MLL Legal

Alain Gros is a highly experienced litigator at our Geneva office and has extensive experience in commercial law practices. He joined MLL Legal in 1998 and became a partner in 2003. He has broad experience in domestic and international litigation, including civil and criminal attachments and interim measures proceedings. He was a member of the team representing a public entity, which filed the highest claim with a Swiss civil court in a banking matter. Alain is also very active in all corporate and contractual matters, in M&A, in employment law, in aviation and in insurance law.

Alain Le Fort

Alain le Fort has extensive experience in banking and finance, and regularly advises clients on banking regulatory and asset recovery matters. He founded the firm Lachenal & Le Fort, that later merged with MLL in 2012 to become MLL.

Alexander Vogel

Alexander Vogel heads the firm's corporate & finance department. He specialises in complex cross-border M&A and finance transactions, including acquisition finance, corporate lending, private equity, capital market as well as complex real estate transactions. Alexander Vogel has broad experience in financial regulatory, capital markets, banking and finance as well as related M&A transactions. He is ranked in various directories including Chambers and Partners, The Legal 500 and IFLR, which describe him as “a standout individual in the firm's corporate practice”. He is commended by clients for his "brilliant, tactical, structured and goal-oriented advice. He is responsive and takes a business-minded approach." He regularly publishes in the area of corporate finance, FinTech and M&A.

Andrea Schäffler

Andrea Schaeffler is an associate of the firm’s IP team in Zurich. She represents and advises clients in all aspects of intellectual property and unfair competition law, with a focus on trademark, copyright and design law.

Andrea Trost

Andrea Trost's practice focuses on banking & finance and on corporate and commercial transactions. She also advises on employment law and data protection matters. She joined our London office as an associate in 2017. Prior to joining MLL Legal, she trained with a business law firm in Zurich and worked in the compliance department of a commercial bank.

Andrea Sieber

Andrea Sieber specialises in national and cross-border M&A, private equity and capital market transactions as well as national and international company reorganisations. She also advises clients on collective investment schemes, corporate governance, listing rules and general corporate law. Her clients include listed companies, financial institutions and other large and medium-sized companies. She specializes in regulated industries (financial services, life science, healthcare) and on the machinery, media entertainment and consumer goods industry. Andrea Sieber has been on the board of a Swiss listed company since 2016 and is the president of the supervisory board of a German company, since 2011.

Arnaud Martin

Arnaud Martin heads the firm’s tax practice in Western Switzerland. He is a Swiss Certified Tax Expert and has more than 15 years of experience in Swiss and international taxation, with particular expertise in business restructurings, corporate financing, tax litigation and VAT.

Catherine Kavadze

Catherine Kavadze joined the Private Clients group as an senior associate in July 2016 and became Counsel in 2023.

Catrina Luchsinger Gähwiler

Catrina Luchsinger Gähwiler is a specialist in financial market law and corporate law. She has a wealth of experience advising financial market clients, including banks, asset managers and investment vehicles, as well as substantial operational knowledge. She also serves on the management boards of various companies, some of which are in the financial services sector. Catrina joined our firm as an associate in the year 2000. She became a partner in 2007. Catrina advises financial services clients and investment companies on regulatory issues as well as on contractual aspects relating to the financial market industry. She furthermore has considerable experience in acquisition and financing transactions, in general corporate work, both for listed and privately held companies, in mergers and acquisitions – predominantly in the financial services sector – and regularly advises in equity capital market transactions both for SIX Swiss Exchange, where she is admitted as a listing agent, and for BX Berne eXchange.

Christian Schilly

Christian Schilly is based out of the Geneva office and is a specialist in the litigation and dispute resolution areas, having acquired specific know-how and experience in all civil and criminal proceedings (asset tracing, debt recovery and restructuring, labour law, rental law, insolvency law). Christian Schilly is also actively guiding and supporting our junior associates in their day to day business, so to help them to become accomplished attorneys.

Christian Rebell

Christian Rebell is a partner in MLL Legal’s Corporate and M&A team. He specializes on corporate law and M&A, financings and capital market law. Christian regularly advises clients on domestic and cross-border M&A and financing transactions, the structuring and dissolution of joint ventures, restructurings and corporate governance matters.

Christoph Heiz

Christoph Heiz is Of Counsel at MLL Legal. He regularly advises on capital market transactions, M&A, investment fund schemes and corporate finance structures. His Swiss and international clients include several listed companies, financial institutions as well as other large and medium-sized companies. Christoph Heiz has a particular focus on regulated industries such as financial services, banking and investment funds as well as on the consumer goods industry and the information technology sector.

Cosima Trabichet-Castan

Cosima Trabichet-Castan specializes in Real Estate and Rental Law and in Labour Law. She advises clients on real estate deals and contracts, gives advice to HR professionals regarding how to deal with employment law issues and represents clients in civil and administrative litigation proceedings across all French speaking cantons of Switzerland. Cosima Trabichet-Castan was also appointed as an assistant judge at the Geneva Court for landlord and tenant disputes in 2016, which shows recognition for her experience and practice in the field of rental law.

