Firm Profile > Walder Wyss Ltd. > Basel, Switzerland

Walder Wyss Ltd. Offices

Walder Wyss Ltd.
AESCHENVORSTADT 48
PO Box 633
4010 BASEL
Switzerland
Visit website 41 58 658 10 00 41 58 658 59 59

Walder Wyss Ltd. > The Legal 500 Rankings

Capital markets Tier 1

The capital markets practice at Walder Wyss Ltd. has a particularly strong track record in securitisation transactions. The team is also regularly instructed in IPOs and advises on regulatory matters as well as prospectuses and applications. Theodor Härtsch has extensive experience in the financing of public takeovers, while Alex Nikitine knows IPOs, secondary offerings and convertible bonds well; they jointly lead the capital markets team. Johannes Bürgi is well versed in the debt as well as equity space. Markus Pfenninger is active in regulatory capital transactions. Urs Gnos is the head of the transactions team and is also noted alongside Lukas Wyss.

Practice head(s):

Theodor Härtsch; Alex Nikitine

Testimonials

‘The team is very responsive and pleasant to work with. It provides to-the-point advice and acts transparently.‘

‘Walder Wyss has a cooperative, goal-oriented, fast and overall excellent CM team, of which Alexander Nikitine and Urs Gnos are to be highlighted.‘

‘Theo Härtsch is readily accessible and goes out of his way to bring transactions over the finishing line without surprises.’

Key clients

Swisscard AECS GmbH

AMAG Leasing AG

Cembra Money Bank AG

Oriflame

iQ International AG

Swiss Life Holding Ltd.

Swiss Finance & Property Investments Ltd (SF Urban Properties)

Baloise Holding Ltd

Aluflexpack Holding Ltd.

DDM Holding AG

Competition Tier 1

Walder Wyss Ltd. has noteworthy expertise in all matters relating to merger filings. The group is also involved in advising on market dominance, agreements and compliance, as well as representation in proceedings. Reto Jacobs leads the group and is frequently sought out by national and international companies seeking competition counsel. Counsel Daniel Zimmerli and managing associate Gion Giger are also noted.

Practice head(s):

Reto Jacobs

Testimonials

‘The team of Walder Wyss is very well organized and aligned with other practice groups if necessary. It has a consistent approach of giving legal advice.’

‘Reto Jacobs, Gion Giger and Daniel Zimmerli are very experienced lawyers, who understand business models quickly and give comprehensible and valuable advice.’

Key clients

Migros

Tamedia

Swisscom

Die Schweizerische Post AG (Swiss Post)

Coty

Schweizerische Bundesbahnen SBB

Employment Tier 1

The 'responsive' and 'pragmatic' team at Walder Wyss Ltd. stands out for high-stakes litigation, advisory and large-scale immigration cases. Recent work includes advising on employment outsourcing for a large national healthcare provider, overseeing Pharmazell's internal restructuring, and assisting with the termination of employment of a professor at the University Children's Hospital of Zurich as well as the deputy chairman at Swiss Bank. 'Straight-talker' Philippe Nordmann has 'excellent specialist knowledge' of bonus programmes and mass dismissals; he leads the practice with compensation and labour unions specialist Ueli Sommer.

Practice head(s):

Ueli Sommer, Philippe Nordmann

Testimonials

‘Stellar practice, big law firm with a personal touch and boutique expertise.‘

‘Philippe Nordmann: in-depth knowledge combined with friendliness and efficacy.‘

‘The easy accessibility to required expertise and competencies. The knowledge of the local labour politics, culture and main stakeholder labour law knowledge and application.‘

‘An excellent and responsive group of practitioners. Great employment law expertise – pragmatic. Personal service.‘

‘I found Philippe Nordmann to be practical, expert and incredibly responsive. You can bounce ideas off Philippe and he “gets off the fence”. Straight-talker and follows through.‘

‘Very good availability, fast response time, very good understanding of our local and international conditions. Very good legal advice, especially on a local implementation of the conditions.‘

‘Friendliness, professionalism and personal approach are outstanding.‘

‘Outstanding efficiency and quality of service, very courteous co-operation.‘

‘Philippe Nordmann has excellent specialist knowledge and provides excellent advice. He is available at all times and will deal with enquiries immediately.‘

‘Philippe Nordmann is always responsive and very knowledgeable in employment law. His advice is always concise and to-the-point.‘

Key clients

Teva Pharmaceuticals Group

Evolva Holding

Equatex AG

Berenberg Bank (Schweiz) AG

Universitaets-Kinderspital Zurich

Nestle

Georg Fischer

Integer/Greatbatch

UPS

Credit Suisse

Intellectual property Tier 1

Walder Wyss Ltd. handles trade mark, patent, licensing and copyright issues, and regularly acts before the Swiss Supreme Court in litigation cases. The firm also provides IP advice during pharmaceutical, retail and media-related transactions. Practice head Markus Frick specialises in patent and unfair competition litigation, and has represented clients in trade mark infringements including acting for a famous winery in an infringement lawsuit, as well as for Invicta Watch Company of America during proceedings against Giorgio Armani S.p.A.. Roger Staub is representing Merck a naming rights dispute against US-based company Merck & Co.

