Switzerland 2018 – GC Powerlist
GC Powerlist Logo

Switzerland 2018

  • Industries

  • Powerlist

Alejandro Navarro Paustian

Sole counsel | Raízen Trading

Energy and utilities

Described by a nominator as ‘a fantastic lawyer’ and ‘technically second to none’, in 2018 Alejandro Navarro Paustian joined Raízen Trading, the international trading arm of Raízen Group, a joint...

Alfred Münch

General counsel | Clariant International Ltd

Materials and mining

For the last eight years Alfred Münch has served as general counsel for one of the world’s leading speciality chemical companies, Clariant International. He has been described by peers as...

Alison Lazerwitz

Executive vice preisdent and general counsel | Swarovski

Consumer products

Alison Lazerwitz serves as the executive vice president and general counsel of Swarovski Corporation, the leading multinational producer of cut crystal, genuine gemstones and created stones. Swarovski’s world headquarters are...

Andrea Ferrari

General counsel Europe and Canada | Takeda Pharmaceuticals

Healthcare

Andrea Ferrari joined Takeda seven years ago as legal counsel and during these years covered various regional and functional roles with increasing responsibilities. In February 2018, he was appointed general...

Andreas Bohrer

Group general counsel and company secretary | Lonza Group

Healthcare

Since 2015, Andreas Bohrer has been group general counsel and company secretary of Lonza Group, a dual listed, Swiss SMI blue chip company, in charge of legal, compliance and IP...

Andreas Burki

General counsel | Baloise Group

Financials

Andreas Burki’s career at insurance and pension solutions firm Baloise Group, started nineteen years ago in the role of legal counsel. Over the years he has gained a number of...

Andreas Müller

General counsel | EFG Bank

Financials

Andreas Müller joined EFG Bank in 2013 as senior legal counsel and in July 2016 was promoted to general counsel. EFG is an international, private banking, asset management company that...

Andrew Etkind

Vice president and general counsel | Garmin

Information technology

As the vice president general counsel for Garmin, Andrew Etkind has acquired much industry knowledge, and skills that have helped him provide optimum legal support to the multinational technology company....

Andrzej Kolwas

Senior counsel, global head of anti-illicit regulatory | Philip Morris International

Food, beverages and tobacco

Andrzej Kolwas comes from a private practice background before moving in-house, to PMI’s anti-illicit trade function, where he assumed the role of senior counsel for the EU region. While performing...

Anette Hauggaard-Nielsen

Director legal | Ansaldo Energia Switzerland

Energy and utilities

Anette Hauggaard-Nielsen has over fifteen years’ experience as in-house legal counsel at internationally operating companies in the energy sector. She took up the role as director legal for electric power...

Caitlin St Vincent Welch

Vice president – legal and compliance | Swiss Re

Financials

Caitlin St Vincent Welch is an executive legal counsel specialising in technology, intellectual property, data privacy and commercial law. She is currently working in the IT digital advisory legal team...

Catherine Schmid

Head of legal Western Europe wealth and investment | Barclays

Financials

Catherine Schmid is an expert in-house counsel adept in financial legal matters pertaining to wealth management, financial planning, and all kinds of international banking regulations. Currently head of legal Western...

Cedric Bossert

General counsel | Richemont

Consumer products

Cedric Bossert has been in charge of the Richemont legal team, offering integral support that allows Richemont Maisons to enter new markets swiftly and effectively. Richemont is the Swiss owner...

Charalabos Klados

Vice president, general counsel Europe | Colgate-Palmolive

Consumer products

Colgate-Palmolive is a global company serving people in 200 countries, manufacturing and marketing oral care, personal care, home care and pet nutrition products under internationally recognised brands. Highly distinguished in-house...

Charles Anderson

Senior legal counsel | Quantum Global

Financials

Charles Anderson has been senior legal counsel at Quantum Global, a private equity firm specialising in emerging and frontier markets, since February 2017, after a decade in Russia as a...

Christer Carling

Executive vice president and group general counsel | Sidel Group

Consumer products

With more than 10 years of international and senior experience from two global packaging providers, Tetra Pak and Sidel of the Tetra Laval Group, Christer Carling brings his strong knowledge...

