Paolo Bertoli’s practice focuses on arbitration and litigation.

Paolo has extensive experience in numerous high-profile international and domestic arbitrations involving complex commercial, construction, and energy disputes, as well as public international law matters. He has also represented top-tier clients in commercial, follow-on, corporate, securities, and foreign award enforcement litigation before Italian courts. Additionally, he has served as arbitrator and party-appointed expert in both arbitral and foreign litigation proceedings. He is admitted to practice before the Italian Supreme Court.

Paolo is recognized as Up and Coming for Arbitration – Italy by Chambers Global and Chambers Europe and has been listed as an Arbitration Future Leader since 2023 by Who’s Who Legal (WWL).

Paolo is Full Professor of International Law at the University of Insubria (Como, Italy) and Director of the Research Centre on Swiss Law at that institution. He has published extensively in leading Italian and international law reviews and regularly lectures on various aspects of public and private international law, as well as international civil procedure.

Paolo was a visiting researcher at the Court of Justice of the European Communities in 2004 and at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law in Hamburg, Germany in 2005, as well as a Visiting Scholar at Columbia University School of Law in 2008. He is a member of the editorial board of the Rivista di diritto internazionale privato e processuale, the Italian Society of International Law, and the European Association of Private International Law.

Paolo joined Cleary in 2005 and became a partner in 2026.

Read More

Selected Activities

trigger

  • Full Professor of International Law at the University of Insubria (Como, Italy)
  • Director, Research Center on Swiss Law, University of Insubria (Como, Italy)

  • Member, Editorial Board, Rivista di diritto internazionale privato e processuale
  • Member, Italian Society of International Law
  • Visiting Scholar, Columbia University School of Law, 2008
  • Visiting Researcher, Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law in Hamburg (Germany), 2005
  • Visiting Researcher, Court of Justice of the European Communities, 2004

Publications

“ICC Releases Revised Arbitration Rules, Effective June 1, 2026,” Cleary Gottlieb Alert Memo, May 28, 2026 (co-author)

“Investment Arbitration, the Shield for Italian Companies Against Sovereign Risks in South America,” MF-Milano Finanza, January 16, 2026 (co-author) 

“International Arbitration Trends and Topics for 2026,” Cleary Gottlieb Alert Memo, January 12, 2026 (co-author)

“Lexology In Depth: International Arbitration (Edition 16),” Lexology, June 6, 2025 (co-author) 

“International Arbitration Trends and Topics for 2025,” Cleary Gottlieb Alert Memo, January 7, 2025 (co-author)

“Five International Arbitration Trends And Topics For 2023,” Cleary Gottlieb Alert Memo, January 30, 2023 (co-author) 

Books:

Corte di giustizia, integrazione comunitaria e diritto internazionale privato e processuale, Giuffrè, Milan, 2005, pp. XVII-572.

Verso un “ordine comunitario” del processo civile, Editoriale Scientifica, Naples, 2008, pp. 208 (editor, with N. BOSCHIERO).

Diritto europeo dell‘arbitrato internazionale, Giuffrè, Milan, 2015, pp. XIII-276.

Data Protection tra Unione europea, Italia e Svizzera, Giappichelli, Turin, 2019 (editor, with F. FERRARI, G. RIPAMONTI and G. TIBERI).

Federalismo, regionalismo e pandemia. Una comparazione tra Svizzera e Italia, Editoriale Scientifica, Napoli, 2022, pp. X-127 (editor, with F. DE ROSA and G. GRASSO).

Nozioni di diritto internazionale privato e processuale, Giappichelli, Turin, 2023, pp. XIII-212.

Verso un diritto processuale civile comunitario uniforme: l‘ingiunzione di pagamento europea e le controversie di modesta entità, in Rivista di diritto internazionale privato e processuale, 2008, pp. 395-428.

Articles:
 
Verso un diritto processuale civile comunitario uniforme: l’ingiunzione di pagamento europea e le controversie di modesta entità, in Rivista di diritto internazionale privato e processuale, 2008, pp. 395-428.
 
Verso un diritto processuale civile comunitario uniforme: l’ingiunzione di pagamento europea e le controversie di modesta entità, in BOSCHIERO, BERTOLI (eds.), Verso un “ordine comunitario” del processo civile, Editoriale Scientifica, Naples, 2008, pp. 131-166.
 
L’ingiunzione europea di pagamento nel regolamento (CE) n. 1896/2006, in Quaderni europei, 8, 2009, p. 37 ss.
 
Articolo 1 (in generale), in Regolamento (CE) n. 593/2008 del Parlamento europeo e del Consiglio del 17 giugno 2008 sulla legge applicabile alle obbligazioni contrattuali (Roma i). Commentario a cura di SALERNO e FRANZINA, in Nuove leggi civili commentate, 2009, pp. 502-513.
 
