Rising Stars

Firms To Watch: Employment

Frequently drawing on its members own in-house experience, the employment team at Mangeat Attorneys at Law LLC offers clients tailored advice on both private employment and public labour law matters; practice head Laurence Crittin brings industry experience in sectors including banking, finance, luxury goods, and healthcare to the firm.

Firms in the Spotlight Employment

VISCHER

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VISCHER is a leading Swiss law firm with over 120 fee earners. The firm provides solution-oriented support in all aspects of commercial, tax, and regulatory law. Their experts are organized in more than 20 practice teams, each led by experienced partners.

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Employment in Switzerland

Baker McKenzie Switzerland AG

Baker McKenzie Switzerland AG‘s practice handles all aspects of employment law for a broad range of national and international clients in a variety of fields, including medical technology, transportation, and computing. The practice is co-led by Serge Pannatier, who has substantial experience in strategic immigration advice, alongside Peter Reinert, who is described by clients as ‘knowledgeable and commercial‘. Christoph Stutz joined the team in late 2022 from Walder Wyss Ltd., bringing extensive employment-related experience – particularly in relation to corporate and other forms of restructuring.

Practice head(s):

Peter Reinert; Serge Pannatier


Testimonials

Able to quickly provide broad surveys across jurisdictions when needed.

Peter Reinert is very responsive, knowledgeable and commercial. Very easy to get hold of by phone for urgent queries.

Key clients

Becton Dickinson


Oracle


FedEx


CLS


World Meteorological Organization (WMO)


Keurig Green Mountain


BD Switzerland


Hitachi


Vontobel


Roth Group


Work highlights


  • Advised a global investment house in the acquisition of UBS Swiss Financial Advisers (“SFA”), a Zurich-based subsidiary of UBS AG.
  • Advised a leading US based medical technology company that manufactures and sells medical devices, instrument systems, and reagents, on a complex discrimination case concerning a female employee, who claims damages on the basis that she did not receive a promotion.
  • Advised a Swiss construction chemical group, in the acquisition of MBCC Group (Master Builders Construction Chemicals), the former BASF Construction Chemicals division, from Lone Star Funds, a global private equity firm.

Bär & Karrer Ltd.

With offices in Zurich, Geneva, Lugano, Zug and Basel, Bär & Karrer Ltd. is active in all three of Switzerland's linguistic regions. Described as ‘customer focused', ‘highly professional' and a ‘leader’, the labour practice is co-led by Zurich-based Laura Widmer, who specialises in national and international employment litigation, mass dismissals and advising listed companies, among other matters; and Thomas Stoltz, based in Zug, who focuses on mass dismissals and -more recently- social plans and employment advice relating to Covid-19. The practice serves both local and international clients from a variety of sectors, including financial services, technology, healthcare, and sports.



Practice head(s):

Laura Widmer; Thomas Stoltz


Testimonials

The team led by Thomas Stolz is highly professional and a key partner for us. The whole team works quickly and creatively in finding solutions to problems.

Thomas Stolz as lead immigration partner is very customer focused and always represents very well with all our clients.

Bär & Karrer is leading in the corporate and compensation-related employment practice.

Laura Widmer is the expert for compensation-related HR topics.

Key clients

Deutsche Börse


video intelligence


Work highlights


  • Advised Deutsche Börse on the acquisition of a majority stake in Crypto Finance, a financial group under consolidated FINMA supervision that offers trading, storage and investment in digital assets to institutional and professional clients.

Homburger

Described by clients as ‘exceptionally dedicated‘, ‘impressive’ and ‘commercially aware‘, the employment team at Homburger is led by ‘expert’ practitioner Balz Gross and the ‘extremely professional’ Andreas Müller. The department has particular strength in employment litigation, employment-related investigations, executive remuneration and bonus schemes, and is also accustomed to handling mass dismissal processes and social plan negotiations. Clients are drawn from the pharmaceutical, retail, financial services, technology, construction, and automotive sectors, among others, and frequently require assistance with cross-border matters.

Practice head(s):

Balz Gross; Andreas Müller


Other key lawyers:

Gregor Bühler; Jeremy Reichlin; Angela Casey


Testimonials

Very pro-active and commercially aware labour law team, have been very helpful to me and my HR colleagues over the past 12 months. Would highly recommend them!

Balz Gross and his team of associates are superb. They worked on a very sensitive matter with a global strategic significance to my organisation, based in the US. Balz and his team were always able to understand my/my employer’s perspective, even if it mis-aligned with their own local perspective. They helped us achieve a very good result overall. Very pleased.

Balz Gross is a leader in the employment field – an expert who is responsive, commercial and client friendly.

Gregor Buhler was very hands on, commercial in his approach and across all of the details of the case.

People with amazing knowledge and skills, beyond normal high performers. Very professional, always timely delivery, advice not only to the question but also with broader perspective and examples for all points of view for parties involved.

I work mainly with Andreas Müller who has proven to me his very high level of knowledge in comparison to other lawyers/companies. His very positive character and extremely professional and solution oriented approach was noticed at Executive and Board level when involved in some of the topics. He is not afraid to clearly communicate on all aspects of the solution and in case other expert’s input is required, he is transparent about it.

The team is exceptionally dedicated, engaged and, driven. The whole team goes every extra mile. This personally never-experienced level of engagement is paired with an expert knowledge on both partner and associate level. I never experienced such an elite support on a comprehensive level. Very impressive.

Andreas Müller (Partner) – he is almost 24/7 available, even for non-scheduled and very ad-hoc calls or requests. His expert knowledge, paired with profound experience and empathy, patience and customer-orientation is exceptional. On associate level I can echo this for Jeremy Reichlin and Angela Casey.