Practice head(s):

Markus Frick

Key clients

Nestlé

Amazon

Microsoft

Richemont

Merck KGaA

Alcon Inc.

ABB Ltd

H&M

AT&T

easyGroup, including easyJet

Leading firms: Italian-speaking Switzerland Tier 1

Walder Wyss Ltd.'s Lugano office has considerable experience in employment, dispute resolution, IP and IT, and real estate matters. It is also active in the transactions and life sciences space. Stefano Codoni and Davide Jermini have a broad practice and are the key contacts. Other highlighted practitioners are counsels Stefano Fornara and Davide Cerutti and managing associate Marco Galli.

Testimonials

‘It is a quite rare to find a team of professionals of this quality and extraordinary standard. Kindness, availability, capabilities and know-how are beyond any expectation.’

‘The firm impresses with a strong network, a pragmatic approach and quick answers.’

‘Stefano Codoni is always available and is able to coordinate the work of teams in various jurisdictions, being a very efficient interface between the clients and the lawyers in different legal systems. The quality of input and advice both technical and strategical is impeccable.’

‘Davide Jermini is a great lawyer – pragmatic, fair, flexible, fast.‘

Key clients

Actial Farmaceutica Srl,

Bravofly / Bravonext/ Lastminute.com

Riverside Europe Partners BVBA

Jetpharma

Artisa Group

Akara Funds AG

Lifeware SA

TDK Lambda

METECA SA

Private client Tier 1

Walder Wyss Ltd.'s private client practice is comprised of specialists with various backgrounds and is often instructed by entrepreneurs. The areas of expertise of Zurich's group heads, Kinga Weiss and Stephan Neidhardt, are inheritance and tax law respectively. Geneva-based co-head Philippe Pulfer is an expert in international wealth structuring and estate planning. Further tax specialists include Fouad Sayegh and Robert Desax in Zurich, while Olivier Sigg in Geneva is the key contact for trusts, foundations, wills and testaments.

Practice head(s):

Philippe Pulfer

Testimonials

‘The team of Walder Wyss has refined services and capabilities to assist clients in various aspects of the Swiss law. In particular, its private client team has a very proactive, addressed approach, competitive fees and knowledge of the market.‘

‘A strong international team with an outward-looking attitude and a good international presence. It is capable of dealing with significant cases and has the strength and depth to stand out among most of its rivals.’

‘Philippe Pulfer is an excellent technical lawyer with sound judgement and a good strategic approach.’

‘Kinga Weiss is a very energetic professional totally dedicated to the client. She is particularly operational and close to the client. She delivers promptly and always with an interesting quiet point of view.’

‘Fouad Sayegh is a very bright, smart tax lawyer, who has sound knowledge of the Swiss tax law and is very creative.‘

‘Olivier Sigg is a real pleasure to deal with – enthusiastic, endlessly helpful and with a real interest in the law.‘

‘Robert Desax is very reactive and has strong knowledge in the private clients area.’

Public law Tier 1

The 'skilled' team at Walder Wyss Ltd. is 'very responsive' and known for its 'deep experience in the transport and procurement areas' of public law. Recent highlights include acting for Swiss Federal Railways in collective appeal proceedings over the Disability Equality Act, assisting AxpoPower with administrative affairs before the Federal court regarding the Beznau power plant, and advising on a new draft of the Swiss public procurement code. 'Highly pragmatic' practice head Hans Rudolf Trüeb demonstrates 'an extensive understanding of economic and technical matters'. Managing associate Martin Zobl is 'a rising talent'. Ramona Wyss made partner in January 2020.

Practice head(s):

Hans Rudolf Trüeb

Testimonials

‘The team is very responsive, has a large knowledge-base and covers a wide range of legal topics.’

‘Dr Hans Rudolf Trueeb is an excellent lawyer, but has also an extensive understanding of economic and technical matters. This is of particular importance in contract negotiations with suppliers.’

‘Very skilled partners in this areas of expertise. Close to the client’s practical issues, very pragmatic in the solutions they suggest. Very fast in capturing the issue and coming to executable solutions.’

‘Very trustworthy and trusted partner, quick in capturing the issue at hand, suggesting pragmatic and executable solutions, thinking outside of the box. High availability when needed. Fair pricing for advice/work provided.’