Christian Haitz

Group chief legal and compliance officer | Heritage B

Financials

Christian Haitz has been described by nominators as ‘an exceptional general counsel’ with an abundance of in-house experience having previously provided legal services to a national holding company and several...

Christian Müller

General counsel | Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts

Hotels

Christian Müller joined Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts as legal counsel in 2015 and was promoted to general counsel of Mövenpick Holding in 2017 where he is responsible for all legal...

Christoph Hammer

Chief legal officer | Cofra Holding

Financials

Christoph Hammer has been chief legal officer at COFRA Holding, a privately owned multi-billion conglomerate since 2011. COFRA is an active global investor in retail, real estate, private equity and...

Christoph Hiestand

Group general counsel | Julius Bär

Financials

Christoph Hiestand joined Swiss multinational private bank Julius Bär in 2001, taking on a number of various legal roles within the bank over the years. Hiestand joined in the capacity...

Christophe Robert

Senior legal manager | Oryx Energies

Energy and utilities

With over 10 years of experience in the shipping and energy industries Christophe Robert brings his legal skill and industry knowledge to his role as senior legal manager at Oryx...

Cornelis Van Ophem

Executive vice president and global general counsel | Fresenius Medical Care

Healthcare

Cornelis Van Ophem is an internationally experienced legal and compliance executive with a track record in creating preventative environments, strategies, practices and teams for complex corporate governance. Currently serving as...

Daniel Kanter

Assistant general counsel, chief counsel global antitrust | International Air Transport Association (IATA)

Industrials and real estate

Daniel Kanter serves as assistant general counsel and chief counsel for global antitrust at IATA, a trade association of the world’s airlines consisting of 290 airlines and representing 117 countries....

Daniel Morales

General counsel (Switzerland UBS Group; personal and corporate banking and wealth management Switzerland) and member of the executive board (Switzerland) | UBS

Financials

Daniel Morales has worked at Swiss multinational investment bank and financial services firm, UBS, since May 2006, joining as senior legal counsel, overseeing group transactions, governance and disclosure. Since then...

Diane de Saint Victor

General counsel and company secretary – member of the group executive committee | ABB

Industrials and real estate

Recipient of numerous legal awards and constantly recognised by peers in the industry for her outstanding contribution to the in-house market, Diane de Saint Victor has extensive experience in both...

Dr Jennifer Picenoni

Group general counsel and corporate secretary | Lindt & Sprüngli

Consumer products

Esteemed in-house lawyer Dr Jennifer Picenoni has gained an excellent track record for her corporate and commercial work and litigation outcomes in recent years, earning herself a formidable reputation in...

Dr Marc Pfeffer

Group general counsel | Kuehne + Nagel Management

Industrials and real estate

Dr Marc Pfeffer has served as the group general counsel for global transport and logistics company, Kuehne + Nagel since 2014. During his four years in the role he has...

Dr Oliver P. Kronenberg

Group general counsel | Vifor Pharma

Healthcare

Dr Oliver P. Kronenberg has over 20 years’ experience both in law firms and in-house, of which 13 years has been with people management responsibility. He amasses 14 years in...

Elmar Büth

General counsel supply chain EMEA and 3M east region | 3M

Industrials and real estate

Elmar Büth joined 3M as general counsel of supply chain operations in Europe, Middle East and Africa in 2014, and was appointed general counsel to the business operations in 3M’s...

Emilio Garcia Silvero

Chief legal officer | FIFA

Sports and media

FIFA is responsible for the organisation of football’s major international tournaments, overseeing international competition among the national football associations, with headquarters in Zurich. Emilio Garcia Silvero was hired in September...

Emma Molvidson

Group managing director, chief of staff for the investment bank | UBS

Financials

Since 2016, Emma Molvidson has served as the group managing director, chief of staff for the investment bank at UBS, taking on the role after being asked to do so...

Flavio Santangelo

Head legal and compliance | Banque Profil de Gestion

Financials

Flavio Santangelo has worked in various banks within legal and compliance positions, all of which has involved him holding a large degree of responsibility. He currently serves as head of...

