The Legal 500

Within Geneva, Pestalozzi is a third tier firm,

Pestalozzi advised Barclays Bank and others on the financing of the CHF1.2bn buyout of Swissport International, and BNP Paribas on two different banking matters. ‘Very helpful adviser’ Sébastien Roy is ‘available and proactive’ with ‘solutions always at hand’.

Within Zurich, Pestalozzi is a second tier firm,

Pestalozzi provides ‘excellent communication and delivery of documentation’ and has ‘very good’ industry knowledge. It acted for a consortium of banks including KCB Bank on the €700m cross-border restructuring and refinancing of the Swiss assets of AE&E Group. It also advised a group of banks including Citibank as administrative agent on $1.5bn financing provided to TEVA Pharmaceuticals. Urs Klöti is ‘approachable and always willing to help’, and Oliver Widmer is recommended as a talented young lawyer.

Within Capital markets, Pestalozzi is a second tier firm,

Pestalozzi ‘provides a very high level of service’ and its lawyers ‘know what they are talking about’. The team advised Glencore on the complex Swiss law implications of an IPO in London and Hong Kong. It also assisted Reynolds Group Holdings on the issuance of $1bn senior unsecured notes and $800m incremental term loan borrowings. Practice co-heads Urs Klöti and Sébastien Roy are recommended, as is ‘mastermind’ Oliver Widmer, who ‘provides constructive feedback and is able to paint the full picture’.

Within Dispute resolution, Pestalozzi is a third tier firm,

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’.

Within EU, competition and WTO, Pestalozzi is a second tier firm,

Pestalozzi provides ‘fast, professional advice, industry knowledge and precise drafting of agreements’. It advised Johnson & Johnson on its takeover of Swiss orthopaedics company Synthes, and represented Ringier on the Swiss merger control proceedings regarding its joint venture with Infront Sport and Media. Practice head Christoph Lang is ‘easy to contact, and provides quick and accurate responses’.

Within Insolvency and corporate recovery, Pestalozzi is a third tier firm,

Pestalozzi’s Christophe Emonet is expert in asset tracing, insolvency and corporate recovery.

Within Intellectual property, Pestalozzi is a second tier firm,

Lorenza Ferrari Hofer leads Pestalozzi’s three-partner Zurich team, which acts for clients including Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft and British American Tobacco Switzerland. It advised Coop on franchising and trade mark issues in its acquisition of The Body Shop franchise for Switzerland and assisted Biogen Idec on IP aspects of its acquisition of a subsidiary of Swiss start-up Neurimmune.

Within Geneva, Pestalozzi is a third tier firm,

Pestalozzi’s Christophe Emonet and Sébastien Roy provide the firm with a credible M&A practice.

Within Zurich, Pestalozzi is a second tier firm,

Pestalozzi’s Zurich group has strength in the corporate, commercial and M&A sectors and acts for major clients including Johnson & Johnson, Coca-Cola and Swiss Life. Recommended individuals include Jakob Höhn, banking and capital markets expert Urs Klöti and corporate lawyer Christoph Lang.

Within Mergers and acquisitions, Pestalozzi is a second tier firm,

Pestalozzi’s ‘excellent’ team is ‘hugely reliable’, and its ‘fast response times are a real plus’. It advised Johnson & Johnson on the $21.3bn acquisition of Synthes, and Alcon on its $12bn merger into Novartis. The group also assisted Dow Chemical Company on its $1.6bn reorganisation and sale of Styron to Bain Capital. Sébastien Roy is a ‘very helpful adviser’, who has ‘very good knowledge and understanding of the banking and financial institutions’. Jakob Höhn is also recommended.

Within Private banking, Pestalozzi is a third tier firm,

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

Within Real estate and construction, Pestalozzi is a third tier firm,

Pestalozzi’s clients include McDonald’s Switzerland, Coca-Cola HBC Schweiz, and Coop. It advised Swiss Life and Swiss Life Anlagestiftung on due diligence for a large real estate transfer and swap transaction. Anne-C Imhoff and Michael Lips are recommended.

Within TMT, Pestalozzi is a second tier firm,

Pestalozzi’s two-partner team acts for clients including Groupon and AT&T, and advised Microsoft on the implementation of cloud applications and corresponding legal frameworks. Lorenza Ferrari Hofer and Clara-Ann Gordon are recommended.

Within Tax, Pestalozzi is a third tier firm,

Pestalozzi’s clients appreciate its ‘professional service, short response times and profound knowledge’. It advised Glencore on the tax aspects of its $10bn IPO. Pierre-Olivier Gehriger and Maja Bauer-Balmelli are ‘very experienced on a national and international level’, and have ‘an excellent reputation and network in the tax world’.