The Legal 500 > Europe, Middle East & Africa > Switzerland > Commercial, corporate and M&A

The group at Bär & Karrer Ltd. has an outstanding market reputation for its activity in public and private takeover transactions. The client base includes national and international companies from a variety of sectors, which also instruct the group in corporate and regulatory matters. Rolf Watter is also well versed in corporate governance topics and capital market transactions. Christoph Neeracher is a specialist in private M&A, while Ralph Malacrida is a key name for public transactions. Mariel Hoch, Dieter Dubs and associate Raphael Annasohn are other names to note. Martin Anderson and Paolo Bottini are the key names in Geneva and Lugano respectively.

Homburger has a track record handling headline transactions, where it is active for various corporations. The team is particularly knowledgeable in working for clients from regulated sectors. Besides advising on a variety of transactions, the team is also experienced in corporate governance matters and regulatory aspects. Dieter Gericke heads up the group and is an expert in public and private M&A. Daniel Daeniker has been active in this field for a long time and is noted alongside Frank Gerhard, Claude Lambert and David Oser. Daniel Hasler is another key contact.

Lenz & Staehelin has a highly reputed corporate and M&A practice with offices in both Zurich and Geneva. It assists clients from the financial services, healthcare and life sciences, TMT, manufacturing and real estate sectors with matters including public takeovers, private transactions and corporate governance. Practice head Hans-Jakob Diem has a strong, international practice. Rudolf Tschäni is an expert in public M&A, hostile takeover situations and related disputes. Tino Gaberthüel combines strength in commercial and corporate matters with capital markets expertise. Stephan Erni and Geneva-based Andreas Rötheli, Jacques Iffland and David Ledermann are other prominent practitioners.

Niederer Kraft Frey AG's team has a solid track record in public takeovers and M&A transactions. which are frequently cross-border. The client portfolio includes a number of companies and institutions from the pharmaceutical and life sciences, financial services and technology sectors. Philipp Haas and Philippe Weber jointly lead the team, in which Till Spillmann, Ulysses von Salis and Manuel Werder are prominent practitioners. Patrik Peyer is well versed in private equity transactions. The team also advises on corporate restructurings and venture capital.

Baker McKenzie is noted for its experience in cross-border transactions, in which the team works closely with the firm's international offices. It is often involved in public takeovers, and regularly joins forces with the firm's banking and tax department. Alexander Fischer is well versed in M&A transactions in various sectors; he leads the practice together with Martin Furrer, who is particularly experienced in the real estate area. Jingjin Guo, the key contact in Geneva, advises on the setting up of new corporations and China-related mandates. Petra Hanselmann, Pascal Richard and Martin Frey are also noted.

Pestalozzi's corporate and M&A practice is active in the full gamut of related services; the team advises on director and officer liability, corporate control, restructurings and compliance, among others, and is instructed by clients from the financial services, life sciences, food, new media and trading industries. Christoph Lang heads up the team in Zurich and is well versed in corporate governance mandates. Franz Schubiger and Beat Schwarz also have expertise in private equity matters. Geneva-based Sébastien Roy  heads the team with Lang. Severin Roelli and Jakob Höhn are also recommended.

Schellenberg Wittmer Ltd's team focuses on private and public M&A, as well as private equity and venture capital transactions, which often have a cross-border element. It has a strong track record working for clients from various industries, including financial services, construction, energy and life sciences. Lorenzo Olgiati further stands out for his work handling corporate governance and shareholder activism matters; he jointly leads the practice with Jean Jacques Ah Choon in Geneva. Oliver Triebold's expertise takes in cross-border and domestic M&A transactions, private equity and venture capital investments, as well as corporate governance matters. Martin Weber has more than 30 years of experience in the field.

VISCHER has a solid track record in national and cross-border M&A and private equity transactions in the mid-market. Other areas of expertise are public takeovers and proxy solicitations, and the team is particularly well versed in the life sciences sector. Jürg Luginbühl and Robert Bernet lead the M&A practice groups in Zurich and Basel respectively. Matthias Staehelin, also in Basel, is an expert in life sciences mandates, while Gian-Andrea Caprez specialises in the TMT/ICT sector.