Key clients

ABB


ASML Netherlands


Baker Hughes


Bristol-Myers Squibb


Clariant


Grünenthal


Kering


OC Oerlikon


SAP


VectivBio


Work highlights


  • Advised a global technology company on terminations related to non-compliance with accounting principles by CFO and CFO’s staff.
  • Advised a global bank on hires and exits from its Group Executive Board and regarding the role of Executive Chairman.
  • Advised a US cyber-security company on the cross-border transfer of its Swiss-based employees following the sale of a business unit.

Kellerhals Carrard

Kellerhals Carrard provides employment advice to clients both nationally and internationally, with a particular focus on retail, consumer goods, and pharmaceuticals. The team’s specific industry-sector expertise is a notable value-add for clients, with a case in point being practice co-head Urs Marti‘s in-house experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Fellow practice co-head Christoph Zimmerli is a rounded corporate practitioner with a strong focus on labour and employment matters – particularly in relation to the healthcare and life-sciences sectors. Jonathan Bernasconi, Melanie Huber and Sabine Wyss are additional, key contacts for the practice.

Practice head(s):

Christoph Zimmerli; Urs Marti


Other key lawyers:

Jonathan Bernasconi; Melanie Huber; Sabine Wyss


Key clients

CSL Behring / CSL Behring Lengnau


H&M Hennes & Mauritz


International School of Berne


L’Oréal Suisse (L’Oréal Group)


Mayr-Melnhof Karton


Securitas


Staar Surgical Company


Swisscom Directories


VF International (VANS, The North Face, Timberland, Dickies, Altra, Bulwark, Eagle Creek, Eastpak, Icebreaker, Jansport, Kipling and Napapijri)


Zegna Group (Consitex, Coti Service, Ermenegildo Zegna, Z Zegna, Agnona)


Work highlights


  • Advised H&M Hennes & Mauritz on the setting up and implementation of a social plan in connection with the restructuring of its stores throughout Switzerland.
  • Advised CSL Behring on the implementation of a complex transfer-of-business and outsourcing project.
  • Advised Staar Surgical Company on the deployments of various managers to the US, from the US or to other European Union member states and the Middle East.

Lenz & Staehelin

Leadership of the employment team at Lenz & Staehelin is divided between Dominique Müller and Matthias Oertle in Zurich, and Daniel Tunik and Sara Rousselle-Ruffieux in Geneva. Covering all aspects of employment law, the ‘creative’ and ‘talented’ team handles both contentious and non-contentious labour matters for employers and senior employees, including issues such as employment litigation, cross-border employee transfers, discrimination and investigations, social security, employment agreements, and non-compete covenants, among others. Client sectors include education, hospitality, transport, and energy. Former partner Rayan Houdrouge moved to Walder Wyss Ltd. in mid-2022.


Practice head(s):

Dominique Müller; Matthias Oertle; Daniel Tunik; Sara Rousselle-Ruffieux


Other key lawyers:

Anja Affolter


Testimonials

I have relied on the Lenz & Staehelin employment practice for a quite a few years now and have been uniformly very satisfied with their advisory services. Very capable people, from the more junior to the more senior levels. Simply excellent.

I have been dealing with Ms. Sara Rousselle-Ruffieux for a very long time now. She excels at Swiss labour law issues and has helped us deal not only with technically challenging issues pertaining to contracts, incentives, pension fund rules and regulations, labor consequences of M&A or restructuring decisions but also with the more emotionally difficult issues such as firing employees with long tenure or members of management. She manages to bring a kind of reasonableness to the handling of difficult issues while also taking into account the legal and financial ramifications of all decisions. Many times, her advice and counsel has helped us escape difficult predicaments and avoid litigation, fines or useless conflicts. I highly recommend her as an outstanding lawyer and as a good person too!

Diverse and competent team with a variety of skills and experience which represents a real asset for the client.

Sara Rousselle: pragmatic, responsive, solution-oriented, creative and promoting amicable resolution.

Dominique Müller is engaging, calm and quick to respond to matters; and if he is unable to assist capacity-wise he identifies people within his team able to provide quality advice. Advice is given in a clear, no nonsense manner with clear options for navigation and/or resolution.

Employment team is very much aligned: Left hand knows exactly what right hand does and vice versa.

Dr. Dominique Müller: Very sharp. Can easily predict next step of counterparty. Anja Affolter (Associate): very talented, can absorb tons of material in no time.

Sarah Roussel-Ruffieux is very clear and has a lot of knowledge not only in employment law. She is an expert and her advice results from many business cases with clients or authorities. She finds solutions rather than risks or legal issues, so that both client and foreign adviser know exactly how to proceed. As compared to other Swiss advisors, her advice is always simple and understandable, she makes Swiss employment law accessible!

Key clients

Autoliv


FIVE Group


Insight Partners


Gyrus and DuPont Sustainable Solutions


SoftwareONE


Swiss Education Group


Hyundai Motor Company


Salt


Sunrise


NovImmune


Pfizer


Bain Capital/Cinven


Nomad Foods


Tetra Pak


Elanco


Niederer Kraft Frey AG

The employment team at Niederer Kraft Frey AG - frequently identifed as ‘exceptionally strong' and ‘excellent’ - is co-led by the ‘outstanding’ and ‘exceptionally skillful' Valerie Meyer Bahar and the ‘first class' Catherine Grun Meyer; it advises clients on the full scope of contentious and non-contentious employment matters. Particular areas of expertise include cross-border personnel lending matters, employment matters in relation to M&A transactions, employment litigation, and discrimination claims. The practice group’s industry sector experience is wide, with clients ranging from technology, finance and insurance, to professional services and family offices.

Practice head(s):

Catherine Grun Meyer; Valerie Meyer Bahar


Other key lawyers:

Andreas Casutt


Testimonials

Very valuable support. To the point, carefully weighing various options, targeted advice.

