The Legal 500

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP’s ‘superb’ and ‘extremely business-oriented’ team acts solely in international arbitration, for which its advice is ‘concise and to the point’. The team acted for Colas in international arbitration against the Mauritius Port Authority, and represented Elektrim Finance in an international arbitration against Vivendi Universal and four affiliates. Team head Charles Adams wins praise for his ‘extraordinary advocacy and strategic skills’, and Michael Stepek is ‘very strong in formulating arguments’, ‘a sharp thinker, very independent and self-sufficient’ and ‘always gets excellent results’. Matthew Bate was made up to partner in January 2012

Bär & Karrer AG’s ‘brilliant and synergistic’ team represents clients in arbitrations, litigation and internal investigations, including cross-border proceedings. It acted for Areva in arbitration against Siemens and defended a leading Swiss pharmaceuticals company against an American competitor’s claim for damages based on an alleged violation of a manufacturing agreement. Other clients include ABB, Fiat, GlaxoSmithKline and UBS. Saverio Lembo in Geneva is recommended, as are Daniel Hochstrasser, Andreas Länzlinger and Matthew Reiter in Zurich.

Homburger’s seven-partner team advised ENEL in large-scale attachment proceedings involving Switzerland and Singapore, and assisted UNICEF Deutschland in a dispute concerning the Rau art collection. Other clients include Alpiq Holding and LV Finance Group. In arbitration, it represented Nestlé in a dispute relating to a large IT contract, and Novartis Pharma Services regarding a terminated distribution agreement. Team head Felix Dasser is recommended, as are Georg Naegeli, Thomas Müller and Balz Gross.

Lalive provides ‘excellent advocacy, good strategic planning and perfect structuring of the proceedings’. It represented the claimant in a $4bn gas-pricing dispute arising under a long-term contract between two Middle Eastern companies, and acted for Swiss investors in a $1.2bn investment dispute in the media sector arising under a bilateral investment treaty. Michael Schneider, arguably ‘the best lawyer in the field of arbitration’, has served as chairman of several ICC tribunals. Other recommended individuals include Domitille Baizeau, who is ‘a great lawyer, very skilful, professional, precise, co-operative’, and litigation experts Marc Henzelin and Alexander Troller.

Lenz & Staehelin is ‘outstanding in all respects’. The international arbitration team is headed jointly by Zurich-based Harold Frey, who is ‘competent, efficient and has a good understanding of the client’s needs’, and Paolo Michele Patocchi in Geneva and Lausanne. Xavier Favre-Bulle is also recommended. For litigation, clients appreciate the ‘availability and commitment’ of Geneva head Benoît Chappuis and the ‘practical, business-oriented’ approach of Zurich team leader Martin Burkhardt.

Schellenberg Wittmer is ‘excellent in all categories’ and ‘very commercial, flexible and responsive’. In litigation, it defended the former auditors and managers of the State of Geneva Bank in a white-collar fraud case. In arbitration, it represented a large Middle East trading company before the ICC Arbitration Tribunal against a Swiss entity. In Zurich, ‘guru’ Alexander Jolles has ‘an in-depth understanding of the law and business practices’, and is recommended along with Martin Bernet, and Elliott Geisinger, who provides ‘advice and support of the highest rank’. Geneva-based Christian Girod is ‘excellent in commercial and litigation matters’.

Baker & McKenzie Geneva’s ‘erudite and hardworking’ team is led by Rodolphe Gautier and Daniel Peregrina, and handles domestic and international arbitration matters in conjunction with Zurich colleagues led by Richard Gassmann. Areas of expertise for the firm include M&A, banking, public law, trust and white-collar crime disputes. Cross-border litigation with a banking dimension is a significant part of the practice.

Python & Peter’s ‘very able and highly regarded’ nine-partner team is involved in a large number of arbitrations, an area in which it is ‘recognised as a leader’. This expertise encompasses M&A, banking and finance, IT, IP, sport and pharmaceuticals-related disputes. Thomas Legler, Pierre-Yves Gunter and Sébastien Besson are recommended. Anne Hoffman was made up to partner in 2011.

Vischer’s six-partner team is headed by Thomas Gelzer and has a strong profile in litigation and arbitration. It handles a large number of international mandates and has focused recently on cases pertaining to the new Swiss federal rules of civil procedure. Daniele Favalli, Christoph Pestalozzi and Christian Oetiker are recommended. Thomas Weibel became a partner in 2011.

