International firm Baker McKenzie Switzerland AG is best known for its expertise in handling complex financial restructurings that often involve cross-border issues. The ‘outstanding’ team also contributes regularly to thought leadership in this area with its weekly blog on international restructuring and insolvency matters. The practice is headed by Lukas Glanzmann, who often utilises his banking and finance expertise to advise financial creditors in complex financial restructurings, and Alexander Fischer, whose practice covers distressed M&A transactions. Markus Wolf represents both domestic and foreign creditors and debtors in Swiss and cross-border restructurings and formal insolvency procedures.

Providing ‘superior service with outstanding knowledge, skill, and judgment’, Lenz & Staehelin advises clients on the full spectrum of insolvency related matters including in out-of-court and in-court restructuring proceedings, the implementation of cross-border restructuring schemes, creditors rights in Swiss insolvency proceedings, pre-insolvency enforcement scenarios, distressed debts, insolvency-related litigation, and sale and acquisition of distressed companies. The team is co-led by Zurich-based Tanja Luginbühl and Geneva-based Roman Graf. Luginbühl is an ‘expert’ in insolvency and restructuring and has been involved in several complex domestic and cross-border cases representing companies in financial distress, banks and creditors whilst Graf has a special focus on distressed M&A and insolvency matters, including in-court and out-of-court restructurings and directors’ liability. Dominique Müller and Daniel Tunik are litigators and represent corporations and private individuals in proceedings before Swiss courts and international arbitral tribunals.

Schellenberg Wittmer Ltd provides the full spectrum of restructuring and insolvency matters including companies’ restructuring, loan-to-own transactions, distressed M&A, distressed refinancing, and advising board members on their duties, as well as liability claims. The team is headed by Olivier Hari, Tarek Houdrouge, and Urs Hoffmann-Nowotny. Hari specialises in complex national and cross-border insolvency and restructuring proceedings and related litigation proceedings, whilst Houdrouge, who co-heads the banking and finance team, has a strong focus on distressed situations. Hoffmann-Nowotny has a special focus on insolvency-related litigations, including actions to contest schedules of claims, claw-back actions, and the enforcement as well as defense of liability claims against directors and officers. Vincent Jeanneret, who is the former practice group head, has a wide range of expertise including distressed refinancing and M&A, corporate restructuring of listed and non-listed companies, filing of court-application for distressed businesses, litigation, and recognition of foreign orders. Cross-border insolvency expert Louis Burrus is a notable team member.

Wenger Plattner is experienced with handling insolvency and restructuring cases from both sides, namely acting as administrator or bankruptcy trustee in complex cross-border cases and advising debtors or creditors in other cases, within various industry sectors such as pharma, real estate and construction, energy, banking and finance, and technology. Practice head Brigitte Umbach-Spahn advises clients in domestic and cross-border restructuring and insolvency cases and represents them in related proceedings. Fritz Rothenbühler  handles insolvency and restructuring matters within the corporate, competition law, construction and real estate sectors. Karl Wüthrich advises creditors on national and international enforcement law and assisted debtors in formulating and implementing reorganisation and restructuring plans. Litigation specialist Stephan Kesselbach represents national and international clients before the administrative authorities, focusing mainly on corporate and insolvency law matters. Pablo Duc handles major bankruptcies and composition proceedings whilst Stefan Bossart primarily advises foreign clients on insolvency matters. Roland Burkhalter, who rejoined the team in 2022 from St Galler Kantonalbank, handles complex restructuring and insolvency assignments as well as extensive investigations and audits for the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA). Denise Jagmetti-Huser and Mathias Burghardt support the team.

Full-service law firm Bär & Karrer Ltd. draws on the specific know-how from specialists within different departments to support clients on out-of-court restructuring matters including distressed M&A, acquisition out of Swiss “Chapter 11” proceedings, handling D&O insurance, default negotiations with lenders and debtors under facility agreements, and tax-efficient structuring of restructurings. The team is headed by Christoph Neeracher, Luca Jagmetti, and Thomas Rohde. Neeracher has a strong focus on international and domestic M&A transactions, particularly in private equity and secondary buyouts, Jagmetti has special expertise in out-of-court restructurings, composition proceedings and related topics, such as mass dismissals, and Rohde has extensive expertise in corporate restructurings, creditor representation, and M&A transactions.

Using its strengths in recapitalisation and refinancing, Homburger has a particular focus on solvent and complex, out-of-court restructurings as well as preventative measures for clients active in the financial services industry. Practice head Stefan Kramer has a special focus on corporate recovery and cross-border restructuring matters. Daniel Haeberli , Benjamin Leisinger, and Benedikt Maurenbrecher have extensive expertise in solvency restructuring of debt instruments. Miguel Sogo represents clients in debt enforcement proceedings and compositions proceedings.

The team at Kellerhals Carrard advises officers and directors as to the measures to be implemented in the event of an imminent insolvency, represents financial institutions, debtors, acquirers of businesses or assets of financially distressed companies in insolvency related proceedings, and acts as court appointed trustees. The team is headed by Daniel Staehelin, who represents major creditors in high-profile insolvency proceedings and is often appointed as trustee in bankruptcy proceedings and bank litigations, and Lukas Bopp, whose practice includes acting as court appointed commissioner in insolvency proceedings and handling insolvency related litigation such as director’s liabilities claims, voidance actions, and claims regarding wrongful trading. Jean-Luc Chenaux specialises in M&A, financing, restructuring and governance whilst Alexandre Gachet supports clients with restructuring and insolvency matters, particularly in the banking sector. Ivan Paparelli acts as liquidator of companies under appointment by the FINMA and Emanuel Dettwiler has a special focus on distressed M&A transactions and restructurings.