Dr. Andreas Casutt is a highly professional and pleasant lawyer who wants the best for the client. Exceptional customer orientation. Excellent value for money.

Deep expertise on the employment issues that matter to me; not just the legal facts but also the interpretation. Solid advice on contractual matters, including practical suggestions on what tradeoffs to make in negotiation.

Highly responsive, professional, helpful. Wiling to take time whilst on holiday to help me meet a deadline. Overall, a pleasure to work with, while also leaving me confident that I was getting the best advice possible.

The employment-law team at this firm is characterised by its exceptionally strong and experienced individuals, who are able to demonstrate impressive expertise and extremely strong negotiating skills.

We experienced Dr. Valerie Meyer Bahar as an exceptionally skillful employment lawyer and litigator who provided highest-quality advice which she is able to deliver very comprehensibly. We can recommend Dr. Valerie Meyer Bahar in every respect as an outstanding professional.

As a full service and tier-one firm, Niederer Kraft Frey cover all aspects of a client’s needs. Even though we usually use Catherine (Grun) as a single point of entry, we always get a tailor-made solution by the respective specialists without delay. Hence, the firm can solve complex issues on a top-level basis. We are extremely content with them in all areas where they work for us. Niederer Kraft Frey are easy to work with. They get the job done. They know how we operate and what we value. We trust each other which speeds up the process so that we get quickly to the core of the issue.’

‘Catherine Grun is a great pleasure to work with. Her advice is well thought out, measured and to the point. She has a capacity to understand and deal with what is going on at every level. She applies her deep legal expertise and broad industry knowledge to get to the results a client needs. She is a first-class lawyer.’

Key clients

Capvis Equity Partners


Coop


Globegarden


Global Blue and Silverlake


Klopman


Metalloinvest


PriceWaterhouseCoopers


Swiss Steel Holding


HCM International


Work highlights


  • Advised the shareholders regarding the dismissal for cause (immediate termination) of the CEO of a family office as a result of his breach of duty, abuse of the trust of the family, and acted for his own benefit instead of that of the company. Deal value CHF1.6m.
  • Representing a Swiss private bank and its subsidiary against the former CEO of the latter; the ongoing dispute concerns the termination of an employment relationship as well as the potential payment of kick-backs to the former CEO by third parties – it may also involve a criminal proceeding.
  • Advising a client in the Swiss financial industry on litigation against the former top management, against multiple former employees, and against a discrimination claim brought by a former employee, as well as advising the client on all aspects of employment law. Deal value CHF5m.

Pestalozzi

Working in English, French, German, Italian and Swedish, Pestalozzi is able to offer employment services to both Swiss and international clients across the full range of employment services, both contentious and non-contentious. Clients praise the firm’s ‘practical advice‘ as well as its ‘commercial and pragmatic approach‘. The practice is co-led by Martin L Müller, who has extensive experience assisting clients in employment M&A matters, corporate investigations, and litigation; and the ‘business orientedChristian Roos, who specialises in large-scale dismissals, social-plan negotiations and corporate restructurings.

Practice head(s):

Martin L Müller; Christian Roos


Other key lawyers:

Andreas Lienhard; Louis de Mestral; Jonas Sigrist


Testimonials

The firm was used to assist with a difficult labour law matter. Dr Andreas Leinhard and Christian Roos (partner) were always available even after hours and weekends. Their approach made it feel like we were “in it together”. Advice provided was also practical and delivered in a straight forward and easily understandable way. It didn’t feel like “lawyer speak”. The firm has also been used to provide advice in respect of Swiss tax law (Jonas Sigrist) as it relates to employee share schemes. Likewise advice provided was very practical and implementable. It is a very complex subject but was made easily understandable. It is evident that the firm has breadth and offers a one-stop shop.

Highly responsive team of individuals that provided practical implementable advice and were always on-hand to assist even after hours and over weekends when there were tight deadlines to respond to matters that arose.

The team was able to provide high quality advice on a complex cross-border senior executive termination, demonstrating a clear understanding of the legal issues and taking a commercial and pragmatic approach.

I was very impressed with senior counsel Andreas Lienhard, supervised by partner Christian Roos, who both understand the legal issues and were able to deal with the client in a clear and understandable way.

Open for a very broad range of issues. Very easy to talk to. Good sense of commercial issues.

Highly motivated and professional individuals.

The team’s consulting approach, which takes into account the specifics of our company, agility and culture. Direct, trusting, fast-acting and pragmatic.

Christian Roos: Extensive business-oriented experience with which he assesses out-of-the-box legal issues concerning employment relationships we address to him. Extremely responsive and at the same time always thoughtful and calm. Louis de Mestral: He incorporates strategic approaches as early as the consultation stage to create a good position in legal disputes. Great commitment and interest in the companies and contacts he advises.

Key clients

Agilent Technologies


APG


AXA XL


Covagen


Ferrexpo


Froneri International


Glencore


Johnson & Johnson


Maars Holding


Medos International


Senior Executive of SIX (Swiss Stock Exchange)


Shire International


Synthes / Synthes Produktions


Takeda Pharmaceuticals


TripleLift


Vista Equtiy Partners


Zimmer Biomet


Work highlights


  • Advised 23 Swiss insurers and brokers (including Swiss Life, Allianz Suisse, Mobiliar and AXA) on all the employment and pension aspects related to the setting-up of EcoHub, an insur-tech joint-venture company.
  • Supported Zimmer Biomet in a collective dismissal procedure involving the Syna, Unia, Angestellte Schweiz and KV unions, and implantation of a social plan in connection with the transfer of certain Global Service Functions to Poland.
  • Advising TripleLift on the design and implementation of a remuneration system for the key employees of 1plusX.

