Prof. Dr. Harald Sippel is an Austrian qualified lawyer and Foreign Lawyer admitted to the Malaysian Bar who heads the firm’s European Desk and Northeast Asian Desk. He has spent over ten years in Asia. He is a native German speaker and is also fluent in English, French, Italian and Korean.
He is an experienced counsel in international arbitrations who has represented clients in complex commercial and investment disputes. Harald is also regularly appointed as an arbitrator (chair, sole, party-nominated) under the rules of various arbitral institutions and in ad hoc proceedings. In total, Harald has acted in over 80 arbitrations since 2008, from which he has gained immeasurable experience in arbitral practice and procedure under both the civil and common law systems.
Harald was also Head of Legal Services at the Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC), where he oversaw the administration of approximately 300 arbitrations. This experience has given him a unique insight into the workings and dynamics of arbitral tribunals.
Harald has also published extensively in the field of international dispute resolution and dispute avoidance. He is a certified mediator and is listed as a Specialist Mediator with the Singapore International Mediation Centre and is also an adjunct lecturer at Keio University, where he teaches students from around the globe on arbitration, mediation and negotiation.
In addition to his disputes practice, Harald also advises clients on commercial and investment-related matters. Harald draws from his long experience of practicing law and studying in 12 different countries across Europe, Asia and North America. This has given him a unique understanding on how corporations in these regions work, the mistakes they should avoid in business dealings abroad and generally, how to manage relationships with their local partners. Foreign investors in the Asia-Pacific Region seek his advice on strategic investment and trade decisions and also rely on his “East and West” cultural background for practical guidance.
Holding a certificate in Supply Chain Management from Rutgers University, Harald also regularly advises on legal problems that arise along the supply chain. He has authored several publications on force majeure and hardship and is the editor of the book Force Majeure and Hardship in the Asia Pacific Region (Juris, 2022). He also holds certificates in compliance and ESG from the University of Pennsylvania (Wharton) and deals with matters of compliance and ESG in supply chain relationships.
Key Practice Areas
- International Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution
- EU Law
- Facilitated a renewable energy project in Malaysia for German client by providing advice on financing and overall contractual framework.
- Drafted and negotiated several framework supply agreements for German company with Indian counterparts in the renewable energy industry
- Provided strategic advice to US company with respect to ESG-related provisions in its contract with Malaysian counterpart
- Designed and implemented an exit plan for a German company in the education sector to divest its assets and negotiate its withdrawal from the Korean market
- Enabled the smooth market entry by a Chinese investor into the Indonesian market through a joint venture in the mining industry
- Co-coordinated the due diligence of a multi-million purchase of a gas station network in Austria by a European purchaser
- Facilitated the acquisition by a German industrial company of a Korean manufacturer of electronic goods in Seoul, Korea
- Drafted acquisition and ancillary contracts and conducted due diligence for the acquisition of an Austrian company by a German competitor in the media industry
- Provided key cultural and legal advice to a Korean heavy industries company in its acquisition of an Austrian producer of heavy machinery
- Acted as lead counsel in a claim against the Ministry of Defence of Indonesia in an arbitration over satellite technology against a European claimant (ICC Rules, Singapore; reported on GAR)
- Acted as counsel in a USD 9 billion dispute over the adaptation of the price of natural gas under a long-term agreement between a Russian supplier of natural gas and a Central European purchaser (UNCITRAL Rules, Vienna)
- Appointed as President of the Tribunal in a dispute between a Danish and an Australian company over a license agreement (DIA Rules, Copenhagen)
- Successfully pursued multi-million claim for recission of contract for East-Asian company against company from the British Virgin Islands in complex multi-jurisdictional dispute (HKIAC, Hong Kong)
- Designed exit strategy from joint investment for French company in order to avoid potential multi-million dispute with company from Kuwait (LCIA Rules, London)
- Defended a Korean importer of fashion products against the claims by its Italian licensor-exporter (ICC Rules, Seoul)
- Defended a claim by a Swiss purchaser of natural gas in a dispute exceeding EUR 250 million for a Russian client (ICC Rules, Zurich)
- Successfully acted for a Korean construction conglomerate in its claim against its Vietnamese sub-contractor in a dispute over the construction of a highway (VIAC Rules, Ho Chi Minh City)
- Defended a claim exceeding EUR 100 million in a dispute between an Eastern European seller of electricity and the Central European purchaser (Vienna Rules, Vienna)
- Achieved a successful settlement for a Korean construction company in a FIDIC contract over compensation for additional works against a Singaporean employer (ICC Rules, Seoul)
- Provided strategic advice in a multi-million dollar dispute between a Romanian and a European company over a JV agreement (NAI Rules, Amsterdam)
