Legal and arbitration interpreting in Switzerland - simultaneous and consecutive
In international arbitration, commercial arbitration, and complex multilingual legal proceedings, every word carries strategic weight. When parties, witnesses or experts do not share a common language, professional legal interpreting becomes essential to guarantee an accurate, immediate and reliable record throughout the proceedings.
In Switzerland — and particularly in Geneva, Zurich and Lausanne, the country’s leading legal and financial centres — legal interpreting is a critical safeguard in cross-border matters involving multinational companies, international law firms and regulatory authorities. Even a minor inaccuracy can distort the factual record, influence strategic decisions, or create an imbalance between the parties.
This is highly specialised work. It requires complete mastery of the working languages, but also a deep understanding of international contract and commercial law, and fluency in the procedural rules of the institutions before which our clients appear — including the Swiss Rules of the Swiss Arbitration Centre, the ICC, and the LCIA.
What defines professional legal interpreting
Legal interpreting is a discipline in its own right — distinct from general conference interpreting. Our certified and accredited interpreters bring:
- In-depth knowledge of international commercial and contract law
- Fluency in the procedural rules of leading arbitral institutions (Swiss Rules / Swiss Arbitration Centre, ICC, LCIA)
- Real-time precision, even in dense and fast-moving legal argumentation
- Absolute neutrality, confidentiality and adherence to professional ethics
Legal interpreting vs. court interpreting — Why the distinction matters
Not all legal interpreting is the same, and the distinction matters for anyone instructing an interpreter for the first time.
Legal interpreting covers private, commercial and arbitral proceedings: arbitration hearings, cross-examinations, case management conferences, and high-value commercial disputes. This is our core specialisation.
Court interpreting, by contrast, is mandated by state judicial authorities — criminal courts, civil courts, administrative bodies — and follows a different set of procedural and certification requirements. It is a related but separate field, and it does not reflect the specific demands of international arbitration.
Our day-to-day practice is built around arbitration, cross-border disputes and commercial litigation, not the state court system. Knowing this distinction up front helps clients instruct the right kind of interpreter the first time.
Interpreting techniques we apply in arbitration
We select the technique to fit the dynamics of the hearing:
- Simultaneous interpreting / whispering — the standard for arbitration hearings; allows uninterrupted, discreet, real-time follow-up of proceedings
- Consecutive interpreting — ideal for witness testimony and segmented statements, where precision and pacing matter more than speed
- Remote simultaneous interpretation (RSI) — for hearings conducted over Zoom, Webex or Teams, including confidential breakout-room management and secure remote configurations
- Sight translation — for the immediate, in-hearing analysis of documents submitted during proceedings (contracts, new exhibits, technical evidence)
If you require support for an ongoing matter, we provide precise, neutral and procedurally reliable legal interpreting for arbitration hearings, commercial disputes and complex cross-border mandates.
Whether you are preparing for an arbitration hearing, a cross‑examination or a multilingual legal meeting, our specialised legal interpreters ensure accuracy, neutrality and procedural reliability. Get in touch to discuss your requirements.
When you need legal interpreting
Legal interpreting is indispensable wherever significant financial, regulatory or strategic interests intersect and parties from different legal cultures must communicate without risk of distortion.
During the proceedings
- International arbitration hearings
- Complex commercial disputes
- Witness testimony
- Cross-examination
- Submissions and oral pleadings
Before the hearing
- Case management conferences
- Witness preparation
- High-level contract negotiations
- Multilingual due diligence processes
Urgent matters
We intervene at short notice when international law firms need immediate, high-reliability linguistic support to unblock a critical situation — including last-minute remote hearings and time-sensitive cross-border negotiations.
Why leading Swiss law firms choose us
- Expertise in comparative law (Common Law vs. Civil Law)
- Strict neutrality and confidentiality
- Proven resilience through lengthy, technical or regulatory debates
- Terminological consistency across complex, multi-day proceedings
- Strategic awareness grounded in real arbitration and courtroom practice
Leadership rooted in Swiss judicial practice
Our director, Silvia Cerrella Bauer, is a sworn interpreter accredited by the Zurich High Court. With extensive experience in international arbitration and in civil and commercial litigation across both French- and German-speaking Switzerland, she leads a network of elite legal interpreters accustomed to the demands of international arbitral tribunals.
For international arbitration, cross-border disputes, or strategic multilingual meetings, we provide bespoke legal interpreting solutions to secure your next hearing.
Project experience
International arbitration (multi-day hearings)
- Coordination of simultaneous and consecutive interpreting teams
- Proceedings under the Swiss Rules (Swiss Arbitration Centre), ICC and LCIA
- Languages: German, English, French + project-based Turkish, Arabic
Commercial courts
- Interpreting before the Commercial Courts of Zurich and Aargau
- Focus on international commercial disputes
- Languages: English, Greek, German, French
Remote hearings (Zoom, Webex, Teams)
- Simultaneous and consecutive interpreting, including RSI, for online hearings and technical sessions
- Confidential breakout-room management and secure remote configurations
- Languages: German, English, French + project-based Czech, Russian
Notarial acts and commercial register proceedings
- Interpreting for company incorporations, M&A transactions and statutory amendments
Corporate audits and compliance reviews
- Long-term linguistic support during audits, compliance investigations and internal interviews
- Expertise: corporate governance, regulatory processes, technical briefings
- Languages: German, English, French, Russian
Beyond the languages listed above, we provide qualified legal interpreters for numerous other European and non-European languages on request.
Do you have an arbitration hearing, witness examination or high-stakes negotiation coming up — or need a legal interpreter at short notice? Get in touch with our legal interpreting services team. We’ll advise you, with no obligation.