Commercial, corporate and M&A in Switzerland

Bär & Karrer Ltd.

Bär & Karrer Ltd. is appreciated for offering a ‘combination of legal skills with a business mindset.’ With Christoph Neeracher, Philippe Seiler and Raphael Annasohn, the firm can showcase a ‘powerhouse team‘ with strong experience in private M&A and private equity deals. Rolf Watter, Mariel Hoch and Dieter Dubs are specialists in public transactions. The practice is particularly well versed in the life sciences and pharmaceutical, real estate and financial services sectors. Luca Jagmetti is the key contact for transport and logistic clients. Thomas Rohde advises on restructurings. Martin Anderson is the name to note in Geneva.

Practice head(s):

Rolf Watter

Other key lawyers:

Urs Kägi; Paolo Bottini; Christoph Neeracher; Philippe Seiler; Raphael Annasohn; Mariel Hoch; Dieter Dubs; Luca Jagmetti; Thomas Rohde; Martin Anderson

Testimonials

‘They always find solutions. Combination of legal skills with business mindset.’

‘Very professional and knowledgeable, business sense, proactive, put client interests first, always available and supportive.’

‘Christopher Neeracher stands out, among others, because he has great experience, is transaction-minded and is always focused on resolving issues.’

‘The team is dynamic and very commercial, understanding the needs of the client and allowing us to cut through issues to understand the path forward. They are always available, approachable and feel like an extension of our in-house team.’

‘Mariel Hoch has provided high-quality advice in a practical, commercial manner that takes account of the needs of her clients. She constantly puts the needs of the clients first and understands that trust is key to the relationship. Mariel is available and approachable and cool and calm in high-pressure negotiations. It has been a pleasure to work with her.’

‘Due to Christoph Neeracher’s vast experience in contract and corporate matters, he is very efficient and do not produce unnecessary work products and always keeps the overall project in mind and anticipate the next steps. Further, the team ensures the fullest availability around the clock.’

‘Go-to firm in Switzerland for M&A, both public and private.’

‘Christoph Neeracher, Raphael Annasohn and Philippe Seiler are a powerhouse. If you like their style they will drive your team and the other side to get the deal done.’

Key clients

Vifor Pharma

EMZ Partners

CVC

Castik

EQT

KKR

Capvis

Migros-Genossenschafts-Bund

Equistone

Waterland Private Equity

Triton

Valora

GSquare

Coty Inc.

Mubadala

Lear Corporation

Triton

Deutsche Börse

Elliott Advisors

Sage Group plc

Mainsail Partners

GENUI

Lonza

UBS

Mobiliar

Credit Suisse

Temasek Holdings

Syngenta Group

AC Immune

Zurich Insurance

Lindt & Sprüngli

Swiss Re

SIX Group

Work highlights

  • Assisted Triton Fund V with the signing of an agreement to acquire Swiss IT Security Group, a leading cybersecurity services provider in the DACH and Benelux regions, from Ufenau Capital Partners.
  • Advised The EQT Infrastructure II fund on the sale of Unilode Aviation Solutions to Basalt Infrastructure Partners.
  • Advised Clearstream (a Deutsche Börse Group company) on its acquisition of Fondcenter AG, UBS’s fund distribution platform, from UBS in two separate transactions.

Homburger

Homburger ‘regularly brings far-ranging resources to bear to provide timely, thoughtful legal advice in a diversity of corporate areas.’ The team often showcases its expertise in regulated sectors such as banking and insurance, life sciences, nutrition, and telecommunication in complex transactions. It advises Swiss and foreign corporations on venture capital, private equity, public and private M&A deals, as well as on joint ventures, spin-offs, and auctions. The practice is led by Dieter Gericke, who has more than 25 years of experience. Frank Gerhard is well versed in the chemical and life sciences industries and David Oser specialises in private equity transactions. Daniel Hasler‘s ‘personality, transparency and in-depth knowledge of the deal gives him the capabilities to win over the power to shape the transaction.’ Other prominent practitioners are Daniel Daeniker, Claude Lambert and Andreas Müller.

Practice head(s):

Dieter Gericke

Other key lawyers:

Frank Gerhard; Daniel Daeniker; Claude Lambert; Daniel Hasler; Andreas Müller; Daniel Häusermann; David Oser

Testimonials

‘The firm has strong partners in the area of corporate, finance and M&A.’

‘Claude Lambert and Andreas Müller provide strong support in their areas of expertise. They are knowledgeable and provide practical advice/support.’

‘We strongly believe the knowledge of the M&A team to truly manage a process to provide a fair deal for both sides while ensuring the important aspects for their client is the true brilliance of the team. The strong knowledge across all types of deals from SPACS/real estate holding companies/simple corporate M&A transactions – they can cover all. The key is also the personal approach they have towards both parties. No counterparty is too complicated and no deal fatigue ever happens to always ensure the perfect outcome.’

‘We can speak very highly of Daniel Hasler. His personality, transparency and in-depth knowledge of the deal gives him the capabilities to win over the power to shape the transaction and drive the dialog key.’

‘Homburger regularly brings far-ranging resources to bear to provide timely, thoughtful legal advice in a diversity of corporate areas. Their practical yet professional advice has always steered us to a positive business outcome while mitigating legal risk. They are also personable and a pleasure to engage with.’

‘Daniel Daeniker and Daniel Hasler are responsive, clear, business-oriented professionals. I am always pleased to loop them in whenever a matter even touches Swiss law.’

‘Homburger has a great team and is able to cover all aspects of commercial, corporate and M&A work on short notice.’

‘Claude Lambert is a very experienced advisor, with great availability and flexibility and understanding of client needs.’

Key clients

Clariant

Avaloq Group

Colfax Corporation

Credit Suisse

SAP

Platinum Equity

Telemos Capital

Swiss Post

RUAG

Liberty Global

ArchiMed

Glatfelter Corporation

Kimberly-Clark

Axel Springer

ABB

UBS

Nestlé

Roche

Novartis

Zurich Insurance Company

Dufry

TPG Growth

ASML Netherlands

Quintet Private Bank (Europe)

Therachon/VectivBio

Cerberus Capital Management

Philip Morris

Baker Hughes

PPF Group

Work highlights

  • Advising Clariant as international lead counsel on the divestment of its pigments business to a consortium of Heubach Group and SK Capital Partners.
  • Advised Avaloq Group and majority shareholders as global transaction counsel on the completion of NEC Corporation’s CHF2.05bn acquisition of Avaloq Group.
  • Advised Colfax Corporation as international lead counsel on its acquisition of Mathys Bettlach.

Lenz & Staehelin

Lenz & Staehelin enjoys an excellent reputation in the market for its activity in public takeovers, private mid- and large-cap transactions, private equity and venture capital matters as well as corporate governance advice. Noted for its ‘creativity, stability, and efficiency‘, the team is particularly well versed in the financial services (incl. FinTech), chemical, healthcare and life sciences, TMT, industrials, and real estate industries. The close collaboration across departments adds value for the clients. Practice heads Hans-Jakob Diem and Andreas Rötheli both have a strong track record in M&A and PE transactions. Matthias Wolf advises banking and finance industry clients, and Beat Kühni‘s expertise also covers the venture capital space. Tino Gaberthüel is a ‘top notch listed company/takeover expert.’ Simone Ehrsam made partner in January 2022.

Testimonials

‘Beat Kühni and Hans-Jakob Diem are high-class professionals.’

‘The corporate M&A practice has proven to be outstanding. Hands-on advice, first-tier law firm, much value for money.’

‘Simone Ehrsam is hardworking, highly committed.’

‘Tino Gaberthüel: top-notch listed company/takeover expert.’

‘Smart, quick, creative and highly reliable and trustworthy’

‘Beat Kühni is an exceptional lawyer. He has a masterful grasp of the law and a perfect temperament when negotiating with company counsel. We remain very impressed. The work output is of very high quality.’

‘I am full of praise for the team. A stand-out group of individuals, very attentive, commercially minded and responsive. They are truly excellent lawyers, but in addition put a good emphasis on the personal level of the relationship. They are proactive and truly add value with their advice. Simply superb.’

‘Particular praise goes to Stephan Erni, who is always available and delivers to-the-point, clear and excellent advice. He is also an exceptionally nice guy with a good sense of humour. A great pleasure to work with.’