‘Walder Wyss has managed to build up a strong public law team with deep experience in the transport and procurement areas. This is quite unique in the Swiss market which is otherwise dominated by niche firms or single practitioners. Due to the knowledge and depth of the Walder Wyss team, we benefit from clever, fast, business-oriented and hands-on advice. They regularly exceed our expectations.‘

‘Prof. Trueb has headed the Walder Wyss team for many years. He has worked for SBB for one and a half decades, so there is a lot of mutual trust. Prof. Trueb provides excellent advice and wins his cases, while always remaining highly pragmatic. We also work with a number of senior and junior associates of Walder Wyss and would mention Dr Zobl who has supported us in two high profile cases regarding the procurement of new railway cars. Dr Zobl is definitely a rising talent. Also, we very much appreciate to work with Florian Roth, a younger associate specialising in public law litigation. Florian is quick, smart and very efficient.’

Key clients

Swiss Confederation (with all its administrative branches)

Canton of Zurich

Axpo Group (Axpo Holding, Axpo Power, Axpo Trading)

Energie 360 Grad AG

SBB – Swiss Federal Railways

SBB Cargo AG

Zurich University

Universität Kinderspital Zürich Eleonorenstiftung

Hirslanden AG

Zuger Kantonsspital AG

Spital Thurgau AG

Helsana Versicherung AG

Tertianum Gruppe

Real estate and construction Tier 1

Walder Wyss Ltd. has considerable experience acting for buyers, including real estate investors, in transactions. Other areas of expertise include assisting landlords with the sale of their properties and real estate disputes. Francis Nordmann is a key contact for foreign and national companies and individuals in a variety of mandates; he leads the practice together with finance expert Johannes Bürgi and the Bern-based Marco Strahm, who acts, besides in transactions, also as public notary. Christian Eichenberger, Thomas Müller and Lugano's Davide Jermini are also prominent practitioners.

Practice head(s):

Francis Nordmann; Johannes Bürgi; Marco Strahm

Testimonials

‘The team provides great advice.’

‘Davide Jermini is the perfect lawyer for a successful real estate transaction.’

Key clients

Akara Funds AG

SG Investments Ltd.

Swiss Finance & Property

Blackstone

Crowdhouse

Artisa Group

Immofonds

Geneva Management Group

Gold Tree

Palme Immobilien AG

Pepperdine University

Nemaco

Tax Tier 1

Walder Wyss Ltd. impresses with its broad practice and it handles work across the full spectrum of tax matters. The team advises on the tax-related aspects of transactions, structured finance, capital markets, corporate restructuring and relocation work, among others. Another core focus is estate planning. Maurus Winzap heads up the practice; he is a go-to adviser for financial and corporate clients for a variety of tax matters. Other prominent practitioners are Thomas Meister and Samuel Dürr in Bern. Fouad Sayegh in Geneva and Robert Desax are also noted.

Practice head(s):

Maurus Winzap

Testimonials

‘The team is excellent in evaluating the potential chances and risks of given situations or intended tax structuring ideas.  It provides answers on time and if needed on a very short notice. With respect to the estimation of fees for future work it is precise.‘

‘Walder Wyss is globally a solid tax advisor.’

‘Samuel Dürr is able to combine in-house, practical experience with his knowledge of Swiss taxes and international tax regimes. He also knows corporate tax issues as well as personal individual tax issues.’

Key clients

Amag Leasing Ltd.

Stenprop

Cembra Money Bank Ltd.

Swiss Life Ltd.

Fortive Corporation

PSA Finance Suisse SA

Swiss Life Ltd.

NovImmune SA

KomGo SA

E.CF S.A.S.

TMT Tier 1

Walder Wyss Ltd. focuses on outsourcing projects, GDPR implementation, and regulatory and contractual assistance. Mark Reutter and Michael Isler's team, which has continued to advise on the joint venture structure of insurance consortium B3i, stands out for its 'wide range of expertise' owing to its 'unique collection of outstanding practitioners'. The 'committed' and 'pragmatic' David Vasella, who made partner in January 2019, led on an industry first for the Swiss Bankers Association by drafting guidelines for cloud migration projects. Former managing associate Dirk Spacek joined CMS as a partner in February 2019.

Practice head(s):

Mark Reutter, Michael Isler

Testimonials

‘The TMT team of Walder Wyss represents an unique collection of outstanding practitioners with a wide range of expertise and a wealth of experience. Hardly any law firm in Switzerland is able to match this capabilities.’

‘David Vasella: outstanding lawyer with excellent analytical skills, a wealth of legal expertise, high client-focus. David is responsive, pragmatic and fully committed to serve his clients. Besides, he is a very likeable chap.’

