Research in Swiss and European contract law, international private and procedural law, and compara-tive private law
2009 | Habilitation, University of Basel (venia legendi in Swiss Private Law, International Private and Civil Procedural Law, Swiss and International Commercial and Economic Law, Comparative Law) |
2004 | Doctorate in Law, summa cum laude (University of Basel); recipient of the Stämpfli Publishing House Prize, Bern |
2000 | Licentiate (Master’s degree), Faculty of Law, University of Basel (magna cum laude, ranked 2nd in class) |
1994 | Swiss Matura (with Latin and Ancient Greek), Gymnasium Münchenstein, Switzerland; recipient of the Basel High School Graduate Prize of Sandoz (now Novartis) |
Academic Career
2023-2025 | PresidentoftheInstituteofBusinessLaw,UniversityofFribourg,Switzerland |
2022-2025 | Chair, Department of Private Law, University of Fribourg, Switzerland |
2010-2025 | FullProfessor(ChairofCivilLawI),FacultyofLaw,UniversityofFribourg,Switzerland |
2009–2010 | VisitingProfessor(InternationalBusinessTransactions),CenterforTransnationalLegalStudies,Georgetown Law Center / London, UK |
2004–2009 | MaxGeldnerAssistantProfessorship,UniversityofBasel |
2000–2003 | AssistantattheChairofPrivateLaw,PrivateInternationalLaw,andComparativeLaw(Prof.Dr.Ingeborg Schwenzer), University of Basel |
1999–2000 | Junior Assistant at the Chair of Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure Law, and Criminology (Prof. Dr. Mark Pieth), University of Basel |
1999 | Junior Assistant with Prof. Dr. Ingeborg Schwenzer, University of Basel |
1998–2001 | TutorinPrivateLaw,PublicLaw,andCriminalLaw,UniversityofBasel |
1995–2000 | Law Studies, Faculty of Law, University of Basel |
1995–1997 | MusicStudies(Piano),AcademyofMusic,Basel(ClassofProf.LaszlòGyimesi),Basel |
Professional Experience
Since 2018 | Arbitratorinarbitrationproceedings |
Since 2015 | Counselinarbitrationandlitigationproceedings |
Since 2009 | Legal expert (domestic and international) |
2007 | ScholarinResidence,WilmerCutlerPickeringHaleandDorrLLP(InternationalArbitrationandLitigation Practice Group), London, UK |
2004 | Traineeship,DistrictCourtSissach/Gelterkinden,Switzerland |
Professor Fountoulakis teaches contract law, liability law and other aspects of the law of obligations, international sales law, and international arbitration law.
She has many years of experience in university continuing education.
Courses HS 2025
1,170,1.01 Introduction to Private Law, Group 1
1,170,1.02 Introduction to Private Law, Group 2
7,496,1.00 Law: Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot – Part I
Lecture Assignments at Swiss Distance University
Since 2015 | Lecturer in Swiss Law of Obligations (Contracts), Swiss Distance University, Brig, Switzerland |
Since 2006 | LecturerinSwissLawofObligations(GeneralProvisions),SwissDistanceUniversity,Brig,Switzerland |
2013–2015 | Lecturer in Introduction to Private Law, Swiss Distance University, Brig, Switzerland |
Other Current Lecture Assignments
Since 2010 | LecturerinInternationalSalesLaw,MasterofLawsinCross-CulturalBusinessPractice(MLCBP),University of Fribourg |
Completed Lecture Assignments and Guest Professorships
2022-2024 | Lecturer in International Private and Commercial Law, Université Paris Cité (Paris V), France |
2021-2024 | LecturerinInternationalCommercialLaw,UniversitédeHaute-Alsace(UHA),Mulhouse,France |
2012 | Guest Professor in Comparative Private Law, Waitako University, Hamilton, New Zealand |
2012-2019 | Lecturer in Medical Law, Faculty of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Switzerland |
2011–2012 | LecturerinIntroductiontoAnglo-AmericanLaw,UFL–UniversityofLiechtenstein |
2010–2013 | Visiting Professor in European Business Law, Université Paris XII, France |
2009 | LecturerinComparativePrivateLaw,BuceriusLawSchool,Hamburg,Germany |
2009 | LecturerinInternationalCommercialLaw,UniversityofZurich,Switzerland |
2009 | LecturerinEuropeanPrivateLaw,InstituteforCommunicationResearch,Lucerne,Switzerland |
2003–2007 | Lecturer in Legal English, Language Center, University of Basel, Switzerland |
SchweizerischerJuristenverein(SwissJuristsAssociation),SchweizerVereinigungfürInternationalesRecht(SwissAssociation for International Law), International Law Association, Swiss Arbitration Association (ASA), Zivilrechtslehrervereinigung (Association of Civil Law Teachers; Germany), Gesellschaft für Rechtsvergleichung(Society for Comparative Law; Germany), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationales Recht (German Society for International Law), Wissenschaftliche Vereinigung für Internationales Verfahrensrecht (Scientific Association for International Procedural Law; Germany), International Distribution Institute (IDI; Turin); Gesellschaft Junger Zivilrechtswissenschaftler (Society of Young Civil Law Scholars; Germany), Association of Arbitral Women (Hong Kong), Romanian Association for the Study of Comparative Private Law (Bucharest)
2010 | Namedoneof«40TopTalentsunder40inScience»byCapital(EntrepreneurMagazine),Hamburg,Germany |