Key clients

5 Atlantis AG

Allegion

ALPHA Healthgroup

Ant Financial Services Group (subsidiary of Alibaba)

APG/SGA SA

Apple Inc.

Ardentis

Argos Wityu (formerly Argos Soditic S.A.)

Astra Zeneca

Bain Capital

Baloise Insurance Holding

Bank Vontobel

Bank Pictet

Banque Lombard Odier

Banque Internationale à Luxembourg (BIL)

Bayer

Bertelsmann

BigPoint Holding AG / Martin Haefner

BlackRock

Bordier & Cie

Bottomline Technologies Inc.

BTG Pactual

Carlo Gavazzi Holding

The Carlyle Group

Cembra Money Bank

Chequers Capital

Chord Therapeutics

Cinven

Cognizant

COLTENE

Compagnie Financière Richemont SA

Credit Suisse

Deutsche Bahn

Deutsche Bank

Deutsche Börse

Desmarais and Frère Family Group

Forrestay Capital (a fund of Waypoint Capital)

Garrett Motion

Geberit

Gonet & Cie SA

Gyrus Capital SA

Hermés International

Heubach

HSBC

Hyundai

Implenia

Insight Partners

Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (ISS)

Intertrust Group

Jacobs Douwe Egberts

JP Morgan

Julius Baer

KKCG

Lanxess

LK International

Logitech

Lonza

Mars

Maus Frères

Merck Group

Morgan Stanley

Nomad Foods

Novimmune

Novo Holdings A/S

ObsEva

Octium Group

Oddo BHF SCA

Pfizer Inc.

Permira

Portola Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Quilvest Private Equity

Rakuten Medical

Rothschild & Co

SABIC (Saudi Basic Industries Corporation)

Sazka Group

Schweizerische Mobiliar

Sensata

Sensient Technologies Corporation

Sika AG

SK Capital

SME Equity Partner AG

SoftwareONE

Straumann

Sunrise Communication AG

Surveyor Capital

Swiss Post

Swiss Prime Site

Swissquote

TAG Group

Tetra Laval

Thyssenkrupp

UBS

UniCredit

Unilabs Group Services

Unilever

Union Bancaire Privée (UBP)

Vaudoise Assurance Holding

VTG Aktiengesellschaft

Water Street

WuXi STA

Zeno Ventures

Work highlights

  • Advised funds advised by Bain Capital and Cinven in the CHF4.2bn acquisition of Lonza Specialty Ingredients, a division of Lonza.
  • Advised the Heubach Group and SK Capital in the CHF855m acquisition of Clariant’s pigment business.
  • Advised Sunrise Communications Group in the CHF6.8bn public tender offer by, and sale to, Liberty Global.

Niederer Kraft Frey AG

Niederer Kraft Frey AG ‘guarantees a very precise and safe landing on business points, without any compromise on the legal side of the advice.‘ The corporate team has a strong track record in advising corporations from the pharmaceutical and life sciences, financial services, high-tech and retail industries, as well as private equity houses in acquisitions, sales, takeovers and mergers. The group has experience in international matters, and has established a dedicated China Desk. Practice head Philipp Haas is a seasoned transaction specialist whose team also includes Adrian Koller, Peter R IslerMoritz Maurer and investor key contact Patrik R Peyer. Till Spillmann also has capital market and finance know-how, while Philippe Weber also assists with governance and compliance issues.

Practice head(s):

Philipp Haas

Testimonials

‘Moritz Maurer is very experienced, reliable and always calm in the storm. Samuel Hochstrasser is a gifted and very precise young M&A lawyer.’

‘Highly professional, hands-on, business minded.’

‘Patrik Peyer: great network and solution-oriented.’

‘Top-notch Swiss firm, but with the flexibility to address scope for smaller deals/add-on transactions in terms of costs/billing while still maintaining high quality.’

‘I appreciate their ability to provide high-quality advice throughout the spectrum needed: corporate, M&A, capital markets and regulatory. The partners are not only very hands-on, but make every effort to be available when needed, even at short notice. The quality of the work is very strong, they provide clear advice and are well used to dealing with regulators.’

‘Philippe Weber remains one of the best lawyers I know. He is always easy to reach, very commercial, provides clear advice and is trusted by boards of listed companies. He has also trained and nurtured a strong pool of lawyers working with him who have become strong partners.’

‘Thomas Brönnimann, excellent knowledge, thorough, cost efficient.’

‘Manuel Werder is extremely experienced and knows the various negotiation tactics well and is an excellent sparring partner for M&A advisors. The team that works with Manuel is on top of things and turns documents over within short time frames and extremely professionally. Lastly, we have a lot of fun working together on our joint projects.’

Key clients

Ardian

Assa Abloy

Boston Scientific Corporation

Coop/Transgourmet

Credit Suisse Group AG

EQT

GlaxoSmithKline plc

Idorsia Ltd

IBM Corp., Armonk N.Y. and IBM Switzerland AG

KKR

Lindsay Goldberg

OC Oerlikon

Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan

Nordic Capital

Paragon Partners

Vivendi

Via Equity

Work highlights

  • Advised Global Blue on its becoming a publicly-traded company on the New York Stock Exchange through a merger with Far Point Acquisition Corporation.
  • Acted as lead advisor to NEC corporation on the $2.15bn acquisition of Avaloq.
  • Advised Coop as lead counsel on the acquisition of Jumbo from Maus Frères SA by way of which Coop has become the second largest do-it-yourself (DIY) store operator in Switzerland.

Baker McKenzie

Baker McKenzie ‘provides a knowledgeable and reliable network in many locations and in many legal fields.‘ Its Swiss corporate and M&A practice stands out in public takeovers as well as in private equity, banking, real estate and life sciences transactions, in particular when there is a cross-border element. The group also works closely with the tax team to offer tax planning and structuring support in a transaction. Alexander Fischer assists clients with debt financing transactions and leads the practice together with real estate specialist Martin Furrer and the Geneva-based Jingjin Guo. Since publication, Petra Hanselmann left the firm.

Other key lawyers:

Martin Frey

Testimonials

‘Very hands-on partner, deal- and business-minded, good understanding of economic and financial implications.’

‘The team is able to handle complex and unconventional deal situations.’

‘The team around Alexander Fischer are very hands-on and easy to deal with, while at the same time persistent and always acting in the best interest of the client.’

‘Availability and 100% commitment to the transaction.’

‘Alexander Fischer is a seasoned and highly reliable transaction specialist, he stands for execution excellence.’

‘Baker McKenzie provides a knowledgeable and reliable network in many locations and in many legal fields. A good communication within the various offices involved in the relevant projects is a major plus.’

‘The team has a positive attitude and wakes the client up with their friendly and business-proven spirit. As a client, I can feel that they speak the “same language” and know how to work closely together and can rely on each other as a team and individuals. The communication is respectful but also very full of advice and experience.’

Key clients

Kühne+Nagel

Arbonia

UBS AG

Safe Host

Equistone Partners Europe

Credit Suisse Energy Infrastructure Partners AG

S Management AG

NZZ/Architonic

Similsan

Wüest Partner group

Swiss Life

Viatrans

Online Doctor

Giesecke+ Devrient

Schaffner

Salesforce.com

Work highlights

  • Advised global transport and logistics group Kuehne+Nagel on its acquisition of Apex International Corporation (Apex) from private equity firm MBK Partners and management.
  • Advised Arbonia, the Swiss building component supplier, on the sale of its windows business to the Danish DOVISTA group.
  • Advised UBS on the sale of its majority stake (51.2%) and subsequently on the sale of its remaining stake (48.8%) in UBS Fondcenter and part of its Asset Management business division to Clearstream.

MLL Legal

Following its July 2021 merger MLL Legal is well-positioned to advise Swiss and foreign companies in their commercial, corporate and transactional concerns. The team has experts in a wide range of industries such as financial services, TMT, DLT, life sciences & healthcare, real estate, retail & luxury and start- ups. In addition to its busy transactional caseload, the group is also regularly advising clients on corporate governance matters as well as SIX Swiss Exchange regulations. The ‘very effectiveAndrea Sieber and Alexander Vogel lead the practice, which also includes financing transactions advisor Daniel Schoch and Mona Stephenson, who also acts for VC and PE clients.