Walder Wyss Switzerland Global has a strong corporate and M&A practice, which is active in public takeovers, divestitures, joint ventures, spin-offs, proxy contests and hedge fund activism. Its impressive client portfolio includes companies from the real estate, finance, food and life sciences industries. Team head Alex Nikitine is also well versed in capital markets mandates, as are Stefan Knobloch and Urs Gnos. Markus Vischer is a key name for commercial, real estate and employment law. Luc Defferrard and Alex Gutmans in Basel are also noted.

The team at BianchiSchwald LLC is regularly instructed by SMEs from the manufacturing, healthcare and consumer goods area. It has considerable experience in private equity mandates, joint ventures and private M&A transactions. Practice head Thomas Schmid is also knowledgeable in merger control and restructuring matters, while Marc Metzger further specialises in commercial and contract law. Hans-Peter Schwald is also noted. Geneva's Manuel Bianchi della Porta is experienced in contentious mandates, including shareholders’ conflicts.

Bratschi Ltd is an established player for mid-market domestic M&A transactions. The team is well connected with companies from the finance, IT and telecoms, real estate, energy, hospitality and healthcare sectors. Thomas Peter leads the team and is also well versed in advising on contract law. Christian Stambach in St Gallen is an expert in corporate governance and compliance mandates. Associate Claudio Bazzi is another integral part of the group.

CMS has core strengths in W&I insurance, private equity mandates, D&O matters and cross-border transactions. The team is traditionally strong in transactions in the mid-market but has seen an increase in instructions to handle deals at the higher end. The team works closely with its international network, in particular for clients from the energy, financial services, infrastructure, life sciences and technology industry, among others. Department head Stefan Brunnschweiler also leads the firm's global corporate and M&A practice. Other key names include Alain Raemy, Stephan Werlen and Daniel Jenny , as well as Pascal Favre in Geneva.

Eversheds Sutherland AG is noted for its activity in corporate restructurings as well as M&A transactions in the mid- and high-end market. The team is regularly instructed by clients from the banking, healthcare, TMT, engineering and transport sectors, and is involved in cross-border deals where it is able leverage its network. Practice head Marc Nufer divides his time between Bern and Zurich, and is recommended alongside Oliver Beldi and Daniel Bachmann in Bern, and Geneva-based Olivier Dunant.

Kellerhals Carrard has a considerable track record handling mid-sized transactions and is well versed in corporate governance mandates. The team is particularly prominent in the blockchain, ICO and fintech space where it advises technology companies and start ups. Managing partner Beat Brechbühl  is based in Bern and, similarly to Ines Pöschel, focuses mainly on private M&A transactions. Lausanne-based Jean-Luc Chenaux and Massimiliano Maestretti in Lugano are other prominent practitioners. Clarence Peter, who is based in Geneva, joined from Python in January 2019.

Loyens & Loeff's team is experienced in private equity transactions, and also has expertise in the energy, retail, transport and healthcare sectors. It acts for national and international clients on M&A transactions, public takeovers and restructuring matters, among others. Practice head Marco Toni is another key name. The team was further strengthened by the arrival of Andreas Hinsen, who joined from Lenz & Staehelin in March 2019.

The team at Meyerlustenberger Lachenal Ltd covers a wide range of corporate and M&A-related matters. The client portfolio consists of companies from the retail, real estate, healthcare and life science industries as well as financial institutions. Alexander Vogel is experienced in public and private M&A transactions. Andrea Sieber has a strong, international practice and also advises on company reorganisations. Mona Stephenson is the key practitioner in the Geneva office. Karin Oberlin is another name to note and Sergio Bortolani joined the firm in January 2019 from Homburger.

Thouvenin Rechtsanwälte's client portfolio impresses with large companies from the manufacturing, healthcare and technology sector. The team is well versed in assisting throughout the whole cycle of a transaction and is led by Arlette Pfister; she can also advise on employment and immigration law. Michael Bösch supports the team with his commercial law and dispute resolution knowledge. Martin Bürkle is also highlighted.

Wenger & Vieli LTD is an established adviser in the energy and manufacturing industries as well as in the private equity and venture capital space. Zug-based Beat Speck heads up the group and has considerable experience in private equity and venture capital matters. The firm has a broad corporate and M&A practice, and is a popular choice for mid-market transactions in Switzerland. Other noteworthy team members are Wolfgang Zürcher in Zug, who is also well versed in the capital markets area; tax expert Barbara Brauchli Rohrer and Christoph Schmid.