Daisy Vacher

Associate

Daniel Donauer

Daniel Donauer is an attorney in the firm’s Zurich office and a member of the Product Regulation, Intellectual Property and Litigation & Arbitration practice groups.

Daniel Schoch

Daniel Schoch specializes in private M&A, private equity and capital market transactions. He also advises lenders and borrowers in virtually every type of financing transaction with a main focus on syndicated loans, asset-based finance and bilateral loan agreements for high net worth individuals. Daniel Schoch has been a partner and member of the firm’s M&A and banking and finance department since 2011. He serves on the boards of directors of Spital Männedorf AG, Toys R Us AG and Cayago AG, which contributes to his extensive knowledge of the healthcare and retail industries. He is fluent in German and English.

David Peter

David Peter is a senior associate in MLL Legal’s Employment Law & Social Security group and member of the Dispute Resolution Team in Zurich. His practice focuses on advising and representing clients in various employment law and HR related matters. He advises and represents Swiss and international individuals and entities before all Swiss courts and authorities. He also has extensive experience in debt enforcement and bankruptcy law as well as real estate law, both litigating and advising.

Dimitri M Rotter

Dimitri Rotter is a very experienced tax lawyer based at the Zug office but heads also the Geneva tax practice of the firm. He has a long standing practice of corporate tax due to his background with the Big Four accounting firms. He represents clients in tax litigation cases in the Swiss Courts up to the Supreme Court. Dimitri Rotter focuses on domestic and cross border tax, including tax optimisation, and selected aspects of VAT notably for private client and their investment structures where he assists clients with regard to all related legal aspects. Special domains of expertise are aviation tax and syndicated loans.

Dmitry A Pentsov

Dmitry Pentsov’s specialisms include banking and finance, international arbitration (with a particular focus on Russia and other republics of the former USSR), corporate and commercial (especially international joint ventures and cross-border transactions governed by Swiss law) and international private client law (wealth transfer and structuring, including trusts, acquisition of aircraft and real estate and relocation to Switzerland). He has been an associate in our Geneva office since 2006 and became a Partner in 2016. He has extensive legal experience in Russia and other republics of the former Soviet Union. He has represented foreign investors in joint-venture projects with local companies (banking, oil, gas and other natural resources, transportation, real estate, telecoms), as well as domestic and foreign purchasers, sellers and brokers in connection with the purchase and sale of securities, custodial relationships, creation of investment funds and institutions, and brokerage contracts. He acted as a counsel in international arbitration (ICC, Swiss Rules, VIAC, amongst others) in various disputes, arising out of the international sale of goods, joint venture agreements as well as distribution agreements. He also acted as counsel in the CAS arbitration.

Dunja Koch

Partner specialising in corporate and finance, particularly advising UK and US clients with regard to Switzerland. Also specialises in finance and in particular trade, asset and project finance, as well as aircraft finance. She also advises on banking and regulatory matters, in particular private equity and investment funds, and regularly assists foreign financial institutions with regard to the Swiss regulatory regime.

Florian Müller

Florian Müller heads the firm’s China Desk. He mainly advises and supports Swiss and international clients in doing business in China and Chinese clients in doing business in Switzerland.

Frédéric Cottier

Frédéric Cottier is a partner in MLL's Geneva office. He was admitted to the bar in Switzerland in 1997 after which he obtained an MBA in the US. He then spent a year working in a law firm in Milan and then joined MLL in 2000. Frédéric Cottier's practise mainly focuses on corporate and real estate law as well as private banking.

Gabriel Meier

Gabriel Meier is a member of the firm’s Corporate and M&A team. His main areas of practice focus on general corporate law, the sale and acquisition of companies and the structuring of joint ventures. He also advises clients on labour law issues and has broad experience in drafting commercial contracts such as manufacturing and distribution agreements. Gabriel studied in Zurich and Geneva and was admitted to the Swiss bar in 2012.

Grégoire Schafroth

Grégoire Schafroth’s practice focuses on banking and finance as well as corporate and commercial law. He advises financial institutions and financial services providers on the regulatory and transactional aspects of their activities, and he assists companies in all areas of business law, such as M&A, financings and general corporate and organizational matters. He also assists high-net-worth individuals with their business and private affairs.

Guillaume Fournier

Guillaume is co-head of the firm’s trademark and design group. His practice encompasses all aspects of IP law, with a focus on IP litigation and arbitration, trademark and design prosecution and contractual and commercial intellectual property. He has extensive experience in litigating IP cases (both technical and non-technical) in both the French and German-speaking parts of Switzerland. Having taken care of clients’ IP issues in China for a long time and practised in China for a year, he regularly advises rights holders on China-related IP and anti-counterfeiting strategies (both inbound and outbound).

Guy-Philippe Rubeli

Guy-Philippe Rubeli advises and represents Swiss and international clients in commercial matters. He advises corporate and institutional clients on matters relating to corporate law, contract law, employment law, real estate law and recovery matters, with a focus on dispute resolution issues, in particular before state courts and arbitral tribunals. Guy-Philippe Rubeli has wide-ranging experience gained nationally and internationally since 1980. He is a member of the firm’s dispute resolution group as well as of the employment practice group. He actively participates in the activities and development of the firm’s corporate practice.

