billed to corporate clients, States, and individuals on matters involving complex international disputes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

LALIVE is an international law firm providing specialist dispute resolution services focused on complex, high-value international arbitration and commercial litigation. The firm represents major corporations, sovereign states, financial institutions, international organizations, and high-net-worth individuals in cross-border disputes before ICC, ICSID, UNCITRAL, CAS, and national courts, complemented by specialist advisory practices in areas such as asset recovery, white collar crime, investigations, banking, energy, mining, and sports.

Product overview

LALIVE is an international law firm providing specialist dispute resolution services through its three main offerings: International Arbitration (covering both commercial and investment treaty matters), Commercial Litigation, and specialized Legal Advisory practices spanning sectors such as Banking & Finance, Energy, Mining, Construction & Infrastructure, Pharma, Technology, Sports, and Art & Cultural Property. The firm operates from offices in Geneva, Zurich, and London with over 85 lawyers serving clients on complex, high-value international disputes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Arbitration – International Commercial Complex mid- and high-value international commercial arbitrations, including disputes arising from infrastructure projects, sales, distribution, joint venture and shareholders agreements, M&A transactions, and technology-related disputes.
• Arbitration – Investment Treaty Investment treaty arbitration representing States and investors in disputes involving resource nationalism, social and environmental risk, security, permits, and legislative reforms.
• Commercial Litigation Domestic and international commercial dispute resolution across all industries and sectors, including banking litigation, corporate disputes, shareholder and post M&A disputes.
• Asset Recovery & Insolvency Tracing and recovering assets globally in high-profile, complex multi-jurisdictional matters, including fraud, money laundering, unpaid debts, and insolvency-related claims.
• Corporate Commercial Advisory

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Geneva - Art-Law CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLALIVE co-sponsors the annual Pierre Lalive and John Henry Merryman Fellowship in Art and Cultural Heritage Law with the Art-Law Centre of the University of Geneva and the International Cultural Property Society, honoring co-founder Professor Pierre Lalive's legacy.
• International Cultural Property SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of the annual Pierre Lalive and John Henry Merryman Fellowship in Art and Cultural Heritage Law, established in 2018 to support emerging scholars in international cultural heritage law.
• Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (HEID)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLALIVE and the Graduate Institute co-host the annual LALIVE Lecture since 2007, creating a forum for intellectual reflection on developments in public and private international law. LALIVE also supports the MIDS-Geneva LL.M. in International Dispute Settlement.
• Business and Banking Litigation NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLALIVE is a member of the Business and Banking Litigation Network, a jurisdiction-based global network of law firms with expertise representing clients in disputes with banks and other financial institutions.
• Business and Human Rights Lawyers AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLALIVE is a founding member of the Business and Human Rights Lawyers Association and participates in initiatives such as the UN Guiding Principles of Business & Human Rights.
• Swiss Arbitration Association (ASA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLALIVE founding partner Pierre Lalive established the ASA Bulletin in 1983, which is now one of the leading journals in international arbitration, published quarterly with articles, case law, and landmark decisions.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer: Global Magic Circle firm with one of the world's leading international arbitration practices; competes with LALIVE for top-tier investor-State and commercial arbitration mandates and has comparable Geneva and London presence.
• White & Case: Global firm consistently ranked in GAR's top arbitration practices with extensive investment-treaty and ICSID experience; overlaps with LALIVE on large cross-border disputes for States and multinationals.
• Bird & Bird: International firm with strong arbitration and IP practices and European-wide coverage; overlaps with LALIVE in international arbitration and sector-focused disputes.
• Debevoise & Plimpton: New York-headquartered international firm with a top-tier investment treaty and public international law practice; directly comparable for high-stakes investor-State arbitration against LALIVE.
• King & Spalding: Global firm with one of the largest international arbitration practices and offices in Geneva and London; competes for sovereign and investor-State mandates alongside LALIVE.

Direct peers

• Homburger: Premier Swiss law firm headquartered in Zurich covering banking, corporate, litigation and arbitration; competes head-to-head with LALIVE for tier-1 Swiss disputes mandates and sector-routed work.
• Bär & Karrer: Leading Swiss firm with strong arbitration, litigation and banking practices; directly comparable to LALIVE in the Zurich/Geneva disputes market and on cross-border banking matters.
• Niederer Kraft Frey: Top-tier Swiss firm in Zurich with recognized arbitration and litigation benches; competes with LALIVE on disputes, banking and corporate matters involving Swiss law and Swiss-seated arbitration.
• Walder Wyss: Major Swiss law firm with notable disputes, banking and arbitration practices; shares tier-1 Legal 500 rankings with LALIVE and competes for corporate dispute resolution mandates.
• Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan: Global disputes-only specialist firm renowned for high-stakes commercial litigation and international arbitration; competes with LALIVE for bet-the-company cross-border mandates and asset tracing work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lalive

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LALIVE