Practice head(s):

Alexander Vogel; Andrea Sieber

Testimonials

‘We found the team at MLL to be highly responsive, able to accept meetings with little lead time and at early hours of the day. We appreciated their follow-up when we were distracted with other matters and felt they were defending our interests professionally and efficiently. I also considered that the lead lawyer was a very effective negotiator – finding a good compromise acceptable to both parties without damaging the working partnership required afterwards.’

‘We have found their advice extremely valuable, particularly when facing difficult negotiations. We have appreciated in particular the work of Alexander Vogel and Christian Rebell.’

‘MLL and especially Mark Montanari are down to earth. Their ‘non-snobby’ approach enables clients to discuss solutions, problems, and ideas at eye level, without feeling disadvantaged or unequal. Especially Mark Montanari’s expertise and interpersonal skills are making the day-to-day work with the law firm a huge pleasure. He manages to make complex problems simple and understandable, he’s sensitive and caring just like a good friend.’

‘Andrea Sieber: no-nonsense approach, understands risk management and takes a business approach to legal contracting; wants to close deals and pushes hard; very effective, clear opinions. Highly recommendable.’

‘Daniel Schoch: highly professional, very efficient, deep know how.’

‘Mona Stephenson is a good lawyer with strong interpersonal skills.’

‘Stand-out partner: Hubert Gilliéron. Strategic thinking, strong communication, technical expertise, dedication and commitment.’

‘Strong and efficient associate: James Reardon. Technical, structured, efficient, organised.

‘Excellent technical legal ability and expertise; Responsive, 24/7, clear and timely advice. Integrated team with a breadth of experience advising on all stages (venture, growth, mid-cap and large-cap) and all aspects of investments (minority, carve-outs, consortium transactions, trade sale exits, leveraged buyouts, recaps).’

‘Andrea Sieber is in my view one of the key M&A lawyers in Switzerland with an impressive track record, an unrivalled network and a great approach vis-à-vis teams and clients.’

Key clients

Meyer Burger Technology AG

Calida Holding AG

WEPA SE, Germany

Julius Baer Group AG

Trifork Holding AG

Shinsegae International

Merz Pharma

Allegis, UK

Price (f)X AG

Global-e

3M Schweiz

Blue Horizon Capital

Swiss KMU Partners AG

The Capital Markets Company Sàrl

Semtech (International) AG

Zalando SE

Perrigo Company plc

TX Group AG

Piscai AG

Capital Transmission SA

Müller-Steinag Holding AG

Dufour Aerospace AG

Goebel Capital LLC

Bigtincan Holdings Limited

Crypto Finance AG

Wienerberger AG

DentaCore AG

Amphenol Corporation

Martello Technologies Corporation

Swisscom Ventures

Clinical Research Ventures

Deutsche Private Equity

Dassault Aviation

Raiffeisen Informatik

Lenze SE

Mövenpick Group

Zaptec AS

sCentral Real Estate Holding AG and Central Real Estate Basel AG

Banque Privée BCP (Suisse) SA

SOUTH STREAM SERBIA AG

BFW Holding AG

Utopia Music AG

WhatRocks Foundation

EuroChem Group AG

XPRIZE Foundation

H&H Group

Work highlights

  • Advised Crypto Finance AG on the sale of a majority of its shares to Deutsche Börse AG combined with a considerable investment of Deutsche Börse AG in the target company.
  • Represented Trifork Holding AG in its IPO at NASDAQ Copenhagen and its pre-IPO acquisition of Vilea GmbH.
  • Advised Lenze SE on the sale of its Swiss subsidiary by means of an asset deal to Bucher Hydraulics AG.

Pestalozzi

Pestalozzi demonstrates ‘availability, proactivity and a business-oriented approach‘ and is noted for covering a wide scope of services. Led by Christoph G Lang and Sébastien Roy, the practice advises national and international clients on corporate and commercial law matters, public and private M&A transactions, as well as on private equity and venture capital issues. Severin Roelli has know-how in acquisition finance. Franz Schubiger specialises in life sciences clients. Beat Schwarz ‘excels with his assessment skills, guidance, and support.’ Christian Leuenberger brings his experience in post-M&A disputes to the table. Petra Hanselmann was a new arrival in 2022.

Other key lawyers:

Severin Roelli; Franz Schubiger; Beat Schwarz; Christian Leuenberger; Petra Hanselmann

Testimonials

‘I have dealt with a number of law firms during my career, and Pestalozzi always stands out to me because they always provide a very high-quality service, often on very short turnaround times.’

‘Franz Schubiger is always contactable and extremely warm and professional.’

‘What I would like to highlight is the dedication of the team to our case. The answer times were exceptional as well as the know-how regarding M&A transactions. This helped us to achieve a very good transaction result.’

‘Beat Schwarz has shown exceptional availability and engagement. All our questions were answered in a short time with a very high degree of useful guidance for us that I have rarely experienced before.’

‘Christian Leuenberger is as good as they come.’

‘The team’s strengths: availability, proactivity and business-oriented approach.’

‘I appreciated Sébastien Roy’s calmness, reactivity and his pragmatic approach to dealing with issues.’

‘Christoph Lang. A joy to work with. smart, knowledgeable and business-minded. Focusing on the important things, knows to differentiate between relevant and less relevant.’

Key clients

Achiko AG (SIX: ACHI)

Agile Sports Technologies, Inc.

AIA Insurance

AIG

AmTrust Financial

AON (NYSE: AON)

AXA Climate

AXA XL

Barry Callebaut (SWX: BARN)

BMW (Xetra: BMW)

Bolttech/the Pacific Century Group

Celgene (NasdaqGS: CELG)

CH Media

China Resources (Holding) Co

Coca Cola (NYSE: KO)

Coop

Corza Medical

Dantherm / Procuritas

Dow Chemical (NYSE: DOW)

Fortissimo Capital

Froneri International

FSN Capital

General Electric (NYSE: GE)

Glencore (LSE: GLEN.L)

Goldman Sachs Private Capital (NYSE: GS)

GTCR

iQ International AG (FSE: IQL)

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ)

KHS GmbH

Leclanché SA (SWX: LECN.SW)

Microsoft (NasdaqGS: MSFT)

Nexo Group

Opel

Peugeot

Prudential Financial & The Prudential Insurance Company of America (NYSE: PUK)

Quintet

Ringier

Royal Bank of Canada (NYSE: RY)

ryd suisse AG

Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB)

Sony (NYSE: SNE)

Swiss Life /SWX: SLHN)

The Prudential Insurance Company of America

Union Park Capital

Wainwright & Co

Zimmer Biomet (NYSE: ZBH, SWX: ZBH)

Work highlights

  • Avised Froneri International Ltd. on all Swiss law matters of the sale of Findus Switzerland to Nomad Foods Limited.
  • Advised Ringier AG on all Swiss legal aspects of the acquisition of Axel Springer’s stake in the existing joint venture of Ringier and Axel Springer in Hungary, the Baltics, Serbia and Slovakia.
  • Advised Volvo Autonomous Solutions AB on all Swiss legal aspects of the acquisition of 60% of the shares of Designwerk Technologies AG.

Schellenberg Wittmer Ltd

Clients appreciate Schellenberg Wittmer Ltd for ‘producing fast and efficient solutions that are legally watertight.‘ The group handles the full spectrum of corporate law and transactions, from start-up financing rounds to private equity deals as well as private and public M&A cross-border matters. It is particularly noted for its strength in interdisciplinary matters, frequently collaborating with the competition, IP and tax teams. Lorenzo Olgiati has more than 25 years of experience in the field and leads the practice together with Jean Jacques Ah Choon who has considerable know-how in the venture capital space. Senior partner Martin Weber  is the key contact for banking clients. Other prominent practitioners are Oliver Triebold, Pascal Hubli and Tarek Houdrouge. Senior associate Marcel Jakob is ‘a very technically sound and strong lawyer.’

Testimonials

‘It was an absolute pleasure to work with the M&A team, both professionally and personally. The M&A team was sensational and available more or less 24/7.’

‘Lorenzo Olgiati is great to work with. He is extremely responsive, client-focused, deal-oriented and quick – an excellent, very experienced and highly qualified M&A lawyer with great commercial skills and a superb support team.’

‘I would like to recommend Marcel Jakob. He is a very technically sound and strong lawyer. He is quick, diligent and understands business.’

