Charles Russell Speechlys LLP — Switzerland
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About
- Our offices in Switzerland Our offices in Switzerland’s business hubs: Geneva and Zurich, combine local experience with international reach. We advise companies and resident individuals with domestic investments and business interests alongside our international legal services. Our multi-disciplinary team specialises in advising wealthy families, family businesses, and family offices. Our particular strength is that we offer integrated services and assist in the international structuring and protection of their wealth. We assist corporate groups, asset managers, commodities traders, sport federations, and not-for-profit organisations on corporate and commercial matters and with cross-border issues. When disputes arise, we leverage our litigation, arbitration, and investigations capabilities to identify the best path forward. We undertake some of Switzerland’s highest value transactions and cases and our partners are consistently ranked as leading lawyers in their respective fields in directories such as Chambers High Net Worth and The Legal 500. Our two offices are permanently staffed by lawyers with both local and international experience who are actively involved in the wider Swiss business community and who can advise on Swiss, English and New Zealand legal matters. We work in French, German, English, Italian, and Turkish. Geneva office: We provide a unique offering for domestic and foreign clients of integrated national and international legal advice in one of the world's premier centres for private wealth management. In addition to Swiss law, English law, UK and international tax advice, our legal team has broad experience in multi-jurisdictional matters. We will approach both common law and civil law issues from a practical perspective. Our particular strength is that we are able to offer individuals, family offices, private banks, fiduciaries, and financial institutions an integrated private client and commercial service to assist in the international structuring and protection of their wealth. When disputes arise, we leverage our litigation, arbitration, and investigations capabilities to identify the best path forward. We also offer corporate transactional advice as well as legal counsel on commercial, regulatory, trade, shipping, and insurance matters. Zurich office: From our Zurich office, we advise individuals, family offices, fiduciaries, and financial institutions using Switzerland as a wealth management centre. Our lawyers practice Swiss, English and New Zealand law as well as being experts in Swiss and UK taxation in a cross-border context. A particular strength is that we are able to offer wealthy individuals and family offices an integrated private client and commercial service to assist in the international structuring and protection of their wealth. Swiss private banking institutions benefit from our insight into the structuring, legal, and tax aspects of the products and services they offer into the UK and wider EU market as well as the regulatory controls governing the establishment, structure, and conduct of day-to-day business activities. Our Zurich office created Swiss City Parents, a network to support, champion, and advance the careers of parents working in the professional services field in Switzerland. Private wealth: As preferred advisers to private investors, families, and the wealth management industry, we aim to build a close relationship with each of our clients who come to us for clear commercial and practical advice. We have established expertise advising on: - Swiss, UK and cross-border tax matters Tax disclosures, investigations and cross-border tax reporting (eg Common Reporting Standard (CRS) and the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) and compliance regimes (eg the EU Fourth Anti-Money Laundering Directive) International wills, tax and estate planning, including transnational structuring where family members or assets are located in multiple jurisdictions - Cross-border succession matters - Inheritance disputes - Good governance in relation to family wealth - Art - Philanthropy - Immigration matters - Family law matters Corporate and commercial: Our work encompasses Swiss and cross-border mergers, acquisitions, and divestments as well as restructuring of solvent and insolvent companies. We can advise on Swiss and English law corporate and commercial matters from our Swiss offices. Other areas on which we advise include: All legal aspects related to Swiss financial regulatory matters such as licensing proceedings before the Swiss Financial Markets Supervisory Authority (FINMA) as well as on finance transactions Asset management matters and investment law, such as setting up, licensing and distribution of Swiss and foreign collective investment schemes, fund management companies - Corporate governance, shareholder arrangements and commercial contracts General corporate and private capital related transactions with a specific focus on private acquisitions and disposals, corporate reorganisations (often cross-jurisdictional and relating to private wealth holding structures), joint ventures and fundraisings - Employment contracts as well as employee and senior manager