Sylvie Cécile Cavaleri

Primary fields of research

Sylvie Cavaleri is broadly interested in:

- International contract law, especially construction law

- Comparative contract law

- International commercial dispute resolution, especially arbitration

- Private international law

Past and current research 

Sylvie Cavaleri's PhD project, titled "Concurrent Delay in Construction Disputes", addressed the issue of concurrent delay, i.e. the situation where both parties to a construction contract are in delay with the performance of their obligations at the same time or over the same period of time, in a comparative perspective between civil law and common law systems, with a special focus on Denmark and England. Sylvie publicly defended this thesis on November 1, 2013; the thesis was published as a book in March 2015.

From August 2014 to July 2016, Sylvie worked on a postdoctoral research project funded by the Danish Council for Independant Research. This project, titled "The interpretation and application of international standard contracts under different legal systems", addressed the issues arising from the use of international standard construction contracts originating from one legal tradition, most often common law, when such contracts are subject to the law of a country from another legal tradition, for instance civil or Danish law.

Since the end of this project, Sylvie has worked on various subjects and publications within her fields of research. She is currently researching several issues raised by the latest version of the Danish standard construction contracts from 2018, especially the new types of ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) introduced by these standards as well as their equivalents in other countries. More specifically, Sylvie is investigating if and how decisions made after short and summary proceedings can be enforced, and the status of such processes in relation to court proceedings or arbitration. These matters involve, among other tasks, trying to assess the requirements posed by public law and individual procedural rights to private, industry-based ADR.

Teaching and supervision

Sylvie directs and teaches her own elective master course titled "Drafting and Negotiating International Contracts". She is also teaching Danish law of obligations at bachelor level, and is interested in supervising bachelor and master students working on subjects falling within her research areas.

CV

Business experience: Born and educated in Geneva, Sylvie Cavaleri passed her Swiss bar exam in 2002 and was admitted to the Danish bar in 2008.  Sylvie worked for two Swiss business law firms for a total of six years before joining a bank in Denmark in 2006 where she worked for two and a half years. After the completion of her PhD thesis in 2013 and in parallel with her academic activities, Sylvie worked as a lawyer for a Danish contractor between October 2013 and June 2014.

Academic experience: From March 2009 to July 2013, Sylvie worked on her Phd thesis titled "Concurrent Delay in Construction Disputes", which she defended on November 1st, 2013. During her time as a PhD fellow, Sylvie taught European private international law and the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods and occasionnally international commercial arbitration. After the completion of her PhD, Sylvie was awarded two post-doctoral grants for a project entitled "The interpretation and application of international standard contracts under different legal systems". In June 2014, Sylvie was offered a 4-year position as Assistant Professor during which she did focus on the above-mentioned postdoctoral research project and teach in areas related to her research. Sylvie became Associate Professor in private law with special focus on international contracts and dispute resolution in March 2018.

Education 

2009-2013                      University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Law

11 November 2013          PhD

2010                              Studieprøve (Higher Education Examination – Danish language exam)

2008                              Admission to the Danish Bar

2007                              Settlement Certificate (now renamed "Operations Certificate") from the ACI (Association Cambiste Internationale - the Financial Market Association)

2002                              Admission to the Geneva Bar

1995-1999                     Universities of Geneva and Bern

26 October 1999             Licence en Droit (law degree)

1999                              Duke – Geneva Institute in Transnational Law, Geneva

                                     Certificate in Transnational Law (international IP law, international banking law and introduction to the US legal system)

Positions held 

August 2014-current             Assistant Professor, University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Law

August 2013-June 2014        Research Assistant, University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Law (part time)

October 2013-June 2014       Lawyer, MT Højgård, Søborg (part time)

March 2009- March 2013       PhD Fellow, University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Law

April 2006-December 2008    Senior Legal Consultant, Saxo Bank A/S, Hellerup

April 2003-February 2006      Associate, Lalive, Geneva

September 2000-September 2002   Assistant Attorney, Schellenberg Wittmer, Geneva and Zurich

January - June 2000              Assistant Attorney, Geneva Public Prosecutor's Office

Languages

• French (mother tongue) 
• English (fluent)
• Danish (read, spoken and advanced writing)
• German and Italian (read, understood and basic writing)
• Spanish (basic knowledge)