Florence Jacobs

Legal officer in the legal service | European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)

After a five year career as an attorney in the Dutch speaking section of the Brussels Bar in Belgium and her education in Belgium, Spain and the US, Florence Jacobs...

Florian Harms

Director of data protection Europe | Emerson Corporate

Industrials and real estate

Florian Harms joined Emerson in 2012 as senior legal counsel for EMEA and swiftly worked his way up to assistant general counsel in 2013, and in 2015 to senior associate...

Francesco Mainardi

Head of legal services | Coop

Consumer products

Head of legal services, Francesco Mainardi and his legal team at Coop have won praise for their involvement in environmental management recycling regulations. Coop is one of the largest retailers...

Gianni Porpiglia

General counsel | Berenberg Bank (Schweiz)

Financials

Serving as the general counsel of Berenberg Bank (Schweiz) for eight years, Gianni Porpiglia has used his breadth of experience and versatility to manage various aspects and challenges faced by...

Guido Wennemer

EMEA general counsel, EMEA data protection officer | Acer Europe

Information technology

After working at an international law firm and then as legal counsel in BASF’s global headquarters, Wennemer moved to Acer in Switzerland as senior legal counsel in 2010. Four years...

Héloïse Deliquiet

Head of legal | Stragen Pharma

Healthcare

Héloïse Deliquiet began her career as a lawyer in an American private practice law firm in Paris. She eventually moved to the biggest French law firm, Fidal where she served...

Ignacio Martinez de Lecea

Vice president – associate general counsel EMEA | Baxter International

Healthcare

Ignacio Martinez de Lecea has worked in various in-house legal roles at a number of renowned multinational companies throughout his career, namely Credit Suisse, Swiss International Air Lines and Deloitte....

Ivan Koen

Director, legal and compliance international | Merck

Healthcare

A commercial and corporate in-house legal counsel with a broad range of global experience, particularly in pharmaceuticals and emerging markets in the EMEA region, Koen has gained experience in building...

Jan Widmer

Director of legal affairs | Microsoft

Information technology

Jan Widmer serves as the director of legal affairs for Microsoft, where he heads the legal and corporate affairs department for Switzerland. As a business savvy and tech-impassioned lawyer he...

Jason Val Podrats

Chief legal officer and regulatory affairs | IXM

Materials and mining

Earlier this year, following a takeover by NCCL Natural Resources Investment Fund, Louis Dreyfus Company Metals changed its name to IXM. In line with this change, Jason Val Podrats took...

Jean Duvall

Executive vice president and group general counsel | Ferring

Healthcare

Jean Duvall joined Ferring Pharmaceuticals in November 2006 and is responsible for all legal activities on a global basis, serving also as the secretary to the board of directors. Ferring...

Jeffrey Gutierrez

Vice president and assistant general counsel | Semtech

Information technology

Jeffrey Gutierrez serves as the vice president and assistant general counsel for Semtech (International), the Swiss subsidiary of Semtech Corporation, a NASDQ-listed (SMTC) supplier of analogue and mixed-signal semiconductors (collectively,...

Jose Camino

Group general counsel | Metalor Technologies

Materials and mining

Jose Camino took up his current position at international Swiss-based group, Metalor Technologies, four years ago, coming from the aluminum company, Alcoa Europe, where he was vice president general counsel...

Josh M. McMorrow

Vice president, chief counsel – Eastern Hemisphere (EH) and global head of litigation | Weatherford INternational

Energy and utilities

Josh McMorrow joined Weatherford International in 2014, one of the largest global oilfield service providers with approximately 28,000 employees present in 80+ countries. McMorrow joined during a pivotal year in...

Judith Bischof

General counsel and secretary general | RUAG

Industrials and real estate

In January 2018 Judith Bischof joined, RUAG, a Swiss provider of outstanding technological capabilities in aerospace as well as security and defence. Prior to this role, from 2011 she served...

