Europe - Switzerland

Baker McKenzie

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International firm Baker McKenzie Switzerland AG supports multinational clients on the full spectrum of employment-related matters including employment benefits, mass dismissals, litigation, global mobility of employees, and pension funds. Team head Christoph Stutz advises and represents corporate clients on complex labour issues. Peter Reinert has a special focus on executive compensation, business transfers, and other forms of restructuring. Serge Pannatier regularly represents governmental clients and multinational companies in employment matters. At the associate level, Andreas Becker and Kaspar Projer support the team with their dispute resolution expertise.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘The employment law team I worked with was exceptional in its client-centered approach. Their management and leadership were notable for prioritizing client needs and refraining from litigation unless absolutely necessary, always seeking efficient solutions. In summary, this employment law team stands out for their client-centricity, diversity, tech proficiency, and fair billing, making them a top choice for employment law needs.’

  • ‘Christoph Stutz's proactive and responsive nature ensures effective problem-solving and a smooth workflow. It is a pleasure to collaborate with him. Furthermore, his confidence in pushing back, when necessary, demonstrates a commitment to achieving the best outcomes. His profound expertise in employment and procedural law greatly enhances the team's capabilities, providing a solid foundation for informed decision-making and strategic legal solutions.’

  • ‘What sets Baker McKenzie's Employment team (Zurich Office) apart from others in the industry is the unique combination of professionalism, expertise, and unwavering dedication. The attorneys I've worked with have shown a keen understanding of even the most complex legal matters, providing me with sound advice and strategic solutions that have consistently yielded positive results.

  • ‘Christoph Stutz's ability to take into consideration the needs of a privately-owned business with a strong sense of cost control and pragmatic needs are exemplary. His understanding of the delicate balance between legal requirements and business sustainability has been invaluable. His advice and strategies have consistently demonstrated a keen awareness of the financial and operational implications of legal decisions, ensuring that my business's interests are well-protected while keeping costs in check.’

Key clients

  • Becton Dickinson
  • Oracle
  • FedEx
  • CLS Limited
  • World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
  • Keurig Green Mountain
  • BD Switzerland Sàrl
  • Hitachi
  • Vontobel
  • Roth Group

Work highlights

  • Advised Sika on all Swiss employment and pension aspects of the acquisition of the MBCC Group, the former construction chemical division of BASF, including the carve-out of MBCC's Swiss admixtures business that had to be divested due to competition concerns.
  • Advised the Migros-Genossenschafts-Bund and its start-up incubator Sparrow Ventures on their investment in Swiss start-up Revendo.
  • Advised private equity firm Argos Wityu on its acquisition of the majority stake in Norline AG, a provider of outsourcing services in the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and plumbing sector in Switzerland.

Lawyers

Leading individuals

Peter Reinert

Peter Reinert

Baker McKenzie LLP

Dr. Peter Reinert is a partner in Baker McKenzie's Zurich office. For more than 30 years, Peter has been advising numerous companies in complex labor issues and has successfully represented clients in court. He also advises healthcare companies on Swiss regulatory matters. Peter regularly publishes work in relation to all aspects of Swiss employment law and is a regular speaker at internal and external seminars. Peter focuses his practice on Swiss labor law matters, with an emphasis on executive compensation, business transfers and other forms of restructurings, as well as a myriad of issues related to pharmaceutical regulatory law. His corporate clients include many healthcare and TMT (technology, media and telecommunications) companies. Peters knowledge is highly valued by clients. According to Chambers Employment Switzerland 2021, "he handled a case in court fabulously and was really well prepared. He has wide knowledge and expertise." Peter was also described as "very helpful, responsive and knowledgeable" by Legal500 Europe Employment 2021.

Next Generation Partners

Christoph Stutz

Christoph Stutz

Baker McKenzie LLP

Christoph Stutz is a partner in Baker McKenzie's Zurich office and serves as head of the Firm's Employment Law Practice Group in Switzerland. For more than 10 years, Christoph has been advising numerous companies in complex labor issues and has successfully represented clients in court. He also advises and represents pension funds and companies in pension-related matters. Christoph regularly publishes work in relation to all aspects of Swiss employment law and is a speaker at internal and external seminars. Christoph is admitted as attorney specialized in labor law (Certified Specialist SBA Labour Law) and holds a certificate as Social Security Specialist. Christoph provides strategic and comprehensive employment law advice to domestic and multinational clients in various sectors, particularly healthcare, MEM, financial, insurance, transport & logistics and IT & technology industry. He focuses his practice on Swiss labor law, social security as well as pension matters, with an emphasis on corporate and other forms of restructurings such as business transfers, outsourcing projects and collective redundancies, executive compensation, pension and benefit schemes, data privacy, compliance investigations, contingent work force solution and management transfers.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Christoph Stutz

Other key lawyers

Peter Reinert, Serge Pannatier, Andreas Becker, Kaspar Projer