Schellenberg Wittmer Ltd

Dispute Resolution / Internal Corporate Investigations / IT Security and Cybercrime / White-Collar Crime and Compliance

Charles Goumaz is a partner in Schellenberg Wittmer's Dispute Resolution Group in Geneva, practicing business crime, crisis and reputation management, as well as commercial litigation. He provides legal and strategic representation to high-profile individuals, corporate clients and financial institutions in sensitive, multi-jurisdictional matters, and has extensive experience in the commodity trading, shipping, transport and inspection, banking and finance, luxury and consumer goods, art and real estate sectors.

His practice covers the full range of business crime, including in particular fraud, misappropriation, criminal mismanagement, corruption, money laundering, bankruptcy offenses, forgery, extortion and cybercrime. He conducts internal investigations, acts in international mutual legal assistance and enforcement proceedings, and advises corporations and financial institutions on compliance and the prevention of financial crime.

Charles regularly acts for individuals and companies whose reputation, assets or operations are under attack. He conducts defamation proceedings, advises on cyberattack response, online reputation management and media strategy, and coordinates crisis response with parallel litigation.

In commercial litigation, Charles handles complex shareholder, post-M&A, contract, investment and trust disputes. He regularly obtains, or resists, interim measures such as the freezing of assets, including in support of foreign proceedings.

Charles is a Certified Specialist SBA (Swiss Bar Association) in Criminal Law.

Experience: 

–     Defending banks in money laundering and corruption investigations, with parallel regulatory enforcement proceedings.

–     Defending commodity trading companies and their senior executives in criminal proceedings for bribery, money laundering and war crime allegations relating to the pillage of natural resources, including securing out-of-court settlements.

–     Defending companies and individuals in criminal proceedings for fraud, mismanagement, forgery and bankruptcy offenses.

–     Assisting a listed company in an internal investigation into adverse public allegations.

–     Representing victims of extortion, cybercrime and cryptocurrency fraud, pursuing the identification and prosecution of the perpetrators and the tracing of digital assets.

–     Acting for UHNW individuals and public figures in sensitive matters, from criminal accusations to defamation proceedings and online reputation management.

–     Assisting individuals and companies in the enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards, including through the freezing of assets located in Switzerland.

–     Defending shareholders in high-stakes shareholder disputes.

2024 - Partner at Schellenberg Wittmer, 2018 - Senior Associate at Schellenberg Wittmer, 2015 - Associate at Schellenberg Wittmer, 2013 - Trainee Lawyer at Schellenberg Wittmer

French, English, German

• Member of the Geneva Bar Association (OdA), of the Geneva Business Law Association (AGDA), of the Swiss Bar Association (SBA), of the International Bar Association (IBA) and of the Certified Specialist in Criminal Law Association (ARPEN).

• Author for the iusNet Criminal Law and Procedure module of Schulthess (https://droit-penal-procedure-penale.iusnet.ch/)

2022 - Certified Specialist SBA Criminal Law, 2015 - Bar Admission in Switzerland, 2013 - Certificate of Advanced Studies in Legal Professions, University of Geneva, 2012 - Master of Law, University of Fribourg and Universidad Pontificia Comillas, Madrid, 2011 - Bachelor of Law, University of Fribourg