Keir Ashton

Chief legal officer EMEA region/co-head global legal function | Louis Dreyfus Commodities

Food, beverages and tobacco

Keir Ashton is chief legal officer for Louis Dreyfus Commodities (LDC) covering the regions of Europe, Middle East and Africa and co-manages the legal function globally. Ashton is based in...

Ken Ebanks

Vice president and deputy general counsel, EMEA | eBay

Consumer products

Ken Ebanks spent his early career in major law firms, starting as a media lawyer with Wiley Rein in Washington DC (where he attended Georgetown Law School) working for clients...

Kevin P. Forjette

General counsel, Europe and Middle East | gategroup

Consumer products

Kevin P. Forjette’s current role started in January 2014 as general counsel for gategroup for retail, technology and IT, where he was responsible globally for the organisation in these concentrated...

Koenraad Van Himbeeck

Vice president and general counsel | Honeywell

Information technology

Koenraad Van Himbeeck who is the general counsel and vice president of EMEA and North America of Honeywell Transportation Systems has endeavoured to drive his legal team to excellence since...

Laura Falcone

Senior legal advisor trading and mining | Coeclerici Commodities

Energy and utilities

Laura Falcone has received much praise from a range of nominators in the region, being described as a ‘seasoned and competent’ executive legal advisor with many years of experience and...

Lionel Constantin

Legal director JTI Worldwide Duty Free | JTI

Food, beverages and tobacco

After having spent seven years in private practice, mainly in commercial matters and mergers and acquisitions, Lionel Constantin joined JTI in Geneva in February 2007 as corporate secretary, where one...

Marc Monnier

General counsel – Switzerland | Zurich Insurance

Financials

Since joining Zurich International in 2005, Marc Monnier has established himself as an in-house lawyer central to its legal operations. He has been active in a number of practice groups...

Marcel Huber

Chief of corporate affairs and general counsel | Salt Mobile

Telecommunication services

Telecommunications lawyer, Marcel Huber has broad experience and a strong record of accomplishments in the fields of IT law, corporate law, competition law, copyright law, data protection, legal management M&A...

Maria Leistner

Group managing director, general counsel global wealth management | UBS

Financials

Maria Leistner is a banking lawyer, experienced in international banking, structured finance transactions, emerging markets, private banking, and corporate governance to name a few. She is currently the group managing...

Mark Beariault

General counsel, head of legal affairs | Kudelski Group

Consumer products

Mark Beariault has served as the general counsel and head of legal affairs for the world leader in digital security and convergent media solutions, Kudelski Group, since April 2011. Beariault...

Mark Wegmüller

Head of legal and compliance SBB passenger traffic | Swiss Federal Railways (SBB)

Transport and infrastructure

Mark Wegmüller started off as legal counsel in the legal department of the SBB passenger traffic, a division that ensures 1.2 million SBB customers gain access to public transport easily...

Martin Wartmann

Deputy general counsel | Selecta Group

Consumer products

Martin Wartmann is a general counsel and chief compliance officer with more than ten years of blended international corporate in-house, private law firm and entrepreneurial experience. Wartmann joined Selecta, a...

Matthew Owens

Global head legal - strategic partnerships and digital medicine  | Novartis

Healthcare

Named “Most Innovative European In-House Lawyer 2015” by the Financial Times, Matthew Owens serves as the global head legal – strategic partnerships and digital medicine for Novartis. He joined the...

Matthias Glatthaar

Head data privacy and digital | Migros

Consumer products

Matthias Glatthaar is a Swiss qualified lawyer with broad experience in transactional and regulatory work focusing on internet related industries and digital business models. He has brought his solution-orientated approach,...

Maurus Schreyvogel

Group legal innovation officer | Novartis

Healthcare

As the group legal innovation officer, Maurus Schreyvogel drives peak in-house legal department performance and accelerates functional innovation. At Novartis, his focus is on the corporate legal department’s best practices...

Miral Hamani-Samaan

Director and associate general counsel | Hewlett-Packard International

Information technology

Miral Hamani-Samaan has over ten years of experience as a lawyer, she started her career in Paris as a corporate and M&A lawyer at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. There she advised...