‘Pascal Hubli was always available to us, even at short notice, took great initiative in client-side communications when issues rose and always made sure to coordinate all necessary actions in a productive way within his team.’

‘The team is very much solution-focused and has a great understanding of our needs and an excellent business acumen, rare to find with legal firms. This produces fast and efficient solutions that are legally watertight. Simply excellent!’

‘The outstanding Oliver Triebold, Marcel Jakob are not only very competent, but also great in the personal interaction, always available and very fast in responding.’

‘Tarek Houdrouge knows the M&A process well, has excellent writing skills, excellent availability and communication, and is pleasant to interact with.’

‘Martin Weber: extensive know-how, focused, calm attitude. Always in charge and thinking ahead, great focus on the client’s need, even brings up topics which are not strictly legal, but highly relevant for the project. Very likeable on a personal level with a great sense of humour.’

Key clients

ams AG

TE Connectivity

Axpo

Panalpina Welttransport Holding AG

Rothschild & Co Bank AG

Lennox International

Standard Chartered Bank/Standard Chartered Ventures (Singapore)

Lufthansa Group

CSS Health Insurance

Zdenek Bakala, Gregory Finger and Petr Svoboda (Group of buyers of Lausanne Hockey Club)

Alpian SA

Leonardo S.p. A

Oxford Finance

GCA Corporation

Santhera Pharmaceuticals

Lantal Textiles AG

Heiq Materials AG

Philip Morris International/Philip Morris Equity Partners

Julius Bär

SIX Group

BNP Paribas

Cardinal Health

Helvetia Schweizerische Versicherungsgesellschaft

Hugo Fund Services

EFG International

MoneyPark AG

AddLife

ZKB Zürcher Kantonalbank/Swisscanto Holding

BASF Schweiz AG

Bouygues Construction

RAM Active Investments

Schroder & Co Bank

Shire International GmbH

SET Ventures

Cigna/Ascent Health

Eficode

cm.shoes GmbH

Graphic Packaging Holding Company

Implenia AG

OC Oerlikon

KPS Capital Partners

SIX Paynet AG

ITOCHU Corporation

Synergy Sports

Work highlights

  • Advised Rothschild bank on its acquisition of Banque Paris Bertrand.
  • Advised Addlife AB on its acquisition of Vision Ophthalmology Group.
  • Advised TE Connectivity on its acquisition of Erni Group.

VISCHER

The team at VISCHER has a considerable track record in national and international mid-market M&A and private equity transactions, with a particularly active practice in the life sciences. Furthermore, the practice offers a dedicated China desk and extensive experience in advising venture capital investors, corporates and start-ups in financing rounds and exits. Transaction specialists Jürg Luginbühl, Robert Bernet and Damien Conus lead the group, which also includes life sciences expert Matthias Staehelin. Gian-Andrea Caprez has notable know-how in the technology sector.

Key clients

H. Lundbeck A/S

Axpo Services AG

Cantonal Bank of Basel

Joh. Berenberg, Gossler & Co. KG

Polyphor Ltd.

Medartis Holding AG

Oculis SA

Bregal Unternehmerkapital GmbH

Swisscom AG

Migros-Genossenschafts-Bund

Equistone Partners Europe

Syngenta

Swisspower Renewables AG

Barnes Group Inc

Kuros Biosciences Ltd

Anokion SA

NOUSCOM AG

JSR Corporation

MCM Fashion Group

Deichmann Shoes

AFINUM

SkyCell AG

Bachem Holding

Rigeto Unternehmerkapital GmbH

Jacobs Holding AG

Invision Private Equity

Helvetica Capital

Colosseum Dental Group

Continental AG

3 Plus Group AG

Swissterminal AG

Control4 Corporation

Loomis AB

RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Holding SA

MCH Group AG

Sauter Group

Spaeter Group

Quest Software Group

Noema Pharma

Snyk Ltd.

Eleven Sports Network Limited

Red Ventures

Mediashop Group

Work highlights

  • Advised NBE Therapeutics and its shareholders on its share purchase agreement with a total transaction value of €1.18bn with Boehringer Ingelheim.
  • Assisted AFINUM and the shareholders of the evitria Group with a share purchase agreement with Atlas Antibodies, Sweden.
  • Advised Novartis on the signing of a collaboration agreement and an option to acquire Cellerys, a Zurich-based start-up that is researching an innovative therapy to combat multiple sclerosis (MS).

Walder Wyss Ltd.

Walder Wyss Ltd.‘s large team is regularly involved in domestic and multi-jurisdictional private and public M&A transactions, with practice head Alex Nikitine‘s strong capital markets expertise adding value in matters involving listed companies. The members also cover deal structures, due diligence, transaction agreements and regulatory approvals. Markus Vischer and Luc Defferrard also cover PE and VC matters. Urs Gnosis a very strong negotiator who always tries to get the best deal for his clients.Ramona Wyss is well versed in regulated industries, including the energy sector.

Practice head(s):

Alex Nikitine

Testimonials

‘Walder Wyss provided quality advice in a timely manner in relation to a very complex transaction. I appreciated the level of communication and their responsiveness when matters required a quick response.’

‘Urs Gnos has become a trusted advisor through the course of this very long and complex transaction. He is very responsive, provided excellent advice and was focused on ensuring that his firm delivered ‘value’ for the fees charged. I would highly recommend him.’

‘Christian Hagen was very dedicated, responsive and prepared quality work. He was instrumental in managing the deliverables and ensuring the work was kept to the timescales that we were working to. He was very organised and was key to keeping the deal on track.’

‘Attentive, service-minded and knowledgeable team.’

‘Very knowledgeable, service-minded, clear in communication, quickly understands the issues at hand, commercially good advice.’

‘Very strong insight on the business case, not only on legal matters. Outstanding responsiveness, reachability and availability even at late hours or very early in the morning. Very efficient.’

‘Urs Gnos, besides his legal and business knowledge, is a very strong negotiator who always tries to get the best deal for his clients, but can make compromises where needed. He is always in control of the process, even in difficult situations. He is extremely responsive which gives you the feeling of being the most important client. He is straightforward and provides a clear picture of the situation. Even when you contact him, he is involved in your matters and knows any detail of the process.’

Key clients

Nestlé SA

Warburg Pincus International

Sulzer AG

NovImmune

NVT AG

Helm AG

Boehringer Ingelheim

HOCHDORF

Viseca Holding AG

Apax

Ringier

Tamedia (TX Group)

Glarner Kantonalbank

Montana Tech Components

Bio Energy Group

Work highlights

  • Advised Boehringer Ingelheim on the acquisition of NBE-Therapeutics AG.
  • Advised Groupe Mutuel Holding SA on its acquisition of a majority participation in Neosana AG and its subsidiaries.
  • Acted as lead counsel to ED&F Man Capital Markets regarding the sale of its structured commodities division to Albright Capital and De Jong Capital.

Advestra

Newly opened transaction specialist boutique Advestra offers support in all phases of M&A and other corporate transactions since the beginning of 2021. The team advises on acquisition and divestment transactions (including corporate auctions), public takeovers, mergers, demergers, joint ventures and financing rounds. Its ‘great combination of legal expertise with commercial understanding‘ is often sought after by clients from the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors, the financial services industry, consumer goods and retail industries. Thomas Reutter, Rashid Bahar, Daniel Raun and Alexander von Jeinsen are the key contacts.

Other key lawyers:

Thomas Reutter; Rashid Bahar; Daniel Raun; Alexander von Jeinsen; Anna Capaul; Annina Hammer

Testimonials

‘Great combination of legal expertise with commercial understanding. No detours or hour-billing. Excellent response time & very good interpersonal service.’

‘Alex von Jeinsen moved into trusted advisor position straight away. He’s quick, to the point, with honest assessments coming straight to conclusions & not ‘repeating the law.

‘Annina Hammer: very good response time, very diligent & reliable, very good counsel.’

‘Advestra combines the flexibility and responsiveness of a small law firm with knowledge and experience of a big law firm.’

‘Rashid Bahar is an outstanding, extremely intelligent, extremely knowledgeable, very experienced, very wise lawyer. He is an absolute expert in commercial and corporate Swiss law and M&A. Furthermore, he is very friendly and professional at all times. Finally, he always delivered excellent services, even under a very high workload and stress burden.’