Hannah Cipriano-Favre

Hannah Cipriano-Favre is an associate lawyer in the firm’s dispute resolution team in Geneva, where she assists individual clients and companies in civil, criminal and administrative matters with regard to dispute resolution. Hannah Cipriano-Favre specializes in labor law and regularly represents employers and employees in labor court proceedings. Her know-how enables her to efficiently advise employers and employees on all issues relating to their employment relationships and immigration status. As a litigator, in addition to labor law, she represents her clients in all civil and criminal proceedings, including matters pertaining to tenancy law and debt collection.

Hélène Weidmann

Hélène Weidmann’s practice is focused on M&A transactions (representing buyers or sellers), corporate and commercial law as well as financing transactions. She assists Swiss and international entrepreneurs as well as Swiss and foreign companies of all sizes, from start-ups and SMEs to multinational companies across a broad range of industries and sectors such as banking, IT, retail and luxury.

Jacques Johner

Jacques Johner is a Partner at MLL Legal. His practice includes real estate, construction law, land and use planning law, as well as public procurement law and other aspects of public law. He is also a member of the competition and distribution practice group.

Jean Marguerat

Jean Marguerat has experience across all areas of dispute resolution, with particular expertise in international arbitration and in international litigation. Jean Marguerat is one of the authors of the Commentary on the Swiss Rules of International Arbitration. Jean Marguerat has been a Partner in our Geneva office since 2010 and is the Office Managing Partner since January 2020. Jean Marguerat’s practice focuses on international arbitration, litigation and contract law. Jean Marguerat has experience as party counsel and as arbitrator in more than 90 institutional (ICC, SCAI, LCIA, VIAC, CAS, etc.) and ad hoc international arbitrations involving sale of goods and commodities, distribution and agency, construction, marine works, joint ventures, corporate transactions and sport related matters. He also regularly represents clients before the Swiss courts in all fields of commercial disputes and notably those in relation to arbitration (enforcement and challenge of arbitral awards). His activity includes recognition & enforcement proceedings (including attachments) and international legal assistance.

Jean-Luc Herbez

Jean-Luc Herbez has an extensive experience in commercial, corporate, banking and securities law. As a partner at the Geneva office, he led the MLL litigation team, which in 2012 achieved the highest settlement in a Swiss court on a banking matter. His work includes all the regulatory, finance, audit and litigation aspects of commercial law. He advises domestic and international clients and acts as a director in a limited number of regulated companies. Jean-Luc Herbez has resigned from the partnership, staying Of Counsel to the firm.

Jean-Marie Vulliemin

Jean-Marie Vulliemin is in charge of our Madrid office. With broad experience in international commercial arbitration, in particular with Spain and Latin America, he acts both as counsel and as arbitrator. He is very active in art and sports law, as well as in international estate law.

Jérôme Pidoux

Jérôme Pidoux's practice focuses on transactional, commercial, banking, finance and regulatory matters. He regularly advises clients on M&A and financing transactions. He further advises asset managers, collective investment schemes, securities dealers and other financial institutions in relation to their activities in Switzerland, their licensing requirements, as well as the offering of financial instruments and services. He joined the firm in 2014. Prior to joining MLL Legal, he worked for several years in the transactional and commercial group of a business law firm in Geneva.

Julie Wynne

Julie Wynne, TEP, is specialised in all aspects of international estate planning. She provides advice in the field of wills, probate and estate administration, application of international succession laws, including international inheritance and tax issues. She is also a highly regarded social impact lawyer with a particular expertise in philanthropy, social entrepreneurship and social impact finance. She advises individuals, non-profit organisations and businesses which aim to make social and environmental impact. Julie Wynne also has significant experience in employment law. She provides advice to a wide array of clients, whether organisations or individuals. She worked two years as clerk with the Geneva Labour Courts. Passionate about art, Julie Wynne assists institutional art collectors and individuals on legal issues relating to their collecting activities in connection with tax and estate planning. She also advises cultural institutions on charity law, governance issues, legacies, fundraising and sponsorship. She is a Board member of the Fondation de l'Elysée and the president of its Patrons' Club, Club Elysée. She is very involved in the promotion of philanthropy and the use of business as a force for good. She is the Vice-president of ESELA – the Legal Network for Social Impact, Co-Chair of STEP Philanthropy Advisors Steering Committee and a member of the Advisory Council of the Geneva Center for Business and Human Rights. She sits also in various boards of charitable organisations, amongst other of Giving Women, Earthworm Foundation and Switzerland for UNHCR Foundation.

Julien Tron

Julien Tron is a partner in the private clients practice group of MLL Legal in Geneva and has been working with the firm since 2012. He has a strong focus on estate and succession law, real estate and tax issues. Julien Tron has also a valuable experience in complex and mostly international succession and collar-crime litigation with multiple parties involved. Julien advises clients in several languages and his international practice is an advantage in dealing with foreign clients with Swiss interests or with complex cases involving several jurisdictions and applicable laws. Julien Tron's working languages are French, English, German, Italian and Spanish.

