Dr. Nikolaus Pitkowitz is founding partner and head of dispute resolution at Pitkowitz & Partners, and President of the Vienna International Arbitral Centre (VIAC).
Dr. Nikolaus Pitkowitz is considered one of the leading Austrian arbitration practitioners. He acted as party counsel and arbitrator in over 130 international disputes, in a range from smaller to multibillion cases, located in Europe, the United States and Asia. Most notable is his role as counsel in the largest ever pending arbitration in Austria, as well as in arbitrations seated across Europe, in the Americas and in Asia. He has also acted as party counsel in a variety of complex litigation proceedings and has handled cases of great public interest, including before the European Court of Justice (ECJ). Dr. Pitkowitz is experienced in a variety of industries, including energy, automotive, telecommunications, arts, (post-)M&A, real estate and construction.
Dr. Nikolaus Pitkowitz holds law degrees from Universities of Vienna (JD and PhD) and Sankt Gallen, Switzerland (MBL) and is also qualified and certified as a mediator.
Dr. Nikolaus Pitkowitz is arbitrator and panel member of all leading arbitration institutions, and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb). He also acts as Court Member of the Casablanca International Arbitration and Mediation Centre (CIMAC) and as Vice-chair of the International Arbitration Committee of the Section of International Law of the American Bar Association (ABA).
Dr. Nikolaus Pitkowitz frequently speaks, lectures and is author of over 50 publications, including a monograph on Setting Aside Arbitral Awards and the Handbook on Third Party Funding in International Arbitration. He is also co-editor of the Austrian Yearbook on International Arbitration and co-organizer of the Vienna Arbitration Days.
- 2021: Founding Partner with Pitkowitz & Partners
- 1995 – 2021: Founding Partner with Graf & Pitkowitz Rechtsanwälte GmbH
- 2004: Admission as Certified Mediator
- 1999: University St.Gallen, M.B.L.- (Master of European Business Law)
- 1990 - 1994: Partner with Preslmayr & Partner, Vienna
- 1991: Georgetown University, School of Law (Orientation in the US Legal System)
- 1986 & 1991: Working experience with law firms in New York
- 1985 - 1989: Associate with Preslmayr & Partner, Vienna
- 1979 - 1985: Employed with international trading firm in Vienna, London and New York
- 1984: University of Vienna, legal faculty, Mag.iur (Master) and Dr. iur. (Ph.D))
Selection of publications:
- Commentary of Section 12 FlexKapGG (form of share transfers and takeovers) in Schneeweiss/Hule (ed.), FlexKapGG Commentary, LexisNexis (2024), 143 - 178 (co-author)
- Handbuch Schiedsgerichtsbarkeit und ADR
- The Legal Nature of Third-Party Funding Agreements
- The Vienna Propositions for Safeguarding Public Interest, Public Policy, Competition and Insolvency in International Arbitration
- Confidentiality and Protection of Confidentiality in Arbitration
- The Arbitrator’s Duty to Challenge Corruption
- The Belt and Road Initiative – Legal Risks and Opportunities Facing Chinese Engineering Contractors Operating Overseas
- Vertraulichkeit und Schutz der Vertraulichkeit im Schiedsverfahren
- The Vienna Innovation Propositions, Venturing into New Fields and New Ways of Arbitration – Revisiting Traditional Ways of Arbitration
- Kommentar der Artikel 8 und Artikel 9 Wiener Regeln
- Handbook on Third-Party Funding in International Arbitration
- Verbrauchergerichtsstand 2.0
- 2022/07: Does the right to be heard also extend to comments on cost submissions
- 2022/05: Austrian Supreme Court scrutinises admissibility of contingency fee arrangements
- 2022/01: Austrian Supreme Court sets delimiters for consumer rights in arbitration
- 2021/04: Supreme Court analyses conflicting forum selection clauses
- 2020/12: Can eye rolling be a reason to challenge an arbitrator
- 2020/10: Supreme Court scrutinises admissibility of videoconference hearings
- 2020/10: Supreme Court specifies reasoning standards for awards
- 2020/07: Supreme Court scrutinises decision awarding costs to losing party
- 2020/01: Supreme Court takes strict stance on conflict of interest
- 2019/07: Supreme Court evaluates hybrid arbitration agreement
- 2018/07: Counsel beware when submitting unspecified notices of arbitration
- 2018/04: Vienna International Arbitral Centre issues new arbitration and mediation rules
- International Law Institute (ILA), Secretary of Austrian Branch and member of the International Arbitration Committee
- International Bar Association (IBA), head of the Advisory Board of the Real Estate Section
- American Bar Association (ABA), Vice Chair of the Arbitration Committee of the International Law Section
- AmChamAustria – American Chamber of Commerce in Austria
- Austrian Arbitration Association (ArbAut)
- German Institution of Arbitration (DIS)
- Swiss Arbitration Association (ASA)
- Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb)
- London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA)
- Austrian Council of Shopping Places (ACSP)
- CDRC Vienna – the IBA and VIAC consensual dispute resolution competition, Director
- European Chinese Arbitrators Association (ECCA)
- Austrian Chinese Business Association (ACBA)
- Permanent Forum of China Construction Law (PFCCL)
- China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC), Panel of Arbitrators
- Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC), Panel of Arbitrators
- Korean Commercial Arbitration Board (KCAB), Panel of Arbitrators
- Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), Panel of Arbitrators