Articolo 1 par.2 lett. i), in Regolamento (CE) n. 593/2008 del Parlamento europeo e del Consiglio del 17 giugno 2008 sulla legge applicabile alle obbligazioni contrattuali (Roma I). Commentario a cura di SALERNO e FRANZINA, in Nuove leggi civili commentate, 2009, pp. 548-555.
 
La definizione dell‘ambito di applicazione del regolamento Roma I: criteri generali e responsabilità precontrattuale, in BOSCHIERO (a cura di), La nuova disciplina comunitaria della legge applicabile ai contratti (Roma I), Giappichelli, Turin, 2009, pp. 227-246.
 
Choice of Law by the Parties in the Rome II Regulation, in Rivista di diritto internazionale, 2009, pp. 697-716.
 
Party Autonomy and Choice-Of-Law Methods in the “Rome II” Regulation on the Law Applicable to Non-Contractual Obligations, in Diritto dell’Unione europea, 2009, pp. 229-264.
 
Le fusioni transfrontaliere alla luce del recepimento italiano della decima direttiva societaria, in Rivista di diritto internazionale privato e processuale, 2010, pp. 35-54.

Costituzione, in BARATTA (ed.), Diritto internazionale privato, Giuffrè, Milan, 2010, pp. 78-91.

Commento all’art. 3 n. 2 lett. e l. 1° dicembre 1970 n. 898, in ZACCARIA (ed.), Commentario breve al diritto della famiglia, 2nd ed., Cedam, Padua, 2011, pp. 1617-1622.

Commento all’art. 12-quinquies l. 1° dicembre 1970 n. 898, in ZACCARIA (ed.), Commentario breve al diritto della famiglia, 2nd ed., Cedam, Padua, 2011, pp. 1731-1732.

Profili evolutivi della connessione attributiva internazionale, in D’ELIA, TIBERI, VIVIANI SCHLEIN (eds.), Scritti in memoria di A. Concaro, Giuffré, Milan, 2012, pp. 29-41.

The ECJ‘s Rules of Reason and Internationally Mandatory Rules, in BOSCHIERO, SCOVAZZI (eds.), International Courts and the Development of International Law. Essays in Honour of Tullio Treves, Springer, The Hague, 2013, pp. 747-756.

Regulatory measures, standard of treatment and the law applicable to investment disputes (with Z. CRESPI REGHIZZI), in Rivista di diritto internazionale privato e processuale, 2013, pp. 43-74.

Regulatory measures and the law applicable to investment disputes (with Z. CRESPI REGHIZZI), in TREVES, SEATZU, TREVISANUT (eds.), Foreign Investment, International Law and Common Concerns, Routledge, 2014, pp. 26-49.

Arbitration and the Brussels I Regulation Recast, in Emanuele, Molfa (eds.), Selected issues in international arbitration: the Italian perspective, Thomson Reuters, 2014, pp. 277-291.

Arbitration, the Brussels I Recast and the Need for European Arbitration Law, in Diritto dell’Unione europea, 2014, pp. 81-109.

Commento all’art. 3 n. 2 lett. e l. 1° dicembre 1970 n. 898, in ZACCARIA (ed.), Commentario breve al diritto della famiglia, 3rd ed., Wolters Kluwer, Padua, 2016, pp. 1366-1369.

Commento all’art. 12-quinquies l. 1° dicembre 1970 n. 898, in ZACCARIA (ed.), Commentario breve al diritto della famiglia, 3rd ed., Wolters Kluwer, Padua, 2016, pp. 1456-1457.

Tutela dei dati personali e diritto internazionale privato: questioni generali, in DISTEFANO (ed.), La protezione dei dati personali ed informatici nell’era della sorveglianza globale, Editoriale scientifica, Naples, 2017, pp. 191-213.

La “Brexit” e il diritto internazionale privato e processuale, in Rivista di diritto internazionale privato e processuale, 2017, pp. 599-632.

La procedura arbitrale (with F. Marelli), in BENEDETTELLI, CONSOLO, RADICATI DI BROZOLO (eds.), Commentario breve al diritto dell’arbitrato, 2nd ed., Wolters Kluwer, 2017, pp. 921-946.

L’istruzione probatoria e le prove nell’arbitrato. La collaborazione con l’autorità giudiziaria in materia di prove (with F. Marelli), in BENEDETTELLI, CONSOLO, RADICATI DI BROZOLO (eds.), Commentario breve al diritto dell’arbitrato, 2nd ed., Wolters Kluwer, 2017, pp. 970-997.

Jurisdiction and Applicable Law in Follow-on Actions, in MARINO, BIEL, BAJČIĆ, SOSONI, (eds.), Language and Law. The Role of Language and Translation in EU Competition Law, Springer, Basel, 2018, pp. 87-101.