Neal Sawatzke

Deputy general counsel | Cargill

Industrials and real estate

Neal Sawatzke has earned a reputation as a trusted partner to senior executives by leveraging deep expertise in understanding and managing legal and business risk to deliver commercial solutions to...

Nick Raymond

General counsel corporate centre and group functions | Swiss Re

Financials

Nick Raymond has progressed through different areas of the flagship insurance group, and world’s second largest reinsurer, over his 13 year tenure, playing a pivotal role in the corporate reorganisation...

Nicolas Burgener

Group chief legal officer | Audemars Piguet

Consumer products

As group head of the legal function at watch-making manufacturer, Audemars Pigeut, Nicolas Burgener manages and supervises the group legal affairs department of seven lawyers. Burgener has shown remarkable cross-practice...

Nicolas Tschopp

General counsel | Pictet Asset Management

Financials

Since taking on the role of general counsel seven years ago for Swiss multinational private bank, Pictet Asset Management, Nicolas Tschopp has been central to a number of initiatives and...

Nora Teuwsen

General counsel, head legal and compliance | Swiss Federal Railways (SBB)

Transport and infrastructure

Nora Teuwsen was appointed general counsel of SBB in 2013, where she is responsible for 80 employees and the group’s legal and compliance management. She joined SBB in 2004 as...

Oliver Albrecht

General counsel | ABB Switzerland

Industrials and real estate

Oliver Albrecht took over the role of country general counsel Switzerland in June 2016. Before joining the ABB Switzerland legal department in 2009, he was in private practice for several...

Oliver Hablützel

General counsel Oerlikon Drive Systems | Grazianofairfeld

Industrials and real estate

Embarking on his first in-house role, Oliver Hablützel joined the OC Oerlikon legal team in 2012, as senior legal counsel, with a main focus on M&A as well as financing....

Oliver Kirchner

Senior director, associate general counsel, legal EMEA | Citrix Systems

Information technology

Oliver Kirchner joined US multinational software company Citrix, in 2012 as legal director in its EMEA headquarters in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. He was promoted to senior director associate general counsel in...

Pascal Baumgartner

Head of legal and compliance (general counsel) | Valiant Bank

Financials

Pascal Baumgartner serves as the head of legal and compliance for Valiant Bank, an independent retail and SME bank operating exclusively in Switzerland with total assets of CHF27.2bn and around...

Pascal Geneau

Legal director EMEA | Ralph Lauren

Consumer products

An experienced legal director with a history of working in the fashion industry, Pascal Geneau is skilled in international law, competition law, joint ventures, litigation and employment law. Geneau joined...

Patrick Dehmer

General counsel | Swisscom

Telecommunication services

Swisscom is one of the major telecommunication providers in Switzerland, with a market share of 60% for mobile, 67% for broadband and 33% for TV telecommunications in Switzerland. Patrick Dehmer...

Patrick Heymann

General counsel and chief compliance officer | Swiss International Airlines

Transport and infrastructure

Patrick Heymann is the general counsel responsible for all legal affairs of Swiss International (SWISS), Edelweiss Air and the Lufthansa Group Switzerland. Heymann amasses eight years of executive responsibility in...

Patrick Petermann

Director legal | Bombardier Transportation

Transport and infrastructure

Experienced legal director, Patrick Petermann has a demonstrated history of working in the rail industry, having served as director of legal for Bombardier Transportation for the last 13 years. Petermann...

Paul Williams

Executive commercial counsel – Global Power Services Business | GE Power Services

Energy and utilities

Paul Williams joined world energy leader, GE Power, in November 2015 in the capacity of legal director for the multinational’s Global Power Services Business and in December 2016 was promoted...

Peter Faisst

Head of legal Europe and Africa | Trina Solar (Schweiz)

Energy and utilities

Peter Faisst has over 17 years of progressive legal experience and accomplishments, including seven years leading an in-house legal department that expertly handles commercial, corporate and trade law for a...

Petra Andrea Winkler

Group general counsel | Schindler

Industrials and real estate

The legal function at Schindler Holding supports one of the world’s leading providers of elevators, escalators and moving walkways. The board of directors of Schindler Holding appointed Petra Andrea Winkler...