incentive arrangements Contentious issues relating to commercial and contractual disputes and between shareholders/investors and/or directors Litigation and dispute resolution: Our litigation and dispute resolution team works with both corporate and private clients, advising and representing those involved in a wide range of private wealth, commercial, sports, and regulatory issues. In the corporate area, we can assist with commercial disputes arising out of asset management, asset tracing, recognition of foreign decisions and arbitration awards, corporate contracts or transactions including acquisitions, investments and re-organisations, shareholder arrangements, directors’ duties, and insolvencies. We have expertise in art and cultural property, tax, and trust disputes, particularly in circumstances involving the interaction of common law and civil jurisdictions. ### We advise and represent Swiss and foreign clients before Swiss courts in internal and international arbitration. Swiss and foreign clients before the Swiss and English courts, through our team of Swiss and English qualified lawyers. On pre-litigation or settlement negotiations, preferring ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution Services) to keep disputes out of formal proceedings wherever possible. ### Tax Swiss Tax: Our corporate tax team can work to help create tax frameworks which stand the test of time, adaptable to changes within our client’s business or outside it. From large scale projects to bespoke advice on discreet matters, our team has the expertise to support clients. We can advise on the tax implications of company transactions such as the acquisition or disposal of businesses, reorganisations, and the use of innovative structure to hold assets. We can also advise on tax disputes with tax authorities, VAT matters, and the taxation of real estate. Our team can advise on changes in tax legislation and reforms that may impact the sectors that clients are active in. Bringing together experts in our UK, Luxembourg, and Swiss offices we can also advise on international tax matters, working closely with other trusted advisers. UK tax: Our market leading UK team advises global wealthy families, their businesses, and the institutions that service them, all from within Switzerland. Our location in Switzerland means that we are the first port of call for many Swiss based asset managers, financial institutions, and trustees, who may have UK connected clients or face UK tax issues. We regularly advise clients on the tax implications of moving to and from the UK, or the acquisition of property in the UK whether that be through a structure or in personal name. We also advise on the remittance basis of taxation for non-domiciliaries. UK tax disclosures for private clients can also be handled by our team in Switzerland. Sports: With most international federations and major sport institutions based in Switzerland, the sports team - combining Swiss and international legal expertise available locally - is in an ideal position to provide specialist sports law advice. Our international sports team works with and are go-to advisers for governing bodies, major sports clubs, elite athletes, international federations, brands, and agencies. Our skills cover areas such as: - governance in sport contract negotiations, in particular of sponsorship agreements, athletes’ employment contracts, buy-out and release clauses, agents’ contracts, and intellectual property rights - dispute resolution, including arbitration - wealth and estate planning for athletes establishment of foreign players in Switzerland or abroad, in particular in common law countries, France, and the United Arab Emirates. Our previous work includes advising sports federations and clubs on governance and contracts, negotiating sponsorship agreements, and international transfers of players. Immigration – Swiss and UK: Our corporate immigration team provides advice and assistance to companies looking to recruit personnel to work in Switzerland or the UK or transfer personnel across borders. We also conduct internal immigration audits to ensure compliance of companies with Swiss and UK immigration rules and provide training to HR teams on immigration compliance and best practice. Strict rules and complex procedures apply to people seeking to relocate to Switzerland and the United Kingdom, especially since Brexit. Individuals wishing to relocate to Switzerland or the UK face an ever-changing maze of rules and procedures and must meet specific criteria to obtain the right of residence for them and their family. Our private client immigration team is on hand to advise on the relevant criteria and can assist with all steps of the process to give clients’ applications the best possible chance of success. From advising on the requirements for visitors, obtaining the right of residence and an indefinite stay in either Switzerland or the UK, we can also advise on the requirements for Swiss and British Citizenship. Family and children: Our team of specialised lawyers advise in all areas of family law, adult and child protection, as well as in succession planning and proceedings. We can assist with legal representation and advice in relation to all complex legal issues concerning marriage, matrimonial