Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Partner. Practice focuses on mergers & acquisitions, particularly cross-border transactions, and on corporate governance. Other areas of work include capital markets law (particularly equity offerings and IPOs) and financial services regulation.
Rolf Watter has broad experience in all types of M&A transactions, including defence mandates. He also specializes in corporate governance questions and capital market transactions. He is a board member of the listed AP Alternative Portfolio and of the privately held Faber Castell (Holding). He used to be chairman of PostFinance AG (2012/2021), CEVA Logistics (2018/2019) and of Nobel Biocare (2012/2014; member 2007/2012); further he was a board member in a number of other Swiss listed companies, namely Aryzta, Zurich Insurance Group, Syngenta, Centerpulse, and Forbo. In addition, he is a member of the Regulatory Board of the SIX Swiss Exchange. Rolf teaches as a professor at the University of Zurich since 1996 and is an editor of the GesKR and the Basler Kommentare on the Code of Obligations II, the Financial Infrastructure Act, the Banking and the Merger Act. He regularly publishes in his fields of work. In Chambers Global and Europe, Rolf Watter is consistently ranked in tier 1 of the leading lawyers for Corporate/ M&A in Switzerland. Rolf Watter is recognized as a leading lawyer in the Legal 500 Hall of Fame. He is listed among the top 30 corporate governance practitioners in the world by Expertguides. Rolf Watter won the ILO Client Choice Awards Switzerland in the category M&A (2016 and 2018) and Capital Markets (2014); WWL has ranked him in 2019 as best Corporate Governance lawyer.
Rising stars
Rising stars with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Raphael Annasohn has broad experience in international and domestic M&A transactions in various industries focusing on private M&A and private equity, corporate reorganizations and restructurings as well as corporate law and general contractual matters, in particular shareholders' agreements. Furthermore, he specializes in the fields of venture capital and startups and assists clients in their ongoing commercial activities.
Partner; Gian-Andrea Caprez has broad experience in domestic and cross-border M&A and private equity transactions across various industries. He advises his clients on all aspects of corporate and commercial law as well as on corporate governance matters. In addition, he supports entrepreneurs and investors in venture capital investments and financing rounds.
Jingjin Guo is a partner in Baker McKenzie's Merger & Acquisitions and Banking & Finance practice groups in Switzerland. Jingjin is also actively involved in the Firm's EMEA-China initiative. He is also the general secretary of the Swiss-Chinese Chambers of Commerce in Geneva. Jingjin focuses on mergers and acquisitions, corporate matters and investments. He regularly advises multinational companies on cross-border reorganizations and restructurings. He is also experienced in multijurisdictional complex financing structuring, investments and financings, including creating and implementing complex securities interests, assets-backed financings and aircraft financings. In addition, Jingjin advises a great number of technology companies and groups, especially in connection with data centers and crypto-related companies in the fields of cryptocurrencies, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), the metaverse and play-to-earn games.
Marcel Jakob is a Partner in our Mergers & Acquisitions Group in Zurich. He focuses on domestic and cross-border M&A transactions including asset deals and restructuring transactions. He regularly advises entrepreneurs and startups as well as venture capital and private equity investors. Marcel has a focus on transactions involving highly regulated businesses (in particular financial institutions and life science companies) and technology driven business models. Before joining Schellenberg Wittmer, Marcel gained experience in the tax department of an international audit firm, in a startup company as well as in the legal department of a securities dealer. Experience Swiss counsel to Arsenal Capital Partners in its acquisition of ATP Group. Counsel to TE Connectivity (NYSE: TEL) in its acquisition of ERNI Group AG. Counsel to prop-tech startup PriceHubble on a USD 34 million Serie B round. Counsel to Open Mineral, which operates a global digital trade platform for commodities, in its USD 33 million equity financing round led by Mubadala Investment Company. Counsel to Axpo Holding on the sale of Avectris AG, Baden, a Swiss IT service provider, to GIA Informatik AG. Counsel to group of Swiss private investors on their acquisition of furniture and home appliance retailer Conforama Switzerland from its French parent company Conforama Holding. Counsel to the shareholders of Xovis Holding AG (including investment company EMERAM Capital Partners GmbH) in its sale to a fund advised by the Swiss private equity firm Capvis AG. Counsel to Swiss specialty pharmaceutical company Santhera Pharmaceuticals in licensing transactions. Counsel to EFG International AG in its acquisition of the Swiss bank BSI SA from Banco BTG Pactual S.A. for a purchase price of approx. CHF 1.328 billion.
Partner. Practice focuses on public and private mergers & acquisitions, private equity and capital markets. Other areas of work comprise matters of corporate governance and executive compensation, as well as corporate law and securities regulation.