Schellenberg Wittmer Ltd

The employment practice at Schellenberg Wittmer Ltd is headed by Vincent Carron in Geneva, who clients describe as a ‘leading employment lawyer‘ and commend him for his ‘technical mastery‘. The team handles both contentious and non-contentious matters, including the employment aspects of M&A transactions; the representation of clients in labour courts, restructurings, pension scheme issues, bonus scheme matters, collective dismissals and litigation. Swiss Bar Association-certified employment law specialist Michael Hess is the key contact for Zurich; he handles a broad range of labour matters -including employment agreements and handbooks, termination agreements, individual and collective dismissals, business and international employee transfers, among other matters- along with representing clients in contentious cases.

Practice head(s):

Vincent Carron; Michael Hess


Testimonials

‘Meticulous attention to detail. Good local connections.’

‘Fast, detailed and friendly.’

‘I have been working with Schellenberg’s Employment practice for 10 years. The team is reactive, always available with a deep technical knowledge. I can rely on them in all circumstances. Their legal guidance is business oriented as they have quickly grown a deep understanding of our operations, businesses and internal processes and structures.’

‘I have been working with Vincent Caron for over 10 years. He is one of the leading employment lawyers in Switzerland which I believe comes from the fact that has an impressive knowledge not only of Swiss employment law but also social security law, especially in the area of pensions. His technical mastery, his ability to quickly understand and grasp the issue and his understanding of our operations/structure makes him a trusted partner we can rely on in any situation. He is always available and not only provides clear legal guidance but also provides back-up solutions were needed.’

‘S&W employs only lawyers that are experts in their (limited) domains of activities. Due to the large number of lawyers and the collaboration between them within S&W, customers are confident that their legal issues are always managed state of the art.’

‘Strong expertise, pragmatic proposals, and pleasant collaboration.’

Key clients

Cardinal Health


Bouygues Construction


Procter & Gamble


Schroder Bank


Panalpina Welttransport (Holding)


SIX Group


ams


Axpo Holding


Work highlights


  • Advised a non-Swiss international airline company with a considerable workforce in Switzerland that has been heavily affected by the Covid-19 pandemic in connection with the application procedure for short-term work compensation in Switzerland (and extending the applicable regime), and consultation with and informing of affected employees in this connection as well as realted employee queries.
  • Advised a toy manufacturer on its intention to open retail stores in Switzerland and hire staff through its Swiss entity, preparing employment contracts, personnel regulations and other employment document templates; as well as advising the non-Swiss HR business partner in charge of Swiss retail operations on the main features of Swiss employment law, including with respect to job registration requirements, social security, fixed-term contracts and protection from dismissal.
  • Advised an international discount retail chain -from a Swiss employment law and social security perspective- on how to structure the international assignment of employees of the Swiss group company to European group companies and vice versa.

Walder Wyss Ltd.

The co-heads of Walder Wyss Ltd.‘s employment practice are split between three cities, with Philippe Nordmann situated in Basel, Irène Suter-Sieber and Simone Wetzstein in Zurich, and Rayan Houdrouge (who joined the firm from Lenz & Staehelin in mid-2022) in Geneva. The team provides advice and assistance in all areas of employment law, both contentious and non-contentious, such as employment litigation, negotiation, mass dismissals, internal investigations, international assignment of employees and pandemic-related support. The practice’s client base is broad, with clients in . Clients -drawn from a broad array of industries such as aviation, finance, insurance, pharmaceuticals and the public sector- are particularly pleased with the team’s ‘pragmatic’, ‘commercial’, and ‘innovative’ work.

Practice head(s):

Philippe Nordmann; Irène Suter-Sieber; Simone Wetzstein; Rayan Houdrouge


Other key lawyers:

Jonas Knechtli


Testimonials

My main contact Rayan Houdrouge has shown to be extremely commercial whilst advising in many practice areas. This combination is quite rare and is invaluable for clients.

The Employment Practice Team is very responsive, has deep and up to date knowledge and aligns internally with other practice teams where complex matters requires so. Very good collaboration with our internal stakeholders. Business oriented and hands-on support.

The team is extremely reactive and pragmatic. All members communicate very well among them and adopt the same approach and methodology towards complex legal issues. In addition, our firm has very appreciated the adaptability of the team in terms of communication tools and its flexibility in terms of billing.

Rayan Houdrouge is not only an exceptional lawyer but he is also a great manager. He is fully dedicated and use all members of its team in the most efficient manner. He is always solution-oriented and able to design the most adapted strategy to very complex legal situation. He is also capable of remaining calm in all circumstances and always keep in mind the end goal of the strategy.

I appreciate the strong team spirit that I can perceive as a client. The client is considered part of the team and fully integrated in the legal thought process and solution finding. Client is listened to carefully. We get excellent legal perspective always considering legal bottom line with best practice and actual business need.

It is a real pleasure to work with Walder Wyss. The collaboration is extremely efficient and very professional and we really appreciate their transparent way of working. The team is very diverse and innovative: In case of changes in legislation or new decisions, very informative newsletters are sent out immediately, summarizing the changes precisely.

Philippe Nordmann has a vast experience in all employment related areas. He is fast thinking and always reacts immediately to all of our- sometimes very complex enquiries and gives outstanding and helpful advice. He has a high level of responsibility and has a very balanced, pleasant personality. Philippe Nordmann also has a great team supporting him. In this context, I would like to highlight Jonas Knechtli in particular.

Simone Wetzstein has continuously exceeded our expectations. Her professionalism, integrity, continued support and exceptional expertise have helped us navigate through uncertain situations. She always responds in a timely manner, and offers multiple solutions before executing, so we can proactively choose a tailored service to our questions. This way, costs are proactively mitigated. We feel truly backed and supported by her.