2010 | Sofja Kovalevskaja Prize, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Bonn, Germany (€1.4 million) |
2010–2011 | Fellowship,InstituteofAdvancedLegalStudies,London,UK |
2009–2011 | Fellowofthe«FastTrack»ProgrammeoftheRobertBoschFoundation,Stuttgart,Germany |
2004 | StämpfliPublishingHousePrize,Bern,Switzerland(bestdoctoralthesisattheUniversityofBaselin2004) |
2003 | Doctoral Scholarship, Werenfels Fund, Freiwillige Akademische Gesellschaft, Basel, Switzerland |
2003 | Scholarship,AmbroiseJacquesandMarie-EugèneMathieuFoundation,Basel,forresearchresidencyatNYU, New York, USA |
1999 | First Prize, 6th Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot, Vienna, Austria (Memorandum for Claimant – Werner Melis Award) |
1999 | FirstPrize,6thWillem C.VisInternationalCommercialArbitrationMoot,Vienna,Austria(Memorandumfor Defendant – Pieter Sanders Award) |
1995–1996 | HandschinFoundationScholarship,Liestal,Switzerland |
1995 | BaselHighSchoolGraduatePrizeofSandoz(nowNovartis),Basel,Switzerland |
Foundationandeditorialboardmandates
Since2022: Vice-President of the Board of Trustees of the Medialex Foundation, Fribourg, Switzerland
Since 2019: Member of the Board of Trustees (Foundation Council) of the Ernst von Caemmerer Foundation, Freiburg, Germany
Since 2018: Member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of International Economic Law (IWRZ), Munich, Germany
Since 2011: Member of various national and international evaluation and appointment committees
Since 2011: Editorial board member of the journal FamPra.ch – Die Praxis des Familienrechts, Bern, Switzerland
Since 2004: Member of the editorial board of the journal Internationales Handelsrecht (IHR) (International Commercial Law), Munich, Germany
Since 2004: Member of the editorial board of the journal European Journal of Law Reform (EJLR), Utrecht, Netherlands
Completedactivities
2023–2025: PresidentoftheBoardofTrusteesoftheFondationpourladiversitéculturelle,Fribourg,Switzerland
2023: Evaluation of the new provision on changing gender registration for the Federal Office of Justice
2022: Reporter for the European Law Institute to the European Commission (Cross-Border Protection of Vulnerable Adults)
2021–2025: Member of the Council of the European Law Institute (ELI), Vienna, Austria (elected by more than 1,600 eligible voters)
2021–2025: Member of the Membership Committee of the European Law Institute, Vienna, Austria 2021–2025: Member of the Fundraising Committee of the European Law Institute, Vienna, Austria
2017–2023: Member of the PRIMA Evaluation Commission, Swiss National Science Foundation, Bern, Switzerland
2015–2025: Member of the Research Council (Division I) of the Swiss National Science Foundation, Bern, Switzerland
2014–2025: Director of the Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) and CAS+ in Mediation (in French), University of Fribourg, Switzerland
2014–2025: Member of the Executive Board and Institute Council of the Institute for Family Research, University of Fribourg,Switzerland
2019–2022: Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the journal Medialex, Zug, Switzerland
2017–2019: Member of the subcommittee of the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences on the implementation of the revised Reproductive Medicine Act, Bern, Switzerland
2011–2018: Rapporteur for the Advisory Council of the CISG (http://www.cisgac.com/home/)(Set-off Under the CISG) 2011–2017: Member of the Cantonal Authority for Public Access and Data Protection, Fribourg, Switzerland
2011–2016: Member of the Marie Heim-Vögtlin Evaluation Commission, Swiss National Science Foundation, Bern, Switzerland
2015–2016: Member of the Evaluation Support Group on the Revised Child and Adult Protection Law for the Federal Office of Justice, Bern, Switzerland
Universityandfacultyself-administration(selection)
Since 2025: Member of the Board of Directors of the Institute for International Business Law, Faculty of Law, Fribourg
2023–2025: President of the Institute for Business Law, University of Fribourg
2022–2025: Chair of the Department of Private Law, Faculty of Law, Fribourg
Since 2021: Member of the Board of Directors of the «Institut droit et économie» (IDE), Faculty of Law, Fribourg
2021–2024: President of the University Appeals Commission, FernUni, Brig
Since 2021: Representative of German-speaking lecturers on the Academic Council of the FernUni, Brig
2021–2023: Member of the Board of the Institute for International Business Law, Faculty of Law, Fribourg
2011–2025: Delegate for the bilingual German-French law programme, Faculty of Law, Fribourg
2014–2025: Chair of the Commission for Admission to Law Studies “30 plus” (studies without a high school diplomafor persons over 30), Faculty of Law, Fribourg
2011–2021: MemberoftheUniversityLanguageCommission,UniversityofFribourg
2017–2020: MemberofthesteeringcommitteeofCONNECT–Coaching,Networking,andCareerTalksforFemale Doctoral Students, Faculty of Law, Fribourg
2012–2025: Chairormemberofvariousfacultyappointmentandothercommittees