Leading individuals
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Alexander Fischer co-chairs Baker McKenzie’s Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity practice groups in Zurich. Currently based in Zurich, Alexander also has experience working in the Firm’s Chicago office. He routinely represents clients on a wide range of areas of law ancillary to the Firm’s Banking & Finance, Private Equity and Mergers & Acquisitions practices. Alexander is a recommended lawyer in his areas of practice by the Legal 500, Chambers and other publications. He serves as a member of the board of directors of different Swiss companies. Alexander advises listed and non-listed clients in the areas of cross-border and domestic mergers and acquisitions, private equity and debt financing. He also provides sound and insightful counsel on general corporate and commercial matters.
Partner. M&A, PTOs, private equity (incl. venture capital), IPOs, equity offerings (incl. innovative structures), shareholder activism, corporate law and governance, securities regulation.
Partner. Dieter Gericke heads the Corporate / M&A practice team. He focuses on public and private M&A, shareholder activism, equity capital markets (incl. IPOs), private equity and corporate governance.
Christoph Neeracher specializes in international and domestic M&A transactions (focusing on private M&A and private equity transactions, including secondary buyouts, public to private transactions and distressed equity), transaction finance, venture capital, startups, corporate restructurings, relocations, corporate law, general contract matters (e.g. joint ventures, partnerships and shareholders agreements) and all directly related areas such as employment matters for key employees (e.g. employee participation and incentive agreements). He is experienced in a broad range of national and international transactions both sell and buy side (including corporate auction processes) and the assistance of clients in their ongoing corporate and commercial activities. Additionally, Christoph Neeracher represents clients in litigation proceedings relating to his specialization. Chambers Global and Europe rank him as a leader in the field of M&A (since 2010) and IFLR 1000 lists him as one of the leading lawyers in Switzerland (since 2012). The International Who's Who of M&A Lawyers lists Christoph Neeracher as one of the world's leading M&A lawyers. The Legal 500 (2012) describes him as "extremely experienced in M&A matters and very strong in negotiations" and ranks him among the leading individuals. Christoph Neeracher is ranked first in Mergermarket's Profile League Table for 2016's most prolific individual DACH legal advisors.
Philippe Seiler has broad experience in international and domestic private M&A transactions in various industries with a special focus on life science and health care transactions (incl. medtech, pharma, healthcare providers in various industries, suppliers to healthcare providers etc.). Philippe Seiler does not only cover big size transactions and takeovers but also focuses on small- and mid-size M&A transactions, private equity transactions as well as venture capital and startup transactions. Furthermore, he advises clients on regulatory matters relating to life science and health care law outside of M&A transactions. Philippe Seiler is praised for his pragmatic and solution-oriented advice while at the same time having an excellent technical knowledge. Due to his extensive transaction experience he has a fast and good understanding of the business and the process. Legal 500 ranks Philippe Seiler as a Key Contact for Healthcare and Life Sciences transactions and Who's Who Legal lists him in M&A and Governance. In addition, Philippe Seiler was listed as a "Rising Star in Corporate/M&A/Private Equity" by Legal Media Group. Philippe Seiler has frequent speaking engagements on M&A-related topics and teaches regularly at a number of private and public Universities (e.g. LL.M. of the University of Zurich, Switzerland; Executive MBA University of St. Gallen).
Beat Speck works mainly in the M&A, venture capital, private equity und blockchain/ICO fields. He heads the Transactions practice group. In particular, Beat Speck deals with the entire life cycle of venture capital and private equity financing. He advises national and international investors on the structuring of funds, consults on the investment process in holding companies, is available to them during the holding period and helps all parties involved to a successful exit (IPO, trade sale, dual track). In his capacity as a lawyer, civil law notary of the Canton of Zug and recognized representative at the SIX Swiss Exchange, he is in a position to offer the individual processes efficiently from a single source. Beat Speck publishes regularly in his fields of expertise. He is a board member of SECA (Swiss Private Equity and Corporate Finance Association) as well as of the Private Equity Chapter of Meritas.
Oliver Triebold is a Partner in Schellenberg Wittmer's Mergers & Acquisitions Group in Zurich. He specializes in cross-border and domestic M&A transactions, private equity and venture capital investments, corporate governance matters, corporate restructurings and commercial business transactions.Experience: Advised ZKB in its sale of Swisscanto Funds Centre Ltd. (London) to Deutsche Börse Group’s Clearstream Advised MoneyPark and its shareholders in Helvetia Group's acquisition of 70% of the shares in MoneyPark Advised Schroder & Co Bank in the sale of its Eastern European private banking business to Compagnie Bancaire Hélvétique
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Contribution fromBär & Karrer Ltd.Bär & Karrer Ltd.
Contribution fromBär & Karrer Ltd.Bär & Karrer Ltd.