‘Very responsive team, good industry knowledge in IT matters.’

‘Michael Isler has very good IT industry knowledge.’

Key clients

ABB

APG

Avaloq

B3i

Credit Suisse

Galencia

Helvetia Insurance

Kantar Media

Kuoni

Lux International

Migros

Mövenpick

Nestlé

RUAG

Sanitas

SBB

STOXX

Swiss Bankers Association

Swiss Federation

Swisscard

Swisscom

Zurich Insurance Group

Banking and finance: Zurich Tier 2

The team at Walder Wyss Ltd. specialises in lending transactions, particularly those with a cross-border element. It is further regularly engaged in public and private asset-backed security and synthetic transactions, as well as covered bond transactions and other securitisations; regulatory investigations; and fintech-related matters. Theodor Härtsch handles debt financing and regulatory matters and Lukas Wyss has expertise in international finance transactions; the duo head the team. Johannes Bürgi impresses with his knowledge of various kinds of financings. Other names to note are Thomas Müller, Luc Defferrard and recently promoted partner Ramona Wyss.

Practice head(s):

Theodor Härtsch; Lukas Wyss

Testimonials

‘Walder Wyss is offering a comprehensive range of business oriented law services to its clients. In the banking and finance area they have a well reputed team that can cover a broad range of tasks.‘

‘Broadly positioned Swiss law firm which provides a wide and versatile range of legal services for divers client segments with a particular reputation in respect of real estate and asset-backed securities transactions.’

‘Lukas Wyss balances well between being academically up to speed and fully aware of the latest developments, as well as being pragmatic about the available business solutions. He is also easily reachable and a pleasure to work with.’

‘Theodor Härtsch impresses with his ability to assess and implement new solutions for extraordinary situations.’

Key clients

UBS AG and UBS Switzerland AG

Credit Suisse AG

Credit Suisse (Schweiz) AG

Zürcher Kantonalbank

Cembra Money Bank

Bank Vontobel AG

Bank J. Safra Sarasin AG

Glarner Kantonalbank

Swiss Life

Baloise Holding AG

HSBC

Deutsche Bank

Unicredit

Lloyds Bank plc

Société Générale

ING Bank

Leonteq Securities AG

Aduno Holding AG

AMAG Leasing AG

PSA Finance (Suisse) SA

Swisscard AECS GmbH

Helvetica Property Investors AG

Equatex AG

Deutsche Private Equity

Athris AG

GSO Capital Partners

Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 2

Walder Wyss Ltd. has a strong corporate and M&A practice, which is active in public takeovers, divestitures, joint ventures, spin-offs, proxy contests and hedge fund activism. Its impressive client portfolio includes companies from the real estate, finance, food and life sciences industries. Team head Alex Nikitine is also well versed in capital markets mandates, as are Stefan Knobloch and Urs Gnos. Markus Vischer is a key name for commercial, real estate and employment law. Luc Defferrard and Alex Gutmans in Basel are also noted.

Practice head(s):

Alex Nikitine

Testimonials

‘The team provides pragmatic, business-focused advice.’

‘Walder Wyss impresses with excellent teamwork.‘

‘Alex Nikitine is a very commercial, experienced and quick transaction lawyer. He solves problems in a pragmatic and efficient way.‘

‘Stefan Knobloch is a business focused lawyer who understands US private equity owned companies.’

Key clients

Baidu

Nestlé

Dana Corporation

Oriflame

DDM Holding

EQT

Moody’s

40 North

Migros

Tamedia

Rheinmetall

Robert Bosch

Auris Medical

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co

CIC Capital

Linde

Bank J. Safra Sarasin AG

Aduno

Ufenau Capital Partners AG

Boehringer Ingelheim

Continental

Raiffeisen Bank

Harsco

Swisslife

AMAG

NovImmune

Dispute resolution: litigation Tier 2

The team at Walder Wyss Ltd. has notable strength handling disputes related to infrastructure, construction and engineering. It also regularly represent clients, which are mostly domestic and foreign companies, in proceedings relating to M&A transactions, corporate and shareholders' agreements as well as licensing and joint venture agreements, which are also the areas of expertise of practice head Dieter Hofmann. Counsel Urs Schenker regularly supports the team with his corporate knowledge, while Oliver Kunz is well versed in criminal proceedings. Micha Bühler and newly promoted partner Antonio Carbonara are further contacts. Rodolphe Gautier is the key name in Geneva.

Practice head(s):

Dieter Hofmann

Other key lawyers:

Urs Schenker; Oliver Kunz; Micha Bühler; Antonio Carbonara; Rodolphe Gautier; Maurice Courvoisier

Testimonials

‘The team is very reactive and on top of the matters it handles.’

