The Legal 500

Within Geneva, Lenz & Staehelin is a first tier firm,

With a leading presence in Geneva and Zurich, Lenz & Staehelin has a pre-eminent position for Swiss banking work and clients describe theten-partner team as housing ‘the leading lawyers in Switzerland’. Increasing scrutiny of the banking sector has kept Geneva team head Shelby du Pasquier busy advising on several regulatory investigations. Clients also single out Dominique Rochat, who is ‘a highly technical and responsive partner’. Olivier Stahler acted alongside Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP to advise ABN AMRO on the €11bn sale of its Swiss private banking activities.

Within Zurich, Lenz & Staehelin is a first tier firm,

Lenz & Staehelin has an excellent reputation for complex financings and, in 2012, it advised the Mediclinic Group on a CHF2.5bn debt refinancing. The firm also acted for Swiss private banking heavyweight, Julius Baer Group, during its acquisition of Merrill Lynch’s non-US wealth management business. Practice head Patrick Hünerwadel is ‘an expert in his field’, and the group has ‘good industry knowledge and strong team members’, including the ‘insightful’ Marcel Tranchet and ‘leading Swiss lawyer’ Beat Kühni.

Within Capital markets, Lenz & Staehelin is a first tier firm,

Lenz & Staehelin’s ‘very thorough team’ has ‘good knowledge of transactions and the industry’. Recent highlights include advising the Hellenic Republic on the restructuring of its CHF650m Swiss-law governed bond, which is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange. François Rayroux is ‘knowledgeable in derivatives and capital market transactions, both locally and cross-border’. Additionally, Patrick Schleiffer ‘knows the market inside out’, and Jacques Iffland is also recommended.

Within Dispute resolution, Lenz & Staehelin is a first tier firm,

Lenz & Staehelin is appreciated by clients for its ‘top value’ and the ‘excellent expertise of all lawyers’. Zurich-based Harold Frey, who is ‘very professional and very reactive’, recently refpresented a technology group in a major arbitration. The ‘client-oriented and deeply knowledgeable’ Paolo Michele Patocchi, who divides his time between Geneva and Lausanne, recently represented a subsidiary of a European pharmaceuticals company in arbitration over a licensing agreement. Xavier Favre-Bulle is also recommended.

Within EU, competition and WTO, Lenz & Staehelin is a first tier firm,

Lenz & Staehelin provides ‘fast and efficient state-of-the-art advice’ that is ‘always practical, focused and spot on’. The firm advised SAP in Price Supervisory Authority proceedings regarding abusive pricing. Other clients include Bank Julius Baer and Swiss Post. Zurich team head Marcel Meinhardt is ‘one of the best specialists in competition law in Switzerland’, due to his ‘great analytical skills, pragmatism and excellent contacts’, and Benoît Merkt in Geneva is also recommended.

Within Insolvency and corporate recovery, Lenz & Staehelin is a second tier firm,

At Lenz & Staehelin, Zurich-based Tanja Luginbühl advised Masai Group and its Swiss subsidiaries during its attempted restructuring and recapitalisation. Martin Burkhardt represented Gazprom Bank in enforcing its claims in the Zeromax bankruptcy.

Within Intellectual property, Lenz & Staehelin is a first tier firm,

Lenz & Staehelin’s lawyers are valued for their ‘excellent response times, in-depth knowledge and awareness of client needs’. The practice covers the full spread of patent, trade mark and design law, including IP litigation and trade mark and design prosecution, and has expertise spanning the pharmaceuticals, IT, retail, and food and beverages industries. In 2012, Zurich-based Jürg Simon successfully represented Emmentaler Switzerland in a significant appellations-of-origin case in Italy. Zurich-based Thierry Calame and Geneva-based Dominique Rochat are also recommended.

Within Geneva, Lenz & Staehelin is a first tier firm,

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.

Within Zurich, Lenz & Staehelin is a first tier firm,

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.

Within Mergers and acquisitions, Lenz & Staehelin is a first tier firm,

Lenz & Staehelin’s team has ‘in-depth knowledge and experience that goes beyond interpreting the law’, and is equally strong in Zurich and Geneva. Zurich practice head Rudolf Tschäni has ‘deep knowledge of the industry’, and Geneva head Andreas Rötheli is ‘a consummate professional’. Tino Gaberthüel is ‘an adept facilitator in demanding situations’. The firm recently advised Julius Baer Group on its acquisition of Merrill Lynch’s non-US international wealth management business.

Within Private banking, Lenz & Staehelin is a first tier firm,

Lenz & Staehelin’s practice spans its Zurich, Geneva and Lausanne offices. The firm counts banks, asset managers and hedge fund managers as clients on the private banking side, and advises private clients on the full range of trusts and family law issues. Recent work includes advising the Julius Baer Group on its acquisition of Merrill Lynch’s non-US international wealth management business. Stefan Breitenstein, Shelby du Pasquier and Mark Barmes are recommended.

Within Public sector, Lenz & Staehelin is a first tier firm,

Lenz & Staehelin is a prominent energy and public procurement practice, and also has experience in public international law. It recently represented the Swiss Confederation before the International Court of Justice.

Within Real estate and construction, Lenz & Staehelin is a first tier firm,

Considered by some to be ‘the most commercial practice in the market’, Lenz & Staehelin has ‘top-notch response times and an in-depth knowledge of the area’. It acts for institutional investors, funds, banks, rating agencies, and private clients, and is equally well respected for both transactional and contentious matters. The practice, which is jointly led by Zurich-based Beat Kühni and Geneva-based Andreas Rötheli, acted for Fides Properties on the CHF43m sale of a property in Geneva during 2012.

Within TMT, Lenz & Staehelin is a first tier firm,

Lenz & Staehelin’s TMT practice advises on transactions, regulations and litigation including issues relating to outsourcing, public procurement, software development, and ICT contracts. In 2012, Lukas Morscher led advice to Panalpina World Transport on the global rollout of its SAP software. Other clients include Singtel, Sunrise Communications and Tata Communications.

Within Tax, Lenz & Staehelin is a first tier firm,

Lenz & Staehelin’s lawyers are ‘all experts in their fields’ and ‘have great insight, quick response times and good industry knowledge’. On the corporate tax side, the firm advised Power Integrations Group on the tax aspects of its acquisition of CT-Concept Technologie. Zurich-based Heini Rüdisühli and Geneva-based Daniel Schafer are recommended.