Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan (Schweiz) GmbH‘s approach of ’seamlessly combining global reach with deep local expertise’ makes it a go-to firm for cross-border issues, and a notable name for coordinating parallel contentious matters across jurisdictions. The two senior contacts are Thomas Werlen, who is ‘endowed with an unparalleled instinct for strategy’, and ’standout litigator’ Simon Vorburger. The team’s broad workload spans areas ranging from corporate and shareholder disputes to cases with a nexus to the sports, commodities and energy, telecoms and media, life sciences and engineering sectors, and also attachment and enforcement proceedings.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction: Sector knowledge
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Quinn Emanuel’s Swiss practice stands out for its unparalleled focus on high-value cross-border litigation, seamlessly combining global reach with deep local expertise. The team is known for its incisive strategic thinking, courtroom excellence and ability to handle complex, multi-jurisdictional disputes involving major corporates, financial institutions and sovereign entities.'
- 'I appreciate the firm’s lean, partner and success-driven structure and mindset.'
- 'Thomas Werlen is a truly exceptional lawyer: razor-sharp, intellectually brilliant and endowed with an unparalleled instinct for strategy. He plays a leading role in virtually every major dispute of significance in Switzerland, combining academic excellence with deep commercial insight and decisive strategic judgement.'
- ‘What sets Quinn Emanuel apart is its ability to combine deep Swiss law expertise with the global reach and resources of the world’s largest business litigation firm. Clients value the Zurich office for its strategic insight, innovative solutions and seamless coordination across jurisdictions.’
- 'Thomas Werlen is widely regarded as a leading expert in strategic litigation. Our cooperation with him has been highly successful, as his ability to anticipate opposing counsel’s moves and structure even the most complex cases with precision consistently delivers outstanding results.'
Key clients
- Group of AT1 bondholders of Credit Suisse
- Salt SA
- Lion Point Capital
- Vitaly Malkin/TMH
- McCormick
- Uniper Global Commodities
- Energizer Holding
- Nestlé
- Julius Baer
- Bergos
Work highlights
Represented a group of AT1 bondholders, with a total value of $5.5bn, in an action against FINMA following the wipe-out of $16bn worth of AT1 bonds in the UBS-Credit Suisse merger before the Swiss Federal Administrative Court.
Represented Energizer Manufacturing in appeal proceedings relating to a long-term contract on the supply of hearing aid batteries before the Swiss Federal Supreme Court.
Represented Lakestar and Athos Venture in a dispute concerning the control of Terra Quantum before various Swiss courts.
Practice head
Thomas Werlen; Simon Vorburger
Other key lawyers
Pierre-Yves Marro; Remo Decurtins