Walder Wyss Ltd is ‘clearly top in insolvency-related disputes’, particularly international and cross-border matters, and it recently advised a consortium of banks including Citibank, Citigroup and UniCredit/HVB in a CHF350m insolvency litigation. Peter Straub, Magda Streuli-Youssef, Dieter Hofmann and Marc Veit are recommended.

Werner Wenger leads the group at Wenger Plattner, which advises domestic and foreign clients in disputes before Swiss courts and administrative authorities, as well as domestic and foreign arbitration tribunals in a range of different sectors of private and commercial law.

CMS von Erlach Henrici Ltd’s ‘positive’ team produces work of ‘a consistently high standard’ and acts for clients including Club Atlético de Madrid, FC Shakhtar Donetsk and KPMG LLP (UK). In litigation, it advised a co-defendant in a responsibility claim against a former board member of a large Swiss public company. In arbitration, it represented the respondents in an international multi-party arbitration proceeding, under Swiss rules, between various nationalities relating to investments in the automotive sector. Practice head Jodok Wicki and Beat von Rechenberg are recommended.

‘First-rate’ firm Froriep Renggli ‘always responds within time limits set, provides in-depth practical and academic approaches to instructions, and provides client-sensitive responses’. The team is able to advise private or public sector clients in litigation or arbitration. Team head Marcel Steinegger is ‘very reliable, technically strong and pleasant to work with’, and arbitration specialist Jean-Marie Vulliemin is ‘a strong fighter and meticulous jurist with deep knowledge of different national law systems, with capability to foresee the best solution for his clients’. Philippe Pulfer is ‘adept at marrying the differences between civil and common law jurisdictions and communicating clearly’.

The ‘energetic, creative and critically minded’ partners at Niederer Kraft & Frey AG are ‘highly esteemed litigators and arbiters’. The team represented a Swiss company in a series of claims brought by a minority shareholder before the courts in Zurich and the Swiss Federal Supreme Court. Other clients include Credit Suisse and EFG International. Practice head Ernst Schmid is recommended along with Peter Honegger, who is ‘a true fighter and knows how to present a case’, and Daniel Eisele, who is ‘very experienced, extremely dedicated and convincing, with an entrepreneurial approach and business orientation’.

Pestalozzi provides ‘a really high level of legal expertise, possessing an impressive legal insight and profound knowledge of law and legal procedures’. It represented First International Bank of Israel and Union Bank of Israel in an avoidance claim against Eurostar Diamond Traders, Stelman International Diamond Dealers and others. The team also represented the Banque Cantonale de Genève, as civil party, in the criminal prosecution of its former directors and auditors. Michael Kramer, Laurent Killias and Tanja Planinic are ‘professional, hardworking and efficient legal advisers’.

Sidley Austin LLP’s ‘responsive and flexible’ lawyers are ‘fast in providing answers to questions or requests, and are not afraid of hard work’. The team has an extensive practice including high-level international arbitration matters, and recently acted for Nanya Technology Corporation in a dispute regarding the dissolution of its joint venture with Qimonda. ‘Meticulous’ team head Marc Palay has ‘an intensive approach, and great knowledge of the industry’, and clients feel they ‘could not be in better hands’. David Roney is ‘a truly excellent lawyer’.

Tavernier Tschanz fields ‘hugely able lawyers’ who ‘command great respect’. The team acts in major corporate and commercial arbitration, with expertise including telecoms, pharmaceuticals, construction, shareholder agreements and investment disputes. Pierre-Yves Tschanz and Frank Spoorenberg are recommended.

Wenger & Vieli’s ‘active and highly visible’ team is led in litigation by Michael Huber and in arbitration by Urs Weber-Stecher. It represented a major insurer in an appeal before the Swiss Federal Supreme Court against a decision given by the Zurich Commercial Court; acted for a leading Swiss travel company against a competitor in a dispute on share deals and warranties before the Commercial Court in Zurich; and, in arbitration, acted in a dispute between international firms relating to steam turbines.

Kellerhals Attorneys at Law demonstrates ‘knowledge, responsiveness, promptness and efficiency’. In Bern, domestic and international arbitration expert Bernhard Berger is ‘approachable, strategic, friendly and a pleasure to work with’. In Basel, Fabrizio Gabrielli is ‘superior, very quick and a lateral thinker’, and Thomas Eichenberger is ‘particularly strong’ in healthcare litigation. Other areas of expertise for the group include D&O liability insurance.

