The ‘proactive, available, and very pragmatic’ team at Lenz & Staehelin advises domestic and international clients on the full spectrum of banking and finance matters including refinancing, sustainability-linked, acquisition financings, regulatory advice, and fintech-related matters. The team is headed by the ‘highly experienced’ Shelby du Pasquier who has extensive expertise advising financial institutions, offshore private equity, hedge fund managers on various legal and regulatory matters as well as internal investigations. Olivier Stahler assists financial institutions, industrial groups, and commodities traders with regulatory advice, in particular the granting of licenses. François Rayroux has a key focus on asset management and regulatory matters, specifically new regulatory developments, such as digitalisation, and financial products. David Ledermann has expertise in complex equity financing for privately held companies, convertible debt financing and debt financing backed by traditional and non-traditional assets, while Fedor Poskriakov has specialist knowledge in advising on new technologies, such as DLT and fintech-business models. Other key team members include Valérie Menoud, Laurence Vogt Scholler, and Isy Isaac Sakkal.

Schellenberg Wittmer Ltd assists Swiss and foreign banks and other financial institutions, such as investment firms, insurance companies, fund management companies and asset managers, with a broad range of matters, including establishment and licensing, regulation of financial services, enforcement proceedings and internal investigations. The team is particularly strong on the transactional side – assisting clients with syndicated loan facilities and acquisition finance, structured finance transactions, derivatives, and asset management. The team is led by Grégoire Wuest, who has a special focus on multi-jurisdictional transactions involving non-standard and highly valuable assets securing borrowings as well as cross-border acquisitions, and Tarek Houdrouge, whose practice covers advising banks, financial institutions and financial intermediaries on regulatory matters, cross-border activities, lending transactions, distribution of financial products, and fintech. Caroline Clemetson handles requests with FINMA for securities firms, fintech banking licences, amendment of banks, and implementing new regulations such as ESG within banking institutions whilst Grégoire Tribolet advises numerous clients, both established banks and fintech start-ups, on their projects related to blockchain technology. Other key team members include Christoph Vonlanthen, Joane Etienne, Luc Thévenoz, and Edmond Kohler.

Bär & Karrer Ltd. advises Swiss banks and Swiss affiliates of foreign banks and other financial institutions on legal issues in contractual matters, regulatory and compliance matters, financing and derivatives projects, and complex civil, criminal and enforcement proceedings. Practice co-head Cédric Chapuis regularly advises Swiss and foreign clients on domestic and international transactions, as well as general corporate matters. Frédéric Bétrisey, who also co-heads the practice, is praised for his ‘deep knowledge and understanding of the Swiss regulatory jungle’. Martin Anderson guides clients through financing transactions while Andrew M. Garbarski handles financial and commercial litigation and Christoph Suter advises on the taxation of financial instruments.

FBT Attorneys-at-Law advises Swiss and foreign banks, securities dealers, insurance companies, investment fund and fund management companies, collective asset managers, asset managers and family offices on banking and finance regulations, including securities dealers, market infrastructure and derivatives, collective investment schemes, and financial services. The firm has a special focus on Swiss-French cross-border issues and often collaborates with its Paris office. Team head Frédérique Bensahel has expertise in banking and financial regulation, investment funds, cross-border activities, securities offering, collective investment schemes (both regulatory and contractual aspects), private equity and asset management, and complex financial disputes. Marco Villa advises large domestic and international banks and financial companies on banking contract law and financial regulations while Jean-Marie Kiener has expertise in derivatives and market infrastructure.

MLL Legal provides a wide range of legal services to financial institutions, funds, investors, and private individuals from regulatory advice, such as license requests, to complex financing transactions, including asset lending and acquisition financing. The team is headed by Dmitry A Pentsov, whose practice covers syndicated loans, pre-export financing, and other similar transactions, with a particular focus on Central and Eastern Europe, and Mona Stephenson, who advises Swiss and international companies, banks and corporations on national and international debt financing, private equity, corporate governance and commercial contracts. Jean-Luc Herbez and Alain Le Fort are further key contacts.

OBERSON ABELS SA provides ‘pragmatic and effective advice’ to financial market actors on obtaining FINMA licenses, licenses for financial products and subsidiaries and branches, and acquiring stakes in Swiss financial institutions. The team also assists clients with contractual issues and regulatory compliance. The team is headed by Philipp Fischer and Antoine Amiguet who both advise domestic and foreign financial institutions, in particular banks, securities houses, insurance companies, collective investment schemes, pension funds, trust companies and independent asset managers on Swiss banking and financial regulations. Sonia De la Fuente is a further key team member.

