Professor

Pascal

P.

Pichonnaz

Past President of the European Law Institute (2021-2025) (ELI)       

Personal data born 3 August 1967, married, three children

Languages     French (mother tongue), Swiss-German (mother tongue), German, English. 
                        Good abilities in Italian, Spanish and Latin.

Professional experience

a) Teaching

Since 1st Oct. 2001 Ordinary Professor at the Law School of the University of Fribourg (Switzerland), Chair for Private Law and Roman Law (teaching of Contract Law [since 2006], Family Law [2001- 2007], and since 2001 Comparative Law, European Consumer Law and Roman Law).

Oct. 2000 -Sept. 2001 Associate Professor at the Law School of the University of Fribourg, holder of the Chair for Private Law and Roman Law (teaching of Roman Law, Family Law, European Private Law).

Sept. 1999-June 2001 Substitute Professor at the Law Faculty of the University of Lausanne.

Visiting Professorship: 
Paris Panthéon-Assas (Paris 2) (January 2024); Center for Transnational Legal Studies (CTLS – Spring 2023); Shanghai ECUPL (October 2020, online due to COVID-19); Paris Sorbonne (Paris 1) (February 2020); City University Hong Kong (March 2019); Georgetown University Law Center (August 2017-July 2018); Paris Panthéon-Assas (Paris 2) (January 2024; February 2017; January 2013 and November 2012; May 2012; Feb. 2008); Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (Santiago, November-December 2014); Trento (April 2014); Liège (Chaire David-Constant, March 2013) ; Istanbul, Bilgi University (April 2012), Center for Transnational Legal Studies (CTLS), London (https://www.law.georgetown.edu/ctls/; Aug.-Dec. 2018; Aug.-Dec. 2011; Jan-June 2009); Georgetown Summer Program (London; August 2011); Montpellier (March-April 2011); Stellenbosch (South Africa; October 2010); University of Rome 2 “Tor Vergata” (April 2007); University d’Auvergne Clermont-Ferrand (France; March 2007); Glasgow (March 2003); Pisa (February 2003); Liège (November 2002).

b) Other legal activities

Since June 2026        President of the International Jury of the Premio Internazionale di diritto romano ‘Gérard Boulvert’ (Roman Law; https://premioboulvert.unina.it/?page_id=11)

• Since August 2026    President of the International Institute of Business Law (IBL), University of Fribourg.
• June-July 2026           Coreporter for “Liability for Defective Software Under the New EU Product Liability Regime”, 1st Supplement to the ELI Draft of a Revised Product Liability Directive (ELI)
• Since March 2026      Titular Member of the International Academy of Comparative Law (IACL)
• Since Nov. 2024          Member of the Expert group for the revision of the rights on guarantee for Sales contracts, Federal Office of Justice, Department of Justice and Police, Switzerland.
• Since Sept. 2024         President of the Swiss Jurists Society (Société Suisse des juristes SSJ / Schweizerische Juristische Gesellschaft SJG), previously treasurer from 2021-2024.
• Since Nov.2023            Member of the advisory committee of the Federal Council for Digital friendly legislation (“ Beiratstreffens Digitale Schweiz zum Fokusthema Digitalisierungsfreundliches Recht”)
• Since August 2023     Associate Dean for international Relations for the School of Law of Fribourg (already 2004-2014)
• Since Sept. 2022        Corresponding Member, representing Switzerland, at UNIDROIT (Rome, Italie), 
• Since August 2022     Member of UNIDROIT WG 7 on Investment contracts
• Sept. 2021-Sept. 2025 President of the European Law Institute (elected in Feb. 2021, reelected in Feb 2023-Sept. 2025)
• Sept. 2019-Sept. 2021 Vice-president of the Executive Committee of European Law Institute (www.europeanlawinstitute.eu)
• Jan. 2019-Dec. 2023   President of the Federal Consumer Commission
• Since Sept 2017         Council member of the ELI (European Law Institute (ELI)
• Aug 2014-July 2017   Dean of the Fribourg School of Law.
• Feb. 2005-2009          President (2008-2009) of the European Law Faculties Association (ELFA); 1st vice-president (2007-2008); member of the board (2005-2009).
• Jan. 2012-Dec. 2018   Vice-president of the Federal Consumer Commission
• 2004-2014, since 2023 Associate Dean for international Relations for the School of Law of Fribourg
• Since 2010                   Member of the International Jury of the Premio Internazionale di diritto romano ‘Gérard Boulvert’ (Roman Law; http://www.premioboulvert.unina.it/giuria.php) 
  • 2009-2020                    Chair of the Jury for High-School graduate (Collège St-Michel Fribourg)
• Since June 2008           Vice-president, and Co-founder of of the LL.M. in Business Law (Fribourg, www.unifr.ch/ius/llm) Master of Laws in cross-cultural business practice ,  and President of the IBL (institute for International Business law since August 2025)
  • Since 2004                   Teacher of the Summer University on European Private Law, University of Salzburg.
• 2000-2012                     Co-ordinator for the module Law for the Executive Master on management in telecommunications, IIMT, University of Fribourg
• 2007-2009                     President of the Professorial Body of the University of Fribourg
• 2003-2007                     Board of examinators for the Bar Exam in Fribourg
• July 2004-2008              Co-scientific Director of the project European Law Online School of Law of Fribourg in coordination with the University of Strasbourg III.
• 2002-2006                      Scientific Director of the Master of advanced studies in Children Rights (University of Fribourg in collaboration with the Institute Kurt Bösch in Sion and the Institute for children’s rights, Bramois/Sion; www.iukb.ch/emcr)
• 1991-2015                       Judge at the Military Appellate Court (TMA I) in Switzerland