Gloor & Sieger’s four-partner team acts in commercial litigation and international arbitration. Areas of expertise in arbitration include construction, M&A, joint ventures, licensing and domain name disputes. The firm also acts in white-collar crime and insolvency litigation. Daniel Marugg and Daniel Wehrli are recommended.

meyerlustenberger’s ‘competent and well-regarded’ five-partner team is headed by Marcel Lustenberger. It handles an extensive range of matters including continuing to represent a significant minority shareholder in a case regarding the enforcement of shareholders’ rights. Walter Häberling is recommended in rent, debt enforcement and real estate disputes, and Reinhard Oertli in TMT and IP arbitration matters. Manuel Arroyo joined from Bär & Karrer AG.

Prager Dreifuss AG is ‘efficient’, providing ‘good support, good availability and response times’. It acted for a former UBS client in administrative assistance proceedings relating to a data exchange request from the IRS of the US to the Swiss tax authorities. It also advised a trust in relation to an asset freezing order. Team co-heads Gaudenz Domenig and Urs Feller are recommended, as is Christoph Graber for insurance litigation.

Staiger, Schwald & Partner Ltd handles large-scale arbitration and litigation, and is expert in cross-border matters. The firm continues to defend a client in a CHF100m energy sector dispute. Philipp Känzig and Marc Bernheim are recommended.

In Geneva, Winston & Strawn LLP’s Ricardo Ugarte handles commercial litigation and international arbitration.

BCCC Attorneys-at-law LLC’s ‘excellent’ group provides ‘very good quality advice’. Jean-Marc Carnicé is an expert in international assistance in criminal matters, including white-collar crime, and the wider team has capabilities in international arbitration, real estate, banking and finance disputes. Thierry Amy and Yves de Coulon are recommended for corporate disputes.

BMG Avocats’ ‘strong team’ provides ‘good-quality, well-priced’ advice in litigation and arbitration. Pierre Louis Manfrini and Guillaume Fatio supply ‘sound, clear advice delivered in a timely fashion’.

Buis Bürgi AG’s focus is on international litigation. Paul Bürgi leads the team.

‘Reliable and responsive’, FBT Attorneys-at-Law gives ‘real value for money’. The team handles arbitration – including recently representing a Brazilian pharmaceuticals company in arbitration against a Spanish counterparty – and also handles banking and finance litigation and employment disputes. Christophe Wilhelm and Serge Fasel are recommended for ‘great communication, professionalism, strategic thinking and excellence in negotiations’.

GHR Rechtsanwälte’s Sabine Burkhalter Kaimakliotis represented a leading Swiss bank in a large debt recovery claim, and has been acting in management liability cases.

Gillioz Dorsaz & Associés’ core expertise is in banking and finance litigation and arbitration. Bernard Dorsaz is recommended.

Klein Attorneys Ltd’s team handles a wide variety of arbitration and litigation. Thomas Klein is recommended.

MME Partners’ ‘very helpful and competent’ team produces ‘really serious and good work’ in domestic and international arbitration. Bernhard Meyer is recommended.

Altenburger Ltd legal + tax’s Birgit Sambeth Glasner and Rolf Schuler advise on domestic and international litigation and mediation.

Borel & Barbey’s Nicolas Piérard acts in insurance, IP, M&A and employment disputes.

Bratschi Wiederkehr & Buob’s team is recommended for IT, IP and banking cases. Jürgen Brönnimann is the key contact.

Piera Beretta’s three-partner team at Burckhardt is ‘well known for its expertise and highly efficient service’. All partners are ‘approachable and react very quickly, providing valuable and practical advice’.

Eversheds Ltd’s four-partner dispute resolution team is ‘proactive and supportive’, ‘fair and open on expectations and risks’, and ‘advice is aggressive when necessary’. Claudius Triebold heads the group.

Rohner Rechtsanwälte’s boutique arbitration and litigation practice has notable capabilities in construction and post-M&A arbitration, and has also been involved in several litigations against Swiss banks. Sandra De Vito Bieri and maritime and transport arbitration expert Raphaëlle Favre Schnyder are recommended.

Suter Howald Attorneys at Law has expertise in debt recovery, attachment proceedings and injunctions, and enforcement of foreign judgements. André Bloch and Mauro Loosli are ‘responsive, thorough, and interested in working strategically to address complicated issues while keeping fees reasonable’.

Thouvenin Rechtsanwälte has expertise in employee fraud. Daniel Stoll is recommended.

Umbricht Rechtsanwälte’ advises on the full range of domestic and international litigation, as well as institutional and ad hoc arbitrations. The firm has expertise in the enforcement of foreign judgements, injunctions, provisional measures and their defence. Georg Umbricht, Robert Umbricht and Vera Schmidt are recommended.