Julien Tron

Julien Tron is a partner of the private clients practice group of MLL Legal in Geneva and has been working with the firm since 2012. He has a strong focus on estate and succession law, real estate and tax issues. Julien Tron has also a valuable experience in complex and mostly international succession and collar-crime litigation with multiple parties involved.

Karin Oberlin

Corporate and finance partner Karin Oberlin advises national and international lenders and borrowers in asset backed financing. She is specialized in ship and aviation finance, in aviation law and in general banking and financing matters. Karin Oberlin regularly assists clients in complex cross-border M&A and private equity transactions and general corporate law matters. Before joining MLL as a partner in 2015, Karin Oberlin worked as associate in the M&A department of another major Swiss business law firm and thereafter joined Credit Suisse AG as in house lawyer where she headed the transaction management team of the aviation finance department.

Kevin M. Hubacher

Kevin M. Hubacher co-leads the firm’s insurance practice group and is a member of the Corporate & M&A department and the China Desk. His practice focuses on insurance regulatory law and insurance contract law as well as mergers & acquisitions, private equity and venture capital. He regularly advises on general corporate matters, solvent restructurings and matters of contract law. Kevin M. Hubacher is a lecturer in law at the University of St. Gallen (HSG).

Kilian Schärli

Kilian Schärli works with domestic and international clients in the technology, industrial and internet sectors. He specializes in the fields of intellectual property, blockchain, unfair competition, licensing and distribution. He has particular expertise in commercial and transactional work relating to these fields. Kilian is a notary public in Zug and Co-Head of MLL’s Blockchain Industry Group.

Léonard Stoyanov

Léonard Stoyanov is a member of the arbitration & litigation group. He advises clients on non-contentious contractual and corporate law matters. He also represents local and international clients, mostly in high value litigation proceedings, both before Swiss State courts and arbitral tribunals. His practice focuses on contractual, banking and corporate law related disputes.

Louisa Galbraith

Louisa Galbraith is a senior associate in our Zurich office and a member of the firm’s IP team. She represents and advises clients in all aspects of IP and unfair competition law with a focus on patent and trademark law including pharmaceutical regulatory law. Her practice covers a broad range of industries, such as life sciences, retail, luxury goods and furniture. Before joining MLL Louisa worked as a junior associate for a leading Swiss law firm in Zurich, where she gained experience in the fields of international arbitration and copyright law. While attending the University of St. Gallen, she worked as a research assistant at the chair for public economic law particularly in the fields of procurement law, competition law, environmental law and regulation law.

Lukas Bühlmann

Lukas Bühlmann is partner and head of the firm’s digital, data privacy & e-commerce group. He advises and represents a broad range of Swiss and international clients in the internet and e-commerce sector, in the health sector, in the tourism industry as well as for public transport providers. He regularly advises clients in e-commerce, data protection, advertising as well as numerous legal aspects of the digital economy. Lukas Bühlmann has a particularly broad experience in advising clients active in international, cross-border e-commerce as well as legal issues at the interface of competition law and all areas of digital commerce. Lukas Bühlmann chairs the firm’s ICT practice group comprising lawyers from the firm’s Zurich and Geneva offices. He leads the firm’s e-commerce task force that exchanges and develops know-how within the firm and its network of partner firms. Lukas Bühlmann has particular experience in the sectors of luxury goods, new technology, advertising, media, tourism and retail. He is fluent in German, English and French. Lukas Bühlmann is a highly recognized expert for the digital and internet economy. In 2019, he has been appointed Legal Expert to the International Trade Centre (Geneva) and advised the ITC as well as a foreign government on legislative projects with regard to data protection as well as cybersecurity. Lukas is also a member of the IBA (Past-Chair Product Law & Advertising Committee) as well as ITechLaw. He serves as a board member of the Swiss Direct Marketing Association responsible for regulation, self-regulation and data protection, legal counsel to the Swiss Distant Selling Association as well as media expert with the Swiss Commission for Fair Advertising. Since its launch in 2012, Lukas has been a member of the jury of the Swiss E-Commerce Award. Lukas Bühlmann is an author of numerous publications in the field of digital legal matters as well as the editor of one of the leading Swiss online blogs/journals on legal issues in digital business (www.mll-news.com). He regularly speaks at local and international conferences on legal issues within his areas of expertise. He has been listed in all relevant international lawyers rankings: Chambers and Partner Europe, Legal500, Best Lawyers, Who’s Who Legal for several years in a row.

Marc A. Schamaun

Marc Schamaun is a member of the firm’s Corporate and M&A department. He has broad experience advising domestic and cross-border corporate transactions, in particular M&A, strategic partnerships and investments (joint ventures, venture capital and private equity). His clients include Swiss and foreign listed and non-listed companies with a focus on the technology, healthcare and life science sectors, private equity and venture capital funds, family offices as well as start-up companies and their founders. He also regularly advises general corporate law, merger law and capital markets law matters, in particular in connection with complex restructurings, as well as real estate transactions.

Marcel C. Steinegger

Marcel Steinegger has been a partner at MLL Legal since 2001 and has over 20 years of litigation and trial experience in a variety of mainly international but also domestic commercial and corporate cases including representing individuals and companies in regulatory enforcement proceedings.