‘Great service, best legal advice, goes the extra mile.’

‘Highly competent corporate lawyers with excellent English language skills.’

‘Thomas Reutter is an excellent strategist. He is very responsive, caring and competent.’

Key clients

Mubadala Investment Company/Falcon Private AG

Swiss Re

SIG Combibloc

Arundel

One Equity Partners

Zurich Insurance Company

XP Inc.

Orascom Development Holding

Unifiedpost Group

H.I.G. Capital

Bob Finance

CGG

Recticel

Work highlights

  • Advised One Equity Partners on the acquisition of a 29% stake in Cicor Technologies Ltd.
  • Advised XP Inc. on the sale of its Swiss private investment and wealth management private investment and wealth management.
  • Advised SIG Combibloc on the acquisition of its joint venture companies in the Middle East.

BianchiSchwald LLC

BianchiSchwald LLC‘s strengths are private M&A transactions involving Swiss SMEs, joint ventures and company successions, frequently involving private equity players. The client portfolio includes companies from the industrial, manufacturing, pharmaceutical and consumer goods sectors. Practice head Thomas Schmid is distinguished by his deal-making abilities and exceptional ability to swiftly apprehend the core of the matter in question.’ Marc Metzger is the key contact for public procurement projects. Stefan Scherrer is well versed in the industrials sector. Since publication, Manuel Bianchi della Porta left the firm.

Practice head(s):

Thomas Schmid

Testimonials

‘They are very close to the client, with very fluent communication and nice manners. They deliver very high-quality work on time. Qualified professionals within an organisation that is very well managed and organised.’

‘Bianchi Schwald LLc has been advising to our complete satisfaction.’

‘Thanks to the qualified knowledge and expertise, BianchiSchwald LLC was able to develop creative and efficient solutions in order to protect our interests at all times.’

‘Thomas Schmid is distinguished by his deal-making abilities and exceptional ability to swiftly apprehend the core of the matter in question. He is also able to point out possible risks and dangers and thus contribute to realistic and feasible solutions in order to protect our interest in the best and most efficient way possible.’

‘Excellent and dedicated staff and partners without paying the expensive overhead and name of the big companies.’

‘Dedication, legal knowledge and experience and interest in cases.’

‘Broad and complete spectrum of areas of law. High responsiveness, quality of work.’

‘Marc Metzger and Stefan Scherrer are characterised by a high level of competence and are available with their support practically around the clock.’

Key clients

Richemont International SA

Stadler Rail AG

One swiss bank SA (formerly Banque Profil de Gestion SA)

PCS Holding AG

Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research

Casacuberta Group

Helvetica Capital AG

Farmer Connect SA

Infravia Capital Partners

Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research

PINC – Paulig Incubator

Work highlights

  • Advised the Swiss Confederation in connection with COVID related state support provided to the Swiss airline industry, including as surety provider for a CHF1,5bn credit facility to Swiss International Air Lines AG and Edelweiss Air AG.
  • Acted as lead counsel to Helvetica Capital AG on their acquisition together with Bruno Fankhauser of Leoni Studer AG from Leoni AG.
  • Advised PCS Holding AG in connection with the acquisition of significant participation in the stock exchange-listed Swiss Steel group from its main shareholder BigPoint Holding AG.

Bratschi Ltd

Bratschi Ltd is popular with Swiss and foreign mid-market clients, with particular expertise in the  IT and telecoms, financial services, energy, real estate, healthcare and hospitality industries. Group head Thomas Peteris a prominent practitioner in M&A and private equity transactions. Other key contacts include Matthias Schmid, Florian Jörg and Christian Stambach. Marco Rizzi has ‘excellent knowledge of Swiss law.

Practice head(s):

Thomas Peter

Testimonials

‘Very good and pleasant collaboration with Marco Rizzi. His advice and his work have helped us to proceed smoothly and successfully in this deal.’

‘Marco Rizzi and his team have an excellent knowledge of Swiss Law. Excellent delivery.’

‘The team was very professional and has very good lawyers, always available.’

‘Diverse, but specialised team with good understanding of the local culture.’

‘Efficacy, pragmatism, speed and client focus.’

‘Experience, expectations management, clarity. The simplicity of solutions proposed.’

‘Experienced team, good communication skills and cross-border knowledge.’

‘Very personable, attentive to detail, keen to understand the whole picture and help with all aspects of a complex transaction either directly or by reference to the relevant professionals, also trustworthy.’

Key clients

Collectius AG

Descartes Systems

Migros (Eastern Switzerland)

Paragon Partners GmbH

Jansen AG and Jansen Holding AG

SPAR Holding AG

H2e Power, Pune, India /mPower LLC, Dresden Germany

Obeikan Investment Group (OIG)

VRMotion AG

Glide ‘n’ Lock AG

Work highlights

  • Advised the Jansen Group on the sale of its automotive component business to Mubea.
  • Advised SPAR Holding AG on the acquisition of Store Service AG.
  • Advised Obeikan Investment Group on the sale to SIG Combibloc of its 50% stake in the joint venture business for the Middle East and Africa market for aseptic cartons.

CMS von Erlach Partners Ltd.

CMS von Erlach Partners Ltd. has team of ‘excellent specialists with a high level of commitment and flexibility.’ Areas of expertise include cross-border transactions, private equity fund formations and investments, W&I insurance and D&O liability as well as distressed M&A. The group covers a variety of industries, including the energy, financial services, infrastructure and pharmaceutical sectors. Stefan Brunnschweiler and Pascal Favre are the practice heads of the Zurich and Geneva teams respectively. Alain Raemy also advises on corporate governance issues. Daniel Jenny is a key practitioner for private equity matters.

Testimonials

‘Excellent, committed, straight to the point, extremely professional.’

‘Very professional, responsive and commercial team with an awareness that in an M&A deal time is of the essence.’

‘Competent, solution-oriented, fast.’

‘Client-focused, flexible pragmatic.’

‘Very friendly and courteous team of excellent specialists with a high level of commitment and flexibility, a wide range of experience and always striving to find pragmatic legal solutions.’

‘High level of commitment and collegial cooperation, especially with Stefan Brunnschweiler and Franziska Hammer. A great wealth of experience and in-depth expertise.’

Key clients

ABB

ISS

Uniprod/Halder

Ecclesia

RUAG MRO Holding AG

keyon AG

Medico Invest AG

Aktiengesellschaft Ernst Hablützel + Co.

ASSEPRO

Renaissance KMU Schweizerische Anlagestiftung

Avectris

Shareholders of IPG Group

Socar Energy Limited GmbH

NChain

Designwerk Technologies GmbH

The Permanent Committee of the Geneva International Motorshow (GIMS)

ARM Swiss Representatives SA

S2F Groupe Partnaire SA

BeeMed SA

VISTA

Guardtime Ltd.

Work highlights

  • Advised ISS, a leading global facility services provider on the sale of its Swiss subsidiary ISS Kanal Services AG to KLAR Partners.
  • Advised the Geneva International Motor Show in the negotiation and set up of a cross-border joint venture with Qatar’s National Tourism Council to provide assistance to the Qatari government with the inception and development of a Qatar Geneva International Motor Show.
  • Advised publicly traded, international bakery company Aryzta in the sale of its sandwich production division to Bell Food Group.

Eversheds Sutherland AG

Eversheds Sutherland AG fields a ‘hands-on, solution-oriented and precise‘ team, which advises on M&A and private equity transactions, as well as restructurings. For the practice’s many cross-border matters, the group works closely with the firm’s international network. The group also has experience in assisting with setting up operations as well as in acting for entrepreneurs. Practice head Marc Nufer is well versed in the industrials and real estate sectors, while Oliver Beldi is the key contact for energy and transport clients. The team was reinforced with several new arrivals over the past months, among others Michael Mosimann who joined from Prager Dreifuss AG in early 2021.

Practice head(s):

Marc Nufer

Testimonials

‘Marc Nufer is extremely supportive in all legal matters for my company. He and his team are diligent, responsive and efficient in handling any issues raised.’

‘Marc Nufer is very responsive and delivers great work. His network helps us to solve legal issues around the world.’

‘Very efficient and competent team, which contributed successfully to an efficient, straight-forward cooperation.’

