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.

Pitkowitz & Partners, based in Vienna, is a leading commercial law firm. The firm is focused on international arbitration and complex litigation, as well as on real estate and construction law. Pitkowitz & Partners is ranked by GAR 100 among the world’s leading arbitration firms.