Dr Cottier is a Professor Emeritus of European and International Economic Law at the University of Bern and the co-founder and former Managing Director of the World Trade Institute. He has vast experience as a trade negotiator and as a professor in international economic law and policy. During the Uruguay Round, he was chief negotiator on dispute settlement and subsidies for Switzerland and on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs). Thomas was Deputy Director-General of Switzerland’s Intellectual Property Office, Head of Legal Services (GATT Division) in Switzerland’s Department of Foreign Economic Relations and Of Counsel for Baker & McKenzie law firm.
He has been a member or chair of several GATT and WTO dispute settlement panels since 1994.