The Legal 500

Baker & McKenzie Geneva’s team is led by Stephanie Jarrett in Geneva and Marnin Michaels in Zurich. The team is highly regarded in the market and acts for a host of top-drawer trusts, individuals and banks. Areas of note include tax transparency and compliance, anti-money-laundering advice, trusts and succession matters.

Bär & Karrer SA’s ‘excellent’ team couples ‘fast response times’ with ‘insightful, commercially aware’ advice. It has experience in high-value divorce proceedings, succession matters, asset tracing, and advising individuals on tax matters, contracts and relocation to Switzerland. Tina Wüstemann heads the group, which has teams in Zurich, Lugano and Zug.

Lenz & Staehelin’s team is headed by Stefan Breitenstein in Zurich, Shelby du Pasquier in Geneva and Lucien Masmejan in Lausanne. Clients include Credit Suisse, Rothschild Bank, RBS Coutts Bank and Pictet & Cie. It advised UBP on setting up two joint ventures in Taiwan and Hong Kong with a Taiwanese insurance group.

Niederer Kraft & Frey AG’s ‘outstanding’ private banking team provides ‘sound, well-thought-out’ advice, and is co-headed by Edgar Paltzer and Markus Frey. It advised various clients on establishing investment vehicles and structures, particularly relating to Asia and the US, and assisted an ultra-high-net-worth family on restructuring of its global estate.

Schellenberg Wittmer is praised for its ‘excellent reputation and innovative solutions’. It acts for a range of notable institutions such as National Bank of Kuwait and Standard Chartered, as well as international and domestic high-net-worth individuals and families. Bernard Vischer is ‘a top lawyer’, and Manuel Liatowitsch is ‘extremely able’.

Borel & Barbey’s ‘talented and highly regarded’ team acts for a large number of high-net-worth individuals and private banks, and has a good reputation in areas such as tax and succession planning, foundations and trusts.

Harold Grüninger leads Homburger’s private banking group, which has notable strength in estate planning, succession and tax. It acted for a high-net-worth Swiss individual on matrimonial property issues, tax and trust structuring matters, and advised an individual with Swiss residency on an asset protection structure.

Poncet Turrettini Amaudruz Neyroud & Partners is well respected for its expertise in private client and banking matters. The firm acts for many high-net-worth individuals internationally.

Python & Peter’s team includes Thomas Steinmann, Jean-Christophe Hocke, Philippe Kenel and Nicolas Hoffmann. The practice is known for its expertise in asset protection, inheritance, succession and private investment issues.

Michael Hamm is the key private banking lawyer at Staiger, Schwald & Partner Ltd. The team active represents private and institutional clients in inheritance law, private international law, succession planning and trusts.

Tavernier Tschanz has a select client base of very high-net-worth individuals and families who instruct the firm on a range of succession, tax, trust and foundation matters. Edmond Tavernier and Marie-Noëlle Zen-Ruffinen are recommended.

Peter Altenburger at Altenburger Ltd legal + tax has notable capabilities in estate planning and succession matters, and the wider firm is well versed in private banking, trusts and foundations.

BCCC Attorneys-at-law LLC ‘delivers succinct, sensible, commercially sound advice at an affordable cost’, and has assisted several wealthy clients on succession matters and international tax. Dominique Christin is ‘a versatile all-rounder’, and Jean-Marc Carnicé is praised for his ‘coolness, intellect and sound counsel’.

CMS von Erlach Henrici Ltd’s ‘powerful and experienced’ team provides an ‘excellent and completely reliable’ service. Specialisms include estate planning, matrimonial issues, foundations, tax and inheritance compliance. Group head Tobias Somary is an ‘outstanding’ private banking lawyer.

Charles Russell LLP’s small but ‘talented and resourceful’ Swiss team is led by Henry Fea. It is noted for its advice to UK and other international clients relocating to Switzerland; and to individuals buying UK property.

FBT Attorneys-at-Law is praised for its ‘industry knowledge and rapid response times’, and provides ‘a very high-quality service’. Notable strengths include investment management and French tax disclosures. Practice head Frédérique Bensahel is ‘pragmatic, with an excellent understanding of the underlying financial and banking mechanisms’.

Froriep Renggli’s Philippe Pulfer leads a group that has experience advising individuals on relocation and tax planning opportunities.

Pierre Gillioz and Christian Valentini are the key names at Gillioz Dorsaz & Associés in Geneva, which acts for high-net-worth individuals, whether Swiss nationals or clients seeking to relocate.

Klein Attorneys Ltd is ‘exceptional, pragmatic and responsive’, and advises on succession planning, trusts and complex estate management. Carl Stadelhofer is the name to note.

Lachenal & Le Fort advises clients on the full range of private client matters, including wealth structuring, estate and succession planning and cross-border matters. Bernard Lachenal is the key name.

meyerlustenberger’s ‘excellent, knowledge-able and responsive’ team advises on the full range of matters, including trusts, restructuring of private holdings and matrimonial arrange-ments. Team head Patricia Guerra has ‘a great grasp of all issues and a real understanding of the client’s needs’, and always produces the ‘best solutions’.

Pestalozzi specialises in advising high-net-worth individuals and families. Oliver Widmer’s team recently advised a Swiss individual on inheritance and matrimonial matters.

Rosenberg, Keren-Polak, Epelman, Advocates’ ‘fast, direct and practical’ team advises private clients on succession, tax planning, trusts and international banking. It has a strong profile in acting for Israeli clients in Swiss and European markets and vice versa. George Rosenberg and Inbal Faibish are recommended.

Georg Umbricht leads Umbricht Rechtsanwälte’s team, which acts for high-net-worth individuals on a range of tax and estate structurings, private real estate transactions, relocations, and family matters.

Wenger Plattner’s Jürg Plattner and colleagues advise high-net-worth individuals from both Switzerland and abroad. The representation of sports professionals is an area of expertise.

Withers LLP is ‘excellent in every respect’, and has substantial experience in acting on succession planning, relocation and tax matters. Olga Boltenko is particularly strong for matters with a Russian dimension.