Corporate & Commercial and M&A
Rolf Watter
Rolf Watter has broad experience in all types of M&A transactions, including defence mandates. He also specializes in corporate governance questions and capital market transactions.
He is a board member of the listed AP Alternative Portfolio and of the privately held Faber Castell (Holding). He used to be chairman of PostFinance AG (2012/2021), CEVA Logistics (2018/2019) and of Nobel Biocare (2012/2014; member 2007/2012); further he was a board member in a number of other Swiss listed companies, namely Aryzta, Zurich Insurance Group, Syngenta, Centerpulse, and Forbo. In addition, he is a member of the Regulatory Board of the SIX Swiss Exchange.
Rolf teaches as a professor at the University of Zurich since 1996 and is an editor of the GesKR and the Basler Kommentare on the Code of Obligations II, the Financial Infrastructure Act, the Banking and the Merger Act. He regularly publishes in his fields of work.
In Chambers Global and Europe, Rolf Watter is consistently ranked in tier 1 of the leading lawyers for Corporate/ M&A in Switzerland. Rolf Watter is recognized as a leading lawyer in the Legal 500 Hall of Fame. He is listed among the top 30 corporate governance practitioners in the world by Expertguides. Rolf Watter won the ILO Client Choice Awards Switzerland in the category M&A (2016 and 2018) and Capital Markets (2014); WWL has ranked him in 2019 as best Corporate Governance lawyer.
Christoph Neeracher
Christoph Neeracher specializes in international and domestic M&A transactions (focusing on private M&A and private equity transactions, including secondary buyouts, public to private transactions and distressed equity), transaction finance, venture capital, startups, corporate restructurings, relocations, corporate law, general contract matters (e.g. joint ventures, partnerships and shareholders agreements) and all directly related areas such as employment matters for key employees (e.g. employee participation and incentive agreements).
He is experienced in a broad range of national and international transactions both sell and buy side (including corporate auction processes) and the assistance of clients in their ongoing corporate and commercial activities. Additionally, Christoph Neeracher represents clients in litigation proceedings relating to his specialization.
Chambers Global and Europe rank him as a leader in the field of M&A (since 2010) and IFLR 1000 lists him as one of the leading lawyers in Switzerland (since 2012). The International Who's Who of M&A Lawyers lists Christoph Neeracher as one of the world's leading M&A lawyers. The Legal 500 (2012) describes him as "extremely experienced in M&A matters and very strong in negotiations" and ranks him among the leading individuals. Christoph Neeracher is ranked first in Mergermarket's Profile League Table for 2016's most prolific individual DACH legal advisors.
Mariel Hoch
Mariel Hoch is one of Bär & Karrer’s leading M&A partners and co-head of the Public M&A department. She has broad experience across a wide range of industries and focuses on listed companies and public takeover offers. In addition, she specializes in M&A related litigation and advises listed companies on corporate and regulatory matters. She leads complex transactions for industrial clients as well as private equity investors. Mariel is highly regarded by her sophisticated clients, peers and international law firms.
With Mariel Hoch, Bär & Karrer has successfully maintained its leading market position in Public M&A, as she exhibited strong leadership skills and ability to develop talent within listed companies and Public M&A practice.
Ralph Malacrida
Ralph Malacrida specializes in M&A and corporate finance transactions, including venture capital transactions, structured and acquisition finance as well as capital markets. He has extensive experience in complex corporate restructurings. Ralph Malacrida is co-head of the M&A practice and heads the Finance practice.
He has a strong track record advising clients on domestic and international M&A and finance transactions, successfully executing deals for sellers, buyers, finance providers, borrowers and issuers.
Ralph Malacrida is a member of the board of directors of several Swiss companies. He is ranked as a leading lawyer in IFLR 1000, Legal 500, Chambers Europe and Chambers Global.
Dieter Dubs
Dieter Dubs has broad experience in M&A transactions with a focus on public tender offers, having represented several target companies in unfriendly takeover situations. In addition, Dieter Dubs advises listed companies on corporate and regulatory matters.
Paolo Bottini
Paolo Bottini has broad experience in advising large multinational corporations on tax and legal matters, particularly in establishing and moving international and regional headquarters in and out of Switzerland.
Furthermore, he is very experienced in coordinating legal and tax advice in M&A projects, in particular due diligence procedures and the preparation of contractual documentation. He also regularly assists private clients in legal and tax matters.
Paolo Bottini is a Board member of Helsinn Holding SA, a privately held pharmaceutical company and worldwide leader in supportive cancer care products, where he serves as chairman of the audit committee.
Urs Kägi
Urs Kägi advises listed and non-listed companies on a broad range of corporate and regulatory matters. A main focus of his work is on M&A transactions (both in a domestic and a cross-border setup), including mergers, spin-offs, public offers, joint ventures, complex intra-group restructurings, relocations, as well as private equity and family succession transactions, on corporate restructurings of financially distressed companies, and on corporate governance (including "Minder"/compensation issues) and securities laws issues.
Urs has advised a number of Swiss blue chips and major multi-national clients. Apart from his transactional work, he provides ongoing corporate advice to a number of listed companies, including several Swiss-domiciled clients with a primary or secondary listing abroad. He has in-depth expertise of the financial services sector, in particular banking, insurance and stock exchanges. In the context of his expertise in connection with cross-border bank reorganizations and resolution actions, he has recently been invited to speak as a panelist by the Financial Stability Board's Legal Experts Group.
