Managing Partner

Pierre Ducret, LL.M.

Attorney at Law | Head of the Private Clients and Sports Law Practices | Certified Specialist SBA Inheritance Law

Geneva, Switzerland

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Languages

French
English
Italian

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Pierre Ducret is the Managing Partner of CMS Geneva and Head of the Private Clients and Sports Law practice.

He advises and represents clients in complex litigation, primarily in civil and commercial matters, often involving international dimensions. He has extensive experience in inheritance law and frequently acts as counsel or arbitrator in international arbitration proceedings.

Beyond his dispute resolution practice, Pierre Ducret provides strategic advice on wealth and estate planning. He is also widely recognized for his expertise in sports law, advising athletes, clubs, and governing bodies on regulatory, contractual, and disciplinary matters.

Admitted to the Geneva Bar, Pierre Ducret is also a Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England & Wales. He holds the title of Certified Specialist SBA Inheritance Law.

Awards & Recognitions

01 –

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Olivier Carrard, Pierre Ducret and Philipp Dickenmann are fine lawyers and arbitrators, with a strong knowledge and experience in sports law, in arbitration in particular.

The Legal 500, Switzerland, Sports Law, 2024
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Pierre Ducret is a brilliant lawyer, who frequently issues publications on civil law and frequently makes presentations.

The Legal 500 Private Client, Switzerland, 2021
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Pierre Ducret and Philipp Dickenmann are experienced in dispute resolution and frequently act for corporate and individual clients in litigation and international arbitration matters.

Pierre Ducret, The Legal 500, Sports Law, Switzerland, 2021
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Pierre Ducret is very responsive and client-friendly.

Pierre Ducret, The Legal 500, Dispute Resolution: Litigation, Switzerland, 2020

Relevant experience

Litigation

Representation of an executor in urgent proceedings aiming at freezing estate assets.
Representation of Italian heirs in an inheritance distribution procedure.
Representation of a Swiss bank in legal proceedings concerning the execution of personal securities.
Representation of a French industrial group in international mutual assistance proceedings.
Representation of a Luxembourg bank in legal proceedings concerning the recovery of credits in the trading sector.
Representation of a Chinese bank in bankruptcy proceedings.
Representation of a cooperative company in a shareholders' dispute.

Arbitration

Representation of an executor in arbitration proceedings conducted under the auspices of the Swiss Arbitration Centre.
Representation of a national sports federation in arbitration proceedings before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Representation of a Singaporean company in arbitration proceedings conducted under the auspices of the International Chamber of Commerce.
Sole arbitrator in arbitration proceedings conducted under the auspices of the Swiss Arbitration Centre.
Representation of a professional football player in arbitration proceedings before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Sports law

Expert appointed in the context of an internal investigation conducted by a leading international organization in the sports sector.
Advising and representing a professional football club in various pre-litigation and litigation matters (contract law, employment law, construction law, civil liability).
Advising and representing a sports management agency in view of obtaining a practice permit.
Representation of a professional football player in FIFA proceedings.

Publications

Arbitration

LexisNexis Case Analysis: "Switzerland - Revision of an arbitral award influenced by forgeries and fraud (A v B, 4A_268/2025)", 2025
Law-Now and Lexology: Arbitration of succession disputes under Swiss and French law, 2025
No set-aside for ICC award on public policy ground (A SpA v B SpA), in: LexisPSL, 2022
No set-aside for CAS award on legal aid grounds (A v Union Cycliste Internationale), in: LexisPSL, 2021
Tweeting CAS arbitrator removed from arbitral tribunal (Sun Yang v WADA & FINA), in: LexisPSL, 2021
Swiss Supreme Court annuls CAS award in Sun Yang case on discovery of circumstances justifying the removal of an arbitrator, in: Lexology, 2021
The modification of Switzerland’s international arbitration law, in: International Disputes Digest, 2020
The Arbitral Procedure, in: International Arbitration in Switzerland: A Handbook for Practitioners, 2nd Ed. (éd. Geisinger/Voser/Petti), Kluwer Law International, 2013 (co-author : Elliott Geisinger)
The Uncomfortable Truth : Once Discovered, What to Do with It?, in: ASA Special Series No. 35, 2011 (co-author : Elliott Geisinger)
Swiss Federal Tribunal rejects multiple standards of independence and impartiality among arbitrators, in: Kluwer Arbitration Blog, 2011 (co-author : Georg von Segesser)

Private Clients

Law-Now and Lexology: Foundations under Swiss law: an overview, October 2025
Le concubinage, un statut précaire, in: Bilan, novembre 2019 (co-author : Nicolas Uster)
La Suisse a une carte à jouer en matière de trust, in : Le Temps, décembre 2018

Sports Law

Une commission de la FIFA recommande un plafonnement des commissions d’agent et une limitation des prêts internationaux, in: CMS Law Now, 2019
Consécration du principe d’intégrité des compétitions sportives par le Tribunal arbitral du sport, in : Intégrité des compétitions sportives, Charles Dudogon et al. (eds.), Jurisédition, Dalloz, 2014 (co-author : Olivier Carrard)

Memberships & Roles

Société Romande des Avocats spécialistes en Successions
Geneva Bar Association
Swiss Bar Association
Swiss Arbitration Association
Law Society of England & Wales
Swiss Sports Law Association

Lectures list

Conference CMS Talks – "Fondation : évolutions récentes et enjeux pratiques", November 11 2025
19ème édition de la Conférence des Barreaux lémaniques, Les successions transfrontalières (19e Colloque Translémanique), September 2025
Arbitration & Inheritance, Annual seminar of the Société Romande des Avocats spécialistes en Successions, November 2024
University of Geneva, Guest speaker in the master program of estate planning, May 2020
CMS Talks, Droit des successions : food for thought, November 2019
University of Geneva, Guest speaker in the master program of estate planning, May 2019
CMS Talks, 5 perspectives sur le trust, November 2018
Geneva Bar Association, Le Code de procédure civile – questions choisies, May 2016 (with David Hofmann)

Education

2024 – Certified Specialist SBA Inheritance Law
2010 – Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England & Wales (not practicing)
2009 – LL.M. in international commercial law, King’s College London
2005 – Law Degree, University of Geneva

Practice Areas

Dispute Resolution

sectors

Private Clients Sports law

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Pierre Ducret, LL.M.

Attorney at Law | Head of the Private Clients and Sports Law Practices | Certified Specialist SBA Inheritance Law

Languages

Social media

Relevant experience

Litigation

Arbitration

Sports law

Publications

Arbitration

Private Clients

Sports Law

Memberships & Roles

Lectures list

Education

Practice Areas

sectors

Further reading

Dispute Resolution

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