- Successfully negotiated a favourable settlement with a Vietnamese defendant in a dispute over the sale of goods (LCIA Rules, London)
- Acted as counsel in a dispute between a French seller of vines and a Central Asian importer (Swiss Rules, Geneva)
- Acted as tribunal secretary in a dispute over an oil exploitation agreement between a Russian and a French entity exceeding USD 22 billion (ad hoc, Stockholm)
- Editor (with Duggal), Force majeure and hardship in the Asia Pacific Region, Juris (2022)
- Author, Contract Management, IU (2021)
- Author, Verhältnis Schiedsgerichtsbarkeit und Gerichtsbarkeit (The relationship between arbitration and state courts); book chapter in Nueber, Handbuch Schiedsgerichtsbarkeit und ADR (handbook arbitration and ADR), Lexis Nexis (2021)
- Co-author, Immunities and Privileges in Practice or a Tale of How to (Not) Apply Them in Practice, Czech Yearbook of International Law, Juris (2021)
- Co-author, Mooting to Win. How to Succeed at International Moot Court Competitions, Sweet & Maxwell (2020)
- Co-author, How to draft written memoranda in a moot court competition, Vindobona Journal of International Commercial Law and Arbitration (2019)
- Co-author, CPTPP: a tale of two tigers. How may ratification of the CPTPP affect Malaysia’s international investment regime? Transnational Dispute Management Special Issue on Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) (2019)
- Co-author, Waterway Disputes in the Middle East – Finding a workable dispute resolution mechanism for the next century, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators YMG 100 years project (2019)
- Author, The Singapore Convention on Mediation: An Overview of the Key Features and a Review Asia Pacific Mediation Journal (2019)
- Co-author, Working together and succeeding as a team during the oral phase of the Vis Moot, Vindobona Journal of International Commercial Law and Arbitration (2019)
- Co-author, The enforcement of arbitral awards set aside at their seat – new developments in East Asia and beyond, Czech & Central European Yearbook of Arbitration 2019, Juris (2019)
- Co-author, To Enforce or Not to Enforce: That is the Question: Arbitral Awards Set Aside at Their Seat Czech & Central European Yearbook of Arbitration 2018, Juris (2018)
- Author, The influence of American law on “civil law countries” in East Asia: selected examples from Korea – a temporary trend only? Journal for German and American Law (2018)
- Author, A critical view on expedited procedure, Paper presented at the XXth International Congress of Maritime Arbitrators, Copenhagen (2017)
- Co-author, Fair Play: Reforming the CAS in the Aftermath of Pechstein, ABA Section of International Law (2017)
- Co-author, The 2017 KLRCA Arbitration Rules, ASA Bulletin (2017)
- Author, Arbitrating Under the New Arbitration Rules of the Vietnam International Arbitration Centre – Tips for Korean Companies, Korean Arbitration Review (2017)
- Author, Korea’s New Arbitration Act, German Journal of Arbitration (2017)
- Author, The Trump Effect on Arbitration, CIArb YMG Newsletter (2017)
- Co-author, Le nouveau règlement d’arbitrage international de la KCAB, Revue de l’Arbitrage (2016)
- Co-author, The New KCAB Rules, ASA Bulletin (2016)
- Author, Med-arb/arb-med: recent trends and an outlook on the future of hybrid forms of dispute resolution, Czech & Central European Yearbook of Arbitration 2016, Juris (2016)
- Co-author, Can arbitral tribunals seek the support of national courts to obtain a preliminary ruling by the CJEU in matters involving EU competition law? Czech & Central European Yearbook of Arbitration 2015 (2015)
- Author, The Austrian Supreme Court's first reference to the IBA Guidelines on Conflicts of Interest in International Arbitration, ASA Bulletin (2015)
- Author, Double requirement or double standard? A comparison of arbitrators’ independence and impartiality with that of state court judges in Austria and Germany, Czech & Central European Yearbook of Arbitration 2014 (2014)
Qualifications:
- Magister iuris, University of Linz (2007)
- Master of Business Administration (MBA), Seoul National University (2008)
- Doctor iuris, University of Linz (2010)
- Postgraduate Diploma in International Arbitration, Queen Mary, University of London (2012)
- Certificate in Supply Chain Management, Rutgers University (2022)
- Certificate in Compliance, University of Pennsylvania (2022)
- Certificate in The Materiality of ESG Factors, University of Pennsylvania (2022)
Professional Affiliations:
- Admitted to practice before all courts in Austria (Rechtsanwalt)
- Admitted as a Foreign Lawyer to the Malaysian Bar
- Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
- Specialist Mediator, Singapore International Mediation Centre
- Guest Professor, Keio University
- Recognised as a National Leader for Southeast Asia – Arbitration 2023 – Harald Sippel garners extensive endorsements as "a dynamic arbitrator" with "excellent knowledge of the Asian market".
- Recognised as a recommended ‘Global Leader’ in the Who’s Who Legal Arbitration 2023 - Harald Sippel with Skrine holds “an international profile” as “an excellent counsel and arbitrator” with “a diverse background” and “a great understanding of different cultural approaches”.
- Recognised as a recommended ‘National Leader’ in the Who’s Who Legal Southeast Asia Arbitration 2022
- Featured in Legal 500 Private Practice Powerlist 2022 for Arbitration Southeast Asia (inaugural list)
- Recognised as Future Leader in Who’s Who Legal – Arbitration in 2018 (inaugural list), 2019, 2010 and 2021 in Korea, Malaysia and Indonesia.