‘Excellent friendly, professional service, good knowledge of the sector and a very helpful approach. The team from partners to associates want to work with you to get contracts and legal matters completed in an efficient way. They are also quick to respond.’

‘They have a vast knowledge of law both in theory and practice and always give prompt feedback to you.’

‘Oliver Beldi and Natalie Schwager were always fast, ready-to-answer and sensitive to our needs.’

‘Good law firm that is very diligent in its work. The work they did was quick and excellent.’

‘Good team. Oliver Beldi was very attentive to our desires.’

Key clients

Arklyz Group

Aspen Pharma

Axpo

Bergen Engines

Covantis SA

Danaher

Eaton

Iron Mountain

Kering

Lanxess

Microsoft

Nokia

Parker Hannifin

Ricoh

Rockwell Automation

Signature Aviation

Work highlights

  • Advised Arklyz Group on two recent acquisitions of Intersocks group and The Athlete’s Foot (TAF).
  • Advised a consortium of global businesses (ADM, Bunge, Cargill, COFCO, Louis Dreyfus Company and Viterra) on the formation of a transformational blockchain platform for agricultural commodities.
  • Advised Kering on several intra-group restructurings and corporate housekeeping matters.

Kellerhals Carrard

The team at Kellerhals Carrard includes commercial, corporate and M&A specialists, who are appreciated for taking ‘new roads and finding innovative solutions.’ With several Swiss offices, the practice is well positioned to advise on mid-market transactions and matters relating to venture capital and start-ups. The close collaboration across departments adds value. Beat Brechbuehl combines M&A and capital markets expertise. Ines Pöschel and Edgar Philippin have know-how in private deals, and Reto Schumacher is ‘a partner with business excellency.’

Practice head(s):

Beat Brechbuehl

Testimonials

‘Excellent availability, strong commitment, excellent in execution.’

‘Availability (anytime); business-driven negotiation skills; excellent in law practice and similar business cases’

‘The KC team is pragmatic, solution-oriented and efficient. They take new roads and find innovative solutions. They offer high personal commitment and partner attention.’

‘Beat Brechbühl is a smart, tough and creative negotiator.’

‘Ines Pöschel is a thorough and excellent specialist in pay and governance.’

‘Edgar Philippin is a brilliant mind, very hard-working and pragmatic.’

‘Reto Schumacher is a partner with business excellency.’

Key clients

One Swiss Bank SA, Geneva

Swiss Automotive Group

Innflow AG

Aspectra AG

PEG Papeteristen Einkaufgenossenschaft/OFFIX Holding AG

F. Bayard/Mengis Media

EYEPARC AG

HeBa Partners AG (Mode Bayard, Thomas Herbert)

Eight Roads Ventures

Credit Suisse Entrepreneur Capital AG

CreditGate24 (Schweiz) AG

AdVita Lifescience GmbH

Atlantic Labs, a large Germany-based VC

Apollo Health Ventures

Corporate Venture Arm of CSS Health Insurance

Fischer Spindle

SPT Roth AG

VTX

Accorinvest

Work highlights

  • Advised Fischer Group on a cross-border complex joint venture with the Chinese Weichai Power group in the set-up of the Fischer Fuel Cell Compressor AG.
  • Advised One Swiss Bank on the acquisition of a CHF2bn client portfolio from Falcon Privatbank AG in three separate closings.
  • Advised Credit Suisse Entrepreneur Capital AG in connection with the investment in Sophia Genetics SA, which closed their Series F financing round.

Loyens & Loeff

Clients appreciate Loyens & Loeff‘s ‘dedication to the success of the transaction.‘ The practice offers know-how in the private equity, energy, transportation, and healthcare sectors, and often acts for strategic buyers. Matters such as M&As, joint ventures, restructurings, and corporate finance transactions are handled in close collaboration with the tax team. Marco Toni leads the practice and also covers corporate governance queries. He is supported by private equity specialist Andreas Hinsen.

Practice head(s):

Marco Toni

Other key lawyers:

Andreas Hinsen

Testimonials

‘They have a fantastic team. Excellent technical skills, professional attitude and a high portion of humour, which is why I really like to work with them.’

‘Marco Toni stands out. Exceptionally good M&A lawyer with impressive skills. Marco focuses on solutions and is efficient.’

‘Loyens & Loeff has generally been extremely smart, efficient and fast and had very creative approaches in stuck situations. In addition, the project felt like a real priority from day one.’

‘Andreas Hinsen and Beat Baumgartner definitely stood out with their commitment, fast turn-around time and their ability to resolve stuck situations. Their contribution to the successful closure of this deal was definitely larger than what was expected and reflects an extremely high value for money. Andreas’ ability to dig down to the essentials in large amounts of materials and to ask the right questions is definitely outstanding while Beat’s understanding of the tax landscape was definitely not matched by other advisors on this transaction.’

‘Friendly and professional.’

‘Team dedicated to the success of the transaction. Delivered high-quality work.’

Key clients

Wabion AG

adidas

Geberit

Faurecia

Specialized

Revlon

Südvers GmbH

Egeria

Bacardi

Le Collectionist

SITA N.V.

EQT

Cellularline S.p.A.

Nektar Therapeutics

Vortex Companies

Folli Follie

Vespa Capital

Morgan Stanley, BofA Securities, and SVB Leerink

UGI Corporation

Lockheed Martin Corporation

Work highlights

  • Advised Wabion on its sale to Accenture.
  • Advised UGI Corporation on the acquisition of the LPG business from SOCAR Energy.
  • Advised Le Collectionist and acted as Swiss legal advisor on its acquisition of Bramble Ski.

Thouvenin Rechtsanwälte

Thouvenin Rechtsanwälte offers clients a ‘to the point, practical, solution-oriented and experienced approach.‘ The team is particularly active for companies from the manufacturing, healthcare, real estate and technology industries whom it advises on the full range of corporate, commercial and M&A topics. Practice head Markus Alder  is also able to assist clients with succession planning issues. Arlette Pfister combines ‘strong and precise knowledge of the law with an excellent understanding of a client’s business needs.’ Michael Bösch is a key contact for corporate matters.

Practice head(s):

Markus Alder

Testimonials

‘Very responsive and flexible in availability. To the point, practical, solution-oriented and experienced approach.’

‘Thouvenin has a very able team with highly accessible and hands-on partners.’

‘Arlette Pfister is an excellent lawyer, combining strong and precise knowledge of the law with an excellent understanding of client’s business needs.’

Key clients

Microsoft Corporation

Wal-Mart Inc.

Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG

Insightsoftware

Collagen Matrix, Inc., USA

Mediq B.V.

Sirona Dental Systems GmbH

Leica Geosystems AG

Admicasa Holding AG

Jenoptik AG

Wenger Vieli Ltd

Wenger Vieli Ltd is noted for providing ‘outstanding results in a timely manner and in a pragmatic way.’ The team handles a high number of transactions in the mid-market segment, acting in particular for private equity funds, start-ups and VC investors. Beat Speck is well versed in handling matters for clients from the energy, IT, telecommunications, and entertainment industries. He leads the practice together with transaction specialist Pascal Honold. Wolfgang Zürcher is a key contact for entrepreneurs.

Practice head(s):

Beat Speck; Pascal Honold

Other key lawyers:

Wolfgang Zürcher; Marc Walter

Testimonials

‘Highly competent team. Solid, but pragmatic approach.’

‘The efficiency and the dedication of Wenger & Vieli’s lawyers is outstanding. In particular, Marc Walter consistently provides detailed and accurate, yet pragmatic legal analyses. What is more: he always does so within the agreed – often challenging – deadlines. His ability to understand complex situations and devise pragmatic approaches greatly contributes to reaching his client’s objectives. In addition, Marc Walter stands out for his excellent language skills (German, English and French) and his friendliness.’

‘Great team with hands-on mentality and expertise.’

‘Beat Speck and his team focus on delivering outstanding results in a timely manner and in a pragmatic way.’

‘Wenger & Vieli is a trusted partnerfor us. The team around Beat Speck is top notch, always delivers and is fun to work with.’

‘Pascal Honold: with a confident but collegial demeanour towards the other party, he maintains control of the contractual process and puts his client’s interests to advantage.’

‘Hands-on approach; professional; focused on solutions that work.’

‘Strong technical skills, focused on finding solutions i.e. deal-driven, high availability and flexibility, fair pricing.’

