The Legal 500

Within Zurich, Niederer Kraft & Frey AG is a first tier firm,

Niederer Kraft & Frey AG’s team is ‘proactive and inspiring’. It advised a consortium of banks including BNP Paribas on the $15bn restructuring of various syndicated and non-syndicated facilities granted to Rusal. Other clients include ING Bank and Qatar Holding. Philippe Weber is ‘an excellent all-rounder’, Thomas Graf is ‘hugely talented’, and Thomas Frick and Urs Pulver are also recommended.

Within Capital markets, Niederer Kraft & Frey AG is a first tier firm,

François Bianchi’s team at Niederer Kraft & Frey AG acts for clients including ACE Limited, Barclays Bank and BSI. It advised Qatar Holding on its investment in contingent convertible securities put in place by Credit Suisse, and acted for the bookrunners and a consortium of banks on Clariant’s CHF368m capital increase. Urs Pulver and Philippe Weber are recommended, and Marco Häusermann was made up to partner in 2011.

Within Dispute resolution, Niederer Kraft & Frey AG is a third tier firm,

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’.

Within EU, competition and WTO, Niederer Kraft & Frey AG is a second tier firm,

Niederer Kraft & Frey AG’s ‘very good team’ provides ‘fast responses whatever the time of day’. It acted for Birchmeier Hoch- und Tiefbau on the implications of a dawn raid and subsequent investigations, and represented Steinhoff International Holdings during a €1.2bn acquisition. András Gurovits, Thomas Frick and Nicolas Birkhäuser are recommended.

Within Insolvency and corporate recovery, Niederer Kraft & Frey AG is a second tier firm,

Niederer Kraft & Frey AG’s ‘excellent’ team has advised several creditors on the complex Zeromax liquidation, and acted for the liquidator in the CHF900m ISMM/ISL Worldwide insolvency. Urs Pulver and Thomas Sprecher head the team, and Marco Häusermann was made up to partner in 2011.

Within Intellectual property, Niederer Kraft & Frey AG is a second tier firm,

Niederer Kraft & Frey AG acts for clients including Birgit Nilsson Foundation, Confiserie Sprüngli and the International Ice Hockey Federation. It has advised Healey Sports Cars Switzerland Ltd and Healey Automobile Consultants on worldwide trade mark, domain name and design protection strategy, and has advised Thomson Reuters and Maurice Lacroix on trade marks. Nicolas Birkhäuser and Thomas Frick jointly head the team.

Within Zurich, Niederer Kraft & Frey AG is a second tier firm,

Niederer Kraft & Frey AG fields 27 partners in Zurich and has particular strength in banking and finance, corporate and M&A, and capital markets. It advised Qatar Holding on its investment in groundbreaking contingent convertible securities put in place by Credit Suisse; and Landys+Gyr during its $2.3bn acquisition by Toshiba.

Within Legal market overview,

The key players in the market remain the same, generally fielding larger and more well-rounded practices: these include Bär & Karrer AG, Baker & McKenzie Geneva, Homburger, Schellenberg Wittmer, Lenz & Staehelin and Niederer Kraft & Frey AG. Walder Wyss Ltd has had a successful year with many commenting on its growing strength.

Within Mergers and acquisitions, Niederer Kraft & Frey AG is a second tier firm,

Niederer Kraft & Frey AG provides ‘outstanding’ service and subject knowledge, and shows genuine interest in clients. It acted for biotech company Actelion in its highly publicised proxy fight against Elliott Advisors, and advised Landis+Gyr on its acquisition by Toshiba. Other clients include France Télécom, Horizon 21 and Credit Suisse Group. Team head Peter Isler is recommended, along with the ‘very successful’ Philippe Weber, Andreas Casutt and Philipp Haas, who is ‘practical, effective and has excellent judgement’.

Within Private banking, Niederer Kraft & Frey AG is a first tier firm,

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.

Within Real estate and construction, Niederer Kraft & Frey AG is a third tier firm,

Niederer Kraft & Frey AG is ‘always on time and on budget’, and provides ‘appropriate analyses and solutions’. It advised Implenia on its purchase of a real estate portfolio and development unit from Sulzer, and also represents BVK Personalvorsorge des Kantons Zürich. Group head Andreas Vögeli is ‘an outstanding lawyer’.

Within TMT, Niederer Kraft & Frey AG is a second tier firm,

Niederer Kraft & Frey AG acted for BSI on outsourcing a portion of its IT operations. France Télécom is also a client. Outsourcing and IT expert András Gurovits co-heads the team with Peter Honegger, who specialises in broadcasting and media arrangements.

Within Tax, Niederer Kraft & Frey AG is a second tier firm,

Niederer Kraft & Frey AG’s ‘very active’ and ‘highly regarded’ team acted for Schulthess Group on tax aspects of the voluntary public takeover offer from Sweden’s NIBE Group. Thomas Graf, Markus Kronauer and Daniela Schmucki are recommended.