The Legal 500

Within Geneva, Schellenberg Wittmer is a second tier firm,

Schellenberg Wittmer’s ‘responsive, hardworking and results-driven’ group acts for clients including Banco Santander, BNP Paribas, Mirabaud & Cie., and Lombard Odier. The team also advised LFPE as lender on mezzanine financing provided to a special purpose vehicle set up by 21 Centrale Partners and SEC Partners to acquire the Silhouette Group. It also assisted a consortium of banks on their €73m refinancing of a global business. Jean-Yves De Both and Jean Jacques Ah Choon are recommended.

Within Zurich, Schellenberg Wittmer is a second tier firm,

Schellenberg Wittmer acts for a high-profile client base, which includes Banco Santander, Bank of New York, Bayersiche Landesbank and BNP Paribas. It acted for Deutsche Bank, New York Branch, as arranger of the $1.02bn secured financing for Bain Capital’s acquisition of Styron. FINMA instructed the team to verify certain regulatory and compliance aspects of a Swiss bank and insurance company. Martin Lanz, Anita Schläpfer and Philippe Borens are recommended.

Within Capital markets, Schellenberg Wittmer is a second tier firm,

Schellenberg Wittmer’s clients include Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, Bank Sal. Oppenheim jr. & Cie., and Banque AIG’s Paris and London branches. It also acted as transactional counsel advising both the issuer and the lead manager in StarragHeckert’s CHF65m capital increase. Geneva-based Jean-Yves De Both and Zurich-based Martin Lanz jointly lead the practice.

Within Dispute resolution, Schellenberg Wittmer is a first tier firm,

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’.

Within EU, competition and WTO, Schellenberg Wittmer is a first tier firm,

Schellenberg Wittmer acted for a client in an investigation by the Swiss Competition Commission into the alleged abuse of a dominant position, and also assisted a leading international medical devices manufacturer in an investigation. Zurich-based Jürg Borer and David Mamane and Geneva-based Jean-Yves De Both are recommended.

Within Insolvency and corporate recovery, Schellenberg Wittmer is a first tier firm,

Schellenberg Wittmer’s ‘excellent, reliable and responsive’ team is led by Vincent Jeanneret, who is ‘a great specialist in the field’. It has been appointed by FINMA as liquidator of Kaupthing Bank Luxembourg’s Geneva branch, and also of ACH Securities. It also advised a foreign energy company on a complex cross-border Swiss bankruptcy. Other clients include UBS and Ernst & Young.

Within Intellectual property, Schellenberg Wittmer is a second tier firm,

Schellenberg Wittmer’s team, which is headed by Andrea Mondini in Zurich and Philippe Ducor in Geneva, represents key clients including Google, Philip Morris International, Bayer and Samsung. It acted for Hasbro before the Swiss Federal Court against the challenge of an ICC award regarding a terminated distribution licence.

Within Geneva, Schellenberg Wittmer is a first tier firm,

Schellenberg Wittmer is ‘an excellent firm’ that provides ‘exactly what its clients require’. Standouts in the 15-partner team are Vincent Jeanneret, private client expert Bernard Vischer, and commercial litigator Paul Gully-Hart. The firm acted as Swiss counsel to a group of banks that granted a €73bn refinancing to a global business. Tax partner Jean-Frédéric Maraia joined the team from Oberson & Partners.

Within Zurich, Schellenberg Wittmer is a second tier firm,

Schellenberg Wittmer’s 17-partner team is led by Michael Nordin and Alexander Jolles. It acted as Swiss counsel to austriamicrosystems on its acquisition of Texas Advanced Optoelectronic Solutions. Recommended individuals include arbitration expert Martin Bernet, disputes partner Nathalie Voser, and Alexander von Ziegler in transport affairs.

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, Schellenberg Wittmer is a second tier firm,

Schellenberg Wittmer represented austriamicrosystems during its $320m acquisition of Texas Optoelectronic Solutions, and advised Lanxess on its acquisition of Syngenta’s materials protection business. Other clients include JCDecaux, American Express and Procter & Gamble. Zurich-based Martin Weber and Geneva-based Jean Jacques Ah Choon head the team and are recommended, as are Oliver Triebold, Lorenzo Olgiati and Roy Ryan.

Within Private banking, Schellenberg Wittmer is a first tier firm,

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’.

Within Real estate and construction, Schellenberg Wittmer is a second tier firm,

Schellenberg Wittmer is ‘very responsive, meets deadlines and provides service that is focused to the client’s needs’. It recently acted for one client on a long-term lease of offices in the Canton of Geneva. The team is headed by Yves Jeanrenaud in Geneva and newly promoted partner Josef Caleff in Zurich.

Within TMT, Schellenberg Wittmer is a second tier firm,

Andrea Mondini leads the three-partner team at Schellenberg Wittmer, which is based in Zurich and Geneva. It acts for clients including KPN International and Samsung, and drafted a master services agreement under Swiss law for a leading US provider of wireless telecoms equipment.

Within Tax, Schellenberg Wittmer is a second tier firm,

Schellenberg Wittmer’s ‘highly responsive and business-minded’ team acted for Sal. Opeenheim jr. & Cie. on the Swiss tax law aspects of the sale and transfer of two of its investment banking business units to ASX-listed Macquarie Group. Geneva-based Pietro Sansonetti is recommended along with Zurich-based Michael Nordin and Harun Can.

Within Transport: Aviation, maritime and rail, Schellenberg Wittmer is a first tier firm,

‘First name in the field’, Schellenberg Wittmer has built ‘a good name in the aviation and marine sectors’ for its ‘very prompt, reliable and professional service’. It continued to work for Skyguide and AXA Winterthur in representing the interests of Air Traffic Control in the Überlingen mid-air crash. The ‘very user-friendly and commercial’ Alexander von Ziegler and Bernard Vischer are highly recommended.