Niederer Kraft Frey AG‘s team covers both restructuring, such as preparation and implementation of recovery measures, and insolvency, including advising both creditors and debtors in bankruptcy litigation. The team is led by Marco Häusermann who has vast experience in restructurings and workouts of all forms of debt, structured credit, and securitised assets. Bertrand Schott advises financial institutions, funds and fund management companies on domestic and cross-border restructuring and insolvency matters. Daniel Bono advises financial institutions on liquidity requirements. Adrian Koller, Philip Spoerlé, Andrea Giger, Roman Sturzenegger, and Moritz Maurer are notable team members.

The team at Pestalozzi offers a wide range of insolvency-related services, including cross-border bankruptcy-related litigation, the recognition and enforcement of foreign bankruptcy proceedings, acting as administrators to recover significant assets of foreign debtors, criminal proceedings, large-scale asset recovery and supervision of bankruptcy administration for major creditors. The team is headed by Thomas Rohner, whose practice includes representing domestic and international clients in insolvency and enforcement matters, and Christophe Emonet, who has vast experience in asset recovery and cross-border bankruptcies. The team comprises of litigation and arbitration specialists Michael Kramer and Florian Mohs, and corporate law expert Christian Leuenberger.

Prager Dreifuss AG represents banks, hedge funds, and other financial institutions in complex domestic and cross-border insolvency and restructuring proceedings. The team is particularly active in advising clients on arbitration proceedings and global enforcement strategies of arbitral awards that have been rendered. Daniel Hayek has extensive expertise representing creditors in bankruptcy-related litigation, from registering or purchasing claims to enforcement of claims vis-à-vis the bankruptcy administrators. Gion Jegher advises creditors with regards to questions arising from impending insolvencies, whilst Christian Casanova has experience in complex bankruptcy litigation. At the associate level Laura Richenberger, Rahel A. Nedi, and Mark Meili are names to watch.

Staiger Attorneys at Law Ltd's insolvency and restructuring practice group supports creditors with large, high-profile insolvency and bankruptcy proceedings as well as debt restructurings. The team is often appointed as liquidator and investigating agent by FINMA. The team is headed by Marc Bernheim, who has a key focus on directors’ and officers’ liability proceedings and acts as a representative of public receivers in insolvency proceedings. Philipp Känzig, who specialises in debt enforcement and corporate restructuring, and Gaudenz Geiger, whose practice covers out-of-court reorganisations and restructurings, are key members of the team.

The team at Walder Wyss Ltd. have been actively involved in several high-profile bankruptcy and creditors’ composition cases that involve cross-border implications. The practice group advise big stake creditors or debtors, typically Swiss companies with the head company being subject to a US Chapter 11 proceeding. The team is co-led by Dominik Hohler, Dieter Hofmann, and Mark A. Reutter. Considered a ‘brilliant mind and strategic thinker’, Hohler advises national and international companies regarding their restructuring, financing, reorganisation measures and insolvency. Hofmann is an experienced litigator often handling cases concerning insolvency, directors’ liability, and shareholders’ agreements, whilst Reutter advises clients active in the IT field on insolvency and restructuring matters. Urs Schenker supports the team.

CMS von Erlach Partners Ltd. has ‘deep legal knowledge’ on all insolvency and restructuring matters, regularly advises domestic and foreign financial creditors and debtors on judicial and non-judicial restructuring matters and corporate reorganisation measures, including non-performing loans, debt restructuring, and capital increases. The team is headed by Marjolaine Jakob who has a special focus on cross-border insolvency and restructuring law. Reto Hunsperger assists foreign insolvency administrators in enforcing claims and adding domestic assets to foreign insolvency estates.

MLL Legal has ‘extensive knowledge and experience’ in corporate restructuring and reorganisation, acquisition of distressed companies, debt enforcement, and moratorium and composition agreements. The team is headed by Sabina Schellenberg, who has ‘deep knowledge’ of national and international insolvency law, and Samuel Ljubicic, who has expertise in M&A and banking and finance. Alexander Vogel’s practice involves financial reorganisation measures, participation transfers, and intra-group mergers. Yannik Hässig advises and represents clients in insolvency-related litigation and the filing of claims in insolvency proceedings.

With teams located in Basel, Geneva, and Zurich, VISCHER is well-equipped to advise both creditors and debtors involved in complex domestic and cross-border insolvency and restructuring mandates. The team is particularly strong in distressed M&A, insolvency related litigation, corporate finance, and voluntary liquidation. Practice head Benedict Christ has extensive expertise in advising national and international clients on the full lifecycle of business activities from entry into the market to implementing and exit or restructuring issues. David Jenny often acts as liquidator and advises governing bodies of corporations and creditors on insolvency matters. Jana Essebier advises clients in pre- and post- insolvency situations, with a special focus on bank bankruptcy proceedings as does banking and finance partner Markus Guggenbühl. Thomas Weibel has vast knowledge of debt collection matters, including attachments and enforcements of freezing orders.

Wenger Vieli Ltd represents clients in bankruptcy and debt collection matters, with particular strengths in advising SMEs, entrepreneurs, and investors on out-of-court restructuring matters and supporting with turnarounds. The team is headed by Georg Zondler, who focuses on insolvency-related litigation and restructuring of listed companies, and Pascal Honold, who has expertise in distressed M&A and corporate reorganisations. Notable team members include Daniel P. Oehri and Martin Berweger, who both support the team with out-of court restructurings and various other insolvency matters.