The Legal 500

Vischer is ‘one of the best firms in Basel’. Corporate and M&A work is a notable strength, an area in which David Jenny and Sebastian Burckhardt are recommended. On the dispute resolution side, department chair Thomas Gelzer is ‘an experienced litigator’.

Wenger Plattner fields 33 lawyers, including 11 partners, in Basel. Tax is a mainstay of the practice under the leadership of Alain Lachappelle. Corporate, employment, IP, TMT and dispute resolution are also strong areas. Many clients are drawn from the pharmaceuticals and financial services sectors.

Bratschi Wiederkehr & Buob has a good market profile in financial services, M&A and tax. Tax specialists Markus Pfirter and Thomas Jaussi are well-known figures in the market.

Kellerhals Attorneys at Law is notable for corporate and tax law advice, and particularly succession planning. Peter Rickli is the key contact.

SwissLegal Dürr + Partner has a good reputation for construction, real estate and private client work. Christine Boldi-Goetschy and David Dürr are recommended.

Böckli Bodmer & Partner has experience in dispute resolution, corporate matters and financial services work.

Burckhardt Ltd. advises corporations and high-net-worth individuals on tax and estate planning, employment, disputes and commercial law issues. Regula Hinderling is recommended.

Eulau Recher Oppliger & Glauser excels at construction and real estate law, and also handles banking and tax instructions.

Mathys Schmid Partner has robust private client, real estate and corporate practices.

Simonius Pfrommer & Partner’s 11-lawyer practice handles commercial, private client and criminal law matters, including dispute resolution.

Corporate, real estate and tax law are core practice areas for Staiger, Schwald & Partner’s Basel office, which is centred on the services of Oscar Battegay and Andreas Dürr.

IP is a key practice for ThomannFischer, but the firm also has experience in real estate, financial services and tax.

The consensus is that Lenz & Staehelin is ‘the only Swiss firm whose expertise is weighted evenly between Geneva and Zurich’. Geneva fields private client practice head Mark Barmes, competition head Benoît Merkt, and banking and finance experts Shelby du Pasquier and Olivier Stahler.

Geneva stalwart Schellenberg Wittmer is ‘one of the two firms that dominate the local market’ and clients say, ‘the firm’s house style is characterised by low-ego, high-quality lawyers’. Litigator and insolvency expert Vincent Jeanneret, private client specialist Bernard Vischer and litigator Paul Gully-Hart are recommended.

BCCC Attorneys-at-law LLC is ‘quick, precise and knowledgeable’. Banking and finance is a real strength through experts Thomas Goossens and Thierry Amy. In addition, Manuel Bianchi della Porta is highly regarded for corporate law.

Corporate finance is a core practice at Froriep Renggli, where Jérôme de Montmollin and Patrick Vogel are experts in this field. Roland Kaufmann is recommended for corporate and insolvency work.

Dispute resolution specialist Lalive has over 40 lawyers in its Geneva office. The firm excels at civil arbitration and litigation, as well as white-collar crime cases. Fields of expertise include corporate, private client, TMT and real estate disputes.

Baker & McKenzie is particularly strong for banking and finance, corporate and private client work. Leading names include Stephanie Jarrett on the private client side, and Martin Anderson for M&A.

Bär & Karrer SA ‘belongs to the best rank of law firms in Switzerland’. Its four-partner Geneva office is earning plaudits through lawyers such as banking specialist Christophe Buchwalder.

Borel & Barbey’s strategic focuses are banking and finance, private banking, dispute resolution, and M&A. Banking litigation specialist Nicolas Piérard is recommended.

Geneva is Python & Peter’s head office, and it also has platforms in French-speaking Lausanne-Pully and Sion. Leading names include Thomas Legler, who is strong in corporate and dispute resolution, and Pierre-Yves Gunter.

Tavernier Tschanz’s 31-lawyer practice is strong in regulatory and litigation matters. It is particularly active in the financial services, real estate, pharmaceuticals and telecoms sectors.

Abels Avocats enters the ranking this year on the back of its involvement in several big-ticket deals such as advising a global pharmaceuticals group on the CHF1bn demerger of its Swiss subsidiary. Antoine Amiguet is the key name for banking and finance, while Sébastien Bettschart is the main corporate contact.

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP fields international arbitration, WTO and tax practices. Charles Adams, Michael Stepek and Jonathan Ivinson are the names to note.

BMG Avocats receives a steady flow of instructions from luxury goods manufacturers, and handles TMT work through specialist Sylvie Gurry-Veit.

FBT Attorneys-at-Law has a strong private banking practice, and also handles finance, corporate and tax work, including dispute resolution. Frédérique Bensahel is recommended.

Gillioz Dorsaz & Associés’ Pierre Gillioz is the contact for private banking and tax work. Dispute resolution is another strong area.

Holman Fenwick Willan LLP has expertise in shipping, public sector and litigation. The practice has been boosted since international litigation expert Matthew Parish joined from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP.

King & Spalding LLP focuses on international trade and WTO work in Geneva. Office managing partner Stephen Orava is recommended.

Meyerlustenberger Lachenal’s recent merger means that it is now well positioned in both of the country’s main business centres. Bernard Lachenal handles dispute resolution and private client work.

Notter Mégevand & Partners has strong niche expertise in art, sports and charity law. It also has experienced corporate finance, private client, dispute resolution, and IP practitioners.

Pestalozzi fields two partners in Geneva: Sébastien Roy is recommended for financial services advice, while Christophe Emonet is a dispute resolution expert.