‘Dieter Hofmann has proven to be very valuable in proceedings. Directness and openness about facts, chances and next steps is exactly what a client needs in a litigation case.’

‘Urs Schenker impresses with great creativity and experience.’

‘Oliver Kunz has an extraordinary knowledge in litigation cases. He is very a skilled, prudent and farseeing lawyer.‘

‘Maurice Courvoisier is extremely diligent and pleasant to work with; thorough in his legal analysis, precise and open to discussions.‘

Key clients

Eurobank Ergasias

ExxonMobil

Hinduja

Automotive Limited

Hitachi Zosen Inova AG

Nestlé Group

Roche

ThyssenKrupp

Healthcare and life sciences Tier 2

The team at Walder Wyss Ltd. has a good track record in litigation mandates in the healthcare and life sciences sector; it is particularly active in reimbursement and pricing cases, as well as in patent proceedings, which is the area of expertise of Markus Frick. Practice head Andreas Wildi is based in Bern and specialises in matters relating to international reimbursement and pricing law. Alexander Gutman in Basel has expertise in corporate law and M&A in the life sciences field.

Practice head(s):

Andreas Wildi

Key clients

Pfizer

Biogen

Leading firms: French-speaking Switzerland Tier 2

At Walder Wyss Ltd., the Geneva office impresses with expertise in banking and finance, corporate, tax, private client and litigation, while the lawyers based in Lausanne are well versed in the areas of IT, IP and real estate. The offices are managed by Philippe Pulfer and Jürg Schneider, respectively. Dispute resolution specialist Rodolphe Gautier, banking and finance experts Hubertus Hillerström and Patrick Vogel as well as Olivier Sigg, Alexandre Both and Nicolas Iynedjian are among the highlighted practitioners. Fouad Sayegh and newly promoted Adriano Antonietti are further key names.

Practice head(s):

Philippe Pulfer; Jürg Schneider

Testimonials

‘Very efficient team, which has good time management and finds pragmatic and business-oriented solutions.’

‘Philippe Pulfer is an excellent technical lawyer with sound judgement and a good strategic approach.’

‘Nicolas Iynedjian is very practical and strategic in his counsel and advice. He does not equivocate; he provides well-reasoned, actionable advice.‘

‘Fouad Sayegh is technically excellent and provides clear, concise advice.‘

‘Patrick Vogel understands the scope of his client’s work well and provides outstanding work within time frame and budget. He is always available when needed.’

Key clients

AOG – The Addax and Oryx Group

Avaloq

Banque J. Safra Sarasin AG

Castleton Commodities International LLC

Endeavour Vision

Migros

Nemaco

Nestlé SA

Pepperdine University

Swiss Bankers Association

Swisscom

Leading firms: German-speaking Switzerland Tier 2

Key practice areas for Walder Wyss Ltd. include capital markets, litigation, real estate, tax, intellectual property, TMT, employment and competition. The firm is particularly active for clients from the financial services, healthcare and life sciences, energy and infrastructure sectors, among others. Luc Defferrard, Markus Frick, Ueli Sommer, Philippe Nordmann, Hans Rudolf Trüeb, Mark Reutter and Thomas Meister are highlighted practitioners.

Banking and finance: Geneva Tier 3

The banking and finance team at Walder Wyss Ltd. is regularly instructed by national and foreign banks, broker dealers, and financial institutions to handle a variety of matters. Practice head Patrick Vogel is experienced in banking-related transactions, with further expertise in asset transfers. He also advises on regulatory matters and collective investments. Hubertus Hillerström, who has expertise in structured finance, private equity and venture capital transactions, is another key practitioner. Adriano Antonietti was made partner in January 2019 and is knowledgeable in regulatory and commercial matters.

Practice head(s):

Patrick Vogel

Testimonials

‘The legal team at Walder Wyss is very knowledgeable and trustworthy. It has the client’s best interest in mind and advises on the most optimal legal solutions given the various complexities and specifics of the legal situation. The team is methodical about their approach and realistic about the timelines needed to accomplish legal milestones.’

‘Patrick Vogel impresses with his time and attention to detail on all the critical points. He has strong knowledge in the sector.’

Key clients

Bank J. Safra Sarasin AG

Endeavour Vision

Nestlé SA

CeQur SA

Dispute resolution: arbitration Tier 3

Walder Wyss Ltd.'s arbitration team frequently acts as counsel or arbitrator in commercial, infrastructure, construction, engineering and M&A disputes, as well as in the recognition and enforcement of foreign awards. Michael Cartier, who has core strengths in disputes relating to construction disputes and international commercial law, and Michael Feit, who has considerable experience in investment proceedings, are the key contacts. The team is instructed by various national and international companies. Dieter Hofmann leads the dispute resolution practice.