Philipp E. Probst

Senior legal counsel | Sunrise Communications

Telecommunication services

Philipp E. Probst encompasses over 14 years of legal consulting experience with a strong background in intellectual property law in the global market. Serving as the senior legal counsel at...

Philippe Hengy

Head corporate legal services | AXA Winterthur

Financials

Philippe Hengy’s career at multinational insurance firm, AXA Winterthur, started in 1996 as legal counsel. AXA Winterthur has 165,000 employees with 107 million customers in 64 countries. Working for a...

Philippe L’Eplattenier

General counsel | BVC-Banque Cantonale Vaudoise

Financials

Philippe L’Eplattenier is an established financial lawyer in the country, having worked for several multinational banks and financial institutions throughout his career. He currently serves as the general counsel for...

Pierre-Etienne Boin

Head legal seeds and biotechnology – deputy group general counsel | Syngenta

Industrials and real estate

As a senior legal leader with extensive business orientation, Pierre-Etienne Boin prides himself for his international agricultural-biotechnology experience with leading Swiss life sciences company, Syngenta. Boin started his career with...

Rannveig Borg Sigurdardottir

Legal director M&A | Adecco Group

The Adecco Group is based in Switzerland and is the largest temporary staffing firm in the world, and a Fortune 500 company. It has more than 33,000 employees and over...

Ricardo Cortés-Monroy

Group chief legal officer and general counsel | Nestlé

Food, beverages and tobacco

Amassing a lengthy career at the world’s largest food and beverage company, Ricardo Cortés-Monroy joined Nestlé Chile in October 1995 in the capacity of legal counsel and went on to...

Richard Burnley

Director of legal and policy, general counsel | European Broadcasting Union (EBU)

Sports and media

After several years at a leading City of London law firm working on high profile competition cases, Richard Burnley moved to a senior associate position in Ofcom’s legal team, working...

Richard Magnan

General counsel and chief information officer | Rising Tide

Healthcare

In November 2013, Richard Magnan was hired as intellectual property and legal counsel for Rising Tide, this was the first in-house counsel position in the company, as all legal services...

Robert C. Sexton

Vice president and general counsel, international | Amgen

Healthcare

Robert C. Sexton is a US-trained and US-qualified lawyer, admitted to the bar of New York and the District of Columbia in the 1980’s. He is fluent in six languages,...

Robert Kuster

Head legal M&A, finance and investments | Zurich Insurance

Financials

Robert Kuster is a New York qualified attorney with broad international transactional experience, with a focus on corporate practice on M&A, capital markets and private equity. His career at Zurich...

Robert Roeder

General counsel and company secretary | Ledunfly

Hotels

International lawyer, senior executive and board member, Robert Roeder took up the role of general counsel and company secretary of Ledunfly in 2016. The multibillion-dollar hospitality company operates from a...

Roland Maurhofer

Chief legal officer | gategroup

Consumer products

Roland Maurhofer is an experienced chief legal officer with a track record of successful management of boards and global legal teams of up to 40 lawyers and paralegals of public,...

Romeo Cerutti

General counsel | Credit Suisse

Financials

As general counsel of Credit Suisse since 2009, Romeo Cerutti occupies a highly distinguished and prominent position in Switzerland’s in-house legal market. In addition to his technical legal credentials, he...

Rowena Samarasinhe

General counsel | Athletics Management & services (AMS)

Sports and media

Rowena Samarasinhe qualified as a solicitor into the commercial IP and IT department at CMS Cameron McKenna but always had a keen interest in sports work due to her background...

Shannon Thyme Klinger

Group general counsel | Novartis

Healthcare

Occupying a prestigious position in the in-house legal market, Shannon Thyme Klinger was appointed group general counsel of Novartis, the major Swiss multinational pharmaceutical company, in June 2018 and is...

Thomas Gross

General counsel and company secretary | Swissport International

Transport and infrastructure

A seasoned business lawyer with over eleven years of in-house counsel experience, Thomas Gross is currently in charge of Swissport Group’s legal, compliance and risk management organisation, also acting as...

