The legal battle between Russell Coutts and Alinghi boss Ernesto Bertarelli is expected to drag on for at least a year.

The two parties are going through legal arbitration and met in Switzerland this week in a preliminary hearing. Coutts' lawyer, Thomas Steinmann, who is based in Geneva, believes the procedure will take at least a year.

"The longer the syndicate can tie up this whole process, the longer it is that Coutts isn't going anywhere. You can delay this sort of process considerably if that is part of your plan", said John Rooney, a senior associate at Auckland law firm Simpson Grierson.

"But it might be quite complicated because it is not just about the relationship between Coutts and his syndicate, but also the rules of the America's Cup, which can be discussed if relevant".