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Switzerland

Switzerland

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Legal market overview

Geneva and Zurich are the key legal centres of Switzerland, with Basel, Berne, Lugano and Lausanne also featuring prominently. Zurich, the country’s largest city and its financial centre, is home to the majority of leading banking and capital markets lawyers. Geneva, in the French-speaking west, is the location of choice for many international organisations for arbitration and litigation.

Switzerland’s banking and private client markets were rocked in August 2013 by a joint statement issued by the Swiss Federal Department of Finance and the US Department of Justice regarding a programme to encourage Swiss banks to co-operate in DoJ’s ongoing investigation into the use of foreign bank accounts for tax evasion.

Language barriers between the German-speaking east of the country, the Francophone west and the Italian-speaking area in the south shape the legal landscape, and mean that most of the national law firms have several offices across the different regions.

Geneva-based firm Lalive opened an office in Zurich and hired two well-known partners from Walder Wyss Ltd, while the latter firm opened a new office in Lugano. Both firms are part of a well-established group of national players which includes Baker & McKenzie, Bär & Karrer AG, Homburger, Lenz & Staehelin, Niederer Kraft & Frey AG and Schellenberg Wittmer Ltd. CMS now has an office in Geneva as well as Zurich following its merger in January 2014 with ZPG Avocats.

Legal Business: country analysis


A wider horizon – Switzerland edges into the global economy

With Switzerland drawn increasingly into the wider regional economy, the country is competing for investment on quality rather than its traditional role as a tax shelter...

Click here to read the feature.

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Press releases

The latest news direct from law firms. If you would like to submit press releases for your firm, send an email request to

Legal Developments in Switzerland

Legal Developments and updates from the leading lawyers in each jurisdiction. To contribute, send an email request to

Press Releases in Switzerland

The latest news direct from law firms. If you would like to submit press releases for your firm, send an email request to

  • 12 January 2015 - Walgreens Acquires the Remaining Equity Ownership in Alliance Boots

    Walgreen Co., the largest drug store chain in the United States, has completed the acquisition of the remaining 55% equity ownership in Alliance Boots GmbH, the Swiss parent company of a leading international pharmacy-led health and beauty group. Walgreens had acquired 45% in Alliance Boots GmbH in 2012 with the option to proceed to a full combination by acquiring the remaining 55%.
    - Bär & Karrer

  • 15 January 2015 - Daniel Leu elected partner

    We are pleased to announce that we elected Daniel Leu as partner as of 1 January 2015. Daniel Leu, a Certified Inheritance Law Specialist, advises private clients on corporate and estate planning, on the handling of estates, in connection with foundations and trusts and on questions in connection with the place of residence. Other areas of work include advising clients who buy or sell real estate in Switzerland and art law.
    - Bär & Karrer

  • 8 January 2015 - Transfer of the Swiss Transmission Grid to Swissgrid

    On 5 January 2015, Swissgrid acquired further parts of the Swiss transmission grid, including the transmission grid company of the city of Zurich.
    - Bär & Karrer

  • 22 December 2014 - Completion of Public Tender Offer for Swisslog Holding AG

    In the cash public tender offer by KUKA Aktiengesellschaft, Augsburg, Germany, for the publicly held shares of Swisslog Holding AG, listed on SIX Swiss Exchange and headquartered in Buchs/Aarau, Switzerland, a total of 230'678'047 Swisslog shares were tendered into the offer, corresponding to 91.80% of all shares issued by Swisslog as of 29 September 2014. KUKA consummated the offer on 15 December 2014.
    - Bär & Karrer

  • 19 December 2014 - Funds Advised by Apax Partners Agree to Sell Orange Communications SA

    On 18 December 2014, Funds advised by Apax Partners announced that they have agreed to sell Orange Communications SA to NJJ Capital, Xavier Niel's private holding company, for a total transaction value of CHF 2.8 billion (EUR 2.3 billion). The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approval and expected to be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2015.
    - Bär & Karrer

  • 12 December 2014 - Bär & Karrer Awarded Switzerland M&A Legal Adviser of the Year by Mergerarket

    Bär & Karrer was elected Switzerland M&A Legal Adviser of the Year at yesterday's annual Mergermarket M&A Awards. Based on a comprehensive analysis of Mergermarket's league tables, the judging panel chose Bär & Karrer from among seven shortlisted Swiss and international law firms that were particularly active in the Swiss M&A market in 2014.
    - Bär & Karrer

  • 27 November 14 - Onex Corporation to acquire SIG Combibloc Group AG

    Onex Corporation has agreed to acquire SIG Combibloc Group AG for up to EUR 3.75 billion (USD 4.66 billion). EUR 3.575 billion (USD 4.44 billion) will be paid at the closing of the transaction, with an additional amount of up to EUR 175 million (USD 217 million) payable based on the financial performance of SIG in 2015 and 2016. The transaction is anticipated to close in the first quarter of 2015, subject to customary conditions and regulatory approvals.
    - Bär & Karrer

  • 1 August 2014: Walder Wyss opens office in Basel

    Following the opening of our offices in Lugano in 2013, Walder Wyss has further expanded its operations with the opening of new offices in Basel.  We warmly welcome our new team which consists of 12 experienced legal professionals and 9 staff members.
    - Walder Wyss Ltd

  • There are boundaries to exchange of tax information

    Under pressure from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), states known for their investors-friendly tax systems (so called ‘tax havens') for some years have been concluding tax information exchange agreements enabling, in some circumstances, access to information of substantial significance for tax basis, assessment and collection. Poland for instance concluded such agreements with Andorra, Belize, Bahamas, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Gibraltar, Grenada, Guernsey, Cayman Islands, Liberia, San Marino and Isle of Man.
    - Kancelaria Prawna Skarbiec

  • Swiss entity represented by NKF prevails in administrative proceedings commenced against it by SECO

    The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO has decided to terminate its extensive investigation proceedings conducted against a Swiss entity with major global operations for an alleged circumvention of sanctions without taking any action. In a case with an extremely complex and intertwined factual set up taking place in several different countries, the Swiss entity, represented by NKF, succeeded in demonstrating to the authorities that the alleged misconduct lacked any basis and that, in particular, most of the alleged activity was not even comprised by the sanctions, which the SECO had initially deemed circumvented.
    - Niederer Kraft & Frey
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