Key clients

Bayer Pharma


Groupe Mutuel


Lonza


Bâloise


Equinix


DSV


Migros


Bachem


Moody’s


Equatex


Work highlights


  • Advised the Swiss entity of WuXi AppTec on all employment related matters.
  • Advised and drafted a legal opinion for Ecolab on the structuring and implementation of a contractual basis for a globally harmonised policy on the safe use of company vehicles and a driver safety program.
  • Advised the Director of the Historical Museum of Basel-City, Marc Fehlmann in a case against the Government of Basel-Stadt which has attracted considerable media attention.

BianchiSchwald LLC

BianchiSchwald LLC's employment team in Geneva is led by Stephanie Fuld, who is commended by clients for her ‘wealth of experience' and who specialises in complex participation plans, transfers and mass dismissals. The firm acts for clients from a variety of industries -including aviation, banking/finance, medical and transport- on issues such as drafting employment agreements, litigation, labour reorganisations, bargaining agreements, social security matters, and employee terminations.

Practice head(s):

Stéphanie Fuld


Testimonials

My personal experience with BianchiSchwald LLC has confirmed that I was working with a highly professional team, experts in employment law, cordial and friendly while going quickly to the heart of the matter and issues, without wasting any time. The team has guided me and provide expert advise throughout the legal case and court appearance. I never one had a doubt nor questioned my choice of BianchiSchwald LLC to assist me in my legal procedure.

While I do not have enormous experience working with law firms and competitors to BiahchiSchwald LLC, I have been impressed by and grateful to be represented by Stéphanie Fuld as my lawyer and Nathalie Marti, her assistant and intern at the firm. We worked very closely together, sharing documents, emails and information which helped us to move forward with the defence of my personal case. Stéphanie Fuld guided me through the legal parameters in English and French, when necessary, with her wealth of experience and legal specialization for employment law. I was always confident in her recommendations for our defence and path moving forward at each step. Nathalie Marti is very detailed and provided a lot of research for my specific case, comparing previous legal decisions and double checking all the facts. I highly recommend Stéphanie Fuld. She is very professional and an expert in employment law. I would not hesitate to work again with Stéphanie Fuld and Nathalie Marti again, if the need arises.

Excellent quality in response and legal advice.

Over the last 18 months I have worked closely with Stéphanie Fuld And Alexandra Uffer who provide outstanding service and quality in their legal advice and support in dealing with HR and business related legal matters and whom I highly recommend.

Key clients

Tradel Management


UEFA


Philip Morris Products


TPG


Le petit-fils de L.U. Chopard & Cie


TMF Services


Helvetic Payroll


Knowles Corporation


Lance Newhart


EXA Infrastructure


Work highlights


  • Assisted UEFA with a litigious matter.
  • Assisted TMF Services with an investigation into the framework of a sexual harassment claim.
  • Advised Le petit-fils de L.U. Chopard & Cie on the joint application of several bargaining agreements.

Blesi & Papa

The boutique firm of Blesi & Papa focuses exclusively on employment matters for its clients, who commend the firm as ‘extremely knowledgeable'. Partners Alfred Blesi, Roberta Papa, Rene Hirsiger, and Thomas Pietruszak are all certified Swiss bar association (SBA) specialists in employment law, while Blesi and Papa possess additional qualifications as social security experts. Matters covered by the firm include employment litigation, social security issues, employee data protection, cross-border relocations, internal investigations, termination agreements, and executive compensation.

Other key lawyers:

Alfred Blesi; Roberta Papa; Rene Hirsiger; Thomas Pietruszak; Nina Rabaeus


Testimonials

Alfred Blesi is a seasoned practitioner with an in-depth command of his field of practice combined with an extensive experience of litigation. One of the top-notch labour lawyers in Switzerland.

We mostly collaborated with Roberta Papa and Rene Hirsiger. It was a great pleasure to collaborate with them and we will contact them again for future legal cases.

Roberta Papa has familiarised herself with the required special law and has acquired a very high level of expertise in various areas of law relevant to our cases. It is almost impossible to find a lawyer in Switzerland who has an overview of all relevant aspects as she does. We are also lawyers ourselves and we appreciate her extraordinarily also because she is always very precise and thinks of all eventualities without being extravagant. She is also exceptionally pleasant to collaborate with.

Boutique firm focused on employment law – extremely experienced and knowledgeable in this field.

Roberta Papa has been advising us for five years and I can only praise her excellent service. Almost always she is able to advise immediately without having to research information. Her in depth knowledge about the theory and also practice in Swiss employment law matters is impressive.

Key clients

UBS


Credit Suisse


Syngenta


Rockwell Automation


Unilever


CMS von Erlach Partners Ltd.

The ‘pragmatic’ and ‘hard-working’ employment team at CMS von Erlach Partners Ltd. is led by Christian Gersbach, who specialises in cross-border and international employment matters; he is complimented by clients for his ‘profound knowledge’. The department provides advice and support on matters including post-merger integration of employees, employment contracts, workforce transfers, data protection for employees and terminations, and has also handled employment issues relating to the pandemic.

Practice head(s):

Christian Gersbach


Testimonials

Team with a good mix of very knowledgeable partners and hard-working associates. Very fast response time.

Christian Gersbach has a profound knowledge in Swiss employment practice and a very coherent and pleasant way to explain it to me as a client.

CMS von Erlach Partners Ltd represents an excellent partner for us, which is characterized by pragmatic, goal-oriented and professional work with a hands-on mentality.

Our direct contacts stand out because they are available and willing to go the extra mile for us. They work as hard as we do and give us the feeling that we are not alone even in challenging situations.

Business perspective and comprehensive advice on specific queries.

Work with Christian Gersbach can be described as business oriented advice and partnership.

Key clients

Nike, Inc.


