Employment & Relocation
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.
Thomas Stoltz
Thomas Stoltz heads the notarial services as well as the employment, migration and social security practice areas of Bär & Karrer. He manages the Zug office.
Thomas Stoltz advises national and international clients mainly located in the Zug business area on all legal issues related to corporate, commercial and employment law. He also specializes in questions of Swiss migration law.
In his capacity as civil law notary, Thomas Stoltz is regularly responsible for the notarial acts in the various national and cross-border M&A transactions and IPOs assisted by Bär & Karrer.
Who's Who Legal lists Thomas Stoltz as an expert in the practice area Corporate Immigration (since 2014).
Ruth Bloch-Riemer
Ruth Bloch-Riemer’s practice focuses on domestic and international tax law.
She regularly advises Swiss and foreign high net worth individuals in all taxation matters. In particular, she supports clients with regard to wealth and succession planning, the structuring of charitable contributions, questions in the context of the taxation of art and artists, and questions within the field of the domestic and international structuring and coordination of their pension and social security.
Furthermore, Ruth Bloch-Riemer is advising domestic and international companies and managers in all taxation and social security matters particularly in the context of compensation, i. a. within employee participation schemes, and in the development and implementation of complex domestic and cross-border pension solutions.
In her areas of practice, Ruth Bloch-Riemer supports clients both in the context of compliance work and non-contentious procedures as well as in the context of litigation vis-à-vis domestic administrative and judicial authorities.
Ruth Bloch-Riemer regularly publishes and speaks at conferences on tax and social security matters. She serves as an expert for the oral Swiss tax expert examinations.
Cinzia Catelli
Cinzia Catelli's preferred area of practice focuses on domestic and international arbitration and litigation. She also acts as arbitrator in ICC and SCAI proceedings. Her practice encompasses commercial disputes in various industries, including real estate development contracts, distribution agreements, sales contracts, lease agreements, labour law, and corporate law disputes litigation.
Cinzia Catelli is admitted to all Swiss courts since 2010. Since 2014 she is a member of Bär & Karrer's litigation and arbitration practice teams in Zurich, working regularly also with the litigation practice in Ticino. She holds a degree from the University of Zurich, an LLM degree from Harvard Law School and passed the New York Bar Exam in 2013.
Aurélie Conrad Hari
Aurélie Conrad Hari leads the civil litigation practice of Bär & Karrer in Geneva, where she has been a partner since 2017. She has a broad experience in handling complex multi-jurisdictional disputes in financial, banking and commercial disputes. She also specializes in private clients' assistance and representation.
Her practice encompasses shareholders' and employment disputes, insolvency as well as asset recovery, with the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards. She also frequently acts as counsel representing parties in commercial arbitration related to various industries, eg, sale, distribution, agency, construction (including power plants) and energy. Additionally, she conducts internal investigation on specific fact findings and compliance issues upon instructions from clients or supervisory authorities.
Aurélie Conrad Hari is a regular speaker and publisher on topics of her expertise. She is co-chair of the officers of the commissions committee and member of the Extended Bureau of the International Young Lawyers Association and chairs the Expert Forum on Dispute Resolution established by the Geneva Bar Association in 2017.
Who's Who Legal lists her as a leading lawyer in litigation, asset recovery and as a future leader in arbitration. She is also recognized by Chambers and Partners and Legal500 for her litigation practice as well as by Leaders League, the Global Elite Private Client Directory as well as Citywealth where she is featured in in the IFC Powerwomen Top 200 since 2018.
Matthew T. Reiter
Matthew Reiter heads Bär & Karrer’s litigation practice. He specializes in litigation and arbitration. He has extensive experience in a wide range of state court and administrative proceedings, including criminal investigations, white collar crimes, enforcement proceedings and international judicial assistance, but focuses on the resolution of large domestic and international commercial disputes.
Matthew Reiter has successfully represented clients in numerous domestic and international arbitrations, both in ad hoc and institutional proceedings (primarily ICC, ZCC/Swiss Rules), especially relating to joint ventures and shareholders' agreements, large construction contracts, M&A transactions and supply agreements. Recent highlights include the successful defense of EnBW in a CHF 1 billion arbitration proceeding concerning the Thermoselect technology.
Clients of Matthew Reiter include individuals as well as listed and non-listed domestic and foreign companies from various sectors such as the banking and services industry as well as the pharmaceutical, chemical, energy, automotive, aviation and construction industries.
The Legal 500 recommends Matthew Reiter in dispute resolution matters (since 2012).
Team Services
We offer high-quality and comprehensive assistance to corporate clients and senior executives across all areas of employment law and relocation matters. Our solutions are tailor-made, pragmatic and efficient.
Tailor-made, pragmatic and efficient advice
Our specialised team of employment law and relocation experts provides practical advice and is experienced in handling complex, high profile and high stakes situations. Working seamlessly with our other practice groups, we pursue a holistic approach allowing us to offer strategic and effective advice on all challenges our clients face.
Our services include in particular:
- Drafting employment agreements and regulations
- Structuring bonus, incentive and employee participation programmes
- Assisting in domestic and cross-border employee relocations
- Providing employment law support for M&A transactions
- Conducting HR investigations
- Advising on reorganizations and restructurings, including individual and mass dismissals
- Assisting with personnel leasing and outsourcing
- Offering guidance on collective labour law
- Advising on all public labour law topics, including questions on working time recording, gender equality and safety at work
- Representing clients in in employment disputes before all Swiss courts and in arbitration proceedings.