Mark Montanari

Mark Montanari’s practice focuses on capital and financial markets, corporate law, start-ups as well as M&A and financing transactions. He regularly advises international and domestic clients in these fields, including public takeover and stock exchange laws and regulations. Mark Montanari joined our firm in 2010 and became counsel in 2017. Prior to that, he worked as a clerk at the District Court Emmental-Oberaargau and with a business law firm in Berne. Thereafter he worked as research and teaching assistant at the University of Berne (Institute of Business Law).

Markus Frank Huber

Markus F. Huber joined MLL as partner in 2017, after retiring from Ernst & Young where he was partner for more than 20 years. He headed the International Tax Services Group at EY for 15 years and has over 35 years of experience in fiscal law. Markus F. Huber has in-depth expertise in international corporate tax law, transfer pricing and M&A as well as in supporting complex cross-border transactions, restructurings and other complex tax planning. He is fluent in German, English and French and lived abroad in New York for 2 ½ years and in Geneva for 4 years.

Martin Ammann

Martin Ammann became Of Counsel to the firm in January 2018, before which he was co-head of the firm’s employment law and competition law groups. He represents clients in complex employment law proceedings and civil litigation and advises in matters such as employment regulations, bonus plans and tailor-made employee solutions. He handles complex restructuring and mass redundancy cases and supports clients in setting up staffing and placement services in Switzerland. Martin Ammann also regularly advises clients in competition and distribution law issues and represents them before the authorities. Martin Ammann has particular experience in the sectors of banking, consulting and services, pharmaceutics and cosmetics.

Mattias Johnson

Mattias Johnson is partner at MLL Legal. In addition to being a civil law notary in the Canton of Zug with many years of experience, Mattias Johnson deals principally with questions of transactional and corporate law, often in a cross-border context. Besides his notarial work, he advises companies on the structural aspects of their internal organisation, supports international firms in general commercial law matters, and advises them on immigration and employment law issues. Mattias Johnson joined our firm in 2001 and became a partner in 2010.

Maud Udry-Alhanko

Maud Udry-Alhanko is partner in the private client group of the law firm MLL in Geneva. She has an LL.M. from Duke University and is admitted to the Swiss and New York bars. Maud Udry-Alhanko has considerable experience in family law matters, with an emphasis on divorce and estate issues, most often with a strong international component. She also advises clients in their relocation to Switzerland, in particular with regard to their immigration, taxes, real estate, as well as matrimonial and estate planning. She is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP).

Max Königseder

Max Königseder is a legal employee in the firm’s Zurich office. He supports MLL Legal’s partners and associates in a wide range of legal areas; in particular ICT and digital law.

Michael Schüepp

Michael Schüepp supports the firm’s ICT & Digital group as a senior associate. He has wide-ranging experience in legal matters regarding the design and implementation of internet and e-commerce activities.

Michael Reinle

Michael Reinle is a member of the firm’s digital, data privacy & e-commerce as well as the technology, media and telecommunication groups. He focuses on data protection and IT-technology law. He also has broad experience in regulatory matters concerning foodstuff, consumer goods, and medicinal products. Michael Reinle further advises and represents clients from a broad range of industries in intellectual property, unfair competition and advertising law matters.

Michael Ritscher

Michael Ritscher is recognised as one of the most experienced and esteemed IP litigators and arbitrators in Switzerland, and beyond. Michael Ritscher heads MLL’s IP group. He has extensive practise in advising and representing clients from a broad variety of sectors, including life sciences, luxury goods and retail. Michael Ritscher is often at the forefront of precedent-setting cases. He is a reference for companies which regularly seek his support to handle their cross-border contentious affairs involving Swiss, EU and international law. Michael Ritscher appears as an opinion leader in his field in client and peer feedback ratings.

Mona Stephenson

Mona Stephenson specialises in corporate law, M&A and financing transactions. With over 10 years of experience, she regularly advises Swiss and international companies, from start-ups and SMEs to multinational companies, on various corporate matters, including private equity, venture capital, debt financing, corporate governance and commercial contracts. She also sits on the board of directors of various companies. Her experience spans a wide range of industries such as healthcare, banking and luxury goods.

Nadine von Büren-Maier

Nadine von Büren-Maier advises clients on M&A transactions (share and asset deals) which often include IP and Tech rich assets, on the incorporation of Swiss legal entities and on all legal aspects related to exploitation of their activities in Switzerland. In particular, she assists the clients in drafting any corporate and commercial contractual documents and advises on the applicable regulatory provisions and questions of corporate governance. Furthermore, she assists the clients in employment and social security issues and represents them in commercial proceedings and debt collection matters. Nadine von Büren-Maier also advises clients on the protection and exploitation of their intellectual property (trademarks, designs, copyrights, patents) and is in charge of the management of several trademark and design portfolios. She also defends the IP rights before the competent authorities and courts and assists the clients in drafting IP related contracts such as assignments, license and franchise agreements, manufacture and distribution agreements, research and development agreements. Finally, Nadine von Büren-Maier has a very solid knowledge of IT and data protection law.

