A.________ v B.________ AG (Swiss Federal Supreme Court 4A_237/2026; Swiss Arbitration Centre 600747-2024)

Procedural record

1. 28 March 2026Switzerland

   28 March 2026Switzerland

   Arbitral Award dated 28 March 2026

   Swiss Arbitration Centre

   Decision summary

   The sole arbitrator rejected A.________'s jurisdictional objections and ordered A.________ to pay B.________ AG damages of CHF 400,000 plus interest and CHF 2,500 plus interest.

   Participants

   A.________

   B.________ AG

   Swiss Arbitration Centre

   Institutional administrator

   Swiss Arbitration Centre

   2 months and 22 days later · 83 days

2. 19 June 2026Switzerland

   19 June 2026Switzerland

   Order of the Swiss Federal Supreme Court in the case 4A_237/2026 dated 19 June 2026

   Swiss Federal Supreme Court

   Case no.

   4A_237/2026

   Decision summary

   The court dismissed A.________'s application for suspensive effect pending the appeal against the arbitral award.

   2 months and 26 days later · 87 days

3. 14 September 2026Switzerland

   14 September 2026Switzerland

   Judgment of the Swiss Federal Supreme Court in the case 4A_237/2026 dated 14 September 2026

   Swiss Federal Supreme Court

   Case no.

   4A_237/2026

   Citation

   4A_237/2026

   Decision summary

   The court allowed the appeal, set aside the award of 28 March 2026 and declared that the sole arbitrator lacked jurisdiction. WhatsApp messages can satisfy the text-form requirement for an arbitration agreement, but the invoices and exchanges did not establish consent to the arbitration clauses. B.________ AG was ordered to pay CHF 10,000 in court costs and CHF 12,000 in compensation to A.________.

   Participants

   A.________

   Representative

   Yannick Hostettler (For: A.________)

   Representative

   Michael A. Schifferli (For: A.________)

   B.________ AG

   Representative

   Robin Moser (For: B.________ AG)

   Representative

   Nadine Spahni (For: B.________ AG)

   Swiss Federal Supreme Court

   Judge

   Hurni

   Judge

   Kiss

   Judge

   Denys

   Judge

   Rüedi

   Judge

   May Canellas

   Court clerk

   Leemann

   Authorities cited

   40

   • Swiss Federal Supreme Court Act (BGG; SR 173.110)
     statute
   • Swiss Code of Civil Procedure (ZPO)
     statute
   • Swiss Private International Law Act (IPRG; SR 291)
     statute
   • BGE 151 IV 98
     case-law
   • BGE 150 IV 103
     case-law
   • BGE 149 III 277
     case-law
   • BGE 150 III 280
     case-law
   • BGE 134 III 186
     case-law
   • BGE 142 III 220
     case-law
   • BGE 150 III 89
     case-law
   • BGE 149 III 131
     case-law
   • BGE 147 III 107
     case-law
   • BGE 152 III 181
     case-law
   • BGE 142 III 239
     case-law
   • BGE 144 III 235
     case-law
   • 4A_618/2015 (Swiss Federal Supreme Court judgment 4A_618/2015 of 9 March 2016)
     case-law
   • 4A_532/2025 (Swiss Federal Supreme Court judgment 4A_532/2025 of 24 February 2026)
     case-law
   • 4A_194/2025 (Swiss Federal Supreme Court judgment 4A_194/2025 of 15 September 2025)
     case-law
   • 4A_247/2025 (Swiss Federal Supreme Court judgment 4A_247/2025 of 9 September 2025)
     case-law
   • 4A_77/2026 (Swiss Federal Supreme Court judgment 4A_77/2026 of 15 June 2026)
     case-law
   • Swiss Code of Obligations, Article 13
     statute
   • BGE 136 III 605, paragraph 3.3.4
     case-law
   • BGE 140 III 134, paragraph 3.1
     case-law
   • BGE 140 III 367, paragraph 2.2.2
     case-law
   • 4P.230/2000 (Swiss Federal Supreme Court judgment 4P.230/2000 of 7 February 2001, paragraph 2a)
     case-law
   • Stefanie Pfisterer, Bern Commentary (2014), Article 357 CPC, note 37; Article 358 CPC, note 9
     academic
   • Rahel Egger, Commentary on the Swiss Code of Civil Procedure (Rahel Egger, in Sutter-Somm and others (eds), Commentary on the Swiss Code of Civil Procedure, 4th edition (2025), Article 358, notes 11 and 21)
     academic
   • Dieter Graenicher, Basel Commentary, 4th edition (2021), Article 178 PILA, notes 24 and 90 et seq.
     academic
   • Christoph Mueller and Olivier Riske, Arbitration in Switzerland (Christoph Mueller and Olivier Riske, in Manuel Arroyo (ed), Arbitration in Switzerland, volume I, 2nd edition (2018), Article 178 PILA, notes 64 et seq.)
     academic
   • Daniel Girsberger, Basel Commentary, 4th edition (2024), Article 357 CPC, note 27; Article 358 CPC, notes 7 and 12 et seq.
     academic
   • Simon Gabriel and Johannes Landbrecht, Bern Commentary (2023), Article 178 PILA, notes 270 et seq.
     academic
   • Marco Stacher, Commentary on the Swiss Code of Civil Procedure (Marco Stacher, in Brunner and others (eds), Commentary on the Swiss Code of Civil Procedure, 3rd edition (2025), Article 358, notes 7 et seq.)
     academic
   • Simon Gabriel and Jodok Wicki, Pre-contractual Arbitral Jurisdiction, ASA Bulletin (2009), page 241
     academic
   • Felix Dasser and Stefanie Pfisterer, Concise Commentary on the Code of Civil Procedure, 4th edition (2026), Article 358, notes 1 and 4 et seq.
     academic
   • Tarkan Goeksu, Arbitration (2014), paragraphs 560 et seq.
     academic
   • Daniel Girsberger and James T. Peter, Out-of-court Dispute Resolution, 2nd edition (2026), paragraph 984
     academic
   • Philippe Schweizer, Romand Commentary, 2nd edition (2019), Article 358 CPC, note 5
     academic
   • Tarkan Goeksu and Arnaud Constantin, Concise Commentary on the Code of Civil Procedure, 2nd edition (2026), Article 358, note 3
     academic
   • Federal Council Dispatch on the Swiss Code of Civil Procedure (Federal Council Dispatch of 28 June 2006 on the Swiss Code of Civil Procedure, Federal Gazette 2006, pages 7395 and 7405; section 5.25.8 on draft Article 391)
     legislative-history
   • Federal Council Dispatch on Amendment of the Private International Law Act (Federal Council Dispatch of 24 October 2018 on Amendment of the Private International Law Act (Chapter 12: International Arbitration), Federal Gazette 2018, pages 1784 and 7188)
     legislative-history