About

Following its takeover by Zürcher Kantonalbank, legal team at Swisscanto Asset Management has recently adopted a new structure and assumed various new responsibilities. However, based on the legal requirements of the Investment Funds Act and Pension Funds Act the teams continue to work largely independently. Consisting of four lawyers, four additional legal experts and the regulatory team of 24, which comprises of tax experts and regulatory driven economists, the Swisscanto team is led by general counsel Markus Erb, who believes that the legal team has been ‘valued deeply’ for its contribution to the company’s continued performance during this time. This in turn has created a smooth takeover of the fund management company of the Zürcher Kantonalbank group. ‘The company became number three in the field of investment funds management companies, which leads to cost reduction and finally more competiveness in the market’. The legal and regulatory team is a key unit for the development of the company as they ensure that Swisscanto doesn’t face any substantial legal cases, client claims or sanctions by the national and international authorities. The team initiates intensive interaction on a case by case basis and structured communication with the business leads to employees’ clear understanding of relevant rules and requirements. Team members continuously demonstrates its profound regulatory expertise as well as deep understanding of the metals industry. ‘The quality of this legal team is shown best in being able to navigate the company successfully within the various legal provisions in a highly regulated investment and pension funds market, and avoidance of the associated substantial regulatory risks for the company, as well as being able to find innovative solutions for lawful financial products and services’, says Erb.