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Switzerland > Law firm and leading lawyer rankings

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DOING BUSINESS IN SWITZERLAND

Contributed by Bratschi Wiederkehr & Buob Ltd

Summary: 10 reasons to choose Switzerland for your business

Switzerland is a hub for international businesses. There are a number of facts that promote its position in the world:

  1. The Swiss economy has been stable for the last decades.
  2. The Swiss political system has remained equally stable literally for over a century. On the federal level, there has always been a coalition government for more than a century.
  3. The currency, the Swiss franc, has steadily grown in value compared to most other major currencies.

Read more…

Legal market overview

Due to its cantonal structure, the Swiss legal market is spread across several centres, namely Geneva and Lausanne in French-speaking West Switzerland, the German-speaking cities Berne, Basel and Zurich and Lugano for the Italian-speaking Canton of Ticino. The Italian-speaking market has a strong focus on local clients, but is also attracting business from Southern Europe, whereas the German- and French-speaking offices collaborate with a wider international range of businesses, governmental bodies and private individuals. While Zurich houses most of the country’s leading law firms as well as the principal stock exchange and has a highly active capital markets and banking sphere, Geneva-based firms are particularly visible in the private banking sector and in contentious work; additionally, the presence of international sports organisations and the World Trade Organisation in Switzerland’s second largest city not only ensures a steady stream of high-profile instructions, but also resulted in an influx of foreign firms competing with traditional Swiss market players.

The editorial features large, all-encompassing firms such as Bär & Karrer Ltd., Schellenberg Wittmer Ltd, Homburger, Niederer Kraft & Frey AG and Walder Wyss Ltd, as well as firms with a narrower, more specialised offering. Notable examples of the latter include BianchiSchwald LLC for corporate and M&A and IP law and Bratschi Wiederkehr & Buob Ltd for corporate, private client and tax advice. Kellerhals Carrard extended its practice in September 2017 by merging with Lugano-based firm PSMLaw.

Firms in the spotlight

Bär & Karrer AG

www.baerkarrer.ch

Bär & Karrer is a renowned Swiss law firm with more than 150 lawyers in Zurich, Geneva, Lugano and Zug. Our core business is advising our clients on innovative and complex transactions and representing them in litigation, arbitration and regulatory proceedings. Our clients range from multinational corporations to private individuals in Switzerland and around the world.

Lenz & Staehelin

www.lenzstaehelin.com

While Lenz & Staehelin is acknowledged by most as Switzerland’s leading law firm, its connections and expertise span the globe. With over 200 lawyers, its ability to innovate and adapt to the ever-changing complexities of legal and regulatory environments in Switzerland and beyond, has attracted many of the world’s top corporations as well as private individuals.

Homburger

www.homburger.ch

Homburger was founded by Professor Eric Homburger in 1957 and rapidly developed. Today the firm employs approximately 150 lawyers and tax experts, the majority of which combine academic activities with their commercial legal practice and contribute, whether in doctrine or in publications, to the development of the law

The In-House Lawyer

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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.

Interview with...

Law firm partners and practice heads explain how their firms are adapting to clients' changing needs

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Press releases

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Legal Developments in Switzerland

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

  • 17 February 2017: Auris Medical's Public Equity Offering

    Auris Medical Holding AG (NASDAQ: EARS) issued and priced its public offering of 10,000,000 common shares and 10,000,000 warrants, each warrant entitling its holder to purchase 0.70 of a common share.  The common shares and warrants are being sold in units comprised of one common share and one warrant at the public offering price of USD 1.00 per unit. The warrants will be immediately exercisable at a price of USD 1.20 per common share and are exercisable for five years. In connection with the offering, the Company has granted the underwriter a 30-day option to purchase up to 1,500,000 additional common shares and/or 1,500,000 additional warrants at the public offering price less underwriting discounts. The offering is expected to close on or about February 21, 2017, subject to customary closing conditions. Roth Capital Partners is acting as sole book-running manager in the offering. Maxim Group LLC is acting as a financial advisor in the offering.
    - Walder Wyss Ltd

  • 16 February 2017: Credit Suisse successfully launched its new subsidiary Credit Suisse (Switzerland)

    Credit Suisse (Switzerland) Ltd. was incorporated with the purpose to be organized as a Swiss bank. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Credit Suisse AG. The transfer of assets and liabilities according to Swiss merger law became effective on 20 November 2016. The transfer was aimed to evolve the legal entity structure of the Credit Suisse Group to meet regulatory requirements for systematically important banks.
    - Walder Wyss Ltd

  • 14 February 2017: BASF acquires Rolic Group

    BASF acquires Rolic, a Swiss based group offering innovative and forward-thinking solutions, particularly in the display and security industries as well as the optical film business.
    - Walder Wyss Ltd

  • 15 February 2017: gategroup CHF 300 mio. bond issuance

    gategroup successfully raised CHF 300 million through the issuance of a fixed rate 5-year senior bond with a final maturity on February 28, 2022. The bond with a coupon of 3% p.a. has been issued by gategroup Finance (Luxembourg) S.A. and is guaranteed by its parent company gategroup Holding AG. gategroup will apply for the listing of the new bond on the SIX Swiss Exchange.
    - Walder Wyss Ltd

  • 17 February 2017: RWS acquires LUZ, Inc.

    RWS Holdings plc, a world leading provider of intellectual property support services (patent translations, international patent filing solutions and searches), commercial translations and linguistic validation, has completed the acquisition of 100% of LUZ, Inc., a market leading Life Sciences language services provider based in San Francisco, for a cash consideration of USD82.5m.
    - Walder Wyss Ltd

  • 17 February 2017: Cembra Money Bank acquires invoice financing provider SWISSBILLING SA

    Cembra Money Bank has reached an agreement to acquire 100% of the shares of SWISSBILLING. The transaction is expected to close within the first quarter of 2017. The transaction consideration was below CHF 10 million and is expected to have a negative impact of 0.1% on the Group’s CET1 ratio as at closing.
    - Walder Wyss Ltd

  • 7 February 2017: TPF closes private offering and bank financing

    Transports publics fribourgeois Trafic (TPF TRAFIC) SA closed the financing of its maintenance and exploitation centre in the canton of Fribourg. The financing was partly made through a CHF 40 mio. private placement, a CHF 32 mio. secured bank loan and a CHF 55 mio. unsecured bank loan.
    - Walder Wyss Ltd

  • 3 February 2017: Migros acquires Tipesca

    The Migros Group, through MĂ©rat & Cie. SA, has acquired Tipesca SA, a company incorporated in the canton of Tessin. Tipesca offers a wide range of fish products.
    - Walder Wyss Ltd

  • 24 January 2017: Sharp Corporation and Skytec Group Limited enter into strategic business alliance

    Japan-based Sharp Corporation, part of Taiwan’s Foxconn Group, enters into a strategic business alliance with Skytec Group Limited (“Skytec”) regarding the manufacture and sale of Sharp branded products and services in Europe. For that purpose, Sharp acquires a majority stake of 56.7% in the newly incorporated joint venture Skytec UMC Ltd.
    - Walder Wyss Ltd

  • 25 January 2017: Zug Estates CHF 100 mio. Bond

    Zug Estates Holding AG (SIX: ZUGN) has successfully issued its first CHF 100 mio. fixed-interest bond with a 0.7% coupon and a 5-year maturity.
    - Walder Wyss Ltd

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
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