Nicola Benz

Nicola Benz’s practice is focused on technology and life sciences transactions. She assists technology companies of all sizes, from start-ups to established players, as well as investors, suppliers and customers across a broad range of industries and sectors. Nicola Benz’s expertise covers outsourcing, licensing, joint ventures and collaborations and associated intellectual property issues. She also has considerable experience advising on all types of commercial contracts, competition and regulatory issues and data protection. Nicola Benz is recognised as a globally leading patent and technology licensing lawyer, as well as a leading practitioner in the field of intellectual property.

Oliver Arter

Oliver Arter’s practice focuses on private clients and their advisers (banks, family offices, foreign advisers) in all aspects of domestic and international wealth planning. He also specialises in banking, asset management and regulatory matters. Oliver Arter became Of Counsel in June 2009. His work involves representing and advising private clients on the structuring of assets (trusts, foundations, international business corporations), domestic and international estate planning, division of estates, execution of wills, matrimonial property rights, advance care directives and living wills, taking up residence and taxation. In addition he advises Swiss and international banks, asset managers, investment advisers and family offices on regulatory and contractual matters and represents them in proceedings. He publishes extensively in all his fields of practice. Oliver Arter is an academic consultant with the Institute for Legal Theory and Legal Practice at the University of St Gallen, and is frequently invited to give lectures and chair conferences.

Patricia Guerra

Patricia Guerra is head of the private clients team in Zurich and head of the Latin-America desk of the firm. She has extensive experience in advising UHNW and HNW individuals and families in all personal matters and matters concerning family assets as well as in philanthropic endeavours. Patricia Guerra continuously deals with cross border issues and regularly takes on the legal leadership necessary to coordinate teams across various jurisdictions. She is fluent in English, Spanish, German and French and has command of Portuguese and Italian.

Peter Schramm

Peter Schramm heads the firm’s trademark & design group comprising lawyers from the firm's Zurich, Geneva and Brussels offices. He represents clients in all aspects of IP law, including IP advisory, prosecution, litigation and arbitration. Peter Schramm has wide ranging experience in trademark, copyright, design and unfair competition issues, is well known for his trade dress and design law expertise and has been involved in several leading cases in Switzerland and abroad. He advises Swiss and international clients from various industries, with a strong focus on retail, pharma, luxury brands, fashion, machine tools and furniture manufacturers. Peter leads the firm's global trademark and design task force that coordinates the cross-border IP issues of several Swiss companies and exchanges and develops know-how within the firm and its network of partner firms. He is fluent in German, English, French and Spanish.

Philippe Prost

Philippe Prost heads MLL's real estate and construction practice in Geneva. He has developed vast national and international experience in contract, commercial, construction, tenancy, inheritance and labour law, as advisor and as litigator. After graduating from the University of Geneva he was admitted to the bar in 1986 and worked for several months for a prominent American law firm in New York. He also served 14 years as a deputy judge for the Court of Justice in Geneva and is now qualified by the Swiss Bar Association (SBA) as a certified specialist SBA in construction and real estate law.

Philippe Vladimir Boss

Philippe Vladimir Boss’ practice focuses on investigations in criminal, internal and administrative matters, as well as the corresponding litigation, in financial, commercial, personal or reputational aspects of business. Clients range from financial institutions, commodity trading companies, SME in various sectors and private individuals, He also advises sport governing bodies in ethics, disciplinary or governance matters.

Reinhard Oertli

Reinhard Oertli has acted for a broad range of clients in the telecommunications and media sector, focusing on internet and cross-technology solutions. He has represented clients in administrative procedures, litigation and arbitration, and has helped to develop and structure business models in the area of new technologies. Reinhard Oertli regularly advises on outsourcing projects.

Renato Bucher

Renato Bucher specialises in competition and commercial law. He represents undertakings in proceedings before the Swiss competition authorities and private antitrust litigation, coordinates multi-jurisdictional merger filings, conducts trainings and advises on the implementation of antitrust compliance programs. He is also experienced in unfair competition related matters, in particular regarding price indications, and regularly deals with public procurement related matters. Renato further possesses specialist knowledge and experience in all areas of commercial law. His main focus is on distribution related matters (franchising, agency, selective distribution etc.), but he is also an expert in variety of other commercial agreements, such as licensing, R&D, manufacturing and supply agreements. He frequently represents undertakings in contentious matters, for example regarding goodwill indemnity claims, extraordinary terminations of distribution relationships etc. He also has extensive experience in employment-related matters. Within his practice areas, Renato frequently represents clients in domestic and cross-border litigation as well as in administrative (court) proceedings before all Swiss courts.

Reto Luthiger

Reto Luthiger is a member of the firm’s banking & finance team and a Co-Head of MLL’s Industry Group DLT | Blockchain & Cryptocurrencies. He advises and represents domestic and international clients in financial markets regulatory and civil law matters as well as proceedings before FINMA, self-regulatory organisations (SROs), supervisory organisations (SOs) other authorities and courts. He has wide-ranging experience in banking, anti-money laundering, financial services, financial markets infrastructure and collective investment schemes law. Reto Luthiger acts as CEO of the Self-Regulatory Organization of Swiss Association of Investment Companies (SRO SAIC) and serves as member of the board of Vita Joint Foundation. He has sound knowledge particularly in banking, AML, FinTech, DLT/blockchain, FATCA and AEOI and made his PhD in the area of AML. He closely follows the newest developments in these fields. He is fluent in German and English.

