Garðar Víðir Gunnarsson

Garðar Víðir Gunnarsson joined LEX in 2009 and became a partner in 2013. He is a leading expert in the area of tax law and has advised numerous companies, both domestic and international, on tax-related matters. Garðar Víðir’s tax practice is particularly focused on corporate taxation, mergers & acquisition and cross-border investments. In addition Garðar Víðir specializes in corporate law and is one of the country’s chief specialists in the field of arbitration law.

Garðar Víðir graduated with a BA degree in law from Reykjavík University in 2005 and an ML degree in law in 2007 as well as a LL.M. degree in International Commercial Arbitration Law from Stockholm University in 2008. Since 2008 Garðar Víðir has been a lecturer at the faculty of law at Reykjavik University in the fields of International Sales of Goods, International Commercial Arbitration, and Oral Advocacy before arbitral tribunals. He has also been a lecturer in Corporate Law in Reykjavík University’s Business Faculty. Additionally, Garðar Víðir has published numerous articles and book chapters on the status and practice of arbitration law in Iceland that have been published both domestically and abroad.

Admitted to practice before:

• The District Courts

Career

• LEX since 2009
• Frjálsi fjárfestingabankinn, General Counsel 2009
• KPMG, Senior Associate 2007-2009

Education

• Admitted to the Icelandic Bar Association as a District Court Attorney in 2009
• Stockholm University, LL.M. in international arbitration 2008
• Reykjavík University, ML from the faculty of law 2007
• Reykjavík University, BA from the faculty of law 2005

Languages

• Icelandic
• English
• Swedish
• Danish
• French

Academic positions

• Lecturer, Reykjavík University’s faculty of law, since 2008 in the fields of International Sale of Goods, International Arbitration and Oral Advocacy
• Lecturer, Reykjavík University’s Business faculty, in 2016-2017 in the field of corporate law

Publications and speaking engagements

• GAR know-how, Investment Treaty Arbitration, chapter on Iceland
• Islandia (Iceland), book chapter in Arbitraje Comercial Internacional en Europa (Aspectos Actuales y Regímenes Jurídicos), Estudio Mario Castillo Freyre, Lima (2013), on the Practice and Status of Arbitration in Iceland. Co-authored with Mr Hafliði K. Lárusson (published in English)
• „Four ways to sharpen the sword of efficiency in international arbitration“, (March 2013) published on Young ICCA‘s website. Article written as part of the Young ICCA mentoring programme, co-authored with Mr David Earnest, Mr Raul Gallardo and Mr Tobiasz Kaczor, with foreword by Professor Bernardini.
• „The Procedure of Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards in Iceland“, Tímarit Lögréttu, Volume 8, No 3, (2012), pp. 9-44, peer-reviewed article published in an Icelandic legal journal (published in Icelandic).
• Iceland, book chapter in World Arbitration Reporter (2nd ed.), Juris Publishing, New York (2010), on the Practice and Status of Arbitration in Iceland (published in English).

Other activities

• Board member, the Nordic Arbitration Centre since 2023
• On the board of LEX since 2019
• Co-Chair of Young ICCA
• Member ICC Court of International Arbitration
• Member of ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR
• Board member, Association of Icelandic Students
• Secretary of Lögrétta, law student association at Reykjavík University
• President of Lögrétta Debate society