Charles Russell Speechlys AG

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.

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.

Dharshi Wijetunga

Dharshi is a partner in the private client team, based in Switzerland. She advises on the establishment, restructure and maintenance of trusts and wealth holding structures for individuals and business owning families. She has specific experience with clients from Asia due to the experience she gained in Singapore while working for a global private bank. As a result she acts for several ultra-high net worth individuals and families with a connection to Asia, often working hand in hand with their relationship manager or external asset manager (usually based in either Switzerland, Singapore or Hong Kong) and acting as the primary coordinator for their legal and tax needs. She advises both Swiss and international trustees on complex trust matters, including the New Zealand law aspects of private wealth structures. Trustees seek her out because of her commercial approach and her ability to advise on product documentation (including all aspects of trust business from take-on to exit) as well as general business and risk issues. Dharshi is dual qualified in New Zealand and England and Wales (non-practising).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Sirin Yüce

Sirin is a family lawyer advising on separation, divorce, finances and children matters as well as nuptial agreements. She 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.