The Legal 500

Within Zurich, Homburger is a first tier firm,

Homburger is ‘one of the pre-eminent firms in Switzerland for banking work’, and is staffed by ‘committed and enthusiastic lawyers’, who show ‘speedy response times and excellent communication skills’, and give ‘user-friendly and commercial advice’. René Bösch heads the five-partner practice and is recommended for his ‘large know-how’ and for being ‘extremely well connected, on a national and international level’. Bösch and Daniel Haeberli recently advised Credit Suisse on the establishment and updating of six derivative issuance programmes.

Within Capital markets, Homburger is a first tier firm,

‘Industry leader’ Homburger provides ‘simply outstanding service that always exceeds expectations’, and provides clients with ‘a very precise and safe landing on business points without compromising on the legal side of advice’. In 2012, the firm advised Credit Suisse on the CHF3.8bn issuance of subordinated mandatory and contingent convertible securities. Practice head René Bösch is ‘a triple-A lawyer and extremely well connected’, Daniel Daeniker has ‘the highest reputation in M&A and capital markets law’, and Frank Gerhard is ‘an outstanding capital markets lawyer’.

Within Dispute resolution, Homburger is a first tier firm,

Homburger has ‘wide experience that ensures it can handle all the diverse matters that will arise in a major arbitration case’, and its lawyers are ‘very effective and experienced with good business savvy’. Practice head Felix Dasser ‘explains Swiss law very clearly’, Balz Gross is ‘an experienced, strategic and flexible litigator’, and Mariella Orelli is ‘top quality’. The firm’s clients include private individuals, multinational electronics companies and major Swiss banks. It recently acted in a major arbitration relating to sovereign immunity.

Within EU, competition and WTO, Homburger is a first tier firm,

Homburger’s ‘service-oriented team knows the antitrust authorities inside out’, and its lawyers give ‘valuable strategic and business-driven advice’. Franz Hoffet gives ‘sound legal counsel together with tactical guidance’, and ‘innovative and seasoned tactician’ Marcel Dietrich is ‘one of the top competition lawyers in Switzerland’. The firm represented IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry) Switzerland in an SCC investigation relating to allegations about various infringements, including restraints of parallel imports.

Within Insolvency and corporate recovery, Homburger is a first tier firm,

In 2012, Homburger represented MF Global UK in landmark proceedings before FINMA, which recognised its foreign insolvency and decreed that the assets of its Swiss estate would be transferred to the foreign administrator without the necessity of a mini-bankruptcy. Ueli Huber heads the practice, which excels in complex cases and is currently acting for clients in the financial services and manufacturing sectors.

Within Intellectual property, Homburger is a first tier firm,

Homburger’s broad practice excels in IP litigation and has recently acted in cases involving music copyright, industrial designs and patent licensing, and Gregor Bühler represented Bibliotheca in a case relating to violation of industrial designs. Practice head Georg Rauber is regarded as ‘the first choice for complex intellectual property rights cases’ and is ‘a very strong negotiator with a strong commercial approach’. Werner Stieger is also highly recommended.

Within Zurich, Homburger is a first tier firm,

Homburger is ‘not only top in German-speaking Switzerland, but top of the top’, say clients. This full-service heavyweight is top tier in various practice areas but particularly distinguishes itself in banking and finance and capital markets, with Daniel Daeniker and René Bösch both highly recommended. Markus Wirth is highly in demand as an arbitrator.

Within Mergers and acquisitions, Homburger is a first tier firm,

Homburger ‘hires only the best individuals, which guarantees a top-quality level throughout the firm’. Practice head Daniel Daeniker is ‘very experienced and dedicated’, Claude Lambert is ‘down-to-earth and focused’, Frank Gerhard is ‘one of the most outstanding Swiss M&A lawyers’, and Heinz Schärer is also recommended. The firm acted for Synthes on the Swiss law aspects of its $21.3bn combination with Johnson & Johnson.

Within Private banking, Homburger is a second tier firm,

Homburger attracts praise for its ‘strong engagement with the client’s concerns’ as well as its ‘excellent multidisciplinary strength’. The firm is well regarded for advising individuals on estate planning, succession and tax matters. Harold Grüninger heads the practice.

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

Homburger strikes a good balance between transactional, construction and contentious matters, and recently advised Alpiq on the planning and construction of a new nuclear power plant. Other clients include Fairmont Hotels.

Within TMT, Homburger is a first tier firm,

According to clients, Homburger is ‘the only choice if you need the best legal specialists and support in important projects’. Practice co-head Georg Rauber is recommended, particularly for his ability ‘to speak on clear and even terms with management’, and fellow co-head David Rosenthal is ‘simply the best data privacy lawyer in Switzerland’. Among its recent highlights, the firm successfully represented Google in landmark data protection litigation relating to its Street View service.

Within Tax, Homburger is a first tier firm,

Homburger is ‘a top-tier firm that delivers top-notch client service’ across corporate tax, private tax and tax litigation. The group has ‘wide international reach’ and ‘senior partners that all have extensive in-depth knowledge of their specific area’. Dieter Grünblatt heads the practice, which also includes ‘well-rounded tax lawyer’ Reto Heuberger.