property regimes, registered partnerships, pre- and post-marital agreements, cohabitation agreements, and divorce. We can advise on child law and child protection matters, including contact arrangements and in cases of relocation abroad. Our expertise also includes the law of parentage and cases involving surrogacy arrangements, medically assisted reproduction, and adoption. We have significant experience in international cases, from foreign marriages to abductions and adoptions of children abroad. We are committed to achieving the best result by finding pragmatic solutions where possible. We handle cases in English, French, Italian, Turkish, and Greek. Other offices: Cheltenham, Doha, Dubai, Guilford, Hong Kong, London, Luxembourg, Manama, Paris, Singapore. ### Staffing Figures - 12 Partners - 1 Counsels - 14 Associates - 3 Trainees - 3 Consultants/Tax Experts - 8 Members of staff
Office locations
Zurich
Zurich
Charles Russell Speechlys AG Seidengasse 13 8001 Zürich Zurich Switzerland
Geneva
Geneva
Charles Russell Speechlys AG 5 Rue De La Confédération 1204 Geneva Geneva Switzerland
Practice areas
Lawyers in this office
Alice Martin
Alice offers cross-border estate planning to international families and their professional advisers, with a particular focus on clients in the Arts and creative industries. Alice’s clients are wealthy families and the trustees, family offices and advisers who support them. Many of Alice’s clients are in the Arts and creative industries. Clients come to her for sound advice on cross-border succession planning, combined with UK tax advice, and Alice encourages her clients to see that the family wealth is much more than just the numbers on the balance sheet. International clients often have assets and family members across multiple jurisdictions, so the advice must balance multi-jurisdiction taxation issues with family dynamics. Alice has a particular focus on clients in the arts, media and digital industries. Her clients include performers, writers, games creators, art collectors, app developers and music industry leaders. Before qualifying as a lawyer, Alice studied theatre. Early in her career she also worked at an international auction house, advising on arts and heritage taxation. Alice is very tuned into the estate planning needs of creative clients. She also advises trustees and families with art collections. Many of Alice’s clients have US connections, including Brits moving to the US; and US families with UK connections. Alice also advises on issues of mental capacity. This is an issue of increasing importance professionally, and as Alice’s mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2013, it is something she also understands first-hand. Alice helps families, money managers and trustees when a family member has mental capacity issues. Alice is admitted to practise in England and Wales and as a foreign lawyer to the EU list of the supervisory commission of lawyers for the canton of Zurich and the Swiss Federation. · Cross-Border Estate Planning
Aline Wey Speirs
Aline is a Partner in the Dispute Resolution team, based in Zurich, Switzerland. Her main areas of practice are litigation, mediation and arbitration, with a focus on international commercial disputes, banking and fraud litigation. She advises and represents clients through all stages of the dispute resolution process with a strategic approach and an eye for lasting solutions. Through her white-collar crime practice, she has gained extensive experience in asset recovery and protection, including coordinating multi-jurisdictional applications for provisional measures and freezing orders, obtaining orders recognising and enforcing foreign judgments and awards, initiating insolvency proceedings and conducting internal investigations. Additionally, she acts as a mediator and advises private clients in family law related matters. Several of her cases involve advising clients in crisis situations such as divorce in combination with high stakes business interests. Previously she served as a substitute Judge – this is an elected post – and tried numerous cases in family law. Aline is also member of the board of directors for two leading Swiss companies, a FINMA regulated financial advisor and a holding group with subsidiaries in Europe, Singapore, and the Philippines. Before joining the Firm, Aline was a Partner and Head of the Dispute Resolution Group at a Swiss law and tax firm, and prior to that Counsel with an international law firm based in Zurich. Aline is a graduate of the University of St. Gallen, HSG, she holds an LL.M. of the University of Melbourne and is an accredited Mediator SBA and SCCM. She is admitted to practice in Switzerland. Her memberships include: Swiss Bar Association (SAV/SBA), Zurich Bar Association (ZAV), International Bar Association (IBA), Swiss Arbitration Association (ASA), Arbitral Women, Swiss Chamber for Commercial Mediation. Aline is admitted to practise in Switzerland. · Litigation
Benoît Pasquier