Arbitration       

I appeared very often as expert witness in international state and arbitration proceedings; more than 60 times as president, sole arbitrator, co-arbitrator, in domestic state and arbitral proceedings (ICC, UNCITRAL, CAS, and ad hoc).

c) Legal journals

-    Editor-in-chief of the Revue de droit suisse (Journal for Swiss Law), since 2018, before member since 2004 

-    Member of the editorial board of Baurecht/Droit de la construction (Swiss Journal for Construction Law), since 2002

-    Member of the editorial board of Revue suisse de jurisprudence (Swiss Journal for Case-Law), since 2002

-    Scientific correspondent of the Revue fribourgeoise de jurisprudence (RFJ), since 2002

-    Member of the editorial board of Revue Internationale des Droits de l’Antiquité (RIDA) (Brussels), since 2007

-    Member of the editorial board of Orbis Iuris Romani (International Journal for Roman Law), since 2004

-    Member of the editorial board of Teoria e storia del diritto privato (Naples), since 2007 (electronic Journal: http://www.teoriaestoriadeldirittoprivato.com/)

-    Member of the Scientific committee of French Journal Of Legal Policy (Paris), since 2023

-    Member of the Scientific committee of Pactum. Rivista di diritto dei contratti (Rome), since 2022

-    Member of the Scientific committee of Revista General de Derecho Romano IUSTEL, since 2020

-    Member of the Scientific committee of BIDR (Bulletino  Internazionale di Diritto Romano), Rome, since 2016

-    Member of the Scientific committee of Index (International Journal of Roman Law), Naples, since 2010

-    Member of the Scientific committee of Fundamina (International Journal of Roman Law), Pretoria (SA), since 2012

-    Member of the Scientific committee of Iura (International Journal of Roman Law), Catania, since 2014

-    Member of the Scientific committee of Revista Internacional de Derecho Romano (RIDROM ; Spain), since 2017

d) Associations

-    Member of the American Law Institute (since 1.10.2026)

• -     Supporting Member of the European Law Institute (Vienna),  since sept. 2017 member of the Council, sept. 2019 2nd vice-president, sept. 2021-sept. 2025 president

-    Member of the Associazione italiana di Diritto Romano

-    Titular Member of the International association of comparative law (IACL)

-    Member of the Société de législation comparée (Paris)                      

-    Founding member of the Academy on European Private Law (Salzburg)

-    Member of the ASA (Association Suisse d’Arbitrage)

-    Member of the LCIA list (London Court of International Arbitration)

-    ICC Swiss Group (International Chamber of Commerce, arbitration) – Swiss Group

-    President of the board of SSJ, and former treasurer (Société suisse des juristes)

-    Secola (Society of European Contract Law association)

-    Familiengesellschaft (Deutschland)

-    IABA (International Association of Boalt Alumni), general secretary 2002-2008

Main Steps of legal education

2001          Habilitation at the University of Fribourg (venia legendi: Private Law, Roman Law and Comparative Law) with a thesis entitled: "La compensation. Analyse historique et comparative des modes de compenser non conventionnels" (on set-off in historical and comparative perspective), Fribourg 2001–AISUF 208, LXXX-736p.

1997-1998  Post-doctoral research at the University of Regensburg (Germany at Prof. R. Zimmermann’s Chair).

1998          Ph.D. utr. iur. (Doctorate), for a thesis entitled "Impossibilité et exorbitance. Etudes des obstacles à l'exécution des obligations en droit suisse (art. 119 CO et 79 CVIM)" (on frustration and hardship), AISUF 168, Fribourg 1997, LX-456 p. (reporters: Pierre Tercier and Peter Gauch).

1997          Master of Laws (LL.M.), at the University of California at Berkeley (USA).

1994          Attorney-at-Law (Fribourg), articled for two years by Hartmann & Dreyer (Fribourg)

1991          Licence en droit (LL.D.), bilingual at the University of Fribourg.

Awards        Frilex-Award 1991 ; Peter-Jäggi Stiftung Award 1997 ; Walther Hug Award 1997 ; Premio internazionale Gérard Boulvert Award 2002; and fellowships for publications and research (young research fellowship FNS 1996-1997; advanced research fellowship FNS 1998-2001; Robbins Fellow UC Berkeley, 2005); Georgetown Law Teaching Grant (2017-2018).