Accenture


Denner


Diageo


Corning, Inc.


Burson Cohn & Wolfe


ARM Swiss Representatives


Cidan Machinery Group


Shareholders of SwissQ Consulting


Novelis


Trilux


Infopro Digital


Work highlights


  • Assisted Nike with regard to a wide range of Swiss employment matters, particularly in connection with a number of specific employment relationships.
  • Advised Accenture with regard to a range of specific and frequently complex employment matters, including advice on the employment aspects of M&A transactions (including post-merger integration aspects), and post-contractual non-compete clauses.
  • Advising leading Swiss retailer Denner on all areas of employment law, including dismissals, termination agreements, the implementation of new regulations, employee representation matters and data protection issues, among other matters.

Eversheds Sutherland AG

Peter Haas and Olivier Dunant lead the employment team at Eversheds Sutherland AG from Bern and Geneva, respectively. The department is experienced in both contentious and non-contentious matters, including general employment advice, incentive plans, conflict resolution, corporate restructurings, collective bargaining agreements, mass dismissals, and transactional matters. The practice is experienced in various sectors including government, energy, travel, retail, and education, with clients ranging from Swiss companies to multinational enterprises.

Practice head(s):

Olivier Dunant; Peter Haas


Key clients

Fédération des Entreprises Romandes, FER Genève


American Vintage


Expedia Inc.


Work highlights


  • Advising Fédération des Entreprises Romandes, FER Genève, on employment law, global mobility and business immigration training for members of the main employer’s organisation in Geneva.
  • Advised Expedia on its sale of its corporate travel arm GBT and on the employment aspects of this transaction across all 25 jurisdictions.

MLL Legal

MLL Legal's employment team, led by Thomas Kälin in Zurich and Alain Gros in Geneva, is lauded by clients as ‘first class' and ‘pragmatic’. With its diverse client base consisting of both Swiss entities and international companies, the practice is experienced in providing advice to employers on labour relations, as well as advising clients in general on acquisitions and major corporate developments, litigation, and restructurings. The team have a particular specialism in the retail and banking sectors, with prominent clients in Switzerland as well as internationally.

Practice head(s):

Thomas Kälin; Alain Gros


Other key lawyers:

Marcel Steinegger; Martin Ammann; Sergio Bortolani


Testimonials

My collaboration with MLL Legal Firm was initiated when the company I work for, had to deal with a very demanding, in terms of substance and time pressure, project. The decision to assign the project to MLL Legal proved to be the best we could ever made! We received first class legal services and a real partner! Flexibility, commercial understanding, proactiveness, time management, clear and robust guidance, partnership etc. are only few words that describe what makes MLL Legal unique. I would strongly recommend MLL Legal and I wish I could collaborate with MLL Legal in all the countries we activate to.

I was fortunate to collaborate with Mr. Marcel Steinegger. I will not refer to his exceptional legal services that have been proved to be top class, I will focus on what makes him different from all the other lawyers I have worked with across the globe. Mr. Marcel Steinegger becomes a valuable partner who gets engaged demonstrating real understanding of company’s needs. He provides his superb legal advices being always flexible and willing to hear and understand the “commercial” requirements of the business. I wish all the legal advisor I collaborate with are like Mr. Marcel Steinegger.

Professional legal advice, fast response time. Substitution ensured at all times.

The merger has added great HR specialist to the existing team.

Sergio Bortolani, partner, very responsive, accurate billing, pragmatic, problem-solving approach.

Key clients

Avobis Group


Calida group of companies


Coca-Cola


GANT


Gold Standard Foundation


H&H Group


HolidayCheck


Jabil


Maisons du Monde


Nets Group / Concardis


Neurim Pharmaceuticals


Padi EMEA


Renault


Stihl Vertriebs


Swiss Export Risk Insurance


Swiss International Air Lines


Swiss Retail Federation


Switzerland for UNHCR Foundation


Tesla


Unicef


Veeam Software Group


Willis Towers Watson


Zurich Insurance Company


Work highlights


  • Advising Tesla Motors on various employment matters as well as representing the client in court proceedings.
  • Assisted all Swiss sites of the US based manufacturing solutions provider Jabil regarding employment issues under Swiss law, having previously supported the company on the transfer of more than 2,300 employees from Johnson & Johnson in Switzerland.
  • Defended two major Swiss banks in litigation cases regarding bonus claims and abusive termination.

MME Legal | Tax | Compliance

Complimented by clients as ‘innovation-driven', the labour and employment practice at MME Legal | Tax | Compliance is made up of ‘experts in their field'. Co-led by the ‘superb' and ‘excellentMichèle Stutz, and Martina Aepli (who was promoted to partner at the beginning of 2022), the team is experienced in sectors such as healthcare, cosmetics, banking, blockchain, pharmaceutical, and technology. Clients note receiving ‘quality work' in employment matters, including the drafting of employment contracts, management of terminations, disputes and cross-border employment, along with issues relating to the pandemic.

Practice head(s):

Michèle Stutz; Martina Aepli


Other key lawyers:

Linus Hug; Jonatan Baier; Manuela Fuchs; Raffael Blattmann


Testimonials

Within my role I work with different firms across the European region and MME has excelled not only in their knowledge, but their team has been one of the most proactive and responsive I have had the pleasure to work with thus far.

I had the pleasure to work closely with the employment department of MME specifically Michele Stutz and Linus Hug. As mentioned above their responsiveness and proactiveness have been second to none. From setting up legal employment templates to internal policies, both individuals have always shown a thorough understanding of our organization allowing them to provide assistance while keeping the bigger picture in mind. As a company that was setting up operations for the first time in the Swiss territory while experiencing high volume and rapid growth, it was important to engage with legal partners who were experts in their field and able to provide quick quality work. I can happily say they have delivered on all aspects.