Practice head(s):

Dieter Hofmann

Testimonials

‘The arbitration team of Walder Wyss is highly experienced with deep knowledge in the Swiss Law.’

‘Dieter Hofmann is recommended both as counsel and as arbitrator, a no-nonsense person. Extremely available and good at turning complex issues into simple facts and legal reasoning.’

‘Michael Feit is an excellent attorney, with outstanding understanding of relevant matters which were the basis of the dispute. He is very knowledgeable in both Swiss and international arbitration rules and laws. He is extremely diligent and provides first class legal services to his clients.’

Key clients

Hinduja Automotive Limited

Hitachi Zosen Inova AG

Nestlé Group

Roche

ThyssenKrupp

Insolvency and corporate recovery Tier 3

Walder Wyss Ltd. is noted for its experience in advising creditors or debtors in insolvencies; financial restructurings; and corporate rescue. The team's work usually is of a cross-border character. Mark Reutter, who is a regular counsel for bankruptcy administrations, insolvency specialist Christoph Stäubli and Dieter Hofmann jointly lead the team. Micha Bühler knows DR-mandates well. Dominik Hohler was promoted to partner in early 2020.

Practice head(s):

Christoph Stäubli; Mark Reutter; Dieter Hofmann

Testimonials

‘A very good team, with Mark Reutter standing out.’

Key clients

Ad-Hoc Group in Nyrstar’s restructuring

Apollo International Management LLP

Ringier AG / Publicitas AG

Toys R Us AG

Cisco Capital

Creditors of Flightlease AG

Actavis Switzerland Ltd. / Allergan Inc.

CHC Group Ltd.

Walder Wyss Ltd. > Firm Profile

Main Contacts

Department Name Email Telephone
Antitrust and competition
Arbitration
Corporate and commercial
Corporate crime and investigations
Corporate finance and capital markets
Data protection
Employment
Financial products/regulatory
Information technologies and telecommunications
Healthcare and life sciences
Insolvency and restructuring
Litigation
Mergers and acquisitions
Outsourcing
Private equity and venture capital
Public procurement
Real estate
Private clients
Tax

Lawyer Profiles

Photo Name Position Profile
Dr iur Maurice Courvoisier photo Dr iur Maurice Courvoisier Maurice Courvoisier is a partner at Walder Wyss in Basel. He concentrates… View Profile
Dr iur Philippe Nordmann photo Dr iur Philippe Nordmann Partner. Philippe Nordmann advises national and international companies and business executives in… View Profile
Dr iur Markus Schülin photo Dr iur Markus Schülin He is a Counsel. Markus Schülin’s main areas of work are commercial,… View Profile
Ass Jur Robert von Rosen photo Ass Jur Robert von Rosen Robert von Rosen is partner at Walder Wyss. His practice focuses on… View Profile

Staff Figures

Number of lawyers : 220
at this office : 21

Languages

Croatian
Dutch
English
Farsi
French
German
Greek
Hebrew
Hindi
Hungarian
Italian
Persian
Polish
Rhaeto-Romanic
Russian
Serbian
Spanish
Swedish

Other

Contacts : M Courvoisier
Contacts : A Curmally
Contacts : A Gutmans
Contacts : P Nordmann
Contacts : R von Rosen
Contacts : R Vonzun (management board)
Other offices : Berne
Other offices : Geneva
Other offices : Lausanne
Other offices : Lugano
Other offices : Zurich (main office)

Press Releases

Promotions at Walder Wyss

11th January 2018

We are pleased to announce that our employees Alexandre Both, Michael Cartier, Michael Feit, Hubertus Hillerström and Olivier Sigg, who have been with us for many years, have been appointed as partners in our firm, effective from 1st of January, 2018.


New counsel at Walder Wyss

11th January 2018

We are pleased to announce that a new counsel, Christian Eichenberger, joined our firm as of 1st of January, 2018.


DPE acquires AWK Group

3rd January 2018

Deutsche Private Equity (DPE) acquires majority interest in AWK Group, one of the largest independent Swiss consulting companies for information technology and digitalization. 


Metall Zug (SIX: METN) acquires majority holding in Haag-Streit Holding AG

3rd January 2018

The Metall Zug Group has signed an agreement to acquire 70% of Haag-Streit Holding AG, based in Köniz, Switzerland. The transaction is expected to be consummated during the first quarter of 2018. 