Ueli Studer

Head legal corporate center services | UBS

Financials

Ueli Studer joined one of the biggest Swiss multinational banks, UBS, in 2006 in the capacity of legal counsel. Over the years, his role has exponentially evolved, and in 2007...

Urs Schwartz

General counsel and corporate secretary, member of the executive board | Victorinox

Consumer products

Urs Schwartz has substantial in-house experience in mergers and acquisitions, distribution, finance, information technology, intellectual property, procurement, contract drafting and the negotiation of complex projects on a multi-jurisdictional and cross...

Vincent Mohy

General counsel | SOCAR Trading

Energy and utilities

Vincent Mohy is responsible for setting up the legal function of SOCAR Trading, the marketing arm of the state oil company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) which as of the...

Xavier Schops

MEU vice president and chief counsel | Mondelēz International

Food, beverages and tobacco

As the MEU vice president and chief counsel for consumer goods company, Mondelēz International, Xavier Schops, drives the legal and compliance functions for operations generating sales of €9bn. During his...

Yann-Karim Haenni

General counsel, security inks division | Sicpa

Industrials and real estate

SICPA develops and distributes overt and covert high security ink for banknotes documents and brand protection, occupying a niche area in financial services. Yann-Karim Haenni joined SICPA in January 2010...

As one of the most advanced economies in Europe, Switzerland has continued to accelerate in 2018, in part due to its robust domestic markets and strong activity in export-orientated industries. Amongst its highly sophisticated industries, the service sector still remains a driving force for the Swiss economy, particularly the banking and finance industries, along with healthcare and consumer products. The country also boasts the second highest GDP per capita in the world and is distinguished for its capacity and success in developing innovative technologies and business practices.

Swiss corporate counsel have themselves excelled with perseverance and outstanding capabilities to develop advanced methods in the way of legal advice and strategic approaches dispensed to their respective businesses. Recent developments in technology have also brought along exciting opportunities in innovation for companies in the country, creating a plethora of interesting legal questions and requiring corporate counsel to be knowledgeable and trained in these areas. In a time of ever changing regulatory requirements, corporate counsel in Switzerland are also playing an increasingly important role in risk management processes whilst also being more involved in operational decision-making.

In this year’s GC Powerlist: Switzerland we are pleased to highlight some of the region’s leading corporate counsel. To put together the list, we canvassed opinions from both law firms’ partners and in-house counsel in Switzerland. We identified lawyers who are not only technically gifted and highly trained, but have also utilised their legal knowledge strategically alongside keen business insight to make a positive impact towards their organisation’s success.

Axiom

Axiom logo

Axiom is delighted to support the GC Powerlist, to play a role in recognising the innovators and trailblazers across in-house counsel and teams in Switzerland.

The growth of the segment today known as Alternative Legal Services Providers – or ALSPs – has evolved rapidly. Nearly 20 years ago, Axiom created this new model with the simple idea that there was a better way to bring innovative legal services to inhouse counsel. Since that time, this category has now developed into a rapidly-expanding ecosystem with a various industry segments now focused on this same charter.

Today, Axiom is the world’s largest Alternative Legal Services Provider, serving clients across the globe with a mix of flexible resourcing, managed services and project-based solutions in legal and compliance. We were the first to offer such services in Switzerland, establishing operations here nearly four years ago. As with any big idea – Axiom today is often imitated, but our global scale, our reputation that draws the world’s top legal talent, and our ongoing drive to innovate and lead – means the full power of the model remains unique to Axiom.

Innovation and change is hard work. We offer congratulations to those recognised in the GC Powerlist: Switzerland 2018, highlighting the strength and innovation displayed by corporate counsel across Switzerland, and reinforces the highly strategic role of corporate counsel in today’s business environment.

Philips Dictation

Philips Dictation logo

Dictation has long been a trusted working method in the legal industry but today’s technologies have revolutionised the whole document creation processes and reshaped the way we use our voice in the strive for more efficiency in the daily work.