Romina Brogini

Romina A. Brogini is a versatile legal professional whose expertise encompasses a wide spectrum of legal disciplines. With a primary focus on real estate, construction litigation, and commercial law, Romina excels in guiding clients through intricate contractual negotiations, ensuring compliance, and providing strategic counsel for multifaceted international transactions. Her robust experience extends to diverse industries, including corporate and competition law, where she has successfully managed complex legal submissions and participated in crucial client meetings and court proceedings. As a senior associate, Romina A. Brogini has been actively engaged in numerous litigation proceedings, showcasing her prowess in dispute resolution. With a distinct proficiency in structuring and governance, she also advises private clients and non-profit organizations on legal frameworks and fundraising strategies. Drawing from her international background and linguistic versatility, Romina adeptly navigates cross-border complexities, offering comprehensive guidance to international clients.

Romina A. Brogini

Associate

Sabina Schellenberg

Sabina Schellenberg is an experienced litigator and represents domestic and foreign companies and individuals in commercial disputes before state courts of all instances and in enforcement and legal assistance matters. She is also a specialist in the fields of directors’ and officers’ liability law and national and international restructuring and insolvency law. Prior to joining MLL as an associate in 2009 and becoming a partner in 2016, she was with the restructuring and insolvency department of a leading audit firm in Zurich and Basel and worked as a law clerk at the District Court of Zurich.

Samuel Ljubicic

Samuel Ljubicic practices corporate law and M&A, banking and finance, capital markets and real estate law. He regularly advises clients on national and cross-border M&A and finance transactions, debt securities and equity investments as well as transfers of credit risks. Furthermore, he has significant experience in real estate transactions and property development. Samuel Ljubicic joined MLL in 2010 and has been a partner of the firm’s corporate and finance department since 2017. He holds a master's degree from the University of Lucerne and an LL.M. in international financial law from King’s College London

Serge Calame

Serge Calame co-heads the firm’s private clients practice group. His main areas of practice are international estate and tax planning where he provides broad expert advice to sophisticated international private clients and family offices, with a special focus on corporate and contractual issues to family owned businesses and entrepreneurial ventures.

Sergio Bortolani

Sergio Bortolani is a member of the firm’s corporate and finance department. His practice focuses on mergers & acquisitions, capital markets and general corporate and employment law. He advises privately held and publicly listed companies in all types of transactions and corporate matters. He also advises clients in employment law with a focus on employment-related matters in the context of takeovers, business transfers and restructurings.

Simon Holzer

Simon Holzer heads the firm’s Patent and Life Sciences team. He has extensive experience in all areas of IP law, with a focus on patents, trademarks and geographical indications. He has substantial experience in a wide range of industries and technologies, including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, telecommunications, software and foodstuffs. Simon Holzer is also a trusted advisor in pharmaceutical regulatory law. He represents and advises clients in litigation, IP-related arbitration as well as contractual matters concerning in particular technology transfer, licensing and distribution. In 2010 the Swiss parliament appointed Simon Holzer as part-time judge of the Federal Patent Court.

Stefan J. Schröter

Stefan Schröter is part of the firm’s trademark & design group. He represents clients in regulatory proceedings and civil litigation. He has wide-ranging experience with unfair competition cases as well as in registration and enforcement of trademarks, copyright, designs and geographical indications. Stefan Schröter is admitted to the bar in Germany and Switzerland and has a focus on anti-counterfeit and e-commerce issues with particular experience in the sectors of retail, fashion, electronics, furniture, healthcare and life science. He is fluent in German, English and Spanish.

Thaís Obrist-Bdine

Thaís Obrist-Bdine is a Brazilian lawyer with a master’s degree in Switzerland. She practices tax law and is part of our Private Clients team. Thaís Obrist-Bdine advises individuals and companies on issues related to national and international taxation. Her practice also focuses on estate and wealth planning for Swiss and foreign private clients, in particular for clients from Latin America.

Thierry Amy

Thierry Amy’s practice focuses on banking & finance regulatory law, on the management of complex litigation cases and on various financing projects, including in the context of public private partnership. He has also developed a broad expertise in real estate mattes in Western Switzerland. He usually assists banking and financial institutions of all sizes, FinTech actors, private investors as well as public authorities in their project.

Thomas Nabholz

Thomas Nabholz leads MLL’s tax practice. He joined the firm as a partner in October 2019 with 14 years’ worth of experience in corporate tax consulting at a Big Four firm where he co-headed the Swiss Financial Services International Tax and Transaction Tax Services practice. In addition, Thomas Nabholz worked 6 years with a small accounting firm where he advised private and corporate clients in tax matters, including medium and long term assignments to the tax departments of Swiss Re, UBS, and Swarovski. He has led the tax workstreams of many multi-disciplinary international engagements in the areas of corporate restructurings and M&A. He is fluent in German, English, and French.