Benoît is a partner in the sports group of Charles Russell Speechlys in Zurich, specialising in commercial sports law (sponsorship, media rights and merchandising agreements), disciplinary & ethics proceedings, good governance and sports integrity issues (competition and match manipulation, age cheating and anti-doping). He also has experience in sports politics since he played a key role in the electoral campaign of AFC President, Shaikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, for the FIFA Presidential election in 2016. He is also an arbitrator at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland, since 2019. His name appears on two Lists of Arbitrators (General and Football) and he is regularly appointed. · Sports Law
Bruno Ledrappier
Bruno is a Partner in our Geneva office. He specialises in criminal law in both national and international matters with a special focus on white collar crime. Bruno also has a strong experience in civil cases, such as commercial and financial matters, trust litigation, family law and probate matters. Bruno is admitted to practise in Switzerland. · Criminal Law
Grégoire Uldry
Grégoire advises families, entrepreneurs, financial intermediaries and sport individuals on cross-border private client, family law, philanthropy and sports matters. Grégoire acts as executor of high-net worth estates. He also advises clients who are living in, or looking to relocate to, Switzerland. Grégoire specialises in asset structuring and estate planning, charitable trusts and foundations, as well as commercial law for family-owned businesses. He has particular expertise working with international families who are looking for effective governance structures through which to organise the long-term transition of wealth, including family businesses. Grégoire's clients include wealthy families, boards of trustees, trust companies, business owners, sports individuals and agents. Grégoire is admitted to practise in Switzerland. · Private Client
Mark Summers
Mark advises global wealthy families, their businesses and wealth holding structures, and the institutions that service them. He is most noted advising families resident or investing in multiple highly taxed and regulated jurisdictions such as the US or EU where they are affected by complex multi-jurisdictional tax and legal issues. Mark’s practice includes advising on matters of automatic exchange of tax information (including CRS and FATCA), anti-money laundering regimes and information registers (including 4 and 5AMLD), and requirements to report cross border transactions and tax schemes (including DAC6 and CRS Mandatory Disclosure Rules). It also includes the regularisation of untaxed assets particularly where there is a multi-jurisdictional dimension. Mark also advises on matters of UK taxation including the remittance basis of taxation for non-domiciliaries, matters of UK tax residency and the taxation of UK real estate. Mark is admitted to practise in England and Wales and as a foreign lawyer to the EU list of the supervisory commission of lawyers for the canton of Zurich and the Swiss Federation. Mark is a member of the IBA and the vice-chair of the STEP Public Policy Committee. He is a permanent Swiss resident with his family in the canton of Zug. · Private Client
Michael Wells-Greco
Michael advises on cross-border private client and international family and child law matters. Able to approach both common law and civil law issues from a practical perspective, Michael advises on international succession planning and mental capacity matters, with a particular focus on advising on asset protection aspects and resolving cross-border inheritance disputes. Michael deals with a wide range of cross-border family work including nuptial agreements, financial claims, and cohabitation issues. He advises trustees and beneficiaries caught up in divorce proceedings. He has considerable experience in disputes relating to children (custody, child abduction (Hague and non–Hague)), both within and outside of the Court forum. Michael is highly sought after to advise on international surrogacy arrangements, co-parenting agreements and adoption matters. His work usually has an international perspective, often involving inherited wealth, tax and trust implications, substantial assets or income. · Private Client
Pierre Bydzovsky
Pierre is a partner in the litigation group of Charles Russell Speechlys in Geneva, specialising in white-collar crime cases and mutual assistance proceedings, banking litigation, disputes relating to foundations and estates and insolvency. Pierre also advises companies on employment law and in the implementation of good governance rules in the field of data protection, as well as in sports law where he notably advises the Swiss Basketball Federation on all legal aspects including the organisation of competitions, players’ statutes and disciplinary matters since 2016. Pierre is also a certified Data Protection Officer (University of Geneva – 2020). Pierre is admitted to practice in Switzerland. · White-Collar Crime
Robert Avis
Robert is a barrister who advises and represents clients worldwide in relation to private wealth and commercial matters and disputes. Based in Geneva, he works closely with colleagues across the firm’s teams and locations, often on cases involving contentious trusts and succession issues with cross-border and foreign law elements. Robert also advises individuals and fiduciaries in relation to trust planning and administration. He has experience as an advocate before the English courts and arbitral tribunals and provides expert advice on English law issues to the Swiss courts and those of other jurisdictions. Robert is admitted to practise as a barrister in England and Wales and is a registered foreign lawyer (EU list) in the canton of Geneva. · Private Wealth