Virtual Currencies and Private International Law, in Rivista di diritto internazionale privato e processuale, 2018, pp. 583-607.

Commento all’art. 3 n. 2 lett. e l. 1° dicembre 1970 n. 898, in ZACCARIA (ed.), Commentario breve al diritto della famiglia, 4th ed., Wolters Kluwer, 2020, pp. 1511-1515.

Commento all’art. 12-quinquies l. 1° dicembre 1970 n. 898, in ZACCARIA (ed.), Commentario breve al diritto della famiglia, 4th ed., Wolters Kluwer, 2020, pp. 1611-1612.

Tutela degli investimenti esteri e rilancio dell’economia italiana, in Dir. comm. int., 2020, pp. 1 – 32.

Profili transnazionali nella tutela del diritto d’autore, in FERRARI, DELL’AVERSANA (eds.), Il diritto dello spettacolo e le nuove tecnologie, Varazze, 2020, pp. 21-25.

Smart (legal) contracts: forum and applicable law issues, in CAPPIELLO, CARULLO (eds.), Blockchain, Law and Governance, Routledge, 2021, pp. 181-189.

Arbitrato commerciale internazionale ed equo processo, in MANTUCCI (ed.), Trattato di diritto dell’arbitrato, XII, Giuffré, 2021, pp. 417-437.

Right of nature and investment protection, in Diritto del commercio internazionale, 2022, pp. 839-853.

I mezzi istruttori, in COCCIA, DELI (eds.), Introduzione al diritto dell’arbitrato internazionale, Giappichelli, 2024, pp. 207-223
 
Norme di applicazione necessaria e ordine pubblico sotto la lente del consolidamento dello spazio europeo di giustizia, in IVALDI, MUNARI, QUEIROLO, SCHIANO DI PEPE, TUO (eds.), Verso il completamento dello spazio giudiziario europeo in materia civile e commerciale, Wolters Kluwer, 2025, pp. 119-138.
 

 

Events

Conference on “Blockchain Law and Governance,” University of Milan, October 25, 2019 (Presentation on Smart contracts: applicable law and forum issues).

Conference “A norma di (chi) legge. Peculiarità dell’italiano federale,” [According to (whose) law. Peculiarities of federal Italian], University of Insubria, Como, November 22, 2019 (introductory presentation).

Conference “La formazione dei contratti internazionali,” [The formation of international contracts], Court of Como, January 24, 2020 (presentation on The formation of international contracts).

Webinar “Il diritto dello spettacolo e le nuove tecnologie,” [Entertainment law and new technologies], University of Insubria, October 5, 2020 (presentation on Transnational aspects in the protection of copyright).

Webinar “Federalismo, regionalismo e pandemia,” [Federalism, regionalism and pandemic], University of Insubria, May 18, 2021 (introductory presentation).

International Conference “Climate Change and New Technologies,”, University of Milan, October 1, 2021 (presentation on The Right of Nature and Investment Protection).

Conference on “Brexit and European Private International Law,” University of Siena, May 9, 2022.

Webinar “Il trattamento dei frontalieri nei rapporti tra Italia e Svizzera,” [The treatment of cross-border workers in relations between Italy and Switzerland], University of Insubria, October 6, 2022 (introductory presentation).

Webinar “Sanzioni e controsanzioni economiche nel Diritto internazionale e dell’UE: aspetti consolidati e prassi innovativa,” [Economic sanctions and counter-sanctions in International and EU Law: consolidated aspects and innovative practice], University of Insubria, April 20, 2023 (introductory presentation and moderation).

Study day on Persona e Diritti [Person and Rights], University of Insubria, October 4, 2023 (presentation on the contribution of the Swiss Law Centre).

Round table on European Union Law “Verso il completamento dello spazio giudiziario europeo in materia civile e commerciale,” [Towards the completion of the European judicial area in civil and commercial matters], University of Genoa, December 15, 2023 (presentation on “Overriding mandatory provisions, public policy and fraud on the law”).

Conference “Nascere secondi” [Being born second]: the 150th anniversary of the Swiss Constitution of 1874, University of Insubria, May 16, 2024 (institutional greetings).

Conference “When International Arbitration Meets the Rule of Law,” Bocconi University, May 24, 2024 (Presentation on “International arbitration and economic sanctions”).

Webinar “Recenti orientamenti giurisprudenziali in materia civile” [Recent case law developments in civil matters] organised by the Civil Chamber of Pavia, December 10, 2024 (presentation on “The recognition of foreign judgements after the Cartabia reform”).

Round table “New Energy, Old Challenge,” Paris, Paris Arbitration Week, April 9, 2025 (participant in the round table).

Presentation, “Paris Meets Rome: Lex Arbitri and the Fate of Arbitral Awards,” Paris, Paris Arbitration Week 2026, March 25, 2026