Multilease: Swiss Auto Lease ABS 2017-2

12th December 2017

On 28 November 2017, Multilease AG closed its second Swiss auto lease securitization transaction involving the issuance by First Swiss Mobility 2017-2 AG (the Issuer) of CHF 267,300,000 Zero percent asset-backed Class A Notes, due in 2027, CHF 16,500,000 1.00 percent asset-backed Class B Notes, due in 2027 and CHF 14,800,000 2.00 percent asset-backed Class C Notes, due in 2027.


GetYourGuide announces USD 75 million Series D financing round

12th December 2017

GetYourGuide, the leading online marketplace for travel activities, announced a USD 75 million series D financing round led by Battery Ventures. The company’s existing investors KKR, Spark Capital, Highland Capital Partners, Nokia Growth and Sunstone Capital joined Battery in its investment.


Valiant Bank AG places inaugural Swiss Covered Bond

1st December 2017

Valiant Bank AG has successfully placed a CHF250 million covered bond with a 10 year term and carrying a coupon of 0.375 percent. Moody's assigned a provisional (P)Aaa rating to Valiant Bank AG's mortgage covered bonds. Valiant Bank AG intends to have the covered bonds provisionally admitted to trading at the SIX Swiss Exchange on 5 December. The transaction is the first public covered bond issuance entirely structured under Swiss law with a Swiss guarantor. BNP Paribas (Suisse) SA and Zürcher Kantonalbank act as lead-manager.


Digital Influencer Marketing – Worldwide Legal Developments and Switzerland

16th November 2017

Digital Influencer Marketing – Worldwide Legal Developments and Switzerland – Digital Influencer Marketing is a new subtle form for reaching target audiences online. Due to its’ increasing emergence as a marketing practice, governmental agencies and selfregulatory bodies worldwide have reacted with the issuance of guidelines how such practices should be conducted in a transparent manner. Also, a few court decisions have been rendered with remarkable remedies ordered. Therefore, it appears sensible to take broad look at what’s happening on our globe. In the following, we will provide (i) an overview on noteworthy legal developments with regard to digital influencer marketing in select jurisdictions worldwide, (ii) an overview on the legal status of digital influencer marketing in Switzerland and (iii) a general impact assessment for businesses in Switzerland. 


Nouscom AG USD 40 Mio. Series B Financing Round

27th October 2017

Walder Wyss advises Abingworth and 5AM Venture on Nouscom’s Series B financing round. Nouscom is active in the development of tumor specific oncolytic viruses and patient specific cancer vaccines. The financing round was subscribed by Abingworth and 5AM Venture as well as by existing shareholders.

The Walder Wyss teams consists of Alexander Gutmans (Partner, Corporate, Venture Capital) and Jessica Aeschbach (Associate, Corporate).


3 January 2017: New partners and consultants at Walder Wyss

5th January 2017

We are pleased to announce that a new partner, Roger Staub, as well as new consultants, Thiemo Sturny and David Vasella, will be joining our chancellery as of 1st January 2017.

Roger Staub is a Partner in the Information Technology, Intellectual Property and Competition Team. He represents national and international companies from various industries, such as luxury goods, pharmaceuticals, food, financial services, fashion, medical devices and media. He specialises in litigating complex cases before state courts and arbitration tribunals. In addition, he advises clients in negotiating IP and technology-related contracts and in developing IP strategies. He also works as an arbitrator in international arbitration tribunals.

Thiemo Sturny advises domestic and foreign clients in all fields of company law, including national and international M&A transactions, restructuring and questions of corporate governance. He also specialises in credit financing, capital market transactions and supporting start-up’s in private equity financing matters. Thiemo Sturny publishes regularly in his fields of expertise and is lecturing in the LL.M. post-graduate degree programme at the University of Zurich.

David Vasella advises and represents companies on all questions of information and technology law. He specializes in data protection, intellectual property and contract law, especially in connection with the monetization of data and the digitization of business processes, and supports in data protection law compliance. He regularly gives talks and publishes on his fields of expertise.


4 January 2017: AF Group acquires Edy Toscano AG

5th January 2017

AF Group ASA, listed at the Oslo Stock Exchange (OSE-AFG), a leading international civil engineering and construction group headquartered in Oslo, has acquired the renowned Swiss engineering and construction planning company Edy Toscano AG with 370 employees. Together with AF Consult Switzerland AG, AF Group will be among the three largest Swiss engineering and construction planning companies with a combined turnover in Switzerland exceeding CHF 100 million.


3 January 2017: Promotions at Walder Wyss

5th January 2017

We are pleased to announce that our employees Ayesha Curmally, Michael Isler, Robert von Rosen and Stefan Knobloch, who have been with us for many years, have now been appointed as partners in our chancellery, effective from 1st January 2017.