Philippe Seiler
Philippe Seiler has broad experience in international and domestic private M&A transactions in various industries with a special focus on life science and health care transactions (incl. medtech, pharma, healthcare providers in various industries, suppliers to healthcare providers etc.). Philippe Seiler does not only cover big size transactions and takeovers but also focuses on small- and mid-size M&A transactions, private equity transactions as well as venture capital and startup transactions. Furthermore, he advises clients on regulatory matters relating to life science and health care law outside of M&A transactions.
Philippe Seiler is praised for his pragmatic and solution-oriented advice while at the same time having an excellent technical knowledge. Due to his extensive transaction experience he has a fast and good understanding of the business and the process. Legal 500 ranks Philippe Seiler as a Key Contact for Healthcare and Life Sciences transactions and Who's Who Legal lists him in M&A and Governance. In addition, Philippe Seiler was listed as a "Rising Star in Corporate/M&A/Private Equity" by Legal Media Group.
Philippe Seiler has frequent speaking engagements on M&A-related topics and teaches regularly at a number of private and public Universities (e.g. LL.M. of the University of Zurich, Switzerland; Executive MBA University of St. Gallen).
Luca Jagmetti
Luca Jagmetti has specialized in national and international private M&A transactions in different industries, venture capital investments, corporate restructurings and general corporate, commercial and employment matters, including related litigation and administrative proceedings. During his practice, he gained particular experience in complex asset deals, management participation schemes, up-/cross-stream topics, large outsourcing and procurement projects and regarding the logistics industry in general.
Luca Jagmetti has several speaking engagements on asset transactions, legal due diligence and other M&A topics (e.g. Akademie der Treuhand-Kammer; Seminar on Mergers & Acquisitions for practitioners; Course on Commercial Law of the University of St. Gallen).
According to The Legal 500 2016 he is "very knowledgeable and speedy". IFLR 2018 lists him as noticeable practitioner. Luca Jagmetti is jointly ranked first in Mergermarket's Profile League Table for 2016's most prolific individual DACH legal advisors.
Thomas Rohde
Co-heading Bär & Karrer's reorganization and insolvency practice, Thomas Rohde focuses on corporate restructurings and reorganizations as well as the representation of creditors in Swiss insolvency proceedings. Furthermore, he regularly advises clients on all types of M&A transactions (with a particular emphasis on real estate transactions) as well as on general corporate and commercial matters.
Raphael Annasohn
Raphael Annasohn has broad experience in international and domestic M&A transactions in various industries focusing on private M&A and private equity, corporate reorganizations and restructurings as well as corporate law and general contractual matters, in particular shareholders' agreements. Furthermore, he specializes in the fields of venture capital and startups and assists clients in their ongoing commercial activities.
Laura Widmer
Laura Widmer's practice focuses on advising Swiss and foreign individuals and entities on various aspects of Swiss employment law, in particular with regard to individual and mass dismissals, reorganizations, compensation plans, employment litigation and transactions. Furthermore, she regularly represents clients in employment disputes before state courts.
Vera Naegeli
Vera Naegeli is experienced in international and domestic M&A transactions and she advises listed and non-listed companies, investors and financial institutions on a broad range of corporate, capital markets, and corporate governance matters.
Vera Naegeli heads the ESG practice of Bär & Karrer. She regularly advises clients, including listed and financial market supervised companies, on sustainability, environmental, social and governance (ESG) topics and regarding compliance matters.
Vera Naegeli is ranked as a recommended practitioner for corporate governance in the Lexology Index (formerly Who’s Who Legal) since 2024. She has been awarded with a rising star partner distinction for M&A in the IFLR1000 Rankings 2025 and won the IFLR Rising Star Award EMEA for M&A and the jurisdiction award for Switzerland in 2022. Euromoney's Expert Guide lists her as Rising Star in the fields of Corporate/M&A/Private Equity.
Vera Naegeli teaches at the Executive School of Management, Technology and Law (Executive MBA) of the University of St. Gallen and at the Center for Executive Education of the University of Zurich. She regularly contributes to publications in her areas of expertise.
Andrea Ziswiler
Andrea Ziswiler is a specialist in corporate law, M&A, finance and capital markets. He has a strong track record advising international and domestic clients in various industries on complex corporate transactions, private M&A deals, bilateral and syndicated financings as well as debt securities offerings.
Matthias Bizzarro
Matthias Bizzarro is a certified tax expert and a lecturer in tax law at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI). Matthias Bizzarro's practice focuses on all aspects of domestic and international corporate tax law and tax planning for Swiss and foreign private clients.
He also advises in matters of general contract law, corporate and commercial law, regularly providing advice on corporate transactions (including start-up financing rounds).
Matthias Bizzarro is also experienced in advising private clients in civil legal matters, with a focus on estate and wealth planning, as well as relocations to Switzerland.
Finally, in the past ten years he has gathered broad experience in representing corporate clients and individuals in front of Cantonal and federal courts, in particular in tax and administrative cases.
He regularly speaks and publishes articles on topics within his practice areas.
Fabienne Perlini-Frehner
Fabienne Perlini-Frehner is counsel (since 2022) in the firm's public M&A practice group. Her practice focuses on public M&A transactions and general corporate and commercial matters. She has broad experience in advising both offerors and target companies in the context of public tender offers and regularly publishes in her areas of expertise. In addition, Fabienne Perlini-Frehner advises companies on national and international M&A transactions as well as on general corporate law matters.