Michele Stutz and Martina Aepli – the two partners at MME legal in the employment department, are both superb – we work with them regularly and they are commercial, technically excellent and very easy to work with. Clients love them.

They have particular specialist knowledge of employment issues in the crypto currency sector, as well as wider financial services, wealth management, tech and related sectors.

Very good practitioners. Special mention of Michele Stutz and Jonatan Baier and Manuela Fuchs.

We received courteous and competent advice from the contact persons at MME Legal at all times. There is nothing to criticize and I would recommend MME Legal at any time.

Michele Stutz and Raffael Blattmann are leading figures in the field of labour law and incredibly pleasant to work with.

MME is an innovation-driven consulting firm very well suited to provide full legal, tax, and compliance advice, with offices in Zurich and Zug. The firm represents companies and individuals in all business and employment matters in Switzerland and internationally. Clients are supported with outstanding personal and thorough attention, speed, and efficiency. We are proud to recommend their diverse expert team and practice ability to fully work in German and English on an international level.

VISCHER

The employment practice at VISCHER is headed by Marc Ph. Prinz in Zurich, who has extensive experience handling executive compensation and mass dismissals. The team is well-versed in contentious and non-contentious work, restructurings, internal investigations, staff leasing and recruitment, and social security issues. Other key contacts include Gerald Virleux, the co-head of the Geneva employment practice and an experienced employment litigator, as well as associates Anela Lucic and Jeannine Dehmelt.

Practice head(s):

Marc Ph. Prinz


Other key lawyers:

Gerald Virleux; Anela Lucic; Jeannine Dehmelt


Testimonials

The VISCHER employment team are superb. Notably, Marc Prinz and Anela Lucic.

We are extremely satisfied with the support we receive from Marc Prinz and his team at VISCHER. Extremely responsive, very pragmatic with very good judgement and common sense. We receive amazing value for money. A true business partner.’

The knowledge of the team, across many topics and being able to use it in a pragmatic and straight forward way in relevant contexts.

Marc Prinz – admirable ability to know how to deal with complex cases, based on technical expertise and commercial knowledge. Anela Lucic – laser-sharp, excellent litigator, extraordinary ability to make the most complex concepts seem simple. A name to watch for the future.

Sophisticated, multi-lingual professional individuals.

Marc Prinz. Highly skilled, great communicator, high sense of ownership and engagement, great availability and advisor.

Key clients

Amcor


Invacare Corporation


Labcorp


Jet Aviation


Thermo Fisher Scientific


Clariant


Nobel Biocare


Hyundai Electric Switzerland Ltd


MBaer Merchant Bank AG


Robeco Switzerland Ltd


Loomis Switzerland Ltd


Hays (Switzerland) Ltd


Acino International


Proman Ltd


Work highlights


  • Assisted Hays regarding all matters involving the highly regulated staffing business (placement and staff leasing) and recently advised Hays on the regulatory aspects of implementing a new business model.
  • Advised Invacare on a significant restructuring of its European operations, including a mass dismissal procedure and social plan negotiations.
  • Advised Amcor on implementing restrictive covenants for global employment contracts and acted as employment litigation counsel.

Bratschi Ltd

Bratschi Ltd's employment practice is co-led by certified specialist employment lawyer Angela Hensch in St. Gallen and Tobias Herren in Bern. The team offers services catering to the full range of employment matters, such as restructuring advice, support in employment litigation, transaction-related advice, employment-related aspects of M&A transactions, and public law related employment issues. Sector experience includes education, banking, healthcare, and financial services.

Practice head(s):

Angela Hensch; Tobias Herren


Testimonials

The firm Bratschi offers particular expertise in the handling of transnational settlement files, especially with European and American groups.

Bratschi’s partners have an international culture, a mastery of languages and a commercial dynamism in Switzerland that is reinforced by their knowledge of economic decision makers.

I have always found my dealings with Bratschi to be highly efficient and professional.

I have worked with Tobias Herren on a number of occasions. He is very personable and well-informed and always happy to help. He is particularly good at analysing the details of a situation and identifying the key issues and next steps.

Key clients

Ingenus Pharmaceuticals


H&T Presspart Manufacturing


Gillioz Dorsaz & Associés

The labour practice at boutique law firm Gillioz Dorsaz & Associés is led by Vanessa Maraia-Rossel and advises employers and employees on a diverse range of employment law issues, involving both public and private employment law. Matters covered include remuneration and bonus schemes, employment litigation, drafting employment contracts, and internal investigations, among others. The team also advises on related areas such as pensions, data protection issues andsocial insurance.

Practice head(s):

Vanessa Maraia-Rossel


id est avocats sàrl

Praised by clients for her ‘accuracy’ and ‘efficiency’, Juliette Ancelle heads the employment team at id est avocats sàrl. The practice is experienced in providing advice to start-ups, large multinational companies, and senior individuals at large companies in sectors such as biotech, media, healthcare, engineering and professional services. Support ranges from day-to-day employment advice to assistance with mass dismissals, restructurings, and cross-border mobility.


Practice head(s):

Juliette Ancelle


Testimonials

Efficiency, available, accuracy from Juliette Ancelle.

Lustenberger + Partners

Boutique firm Lustenberger + Partners has a special focus on dispute resolution and mediation. The practice is led by Monika McQuillen, who has particular expertise in both individual and collective employment law, as well as the resolution of complex matters both in- and out-of-court. Other names to note include Michael Lazopoulos, complimented as ‘an absolute star‘ and ‘trusted advisor‘ by clients; and Caroline Lutz, who is praised for her ‘reliable‘, ‘hands on‘ work.

Practice head(s):

Monika McQuillen


Other key lawyers:

Michael Lazopoulos; Caroline Lutz


Testimonials

They bring a diligence, thoroughness and commitment to the client that goes beyond anything offered by their competitors in Zug.