‘Beat Speck: outstanding M&A-skills, very deal-driven.’

Key clients

Signa

AXA Insurance Group, Switzerland

Breitling

Statoil

Swisscom

AG für die Neue Zürcher Zeitung

Daimler AG

Jones Lang LaSalle GmbH

Hybris AG

Naspers

Emeram Capital Partners

Helvetia Insurances

Earlybird Ventures

Verium AG

Shareholders of Ambassador & Opera AG

Scandit AG

Shareholders of Burckardt Compression Holding

AGRFR

Xovis

Infoguard

Contovista

Avantec

Paros

Dept. Holding B.V.

Omers

digitalSTROM AG

Shareholders of Hedoga AG

Frontify AG

SHS

u-blox

Work highlights

  • Advised Signa on an auction process on Globus, the fashion warehouse of Migros.
  • Advised Vontobel on its acquisition of twentyfour Asset Management LLP, a specialist fixed income boutique.
  • Advised digitalStrom AG on the merger with a provider of smart solutions in the building industry.

id est avocats sàrl

The team at id est avocats sàrl predominantely advises clients from the technology, life scineces, financial and professional services, and computing sectors. The practice acts in venture capital, private equity and M&A matters, often for high-growth companies. Specialisations include corporate financing, capital structuring and exit strategies. Michel Jaccard combines corporate and IP expertise; he leads the practice together with Mehmet Toral who specialises in VC and PE investments. Marina Castelli made partner in July 2021.

Practice head(s):

Michel Jaccard; Mehmet Toral

Other key lawyers:

Marina Castelli

Testimonials

‘Highly skilled team with a pragmatic approach. Young and dynamic.’

‘Marina Castelli-Joos is available and a good listener. Good practitioner.’

‘The team delivers very pragmatic advice and quickly understands the in-house/business needs. They manage to bridge between large companies and start-ups due to their diverse clients. They are very well informed and good with investment in private companies/start-ups.’

‘Michel Jaccard is very good with everything about new technologies, data protection, licensing. Mehmet Toral is very good with corporate matters, M&A and investment rounds.’

‘Best firm for support in the high-tech start-up community in Switzerland. In-depth knowledge of the ecosystem and specific dynamics in the field.’

‘We appreciate the relatively young team which is dynamic, but experienced enough to meet most of our needs. We felt they speak our language, understand our needs, have been through similar cases before and can also provide competitive commercial conditions. The team is responsive and will go the extra mile to get the job done.’

Mangeat Attorneys at Law LLC

Mangeat Attorneys at Law LLC has know-how in commercial, corporate and M&A transactions. Corporations and start-ups from the financial, pharmaceutical, IT and real estate industries are on the client roster. The team handles contracts, compliance and corporate governance, and strategic advice, with experience spanning matters arising along the full life cycle of transactions. Practice head Fabien Aepli acts in private mergers and acquisitions. Joël Chevallaz and counsel Lukas van Dobben  are also noted.

Practice head(s):

Fabien Aepli

Testimonials

‘The team is very pragmatic and proactive in finding solutions.’

‘Lukas van Dobben is a skilled negotiator, actively seeking pragmatic solutions. He knows how to focus on things that really matter for us and has been crucial on important business decisions. He has many times anticipated problems that we incurred later.’

‘Close collaboration and accountability of each project. The practice has a vast experience in broad topics.’

‘We are grateful to MANGEAT lawyers for the competent and thoughtful work. Thanks to clear, responsible and well-coordinated work, the MANGEAT lawyers helped with corporate issues and business operations.’

‘What I appreciate at Mangeat is the fact that they are solution-driven, pragmatic and fair.’

‘Lukas van Dobben is both professional and committed, always responsive, efficient and multi-skilled.’

Key clients

Infomaniak Network SA

Edwards Lifesciences SA

Aptissen SA

Re-Company SA

MITC Méthode Innovations Technologies Conseil SA

Akrivia SA

Elis SHPK

Backbone Art SA

Wenger Plattner

Noted for its ‘solutions-oriented attitude’, Wenger Plattner is a go-to contact for Swiss and foreign companies from a wide range of industries. Led by the ‘extremely dedicatedOliver Künzler, the team covers due diligence, transaction negotiations, and merger control notifications. It is furthermore often involved in M&A transactions, including joint ventures, restructurings and outsourcing, in connection with private and distressed companies. Marc Nater also offers experience in private equity and capital market matters.

Practice head(s):

Oliver Künzler

Other key lawyers:

Marc Nater; Tobias Meili

Testimonials

‘Very good qualifications in all areas of business law, including tax law.’

‘Wenger Plattner offers a highly competitive service. Also, the firms put high emphasis on gender diversity, including the possibility to work part-time for women with young children, with a high number of female lawyers in senior positions.’

‘Oliver Künzler is an excellent lawyer with a deep business understanding. He is extremely dedicated to the needs of the client and knows perfectly what is required to get a deal successfully over the finishing line. He is a fast thinker and has the ability to come up with innovative, sound proposals to resolve difficult situations for the benefit of his clients. I very much like his pragmatic and high-quality approach.’

‘Good response speed, willingness to resolve issues promptly.’

‘Oliver and his team are just great.’

‘Oliver Künzler is experienced, reliable and service-minded.’

‘Wenger has a very solutions-oriented attitude; they are keen on solving the problems and not creating or listing issues. Very responsive, uncomplicated communication, easily available for a brief call.’

‘Oliver Künzler has a very solutions-oriented attitude and is a great expert in various areas, from civil law to regulatory framework related to pharma, medical sectors etc.’

Key clients

SIGNA Group

TX Group AG

SWICA Gesundheitsorganisation (Health Insurance)

HRG Hotels GmbH

Gilde Buy-Out Partners

Audi AG

Julius Baer Group

CIBT, Inc.

Novartis Pharma Ltd.

Hawesko

HG Commerciale

ADUR Management AG

SBI Holdings

Capital Transmission SA

Magazine zum Globus AG

Tonix Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Align Technology, Inc.

Hospitality Swiss Proco AG

GA Europe GmbH

Saurer Group

Work highlights

  • Acted as counsel to Align Technologies Inc on the acquisition of Swiss company Arbrea Labs AG, including its subsequent integration in the group through a merger.
  • Acted as lead counsel to SBI Group with respect to its investment in Sygnum Bank, the first digital asset bank in Switzerland and a digital asset specialist with global reach.
  • Acted as legal counsel to the Canton Solothurn with respect to the divestment of its minority shareholding in the delisted energy producer Alpiq Holding AG.

Bonnard Lawson

Bonnard Lawson is ‘clearly at the cutting edge of corporate law and venture capital.‘ The team has Swiss and foreign start-ups, SMEs, and corporations on its client roster, whom it advises on general corporate queries, different transactions, financing and investment rounds, commercial contracts, as well as on employment and tax matters. Loïs Hainardoffers practical solutions freeing himself from a theoretical point of view‘ and leads the team with Giovanni Rossi and Marie Flegbo-Berney.

Testimonials

‘The work done by Bonnard Lawson on the acquisition was perfect. They know all the intricacies that need to be considered. I was really delighted with how they handled this matter.’

‘Loïs Hainard basically took care of everything with a high level of professionalism. The quality of his documents (no grammatical mistake, no typo, etc.) is simply perfect and highly appreciated compared to other lawyers I had worked with. I also praise his responsiveness which is exceptional. Definitely a top lawyer.’

‘Loïs Hainard was amazing. It is really a pleasure to have a lawyer like Loïs as he is always available and knows exactly how to handle any situation. He has real business knowledge on top of his legal background. I can only recommend him to anyone looking for a corporate lawyer.’

‘Loïs Hainard stands out with his tremendous knowledge in corporate law. His interpersonal skills also allow him to get along with all generations. I will definitely keep on working with him. I do not see how I could find a better advisor than him in commercial/corporate law.’

‘In all honesty and sincerity, I think that Loïs Hainard is one of the best lawyers in the French part of Switzerland in corporate law and M&A. He is simply brilliant. The quality of his work is exceptional and praised by all the people I have recommended him to.’

‘I can confirm that I am delighted with the way Bonnard Lawson has handled my case since we started working together. They are clearly at the cutting edge of corporate law and venture capital and their experience is evident in the way they handle cases.’