Froriep has a good track record in a variety of transactions - but particularly in private M&A - in the small-to mid-sized market. Among the team's clients are international companies, social enterprises and start-ups. Catrina Luchsinger is experienced in the financial industry, while Geneva-based Julie Wynne specialises in advising charities, B Corps and social enterprises. Zug-based Matthias Johnsonis a key name for corporate reorganisations and commercial law. Counsel Mark Montanari is also noted. Hubert Orso Gilliéron joined the Geneva office in February 2019 from Baker McKenzie.

id est avocats sàrl is a popular choice for clients from the deep tech space and is also experience in acting for clients from the financial services, life sciences, and professional services sectors that offer tech-enabled services. Its offering includes assistance with corporate financing, M&A transactions, joint ventures and corporate governance, among others. Michel Jaccard has more than 20 years of experience in the sector. Mehmet Toral is well versed in exit strategy definition and implementation matters. Juliette Ancelle is also noted.

Mangeat Attorneys at Law LLC's practice covers corporate, commercial and M&A mandates. The team is experienced in the financial services, pharmaceutical, IT and real estate sectors and advises national and international clients. Fabien Aepli heads the practice and is a key contact for agreements, governance and compliance matters. Joël Chevallaz and senior associate Nurith Cohen are also prominent practitioners.

Python combines expertise in commercial contracts with strength in corporate and M&A matters. Areas of expertise include mergers, stock purchases, and asset purchase agreements, as well as reorganisations, among others. Marc Iynedjian leads the team and has notable knowledge in the energy sector. Other prominent practitioners are Christophe de Kalbermatten and Benjamin Humm.

Wenger Plattner's corporate team is active across multiple industries, with particular strength in the pharmaceutical, chemical, IT and automotive sectors. It assists clients with contract drafting, negotiations, due diligence and transactions. Practice head Oliver Künzler is also well versed in restructurings and reorganisations. He is supported by Marc Nater, who is active in the sports space; and Basel-based Dieter Gränicher, who has a good track record in disputes and in the private clients space.

FBT Attorneys-at-Law's practice covers assistance with the drafting and negotiation of contracts, the setting up of schemes and advice on corporate protection measures, among others. The head of the team is Marco Villa, who is based in Geneva; he specialises in contractual and commercial law.

The key practitioners at Gillioz Dorsaz & Associés are Damien Cand and Nicole Fragnière Meyer. The team is particularly involved in restructurings and acquisitions for Swiss and foreign clients. Other strengths are assisting with drafting licence and distribution agreements, among others. Christian Valentini supports the team from the Hong Kong office.

Jeantet has a core focus on French-speaking markets, where it has an established practice. Under the lead of Patrice Lefèvre-Péaron , the team advises on public takeovers, joint ventures, corporate governance and restructurings, among others. Lefèvre-Péaron also advises on tax and real estate matters. Senior associate Laure Rinchet is also noted.

MME Legal | Tax | Compliance's Zurich-based team has an established practice and advises clients on corporate and public governance matters. It is also strongly involved in compliance, anti-money laundering, M&A and estate planning mandates. Balz Hösly  also serves as the chairman and member on various boards of directors. Urs Isenegger combines his practice in this space with advice on competition and intellectual property law. Samuel Bussmann is also noted.

Oberson Abels Ltd is instructed in matters relating to corporate law, M&A transactions and contractual advice by clients that are predominantly from the banking, biotech, IT, luxury goods and hospitality sectors. Sébastien Bettschart is well versed in commercial law and is noted alongside Stefan Eberhard; both split their time between Geneva and Lausanne.

Prager Dreifuss AG is experienced in a variety of industry sectors, including defence, automotive, consumer products, financial services and food, among others. The practice covers corporate matters for its clients and advises on the sales, acquisitions and restructuring. Andreas Moll also advises on corporate finance and public takeovers. He leads the practice together with Daniel Hayek, who is also well versed in dispute resolution and insolvency law.

Staiger Attorneys at Law Ltd advises on a wide range of relevant matters, including M&A, private equity and venture capital transactions, restructurings, as well as compliance and contentious cases. The client portfolio includes companies from the infrastructure, commerce, financial services, fintech and real estate areas. Key contacts Andreas von Erlach, Yasemin Varel and Désirée Wiesendanger jointly lead the practice.