Michael Lazopoulos is an absolute star. His intelligence, attention to detail, responsiveness and genuine concern for our business make him a highly valued and trusted advisor. He noticeably stands out from the competition.

I have only worked with Caroline Lutz. She is an extremely responsible, reliable, efficient, responsive, hands-on and highly qualified lawyer, who takes a personal interest in each legal case and provides always perfect work results in a timely manner, closely collaborating with the client. Working with her is a great pleasure and I can highly recommend her as a very trusted and reliable professional advisor.

Thouvenin Rechtsanwälte

The employment team at Thouvenin Rechtsanwälte is particularly experienced in providing support to executive employees, with practice co-head Thomas Loher having specialist experience in relation to relocation, immigration, and secondment matters for senior management. Co-head Anna Neukom Chaney is a specialist employment lawyer, as certified by he Swiss Bar Association and is especially adept at employment matters concerning work permits and data protection. Clients commend the firm’s ‘highly qualified‘ and ‘dedicated’ team.

Practice head(s):

Thomas Loher; Anna Neukom Chaney


Testimonials

‘Anna Neukom Chaney is a very experienced employment lawyer with a quick mind and extremely pleasurable to work with.’

Highly qualified professional, very responsive, always provides excellent strategic advice, able to cover many different legal topics, guided us successfully through different conflicts.

From giving advice on our day-to-day employment concerns to advising on complex employment strategies and questions, Thouvenin’s employment team provides practical advice on a broad spectrum of labour and employment law matters. The team’s practitioners are dedicated and provide timely and valued advice for all our employment law issues, including representation in court.

Anna Neukom Chaney is of entrepreneurial nature and she is personally invested in the success of her clients. She understands not only our legal, but also our business needs as well as internal processes. She is extremely reliable and renders tailor-made but still pragmatic advice and follows a cost-efficient approach. We greatly appreciate her hands-on client relationship management and her open and friendly nature – she is perfect to work with!

Key clients

Kline Hill Capital Partners


Zeeto Group


British Telecom Group


Mölnlycke


Wenger Plattner

Wenger Plattner ‘s employment team has a special focus on dispute resolution, in particular on bonus litigation and the termination of complex employment relationships, as well as interim relief proceedings, and arbitration cases. The team is also experienced in providing advice at the convergence between employment and business restructuring in relation to insolvency proceedings. The practice is led by Roland Bachmann, lauded by clients as ‘outstanding‘ and a ‘tough negotiator‘.

Practice head(s):

Roland Bachmann


Testimonials

Highly skilled in understanding complex employment law situations, broad knowledge in all aspects of Employment Law in various industries. Hands on style and pragmatic solutions prepared and implemented. Excellent response time and availability on all inquiries.

Roland Bachmann is an experienced and tough negotiator; he’s the kind of partner you want to work with. Fact based, well prepared and takes actions in the best of your interest before you even need to ask.

Wenger Plattner, and in particular Dr. Bachmann, advises me on all matters of labour law and represents me, if necessary, before the labour courts. Wenger Plattner is a big Swiss law firm with numerous lawyers and nevertheless, with Dr. Bachmann I have a direct contact person and enjoy partner support. The firm is excellently organised, always very accessible and always responds very quickly to my questions. The legal know-how of the entire team is outstanding. Each lawyer has extensive legal knowledge and experience. I always feel excellently advised and supported. Wenger Plattner and the team have the ability to present themselves in a very convincing manner, demonstrating the necessary tact and sensitivity that is often required when dealing with employment law matters. The team’s proactive approach is admirable, and I am always informed about the current status of the work. The billing is always fair and comprehensible. It is a pleasure to work with Dr. Bachmann and his team and I am glad to recommend Wenger Plattner to others.

Dr. Bachmann is an outstanding lawyer with a huge knowledge and experience of many, many years. His integrity is impressive and I greatly appreciate that he always brings issues to the point in a way that is easy understandable for me. I am always up to date about the current work status and welcome his results-oriented approach finding simple and effective solutions. He is very good in negotiation positions with a very eloquent manner. Moreover, he acts with instinctive certainty in negotiations while being respected and highly esteemed by all participants. He is really brilliant in everything he does. I always have the feeling that Dr. Bachmann has dealt with the question in depth. It is important for me that a lawyer does not “only” think in purely legal terms and always has an entrepreneurial view of the solutions that go beyond the ring gear. It is a delight for me to recommend Dr. Bachmann to Legal 500 with the fullest conviction.

Wenger Vieli Ltd

Wenger Vieli Ltd‘s employment practice is headed by the ‘pragmaticStefan Müller, who has a particular focus on relocation, immigration, naturalisation and cross-border employee transfers. The team also provide day-to-day employment advice, assistance with terminations, the representation of both employers and employees in employment disputes, and counsels on employee data-protection matters. Clients appreciate the team’s ‘responsiveness’ and ‘extremely professional‘ approach.

Practice head(s):

Stefan Müller 


Testimonials

First and foremost this is an extremely professional team, with immediate responsiveness and pragmatism when it comes to interfacing with other legal counsel representing (for example) our employees.

I would like to highlight in particular our work with Stefan Müller. He is our ‘go-to’ partner for the delicate, complex and extremely confidential HR legal requests, where the traditional Company legal partner support is is quite impersonal and standard. Müller is pragmatic, motivated and very open to debating potential scenarios for solutions. We find his collaboration refreshing and personalised.

Key clients

EPAM Systems (Switzerland)


Work highlights


  • Acted as EPAM’s outsourced legal team in Switzerland, advising on the full range of employment matters
  • Acted as preferred employment advisor to a large retailer
  • Represented an executive of a multinational group in employment litigation