‘Loïs is the lawyer who makes the deal happen; he was calm, convincing, reassuring for all parties and very knowledgeable about the whole process.’

‘Loïs Hainard’s skills in corporate law and commercial contracts are indeed widely recognized. He knows perfectly how to handle sophisticated clients and his pragmatism has often been noted and highly appreciated. He is one of the few lawyers I know who offers practical solutions freeing himself from a theoretical point of view. He is simply excellent.’

Key clients

SixSq SA

SWISSINSO SA

DYN SA

ONSA ADVISORS SA

Scitec Research SA

Check Your Health SA

Guy Gaudard SA

Nolands Advisory Services Switzerland AG

SFO Partners SA

Banque Cramer & Cie SA

Auris Wealth Management SA

Enki Capital SA

PFCH Luxe SA

Drinkotec Sàrl

Skechers Sarl

Gillioz Dorsaz & Associés

Boutique firm Gillioz Dorsaz & Associés covers restructurings, financings, fundraisings, and acquisitions for Swiss and foreign clients. The team is particularly sought after by companies active in the healthcare and luxury sectors. Damien Cand combines corporate, dispute resolution and banking law expertise. Nicole Fragnière Meyer‘s practice also covers tax law. The duo head the team together with the Hong Kong-based Christian Valentini.

HFW

HFW

Practice head(s):

Georges Racine

Jeantet

Clients appreciate Jeantet for its ‘precision, knowledge and accessibility‘ in corporate queries. The team specialises in cross-border matters with France. It has an impressive client portfolio, including Swiss and foreign investors as well as multinational corporations, commodity investors and UHNWIs from a variety of industries. Practice head Patrice Lefèvre-Péaron also acts as key contact for real estate developers and in tax matters.

Practice head(s):

Patrice Lefèvre-Péaron

Other key lawyers:

Laure Rinchet

Testimonials

‘The practice is unique because of the outstanding experience that this team enjoys when it comes to cross-border corporate matters. Not to be underestimated is their deep knowledge of tax law and structuring.’

‘Patrice Lefèvre-Péaron is very knowledgeable and extremely efficient. A great lawyer with deep knowledge of the laws coupled with a seasoned practitioner who cuts to the chase and sees the problematics way ahead of time.’

‘We appreciate their precision, knowledge and accessibility.’

‘Patrice Lefèvre-Péaron is an excellent technician, honest, and always relevant to the interests of his clients. Patrice and his team are available and responsive. Especially thanks to his background, Patrice has in-depth expertise and ability to manage from a technical, but also cultural point of view multi-jurisdiction matters in continental Europe as well as the US/UKkl.’

‘Jeantet acquired a unique position on the French-Swiss legal and tax market making available in Switzerland a unique French legal and tax platform for M&A, but also other specific expertise like real estate. The team knows perfectly how to manage matters with a tricky mixture of legal and tax aspects.’

‘We appreciate working with Laure Rinchet, who is qualified at French, Luxembourg and Swiss bars with for each jurisdiction an in-depth knowledge of the legal systems and constraints. She is an excellent technician.’

‘Very responsive, commercial and aggressive when needed.’

‘Patrice Lefèvre-Péaron is simply an outstanding lawyer.’

Key clients

GIFI group

ENGIE S.A.

INSEEC U. – CINVEN

VALEO

Crédit Suisse

YORK CAPITAL US

VINCI CONSTRUCTION

CA Indosuez Wealth (Europe)

Work highlights

  • Acted as Swiss legal counsel to ENGIE group in connection with the construction and operation of a photovoltaic electric generation facility located in Mexico together with its financing.
  • Acted as Swiss legal counsel to the Australian investment fund and the arrangers in connection with the negotiation and structuring of an equity-linked financing project (convertible notes financing with warrants coverage) for Leclanché.
  • Advised VINCI on the structuring of its first real estate investment in Switzerland, including tax, corporate and financing aspects and in compliance with the Lex Koller law.

MME Legal | Tax | Compliance

MME Legal | Tax | Compliance offers a ‘high level of availability and individual expertise‘ in corporate and M&A matters. The group unites transaction, tax and compliance expertise in one team and is particularly well versed in the fintech, technology, and trade and commerce sectors. Balz Hösly specialises in corporate governance topics while Andreas Rudolf also handles restructurings and structured real estate transactions. Alex Enzler is ‘a great asset both professionally and personally.’ Together, they lead the team with Peter Kuhn and Samuel Bussmann.

Other key lawyers:

Balz Hösly

Testimonials

‘Very entrepreneurial; highly experienced in niche segments such as crypto and IT and inheritance law.’

‘High level of availability and individual expertise.’

‘Personal, fast and efficient – it’s always a pleasure working with MME.’

‘Alex Enzler always tries to take the best possible path for our company. He not only executes, but also assists us in an advisory capacity. Competent and helpful, he is a great asset both professionally and personally.’

Key clients

Alstom (Switzerland) former Bombardier Transportation (Switzerland) AG

Verit Group

Liquity AG

Ticketcorner AG

AG Hallenstadion Zurich

Greater Zurich Area AG

MCH Group AG

Mitra Solutions AG

Showwerk AG, Aegeri

Tadah AG

Work highlights

  • Advised Verit Immobilien AG on its acquisition by Avobis Group AG The Avobis Group.
  • Advised Liquity AG and its founders on a financing round.
  • Advising Alstom (Switzerland) on its corporate governance and compliance set-up of the company in Switzerland.

OBERSON ABELS SA

OBERSON ABELS SA specialises in tax, banking and finance, and commercial, corporate and M&A engagements. The corporate caseload includes sales, set-ups, investment rounds and restructurings, as well as in commercial contracts. The group advises clients from a variety of industries, including insurance, pharmaceutical, technology, and renewable energy players. Sébastien Bettschart  and Stefan Eberhard are the heads of the practice.

Work highlights

  • Advised an investment company on a complex sale of a group of companies in the mechanical industry sector to a Chinese purchaser.
  • Advised owners and investors on a complex cross-border combination and buy-out deal in the luxury cosmetics industry.
  • Advised an investment company arm of a public utility on the purchase and development of various power plants in the photovoltaic and hydroelectric sector in the Cantons of Valais, Vaud, Fribourg and Ticino.

Prager Dreifuss AG

Prager Dreifuss AG covers the full spectrum of corporate and M&A matters. The team regularly advises companies on their set-ups, restructurings, housekeeping and compliance, as well as on relocations and contract matters. The comprehensive transactional practice includes venture capital matters. Energy and infrastructure specialist Andreas Moll and transaction practitioner Daniel Hayek direct the practice. Matthias Bürge and Michael Mosimann left the firm at the end of 2020.

Practice head(s):

Andreas Moll; Daniel Hayek

Testimonials

‘Andreas Moll is one of the best counsel I’ve worked with in any jurisdiction.’

‘Jvo Grundler: Smart, efficient, experienced and highly competent lawyer who stands out thanks to his practical and deal-oriented approach and his ability to draft short, clear and nevertheless comprehensive and complete contracts/legal documents. He is reasonable in negotiations which is especially useful in difficult negotiations.’

‘Andreas Moll: Competent lawyer who communicates clearly, yet with patience, tact and finesse. He delivers impeccable legal products.’

Python

The corporate and M&A team at Python is active in transactions such as stock and asset deals, mergers, spin-offs and co-investments. Another area of expertise is advising international companies in their restructuring projects and setting up operations in Switzerland. Christophe de Kalbermattenh has know-how in the real estate sector, and Benjamin Humm  is well versed advising on commercial contracts.

Staiger Attorneys at Law Ltd

Staiger Attorneys at Law Ltd is regularly approached by SMEs, start-ups and entrepreneurs to assist them with their corporate matters. The team has notable experience in regulated industries such as the energy, insurance, and banking sectors. Real estate transactions are another area of strength. Yasemin Varel has a special focus on Turkey-related matters and leads the practice together with Andreas von Erlach.

Testimonials

‘Our cooperation was conducted to a high standard. We were properly assisted by Yasemin Varel. The team of Staiger was always available.’

Key clients

Zug Estates AG

Work highlights

  • Advising Zug Estates on all corporate matters related to a CHF600m property development project.
  • Advising a Turkish industrial group on corporate and commercial matters related to its Swiss operations.
  • Advising an international tourism group on a cross-border real estate transaction.