Thomas Ladner

Thomas Ladner became Counsel to MLL Legal in 2009, having previously been a partner with the firm since 2002. His expertise lies in general corporate law, in M&A and private equity. Thomas Ladner has (co-)founded or chairs numerous groups and associations, for example the "Entrepreneurs' Roundtable" (with local chapters in Switzerland, Germany, France and the Netherlands), World.Minds Foundation or the prestigious "Club zum Rennweg". Thomas Ladner also serves as a member of the board of directors of several Swiss companies.

Thomas Kälin

Thomas Kälin heads the firm’s employment law group in Zurich. As a Certified Specialist SBA Employment Law and Qualified Expert in Social Security Law, he is able to advise clients on a full range of HR related matters, including representation in front of courts and authorities. Thomas Kälin has extensive experience in cross-border employment relationships, terminations of employment, employment litigation and employment aspects of restructurings.

Tomás Navarro Blakemore

Tomás Navarro Blakemore’s work spans across all areas of international dispute resolution, with a focus on international commercial arbitration. He also advises private clients as well as non-profit organisations and social enterprises on structuring, governance and fundraising. In particular, Tomás Navarro Blakemore has been involved as counsel, arbitrator and secretary to the arbitrator in several commercial and investment arbitration proceedings under various institutional rules (ICC, UNCITRAL, CAS, SCAI, CAM, ICSID Rules), as well as in ad hoc proceedings related to construction, distribution, corporate and sport-related matters. He also advises on contractual matters, negotiations, mediations as well as annulment proceedings and enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards. Considering his previous experience on the field as consultant for a non-profit law, governance and development organisation in Phnom Penh (Cambodia), Tomás Navarro Blakemore is involved in the setting-up of legal structures to channel philanthropic ventures. With a foot in the Madrid office, he also accompanies private clients with cross-border matters between Spain and Switzerland.

Ülkü Cibik

Ülkü Cibik is a member of the firm’s banking & finance team. Her practice focuses on financial markets and banking law as well as corporate and commercial law. Ülkü Cibik has particular expertise and broad experience in the area of structured products and derivatives (documentation, issuance, listing and registration). She is an authorised issuer representative at the SIX Swiss Exchange AG. Ülkü Cibik advises both domestic and international issuers with regard to the issuance and listing of structured products as well as the regulation and distribution of structured products. She is MLL’s delegate to the Swiss Structured Products Association (SSPA). Further, Ülkü Cibik is mandated personally by the SSPA to act as legal advisor and supports the Legal and Regulations division of the association. Furthermore, her areas of expertise include investment funds and bond offerings, syndicated debt and structured financing and she also advises clients in Islamic finance transactions. In addition, Ülkü Cibik regularly provides advice on regulatory matters and works on crypto-currency related projects. Ülkü Cibik set up and heads the Turkey desk based in Zurich. She speaks fluent Turkish and is a member of the Swiss Chamber of Commerce in Turkey. Ülkü Cibik also worked as a foreign associate (for six months) in a leading Turkish law firm in Istanbul where she broadened her network in the Turkish market, in which she maintains excellent relationships with Turkish lawyers and important Turkish business people. She advises Turkish clients on a regular basis with regard to their Swiss-Turkey related operations and transactions.

Ulrike Ciesla

Ulrike Ciesla is a European Patent Attorney and holds a Ph.D. in chemistry. She has vast experience in examination, opposition and appeal proceedings before the European and German Patent Offices and has been involved in litigation proceedings relating to pharmaceutical patents in Germany and Switzerland. Ulrike now focuses on the enforcement of patents in Switzerland complementing MLL's strong patent litigation team.

Urs Boller

Urs Boller is a partner in the firm’s dispute resolution practice group in Zurich. He has extensive experience in representing clients in commercial disputes before Swiss courts and in international arbitration proceedings. Urs Boller has special expertise in obtaining and defending against freezing orders and interim measures, as well as in the enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards. Further areas of his expertise include bankruptcy and real estate law. Urs Boller’ practice focuses on the industrial, financial, and real estate sectors.

Walter Häberling

Walter Häberling is a partner in the litigation department and real estate practice group and has been with the firm for more than 20 years. He represents clients in commercial, real estate and certain private client litigation and arbitration proceedings. As a former Zurich district court judge he knows what counts in judges’ minds. He has wide-ranging experience in real estate matters with a special focus on commercial lease law. International inheritance matters and execution of wills are his main areas of work for private clients.

Wolfgang Müller

Wolfgang Müller focuses on real estate as well as on capital markets and M&A transactions. He heads the firm’s real estate team. Wolfgang Müller joined MLL in 1997 after having successfully completed his MBA at the Australian School of business in Sydney, Australia and the University of Michigan Business School in Ann Arbor, USA. Wolfgang Müller is, among others, recommended by Chambers and Partners and The Legal 500 and he is listed by The Legal 500 as a “leading individual” for real estate and construction in Switzerland.

Yannik Hässig

Associate

Jérôme Pidoux

Louisa Galbraith

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