Poncet Turrettini Amaudruz Neyroud & Partners has banking and finance, private client, and commercial litigation practices in Geneva.

Bär & Karrer AG is ‘one of Switzerland’s top law firms’ and this is particularly evident in its Zurich headquarters. Clients praise the firm for its ‘long experience in the banking and finance legal industry’, its ‘unrivalled strength in compliance matters’, and its ‘excellent abilities in M&A’. Leading names include M&A specialist Corrado Rampini, capital markets expert Ralph Malacrida and banking specialist Eric Stupp.

Homburger is ‘not only top in German-speaking Switzerland, but top of the top’, say clients. This full-service heavyweight is top tier in various practice areas but particularly distinguishes itself in banking and finance and capital markets, with Daniel Daeniker and René Bösch both highly recommended. Markus Wirth is highly in demand as an arbitrator.

Lenz & Staehelin draws admiring glances for its ability ‘to cover effectively both French and German-speaking Switzerland’. The firm has numerous industry-leading lawyers among its ranks. Marcel Meinhardt is ‘one of the best specialists in competition law in Switzerland’, Thierry Calame is ‘the go-to lawyer for IP’, and Rudolf Tschäni is highly regarded for corporate work.

Baker & McKenzie’s managing partner Urs Schenker is a renowned and corporate finance specialist, and real estate expert Daniel Peregrina is also highly recommended. The firm has the additional resources of an office in Geneva and a strong international network that makes it an excellent choice in cross-border mandates.

Niederer Kraft & Frey AG is ‘leading the chasing pack in terms of Switzerland’s best law firms’. In particular, it is regarded ‘as one of the country’s finest banking firms’, and Sandro Abegglen is a leading name in this area. Its M&A and capital markets teams are also outstanding, and Philippe Weber is recommended.

Pestalozzi had a successful year on the finance side and advised the banks on two of the largest matters in Switzerland – the acquisition of Orange and the Petroplus insolvency. Managing partner Urs Klöti is highly regarded and Christoph Lang is recommended on the corporate side.

Zurich may be Schellenberg Wittmer’s second office, but the calibre of individuals is extremely high. Arbitration specialist Martin Bernet is well regarded, Jürg Borer is highly sought for competition law advice, and tax head Michael Nordin is an industry leader.

Walder Wyss Ltd continues to strengthen its reputation as a strong alternative to the market leaders on the back of its ‘excellent value for money’ and ‘impressive client service’. Contentious construction partner Peter Straub is ‘excellent’, Mark Reutter is ‘the absolute top shot in outsourcing’, and Magda Streuli-Youssef is recommended for IP.

CMS has ‘a strong international approach’. Tax head David Hürlimann is ‘insightful and hands on’, and corporate partner Oliver Blum and competition specialist Patrick Sommer are also recommended.

In Zurich, the newly merged Meyerlustenberger Lachenal excels on the banking and finance side, where Alexander Vogel is a leading name, and in litigation, where Marcel Lustenberger is recommended.

Vischer is ‘a strong choice for dispute resolution and aviation’. Litigator Thomas Weibel and TMT expert Rolf Auf der Maur are recommended.

Wenger & Vieli has a strong banking practice that is particularly robust on the litigation side, thanks to Peter Altorfer andAndreas Hünerwadel. Martin Hess is recommended for regulatory banking matters.

Badertscher Rechtsanwälte AG/ Attorneys at Law has a good track record for public sector work. It also acts on a significant volume of TMT and financial services matters.

Bratschi Wiederkehr & Buob’s administrative law capability is particularly prominent and it also advises on banking disputes, criminal law and employment litigation. On the non-contentious side, it is known for structured finance work.

Froriep Renggli is noted for its ‘strong depth of know-how in the corporate, IP, regulatory and commercial areas’, and for ‘giving 100% to clients’.

Kellerhals Attorneys at Law has good capability in the TMT, pharmaceuticals and insurance fields.

Staiger, Schwald & Partner is notable for its broad strength in litigation and expertise in financial regulations.

Altenburger Ltd legal + tax has a notable Swiss tax practice, and also represents clients in litigation and banking and finance work.

Boutique firm Buis Bürgi AG fields two partners dedicated to banking litigation and regulatory issues.

Klein Attorneys Ltd has a solid banking practice and also advises on aviation, IP and TMT matters.

Corporate governance is a mainstay of work at Suter Howald Attorneys at Law. It also advises on funds and structured finance.

Thouvenin Rechtsanwälte has a strong mid-market corporate finance practice and solid experience in telecoms.

Umbricht Rechtsanwälte acts across a wide range of corporate finance matters. Georg Umbricht is the key contact.

Wenger Plattner is well regarded for its corporate practice and is steadily working to increase its coverage in real estate and construction, dispute resolution and insolvency.

Insolvency specialist Bill Isenegger Ackermann AG has made a virtue of its status as one of the few mid-sized firms not conflicted to act against large Swiss banks, and it regularly represents clients against the country’s major financial institutions.

At GHR Rechtsanwälte, head of banking Marc Grüninger is widely regarded as a market leader. The firm also regularly advises on corporate and tax issues.

MME Partners excels at IP, IT and litigation matters. Arbitrator Bernhard Meyer has a strong reputation in the market.

Prager Dreifuss AG has built its reputation in administrative law, and it handles bankruptcy, debt collection and banking compliance issues.

Rohner Rechtsanwälte is a boutique firm that focuses on acting for private clients and corporations in administrative, civil and commercial litigation.

Tax Partner AG exclusively focuses on tax matters and handles the full spread of advisory, transactional and contentious matters.