Sandrine specialises in domestic and international litigation, with a focus on commercial and financial disputes, private client disputes, fraud and asset recovery, white collar crime, cross-border insolvency proceedings, mutual legal assistance in civil and criminal matters and international sanctions.

Hailed as a “fantastic choice” for asset recovery in Switzerland in Who’s Who Thought Leaders, Asset Recovery, 2023, Sandrine routinely acts for companies and individuals in the recovery and protection of their assets through freezing orders, protective briefs or the enforcement of foreign judgements and awards. She is particularly experienced in sensitive matters requiring reputation and media management. Sandrine is currently President of the Geneva Bar Association (ODA).

In addition, Sandrine has strong expertise in public international law, including immunity issues, as well as in business and human rights and ESG matters, and regularly advises international organisations and companies on these issues.

Her areas of practice also include art and cultural property law. She is a trusted counsel to collectors, art market professionals and museums alike, for all art-related disputes and transactional matters, including sale and lending agreements, loans to museums, fraud, authenticity and restitution matters.

Recognition

Ranked Band 2, White Collar Crime
Chambers Europe, White Collar Crime, 2023

Ranked “Leading Individual”
Legal 500 EMEA, Disputes Resolution, Litigation and Regulatory, Compliance and Investigations, 2023

Sandrine Giroud “Brilliant” “I would use Sandrine for any difficult litigation in Switzerland.”
Legal 500 EMEA, Dispute Resolution, Litigation, 2023

Recent publications

Asset Recovery Switzerland 2024
MARC HENZELIN, SANDRINE GIROUD, DEBORAH HONDIUS,
In: Getting the Deal Through – Asset Recovery 2024, 7 September 2023

The revised Swiss data protection act and international organisations
SANDRINE GIROUD, THOMAS WIDMER, VINCENT REYNAUD, ANTON VALLÉLIAN
In: Lexology online, LALIVE blog, 21 August 2023

La responsabilité sociale des avocats
SANDRINE GIROUD
In : François Bohnet, Benoît Chappuis, Kaspar Schiller, Benjamin Schumacher (éds.), Le présent et l’avenir de la profession d’avocat-e, Stämpfli Editions, 2023

Recent conferences

Financial Law Conference #4 – A Plethora of Sanctions Regimes
SANDRINE GIROUD, Speaker: Sanctions: Impact on legal privilege and legal representation
Zurich, 21 May 2024

VSUJ – Association Suisse des Juristes d’Entreprises
Sandrine Giroud, Noémie Raetzo, Catherine Anne Kunz, Jaime Gallego
Speaker: Secret professionnel des juristes d’entreprise : état des lieux
Genève, 18 March 2024

Société Genevoise de droit et de législation (SGDL)
Actions collectives et contentieux climatique: nouveaux litiges devant les tribunaux suisses et européens
SANDRINE GIROUD, Speaker
Protection des intérêts collectifs en droit pénal
Geneva, 27 June 2023

Current memberships

  • President of the Geneva Bar Association (ODA)
  • Member of the Swiss Bar Association (FSA/SAV)
  • Senior vice chair of the IBA Litigation Committee
  • Member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP)
  • Member of the board of the Art Law Foundation
  • Member of the board of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum
  • Member of the Professional Advisors to the International Art Market
  • Member of the Court of Arbitration for Art (CAfA)

Career history

  • Partner, LALIVE, 2017 – present
  • Associate, LALIVE, 2009 – 2017
  • Legal Adviser, Swiss Federal Office of Justice, 2006 – 2008

Academic qualifications

  • LLM International Dispute Resolution, University of Geneva, 2009
  • LLB University of Fribourg, 2003