Lugano Convention

The Lugano Convention is central to cross-border civil and commercial litigation involving Switzerland and participating European states. It allocates jurisdiction between courts and provides rules for recognising and enforcing judgments abroad. The Convention promotes predictability through common rules on defendant domicile, contractual and tort claims, exclusive jurisdiction, protective forums and parallel proceedings. It does not harmonise substantive law. For Swiss practice, it is often the first instrument considered when a dispute links Switzerland with an EU or EFTA Lugano state.