How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crises, and how does your legal strategy align with the broader business strategy to ensure the organisation’s resilience?

I want to lead by providing clarity and confidence to my team and others during times of instability (this year: tariffs, NIH grant funding cuts, shifting regulations). I want to lead by example, as I believe in authenticity and guiding the team hands-on.

My approach is best described as the letter ‘T’ – broad in scope, deep in execution, yet trusting and enabling rather than controlling. This allows the team to feel equipped and confident in driving legal decisions and work product in complex, uncertain situations. I value a strong sense of business ownership, treating our team as hybrid advisors and business owners.

It is my priority to make the work intellectually engaging and enjoyable for the team and others, valuing collaboration, continuous learning and the development of our team members. For example, we successfully developed an intern into an Associate Legal Counsel, and a Systems Engineer is now training as a Patent Attorney Trainee within our team. These outcomes show how our collaborative, growth-oriented approach strengthens the team’s capability and the organisation’s resilience beyond the legal function itself.

What are the main cases or transactions that you have been involved in recently?

With our CEO and deal team, we led several key funding transactions and initiatives: two European prospectus-backed follow-on offerings in 2024 – one for €20 M and one for €50 M; a €52.5 M security-backed debt financing; sponsoring and launching a Level 1 ADR with Bank of New York; a tertiary listing on Euronext Paris; negotiating an exclusive Brain–Computer Interface licensing agreement with CEA (covered by CBS 60 Minutes with Anderson Cooper, positioning us competitively in the emerging space, as noted by Musk and Neuralink); and supporting the approval and launch of the first and only FDA-approved spinal cord stimulation therapy to improve hand function for people with spinal cord injury.

What do you see as the major legal challenges for businesses in Switzerland over the next five years, and how are you preparing to address them?

Key legal challenges in Switzerland will be maintaining economic strength and political independence in an increasingly tripolar global world order. Maintaining strong ties with the European Union—to have true economic representation and negotiating leverage in the world—whilst maintaining political freedom as determined by the Swiss people—is a key balancing effort.

The Swiss solution will be to reinvent itself as it has always done: the unique financing services and bank secrecy, its world-leading pharma sector, and now emerging, highly innovative MedTech and biotech solutions which integrate AI and other sciences are key. Switzerland already leads Europe in VC investment per capita.

Monitoring regulations and trends is key to positioning our company’s business to stay resilient and ahead in turbulent times.