A team that is noted for its ‘very good business acumen’, CMS von Erlach Partners Ltd. provides its clients with a one stop shop for competition issues, and demonstrates substantive strengths within the pharmaceutical, construction, technology, and financial services sectors; the group is able to draw upon its global network to operate for multinational corporations in the competition sphere. Three key players helm the group: ’outstanding’ Marquard Christen, who handles a significant volume of investigations, enforcement actions, and appeals, Patrick Sommer, who is well-positioned to advise on issues arising from heavily regulated sectors such as pharmaceuticals, and Pascal Favre, a capable practitioner in the context of merger controls, antitrust appeals, and internal investigations. Simone Brauchbar Birkhäuser is another name to note, pairing her competition and IP knowledge to advise a varied range of clients.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
'They are a great practice.'
‘My lawyer Marquard Christen fulfills my needs and knows how to translate the lawyer jargon so that it becomes comprehendible for me.’
‘Marquard Christen is active! He gives me relevant information on current business that affects me and responds to my needs in an uncomplicated way.’
‘Very good business acumen, provided a tailored solution for our needs.’
‘Very competent and nice to work with.’
‘Very customer oriented, demonstrate high competence and are approachable.’
‘The team has access to a wide range of international specialists they can bring in if required. Their way of working is extremely business-oriented.’
‘Marquard Christen is an outstanding, business-oriented and dedicated lawyer.'
Key clients
- Bayer
- Voigt
- Bruker Corporation
- Swisscard
- Synlab
- Hachette Livre and Hachette Group
- Cruspi Ltd
- Ypsomed
- Back Enterprises AG
- Agir Ltd
Work highlights
- Representing Swisscard, the leading Switzerland-based credit card issuer which is a joint venture of Credit Suisse (now UBS) and American Express, in an investigation by ComCo into several of Switzerland’s largest financial services providers regarding an alleged boycott of Apple Pay and other international mobile payment solutions.
- Represented Rico Back, owner of Back Enterprises Ltd., and his company Back Enterprises Ltd as an intervening party and witness, in the merger control proceedings regarding Swiss Post's attempt to acquire its competitor Quickmail, a Swiss provider of parcel and letter delivery services, resulting in the third prohibition decision ever made by the Swiss Competition Commission.
- Advising Hachette on an alleged ban on parallel imports in the market for French-language books.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Practice head
Marquard Christen; Patrick Sommer; Pascal Favre
Other key lawyers
Simone Brauchbar Birkhäuser