Corporate and Commercial, M&A

Our corporate law practice ranges from incorporating entities domiciled in Switzerland to advising on capital increases and providing corporate housekeeping, reorganizing companies through mergers, spin-offs, etc. and their liquidation. We constantly strive to find the optimal corporate structure for your purposes.

We advise both private and public companies, including in regulatory matters. Our clients include small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as Fortune 500 companies and groups, including Walmart and Microsoft. Our Partners sit also as members on the board of directors of several Swiss companies.

We are experienced in the entire spectrum of the transaction business. We accompany you from the first negotiations, drafting letters of intent, preparation of the data room and due diligence to the purchase contract and closing.

In international matters, we work closely with foreign specialists. Over the years, we have established trustful relationships with renowned law firms around the world enabling us to set up and execute international transactions efficiently and competently.

In the area of private equity and venture capital, we accompany both investors and companies throughout the entire life-cycle of an investment. We advise from the acquisition, to providing continued legal support to increase the company’s value and either conclude at the exit or end of the investment. We structure and negotiate all forms of private equity investments: LBO/MBO transactions, minority participations, mezzanine forms of participation and growth financing. Our expertise also includes reorganization and restructuring transactions.

We have a sound understanding of technology and support you in IT projects, Fintech and data protection issues.

We support you in the drafting, negotiation and enforcement of cloud contracts and on-premises solutions (e.g. SAAS, license and project contracts) and in IT outsourcing projects, technology due diligence in M&A transactions and in administrative proceedings in the telecommunications sector.

Projects involving the digital economy cover numerous legal fields, including data protection, banking and capital markets and competition law. For each project, we build a suitable team that offers you the necessary expertise. Creative and legally compliant solutions is our claim. For international matters, we draw on a strong network of proven and tested partners.

We support you in all areas of employment law: we advise you on employment and dismissal, prepare employee regulations and are also experienced in bonus and employee participation schemes. For labor law issues related to M&A transactions and restructuring (including collective redundancies) or for the secondment of international employees we identify and implement the suitable solution, if needed in close cooperation with foreign specialists from our global network of law firms.

Our team advises Swiss and foreign companies and private individuals on migration law and related matters, including personnel leasing. We build on an established practice in the location of companies and individuals in Switzerland (including UHNWI and family members), both from EU/EFTA and non-EU/EFTA countries.

Our team advises and litigates both for employers and employees.

The core competence of our team has traditionally been litigation in all areas of banking and capital markets law for Swiss and foreign banks. This includes proceedings relating to trade practices, market abuse, insider trading and international legal and administrative assistance.

We also represent domestic and foreign banks and other market participants in regulatory matters and measure procedures, including licensing by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA). We support you in internal investigations and in exercising due diligence in financial transactions (compliance, KYC).

Our team also advises you on all financing transactions, such as syndicated loans, various forms of security and financial restructuring.

Our team supports you by advising and acting before courts and tribunals on a wide range of issues in the field of distribution, competition and intellectual property law. Together with renowned specialists of our international network we advise you also on cross-border projects and disputes efficiently and competently.

We advise you on domestic and international distribution, agency, franchise and license agreements and related antitrust issues.

In the field of intellectual property law (patents, trademarks, design, copyright) we cover all areas from licensing of intellectual property rights, joint ventures, R&D cooperations until technology transfer and development. We offer you a one-stop-shop service by undertaking and coordinating tasks such as domestic and international trademark filings. We also advise and litigate in the field of unfair competition (false and comparative advertising, passing off, false affiliation, trade dress protection, denigration, know-how and performance protection, bribery, etc.).

Our team supports companies that are refinancing, in negotiations with investors and creditors, and in insolvency proceedings. We advise distressed corporations including those with imminent payment difficulties and defend directors against liability claims.

For creditors, we assert claims against insolvent debtors and persons liable in bankruptcy, including liability and restitution claims. We also represent you in creditor committees and act on behalf of foreign insolvency administrators and creditors to claim assets and pursue rights in Switzerland.

We offer comprehensive legal advice in connection with the conception, drafting and implementation of contracts in all areas of commercial law and support and accompany you during the entire contract negotiations. We ensure that your interests are properly reflected in the agreement and introduce during the contract drafting process our extensive sector knowledge.

Our expertise spans from agreements normed by the Swiss Code of Obligations (sale and delivery contracts, rent and usufructuary rent contracts, contracts for work and services as well as service agreements of any kind etc.) and such agreements which are not (e.g. lease contracts, factoring agreements, franchise and sponsoring contracts).