The restructuring and insolvency team at Schellenberg Wittmer Ltd stands out for its work advising clients on distressed M&A, distressed refinancing, and the enforcement of pledges. Its work ranges from pre-insolvency situations to formal bankruptcy proceedings. Standout contact Olivier Hari specialises in company restructurings, distressed refinancing, and national and cross-border insolvency and restructuring proceedings. Other key individual Tarek Houdrouge has expertise in the broader banking and finance sectors, with a focus on corporate restructurings.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Incredibly responsive and creative corporate restructuring team. They have a terrific problem-solving approach and have worked successfully with us to extremely challenging deadlines on complex and high value issues.’

  • ‘Marcel Jakob is blue chip - a real quality act all round.’

  • ‘Olivier Hari: pragmatic and result oriented. Able to convey a clear, concise and easy to understand message. Identifies and addresses the issues in an efficient and objective way. Very calm and able to keep his focus and objective in mind.’

Key clients

  • not guilty Restaurants AG
  • Kinarus Therapeutics AG
  • Insolvency liquidator appointement regarding Parc
  • Alevo Group SA and Alevo International
  • Liquidators of Joannou & Paraskevaides (Overseas) Limited
  • Joint Liquidators of Phoenix Commodities Pvt. Limited
  • Sosei Heptares
  • Fondation Hypotheka
  • Mr. Reto Stöcklin (bankruptcy)
  • Stigma Partners SA

Work highlights

  • Advised Sosei Heptares on acquiring all shares of Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Japan Ltd and Idorsia Phamaceuticals Korea Co.
  • Obtained recognition of a foreign insolvency decree for the liquidators of a British Virgin Islands company to bring a directors' liability claim against a de facto director who resides in Switzerland.
  • Advised SIX-listed Kinarus Therapeutics Holding AG, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, in its filing for bankruptcy with the relevant courts in Basel.

Lawyers

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Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Urs Hoffmann-Nowotny, Olivier Hari, Tarek Houdrouge

Other key lawyers

Marcel Jakob, Vincent Jeanneret