Serge Vittoz
About Serge is a Counsel in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution and in the sports group, prior to which he has practiced in two renowned Swiss law firms specialising in sports law and dispute resolution. Serge has extensive experience in advising and representing all actors in the sports sector both for their competitions, commercial, organizational or political activities, and in the context of proceedings before the judicial bodies of the sports organisations (e.g. FIFA Tribunal), the ordinary courts, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) or the Swiss Federal Tribunal. In addition, Serge advises and represents clients in commercial disputes, including arbitration, subject to Swiss law. He also advises institutional clients on employment law and data protection. Experience Serge has been for several years the Counsel and active Legal Director of a major International Sports Federation recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). He has represented major International Sports Federations in high-profile proceedings before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). He has advised and represented a National Football Federation and a professional football player, allowing them to participate respectively in the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup. He has conducted several audits relating to the governance and the constitutional and regulatory framework of national and international sports organisations, leading to reforms in line with the highest applicable standards. Serge has served as a judge on various judicial bodies of International Sports Organisations, in particular the Disciplinary Committee for the accredited laboratories of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the Anti-Doping Panel of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF). He is currently a member of the Appeals' Panel of the International Basketball Association (FIBA). · Sports Law
Simon Hofstetter
Simon has extensive experience in domestic and international commercial litigation, asset recovery and bankruptcy proceedings as well Swiss corporate law. Simon is a Partner in the dispute resolution group of Charles Russell Speechlys in Zurich, specialising in domestic and international commercial litigation and arbitration, with focus on commercial, banking and corporate (liability) disputes, asset recovery and white-collar crime. Simon represents clients before courts and authorities of both German and Italian speaking part of Switzerland as he has extensive experience in the legal environment of both regions. He also regularly assists companies and acts as an external legal counsel on corporate law matters, including M&A, changes in equities, corporate housekeeping, shareholders matters and corporate governance. He is a graduate from the University of Fribourg i.Ue. with bilingual and European Law distinctions, holds a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Forensics from the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (Competence Centre Forensics and Economic Crimes) and holds an LL.M. degree in business law from UCLA (University of California Los Angeles). Simon is a member of the Swiss Bar Association (SAV), the Zurich Bar Association (ZAV) and the ASA below 40 – Swiss Arbitration Association. He is also an active member of various networks, such as AIGLI (Associazione internazionale giuristi di lingua italiana), IBLC (International Business Law Consortium) and has been a board member since 2017 of the JCA International (Jurist Consult Alliance). Simon speaks German, English, Italian, French and Spanish. · Commercial Litigation
Sirin Yüce
Sirin is a lawyer advising on separation, divorce, finances, and children matters, as well as nuptial agreements. She is a Certified Specialist SBA Family Law. Sirin has established experience in family law advising clients on arrangements for their children and finances whether they are separating, divorcing or dissolving a registered partnership. She advises those who are planning to marry or enter into a registered partnership on family agreements. She has both significant experience in acting in challenging international children matters and dealing with complex finances on separation. Sirin acts for and against individuals across a broad range of industries and backgrounds. The majority of Sirin’s cases have an international element and involve high-net worth, high profile individuals. Sirin is highly sought after, and has extensive experience in, court work. Sirin is admitted to practise in Switzerland. She is ranked in Chambers High Net Worth Switzerland Family/Matrimonial with her clients saying: "Sirin is an excellent lawyer and is easy to deal with, since she has a good approach. She is always available and has deep knowledge of family law." Sirin is a member of: IAFL (International Academy of Family Lawyers) ODA (Geneva Bar association) SBA (Swiss Bar Association) Sirin is fluent in French, English and Turkish. · Family Law