Ayesha Curmally is a notary in the canton of Basel-Stadt, a Certified Specialist SBA in Inheritance Law as well as a lawyer in the Private Clients team of Walder Wyss. Her main areas of practice include mariage and inheritance law, estate and succession planning, settlement of estates (including distribution), corporate and commercial law and real property law. Additionally to adivsing clients and notarising deeds in these fields of law, Ayesha Curmally notarises share transfers, marriage and inheritance contracts and other transactions under German law.

Michael Isler regularly advises in complex outsourcing, technology transfer and platform projects from the conceptual and negotiation phase to dispute settlement. He further enjoys a vast experience in copyright, trademark and patent law. A particular focus of his work is dedicated to the life sciences and health sector. Michael Isler regularly publishes and lectures in his practice areas and takes an active role in several professional organizations.

Robert von Rosen’s practice focuses on domestic and international M&A transactions. He also advises corporate clients on all matters of corporate and commercial law related to their daily operation. A further focus of Robert von Rosen is banking, finance and capital markets law.

Stefan Knobloch deals primarily with international and national M&A transactions, public takeovers, private equity transactions, IPOs, debt financing, corporate governance and matters relating to company, stock exchange transaction and capital market law in general. He has overseen numerous transactions in these areas. He also prepares legal opinions in matters of law on stock exchange transactions, company law, law of obligations and law on civil procedure, as well as publishing articles and lecturing at the University of Zurich in his preferred fields of activity.


In addition, Janine Corti, Alexandre Both, Michael Cartier and Dominik Hohler have been promoted to Counsel as well as Ramona Wyss and Dirk Spacek have been promoted to Managing Associate. All promotions are effective as of 1 January 2017.

Janine Corti is working in the fields of domestic and international corporate tax and has professional experience in the financial services area. She focuses particularly on national and international restructurings, migrations, tax planning, employee participation programs, capital market transactions and M&A projects. In addition, she is at the board of the Zurich section of EXPERTsuisse.

Alexandre Both is focusing on M&A and finance transactions. His M&A experience includes private and public transactions, with a focus on domestic and cross-border acquisitions, mergers, private equity, asset and liability transfers and spinoffs. On finance transactions, Alexandre Both provides advice to lenders or borrowers in particular in relation to syndicated bank financings, real estate finance, leverage finance, project finance and structured finance. He also advises on banking, stock exchange and capital markets laws.

Michael Cartier represents parties in international arbitrations under all major institutional rules and in ad-hoc proceedings, before state courts and in enforcement and legal assistance matters. He is listed as an expert for arbitration in Who’s Who Legal 2016 and 2017. He also acts as arbitrator and is listed on the panel of arbitrators of the ICC National Committee (Switzerland). The focus of his work is on construction disputes and international commercial law. He also advises clients in white-collar criminal law matters and corporate investigations. He is an officer of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA).

Dominik Hohler advises national and international companies regarding their restructuring, financing, establishment and expansion projects as well as with regard to reorganisation measures and insolvency. He also focuses his practice on domestic and international M&A, private equity and venture capital transactions. Additionally, he advises corporate clients on all matters of corporate and commercial law related to their daily operations. Dominik Hohler regularly publishes in his fields of expertise.

Ramona Wyss advises clients in finance and capital markets transactions, acquisitions and outsourcing projects. Other preferred areas of practice of Ramona Wyss include commercial and corporate law as well as administrative law with a special focus on energy, technology, financial markets, insurance and procurement law.

Dirk Spacek advises companies of the media- and technology-sector as well as industrial enterprises, healthcare providers, banks and insurances on the creation, procurement and commercialization of new ideas and technologies. Among various matters, he handles technology transfer- and outsourcing-projects, license, R&D- and distribution agreements, joint ventures and frequently contracts of the media & entertainment sector. In addition, Dirk has vast litigation-experience in patent-, trademark- and copyright-law and the handling of contractual and commercial disputes before state courts.


19 December 2016: Takeover Allied World

4th January 2017

Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited (Fairfax) (TSX:FFH) (TSX:FFH.U) and Allied World Assurance Company Holdings, AG (Allied World) (NYSE:AWH) have entered into a merger agreement (the Agreement), pursuant to which Fairfax will acquire all of the outstanding registered ordinary shares of Allied World. Under the terms of the Agreement, Allied World shareholders would receive a combination of Fairfax subordinate voting shares and cash equal to USD 54.00 per Allied World Share, for a total equity value of approximately USD 4.9bn.


20 December 2016: Apax/Unilabs

4th January 2017

The joint owners of Switzerland-based Unilabs, private equity funds Apax Europe VI, Nordic Capital Fund VI ("Nordic Capital") and Apax France VII have accepted an offer from Apax IX, advised by Apax Partners LLP, for the acquisition of their respective stakes in Unilabs.



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