There is an ever increasing demand for agile, flexible and dynamic ways to access and produce information. Speech recognition is an incredibly helpful tool for legal professionals to speed up the document creation process. The possibility to dictate in the office or on the go without stopping what you are doing can be extremely productive. Modern dictation and document creation systems need to deliver mobility, ease of use, reliability, improved security and the full flexibility in choosing your own input device, fully embedded in your workflow.

Time is money
Using state-of-the art dictation solutions saves valuable time for lawyers and executive staff, allowing them to reduce their time spent for document creation drastically and thus to focus to higher priority, more profitable work. This can be the key to make significant improvements in your department’s productivity and put your company ahead of its competitors. After all, we should focus
on what we can do best and not on paperwork.
Embracing efficiency
It is no surprise that dictation solutions have become exceptionally sophisticated over the past years, with the development of industry-led speech recognition software that identifies legal and medical technical terms. Additionally, the software identifies corrections made on a document and ‘learns’ for next time, further improving accuracy results. Artificial intelligence (AI) is further changing the way people produce and access information. As a result, speech recognition and the understanding of language by software are becoming the key to the future of information management.

These advances are supported by a number of recognised papers published across several markets, however the worldwide adoption and integration of proper dictation and speech recognition systems in the workplace cannot be ignored by firms that wish to drive efficiency.

Speech Processing Solutions (Philips Dictation) congratulates all those who have been featured in the GC Powerlist: Switzerland 2018 edition. We are proud to be a sponsor of this annual event, while acknowledging the year’s outstanding contributors to the legal profession.

Yerra Solutions

Yerra Solutions logo

Congratulations on being named a leader among leaders! General counsel (GCs) have been blazing new trails in the legal marketplace for years and it is a testament to your leadership to be named in the GC Powerlist. Yerra Solutions is proud to work with many of the GCs at the forefront of innovation in the management of the in-house legal function.

In partnership with our clients, we address challenges central to legal and intellectual property (IP), e-discovery and investigations, and compliance. Yerra’s consulting and technology-enabled managed services drive greater efficiency and reduce risk in the processes most critical to these functions. Our solutions cover the issues most central to running your department – from responding to a discovery/disclosure order from a court or regulator, forming/evaluating an outside counsel panel, gaining visibility and controlling legal spend, improving contract management or better managing the flow of work handled by internal staff. We also provide decades of collective expertise in helping GCs and their counterparts in IP and compliance to advance the operations of their functions – from selecting and implementing the right technology, to finding the right mix of in-house and outsourced work, to building and maintaining the reports needed to make better decisions.

As you consider your position as a leader in this field, we hope that you will reach out to Yerra to explore the possibilities that our solutions and experts have to offer. We are proud to celebrate with you tonight and look forward to engaging with you again in the future. To learn more about Yerra,
please visit www.yerrasolutions.com or contact
Jerome Raguin directly.

GC Powerlist Europe: Latin America Specialists 2024

For the third consecutive year, Legal 500 partnered with Red Legal Iberoamericana to celebrate the very best in-house counsel from across Europe who dedicate their efforts to the vibrant region of Latin America. In fact, these lawyers possess a unique set of skills that enables them to navigate the challenges and diversity of Latin America in an agile and well-versed manner.

The event took place at the Hotel Wellington in the elegant city of Madrid, Spain, on 7th November 2024. Attendees were welcomed by Sara Maggi, senior editor — research and content at Legal 500, who congratulated all the powerlisters for their contributions to business across Latin America and emphasised the importance of recognising such exceptional lawyers.

Julio Veloso, partner at Broseta Abogados, then took the stage. After offering his congratulations, he invited Alejandro Sainz, senior partner at Sainz Abogados, to join him on stage. They reiterated their pride in sponsoring this research and publication, which recognises unmatched talent.

Santiago González Pérez, vice president and senior employment counsel for EMEA at American Express, shared an in-house perspective on the challenges of working in-house and managing client expectations while operating in a business environment. He also highlighted the importance of being recognised by such prestigious publications.

The evening continued with a cocktail reception featuring drinks and canapés, alongside networking opportunities between talented peers. The event was a great success, and we look forward to next year, as we continue to recognise the efforts of Latin American specialists based across Europe.