Baker McKenzie LLP

Christoph Kurth heads the Investigations, Compliance & Ethics practice of the Swiss offices and co-leads the EMEA Financial Institutions Industry Group. He has been recognized by Legal 500 as a leading individual for compliance, regulatory and investigation matters.

Before joining the Firm, Christoph was global head of Litigation & Investigations and general counsel in Asia for a large Swiss bank. For over 15 years, he has led complex regulatory and criminal investigations as well as high stakes litigation across the US, Europe and Asia, and has advised on transformational regulatory developments and wealth management products and services across Switzerland and Asia. In his roles, Christoph has worked closely with business leaders, government authorities and the media, navigating businesses through regulatory and other challenges. Prior to this, Christoph was a litigator in leading practices in Switzerland and the US. Christoph also teaches post-graduate courses in 'Crisis Management' and 'Risk Governance' at the Europa Institute at the University of Zurich.

Christoph helps clients in the financial services and other industries establish effective legal and compliance risk management programs, investigate instances of non-compliance and their root causes, defend clients’ interests vis-à-vis authorities and in court, and develop responses to transgressions that limit financial and reputational consequences. In this context, he regularly advises Boards and senior executives in relation to their responsibilities and risk governance requirements.

Drawing from his experience as general counsel and his substantial exposure to businesses, legal systems and cultures in the US, Europe and Asia, Christoph often offers more than legal advice.He also supports in overall crisis management, including responses to dawn raids, cyber-attacks and data leaks, serious compliance and other incidents, adjustment of business conduct and strategies, cultural transformation and sustainable legal and compliance risk management solutions.

Furthermore, he advises financial institutions and clients in other industry in relation to financial crime matters, including bribery and money laundering related risks and over the last few years his practice has expanded to include compliance advisory work in relation to environmental, societal and governance risks (ESG).

English, German

Swiss Bar Association Zurich Bar Association

Georgetown University Law Center (LLM) (2002) University of Zurich (lic. iur.) (1995)