About

After the 2008 credit crisis, Julius Baer established a group-wide task force tasked with systematically broadening the company’s international presence by offering acquisitions and a number of strategic cooperation agreements around the globe; something which inherently involved the legal team. In 2015 and 2016 alone, the team completed the acquisitions of Leumi Private Bank and Fransad Gestion in Switzerland, advised on a 40% strategic investment in NSC Asesores, the largest independent wealth manager in Mexico, announced the increase of its stake in Italy-based Kairos from 19.9% to 80% and closed the acquisition of Commerzbank International SA Luxembourg. The legal department has been involved in various legal, regulatory and administrative proceedings concerning matters arising within the course of normal business operations. The banking sector in Switzerland has been under intense scrutiny from domestic and international authorities in recent years, and Julius Baer has been no exception to the rule. The legal team’s dedication, flexibility and cooperation has stood the bank in good stead. A program to reduce further legal and compliance risks has seen the legal team raising awareness of issues within the bank through training and internal directives, ensuring strict adherence to the necessary legal and regulatory requirements within the group.