MIDS ALUMNI PORTRAIT SERIES — From Hamburg to Geneva: Sebastian Wuschka on Disputes, Practice, and International Law

When Sebastian Wuschka discovered the MIDS brochure during his early professional years in Germany, he did not expect it would fundamentally shape the direction of his career. Drawn by the program's distinctive focus on procedural aspects of international law and dispute settlement, he joined the Master in International Dispute Settlement (MIDS) with a broad interest in international law rather than a predetermined path in arbitration. Today, as Of Counsel at Luther's Complex Disputes practice, Sebastian works across investment and commercial arbitration while remaining closely connected to academia and international legal practice. In this interview, he reflects on the practical impact of the MIDS, the evolution of international dispute resolution, and the value of the global MIDS network.

What motivated you to join the MIDS program, and what were your expectations at the time?

I must confess my choice to join the MIDS (or rather apply for admission, which I was luckily granted) was a rather spontaneous one. It was not the result of a long reflection process. During my undergraduate studies in Germany, I had developed a major interest in public international. And my plan had always been to further pursue this interest during an LL.M. in the US or the UK. After graduation, however, I started working as an assistant for a center in charge of international cooperations at my alma mater's law faculty. And there, one day, I found a brochure of the MIDS program. Its focus on procedural aspects of international law and  cross-cutting approach to dispute settlement in both public and private international law  immediately fascinated me - and the MIDS became the only LL.M. program I applied for. My expectations, in turn, were to focus on procedural aspects of international law rather than substance, which I felt I had studied in depth already.

Which aspect of the MIDS experience had the greatest impact on your professional or personal growth?

While many come to the MIDS with their mind set on a career in arbitration already from the start, e.g. in light of their Vis Moot experience, that was not the case for me. I was interested in a career in international law more broadly. My MIDS experience was decisive though for my decision to focus on arbitration to reach that goal - and really in a two-fold way: On the one hand, a core realization I had was that, to develop a career with a certain focus on public international law in Germany, the entry point was to concentrate on investment law and arbitration. On the other hand, the various commercial arbitration courses and in particular the similar procedural issues across the board made me realize that I could well see myself also as a generalist disputes lawyer, with an interest to work in essentially every area that the MIDS program covers. That's essentially what I have managed to become.

How has the MIDS network or training influenced your career path since graduation?

There would be a broad range of elements to mention. But one aspect that I distinctly remember is how the MIDS not only provided me with the necessary theoretical knowledge for the start of my career in international arbitration. The many practice-oriented elements of the program - the cross-examination workshop in cooperation with the FIAA, the site visit to the ICC headquarters in Paris as part of Professor Tercier's ICC arbitration course and their like - had really prepared me well for the day-to-day work. Or at least that is how it felt when I joined Luther in October 2014 as a research associate.

Can you briefly explain your career path since graduating from the MIDS?

I joined Luther's arbitration team as a junior member immediately after completing the MIDS. I was fortunate to have started with the firm at a time when it represented Vattenfall against Germany in its ICSID arbitration relating to the German nuclear phase-out, and had been instructed by German E.ON in a high-value Spanish renewables arbitration. Those cases, together with other investment law work and assistance on some commercial cases, kept me busy for a long time and I learned a lot over the years. At the same time, I had not yet qualified for bar admission in Germany, which requires a two-year training in Germany. I ultimately commenced that process in 2018, staying with Luther part-time. I also spent some time with a renowned US arbitration and investment treaty disputes team in Washington, DC, during that qualification process. Over the years, I have taught international law and dispute settlement at several German universities on the side. During the COVID pandemic, I then took on a research fellowship at the University of Lausanne in a project dealing with arbitration and tax matters, and moved back to Switzerland. Today, I am still with Luther, currently in the role of Of Counsel - and while my office is physically in Hamburg, I spend much of my time working from home in Geneva, also with colleagues across the firm's other offices.  

If you could redesign one aspect of international dispute resolution, what would it be and why?

Its efficiency: Especially arbitration was long considered a fast tool for the resolution of international disputes. Nowadays, it just takes too long many times. I don't have the magic wand to solve that, unfortunately, But I find interesting to see that some inter-state (or state-international organization disputes) at the PCA, which typically are thought to take even longer than commercial cases, could be resolved rather rapidly. I am thinking of the EU-UK fisheries dispute under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement and the Rwanda-UK Asylum Partnership Agreement arbitration, which was initiated in November 2025 and led to an award already in mid-May this year.

Which moment since graduation made you realize the true value of your MIDS experience - and was it what you expected?

I think this is a repeating moment in different settings - every time I meet a fellow MIDS alum in a different professional setting, especially when this is our first encounter.  

What advice would you give to future MIDS students embarking on this journey?

Make the most of your time in Geneva! There are so many interesting events taking place - not only around arbitration. And go see some movies at CinéTransat during the summer!