GLI - Mergers & Acquisitions 2026

Overview Statutory and regulatory M&A framework in Switzerland

Private M&A

The regulatory environment in Switzerland to date continues to be investor-friendly for the following three main reasons: (i) limited investment restrictions (a notable exception being the Federal Law on Acquisition of Real Estate (the so-called Lex Koller), as well as the Investment Screening Act, which was adopted in late 2025; see below); (ii) vast flexibility of the parties in the asset or share purchase agreement (e.g., with regard to representations and warranties, indemnities, disclosure concept, cap, etc.); and (iii) low bureaucracy.

Private M&A transactions are generally not extensively regulated as there is no specific act regulating the acquisition of privately held companies. The main legal source is the Swiss Code of Obligations (CO), which provides quite a liberal framework for transactions.