Event information
Theme: Board Accountability and Liability
Legal 500 is pleased to present the Switzerland GC Forum 2026, held in partnership with Schellenberg Wittmer. The Forum brings together general counsel, chief legal officers and senior in-house lawyers to examine the evolving responsibilities of boards and the legal function amid increasing regulatory scrutiny, rising stakeholder expectations and greater governance risk.
Overview
Boards face growing accountability across every aspect of corporate decision-making. From ESG obligations and shareholder activism to regulatory enforcement and litigation risk, directors are under greater scrutiny than ever before. As expectations of board oversight continue to increase, general counsel are playing an increasingly strategic role in helping boards navigate legal risk while supporting effective decision-making.
The Forum will explore how in-house legal leaders can strengthen governance, support boards through complex decisions and manage liability. Through practical discussion and expert insight, attendees will examine emerging litigation trends, effective governance frameworks and the evolving role of the GC in the boardroom, leaving with practical strategies to help protect both their organisations and their boards.
Agenda
5.00pm Registration
5.40pm Opening remarks
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- Allan Cohen, senior research editor, Legal 500
5.45pm Welcome Address
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- Pascal Hubli, managing partner, Schellenberg Wittmer
5.50pm Keynote: the GC in the boardroom
The role of the General Counsel continues to evolve as boards face more complex decisions and greater scrutiny. This keynote will explore the GC’s contribution to board discussions, including how legal leaders provide judgement, challenge and perspective when helping boards make difficult decisions.
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- Nakisa Serry, general counsel & chief compliance officer, Galderma Group AG
6.25pm Board Accountability and Liability
Senior in‑house lawyers want concrete advice on protecting their boards amid rising ESG scrutiny. The firm can lead by showing how governance structures, disclosures and oversight mechanisms should evolve.
– Highlight litigation and activism trends affecting Swiss boards
– Provide actionable governance models GCs can take back to their organisations
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- Caroline Clemetson, head of investment management practice, Schellenberg Wittmer
- Fabienne-Anne Rehulka, group general counsel, head legal & compliance, SIX Group
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Maria-Antonella Bino, group general counsel, head legal & compliance, Vontobel
- Fabian Glässer, group general counsel, Zehnder Group
7.15pm Closing remarks
7.30pm Networking reception
9.00pm Event concludes
Speakers
Pascal Hubli, managing partner, Schellenberg Wittmer
Pascal Hubli is Schellenberg Wittmer’s current Managing Partner and Partner in our Mergers & Acquisitions Group in Zurich. His practice focuses on national and cross-border M&A and capital market transactions, public takeover law, corporate restructurings, private equity transactions as well as general corporate, contract and stock exchange law.
Caroline Clemetson, head of investment management practice, Schellenberg Wittmer
Caroline Clemetson is a Partner in the Banking and Finance Department in Geneva and in Zurich. She heads the Investment Management Practice of the firm and her focus is on banking and finance law, particularly on financial services and financial regulation, asset management, collective investment schemes and other investment products, distribution of financial products, derivatives, trade finance, pension funds as well as insurance and insurance brokerage regulation. She is very experienced in corporate and transactional matters.
Maria-Antonella Bino, group general counsel, head legal & compliance, Vontobel
Dr. Maria-Antonella Bino is a seasoned legal expert with leadership roles in both the private and public sectors. She currently serves as General Counsel leading the Legal & Compliance team of Vontobel. Dr. Bino brings extensive expertise in corporate governance, regulatory compliance, and strategic legal advisory.
Her professional journey includes key positions such as Advisor to the Group CEO and Head of Legal & Compliance at Sygnum Bank AG, where she was also a member of the Group Executive Board. Earlier in her career, Dr. Bino held several high-profile roles at BNP Paribas, including General Counsel and Executive Board Member at BNP Paribas (Suisse) SA in Geneva. Additionally, she was a Board Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee for BNP Paribas Wealth Management in Monaco.
In the public sector, Dr. Bino served as Deputy Attorney General of Switzerland and held various leadership roles at the Federal Examining Magistrates’ Office.
Beyond her executive roles, Dr. Bino serves as a Substitute Federal Judge at the Federal Criminal Supreme Court in Bellinzona, and a member of the Board of Directors at Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) in Bern.
Dr. Bino holds a PhD in Law and was awarded the Prof. Walther Hug Prize for her academic achievem
Fabienne-Anne Rehulka, group general counsel, head legal & compliance, SIX Group
Fabienne-Anne Rehulka is Group General Counsel and Head of Legal, Compliance, Regulatory & Public Affairs at SIX Group, where she is a member of the Executive Board and Secretary to the Group Board. She leads an international team of 80 professionals across Switzerland, Spain, the UK, Poland, India and France, with responsibility for legal, compliance, governance, regulatory affairs and public affairs.
Before joining SIX Group in 2024, she was a consultant at Spencer Stuart, advising clients on executive search, board appointments, succession planning and leadership assessment. Prior to this, she spent 15 years at Swiss Re in a series of senior legal leadership roles, including General Counsel for Life Capital and iptiQ, and General Counsel for Reinsurance EMEA. During this time, she advised executive management teams, led international legal teams across Europe, Africa, Asia-Pacific and North America, and served on the boards of regulated insurance companies in Luxembourg.
She began her legal career at Allen & Overy in London and previously worked at Freehills in Sydney. She currently serves on the board of the Madrid Stock Exchange.
Fabian Glässer, group general counsel, Zehnder Group
Fabian serves as Group General Counsel at Zehnder Group, where he advises the Board and Group Executive Committee on global legal strategy and governance. He has built his career across top-tier private practice and international in-house roles, including positions at Paul Weiss in London and Walder Wyss in Zurich, before moving into senior legal leadership within the industrial and manufacturing sector. At Zehnder, he has focused on aligning legal frameworks with commercial objectives, modernising the legal function through digital transformation and strategic resource allocation, and leading cross-border M&A and major strategic projects. His work spans Swiss listing rules, corporate governance, capital markets disclosure, and global compliance frameworks. He sees the legal department not as a cost centre but as an enabler of commercially sound, high-quality business solutions.
Nakisa Serry, general counsel & chief compliance officer, Galderma Group AG
Nakisa Serry is the General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer, and Board Secretary
of Galderma Group AG. Joining in 2020 following its carve-out from Nestlé, she was instrumental in the company’s transformation and its March 2024 IPO on the SIX Swiss Exchange. Previously, she spent 14 years at Celgene Corporation (2006–2020) as Corporate Vice President and Associate General Counsel, where she established and led the international legal function until the company’s acquisition by Bristol Myers Squibb. Her earlier career includes serving as General Counsel at IsoTis SA, Senior Counsel at GSK Biologicals, and a consultant for the World Health Organization. She began her career in private practice, spending 7 years at Hoogendoorn, Talbot in Chicago.
Ms. Serry holds a BA from Northwestern University, a JD from the University of
Denver, an LLM in Taxation from DePaul University College of Law and an MBA
from IMD. She is also the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for the International
School of Lausanne.
In association with
Schellenberg Wittmer is a top-tier Swiss full-service law firm with offices in Zurich, Geneva and Singapore, servicing a worldwide client base of domestic and international companies and entrepreneurs. Our internal and external promotion of diversity and inclusivity, our initiatives to give back to the community, including our pro bono work, and our support for the green transition are proof of our commitment to a forward thinking, responsible, ethical and environmentally conscious business model.