Cecilia Carrara’s focus is in the field of national and international, commercial and investment arbitration, acting as counsel and as arbitrator. She further represents international and Italian companies in arbitration-related proceedings in front of the national courts, such as recognition and enforcement proceedings of arbitral awards. Cecilia has been admitted to practice before the Italian Supreme Court.
Cecilia also has a significant expertise in disputes with a transnational dimension, in particular in the fields of post M&A, governance/strategic risks, directors liability, commercial contracts as well as EPC contracts, investments and concessions.
Cecilia has a specific focus on German speaking countries and Eastern Europe, in particular she advises clients from the DACH area (Germany, Austria, Switzerland).
Cecilia is a member of Legance’s Sustainability Committee.
Cecilia is a member of the Steering Committee of the Pledge and a member of the board of directors of AIA (Associazione Italiana per l’Arbitrato).
She has been a member of the Executive Board of the UN Global Compact Network Italy from April 2022 until April 2025, of the ICC International Court of Arbitration from July 2015 until January 2020, of the Board Council of ICC Italy from January 2018 until May 2019, co-chair of the arbitration working group of ASLA (the Association of Italian Law Firms) from January 2014 to November 2019 and Vice Chair of the Host Committee of the IBA Annual Conference held in Rome in October 2018. She has also been a member of the ICC Task Force on Emergency Arbitrator Proceedings, of the ICC Task Force on Arbitration of Climate Change Related Disputes and of the IBA Task Force in charge of reviewing the 2010 IBA Rules on the Taking of Evidence in International Arbitration. She is co-founder of ArbIt (the Italian Forum for Arbitration and ADR) and member of its Advisory Board.
As from December 2021, Cecilia is a member of the Beirat of the German Arbitration Institute (DIS).
As of January 2023, Cecilia is a member of the International Advisory Board of the Vienna International Arbitral Centre of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (“VIAC”).
As of January 2023, Cecilia has been designated by the Italian government as a member of the ICSID Panel of Conciliators.
As of June 2024, Cecilia is a member of the London Court of International Arbitration (“LCIA”).
As of July 2024 Cecilia is a Delegate of the National Committee to the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR.
As from January 2025, Cecilia is a member of the SIAC Panel of Arbitrators.
As from April 2025, Cecilia is a member of Arbitral Council of the Milan Chamber of Arbitration (“CAM”).
Cecilia has been included in the rankings of the most important national and international directories for several years. In 2024 she has been ranked by Chambers and Partners in Band 1 for the Dispute Resolution: Most in Demand Arbitrators – Italy cathegory. In the same year, she has also been listed among the Italian national leaders by WWL Thought Leaders: Arbitration.
In 2023 Cecilia Carrara has been awarded “Lawyer of the year International Arbitration” at the Legalcommunity Litigation Awards.
Cecilia Carrara is also annually mentioned in various authoritative contexts and international publications as follows:: “Cecilia Carrara is an expert in international arbitration“, “Cecilia Carrara has a remarkable understanding and ability to analyse clients’ business, as well as a significant capability to perform the tasks assigned productively and constructively. She also has considerable logical thinking skills that allow her to prepare persuasive case arguments” (Chambers and Partners 2023), “technically good in arbitration. She is estimated and appreciated” (Chambers and Partners 2022), “a very knowledgeable lawyer” and “a specialist in arbitration” (Chambers and Partners 2021), “an experienced international arbitration specialist” (Chambers and Partners 2020).
Cecilia Carrara has been identified by Who’s Who Legal – Global Arbitration Review for several years as one of the world’s leading experts on commercial arbitration, and she has been refereed to as“an excellent professional” (2022), “Cecilia is very proactive and is able to provide sophisticated advice at short notice“, “an extremely able lawyer and arbitrator“, “she’s highly intelligent and good to work with, with a broad legal knowledge” (2021), “a practitioner to admire” and “a great lawyer“, “very diligent in arbitration proceedings, with deep experience in post-M&A disputes” (2020).
Cecilia is also recommended in The Legal 500 as a Next Generation Partner (2022, 2021) as follows: “Cecilia Carrara is an excellent professional in the field of Italian disputes, and certainly among the best when it comes to international arbitration. Competent, very helpful and dedicated to customers”, (2022).
Cecilia is the author of numerous contributions published in academic and specialist journals of primary standing.