Pestalozzi‘s ‘pragmatic and helpful’ team advises lenders and borrowers on Swiss law-governed and cross-border international finance, acquisition finance, corporate finance, mezzanine financings, syndicated loans, and commodities trade financing. The team also has a regulatory practice which assists clients with compliance matters, licenses, and the structuring of new financial services. The practice is headed by Sébastien Roy, whose practice covers financing, M&A transactions and private equity, and Christophe Emonet, who specialises in international banking disputes and investigations. Ludivine Boisard‘s practice covers all types of domestic and cross-border banking transactions while Nicolas Herren handles banking disputes arising from contractual and regulatory issues. Other key team members include Christophe Berclaz, who has expertise in banking disputes with multi-jurisdictional aspects, and Jean-Baptiste Lhôte, who specialises in commercial law and banking transactions.

Walder Wyss Ltd. advises domestic and international banks, securities firms, financial institutions, and fintechs on high-profile financial transactions and regulatory compliance. The team also excels at banking litigation. The team is headed by Patrick W. Vogel who leads large banking cross-border M&A transactions which involve financing, regulatory and banking matters and require cooperation with local counsel in various jurisdictions. Hubertus Hillerström, who specialises in national and international financing, has supported several oil and gas, metals and soft commodities and trade finance operations. Adriano Antonietti has a key focus on regulatory and compliance matters, including obtaining FINMA authorisations and drafting contractual documentation to ensure compliance. Liburn Mehmetaj, who joined from Lenz & Staehelin in January 2023, has expertise in a broad range of specialized services in the banking and finance field, such as licensing, compliance, litigation, and crisis management. Valentine Schnyder, who advises banks and financial institutions on regulatory aspects related to their activities, is a further name to note.

Full-service firm Baker McKenzie provides advice on a broad range of banking and finance matters, including sanctions affecting financial institutions, debt financing transactions, loans and leveraged acquisition finance, and structured finance. Practice head Jingjin Guo advises banks and borrowers on financial transactions, loans and credit facilities, including trade finance, aircraft financing, securitization, and debt listing. Other key team members include Diana Bellido Gomes and Tatiana Ayranova.

Boutique firm Chabrier Avocats provides a wide range of legal and regulatory services to and regulatory services to banks, issuing houses, commodities trading companies, asset and portfolio managers, investment funds, and their clients in private and commercial banking, financing, dispute resolution, sanctions, and asset management. Thomas Goossens, who heads the practice, assists clients with regulatory matters, financing transactions, and the drafting and negotiations of contracts. Marc Gilliéron has extensive expertise in the commodities industry whilst Karim Khoury and Corinne Antille specialise in advice concerning corporate and commercial transactions. Corinne Antille is a further name to note.

CMS von Erlach Partners Ltd. assists Switzerland-based and global financial institutions, funds, industrial enterprises and other companies on a broad range of banking & finance issues. The team is headed by Vaïk Müller, whose practice covers banking, regulatory, financial services and products, and compliance and regulatory matters, and Pascal Favre , who has extensive expertise in acquisition and project financing, corporate and syndicated lending, and collective investment schemes. Audrey Durand focuses on blockchain and crowdfunding projects as well as regulatory matters.

Gillioz Dorsaz & Associés is a boutique law firm that regularly advises various financial institutions on their day-to-day operations and their internal regulatory and compliance documentation as well as representing clients in administrative and enforcement proceedings. Géraldine Badel Poitras, who has a special focus on anti-money laundering, compliance, and fintech investment due diligence. Damien Cand has extensive expertise in pension funds, collective investment schemes, and FINMA’s regulation and authorisation. Another notable team member is Bernardo Marques who is actively involved in various complex finance proceedings.

HFW’s team covers the whole spectrum including trade and asset finance, project and infrastructure finance, and regulatory work. The team is headed by Olivier Bazin who has unrivalled expertise handling complex disputes in the Swiss soft commodities market. Jason Marett often advises trading houses, corporates and financial institutions on a variety of financing transactions in the commodities market. New hire Gibran Alaoui, who joined the firm in April 2023, advises financial institutions and trading houses on all aspects of finance, including trade finance, structured trade finance, and bilateral and syndicated lending markets. Caroline West is an additional key contact at the Geneva office.

Litigation specialist LALIVE represents major corporate clients and high net-worth individuals on fraud, mismanagement of assets, improper execution and fraudulent orders and disputes related to structured and derivative products. The team distinguishes itself by representing clients against banks. Practice co-head Alexander Troller litigates financial matters, corporate and shareholder disputes, white-collar crime, and asset recovery. Nicolas Ollivier, who also co-heads the team, has specific technical knowledge regarding complex financial products and often handles complex banking disputes. Sandrine Giroud and Benoît A. Mauron are also key team members.

Mangeat Attorneys at Law LLC‘s ‘dynamic, proactive and professional’ team regularly assists independent asset and portfolio managers and companies with preparing and filing applications to FINMA to become regulated entities. In addition, the team has particular strengths in individual and collective asset management, anti-money laundering, financing transactions, bond issuance, and security token offerings. Practice head Fabien Aepli focuses on issues including regulatory authorisations, asset management (including collective asset management), and retrocessions. Grégoire Mangeat regularly acts in high-profile multijurisdictional cases and represents Swiss and foreign clients in the banking and finance sector before the Swiss courts.