Switzerland: Private Client 2019

• January 2019

Walder Wyss performs well this year and sees seven practitioners highlighted.
Philippe Pulfer is commended by sources who assert that “he is excellent” when it comes to handling trusts, private wealth structuring and succession planning.
Kinga Weiss draws praise from peers who recognise her as a “standout and excellent lawyer” and note that she is an “inheritance law specialist”. She stands out for her work on complex, cross-border estate and succession issues.
Olivier Sigg advises clients on trust and estate planning where he stands out for his deep and impressive knowledge of technical and strategic issues in the field. His contentious work includes representing clients in trust and succession disputes.
Philippe Nordmann is a highly experienced practitioner with deep knowledge of private client issues, most notably relating to tax and litigation.
Ayesha Curmally has significant expertise in inheritance law and succession planning, with impressive experience advising clients in matrimonial proceedings and sophisticated asset management matters.

Lenz & Staehelin also has seven lawyers listed here.
Heini Rüdisühli “stands out as an inheritance law expert”, say peers who praise his work handling succession and estate planning for clients.
Mark John Barmes advises a variety of clients in trust and succession planning, with interviewees noting that he is “100 per cent private client” and excels in high-value wealth management.
Jean-Blaise Eckert is considered “excellent on the tax side” by peers who commend his outstanding work for both companies and high-net-worth individuals.
Lucien Masmejan stands out for his first-rate private client practice that spans a range of matters including asset management, taxation and succession planning.

Schellenberg Wittmer has six highly talented individuals recognised here.
Manuel Liatowitsch is a “standout lawyer” in dispute resolution with a focus on family governance and succession disputes. Sources note that he is “knowledgeable and hard-working, and will go a long way” for clients.
David Wallace Wilson is “an excellent lawyer” who is recognised as a top name in the private client sphere where he advises on high-value asset management, relocation and disputes.
Andrea Dorjee-Good draws praise from interviewees who call her an “outstanding practitioner” with another affirming that “she is amazing” in matters relating to multi-jurisdictional estate planning and disputes.
Bernard Vischer expertly advises individuals in international banking, family business succession and estate planning, garnering praise as a highly experienced and knowledgeable lawyer in the space.  

Bär & Karrer sees four highly talented practitioners recognised.
Tina Wüstemann is “excellent, as everyone knows” in the private client sector, according to adulatory respondents. She offers "thorough knowledge of Swiss law".
Daniel Bader offers clients in-depth taxation advice in relation to succession planning, relocations and wealth structuring. Peers highlight him as “excellent, efficient and knowledgeable”.
The "excellent" Daniel Leu has broad experience in succession planning, estate management and residency matters, in addition to his specialist expertise in real estate and art holdings.
Andreas Bär offers clients deep experience in private client issues, impressing with his understanding of the field and his commercially minded outlook.

Meyerlustenberger Lachenal is home to four standout practitioners.
Patricia Guerra is commended by peers who describe her as “extremely experienced and fully dedicated to what she does” and note that she “has a very good client base in South America”.
Bernard Lachenal is a “very experienced practitioner” who has impressive knowledge of private client and private banking disputes on an international and cross-border basis.
Maud Udry-Alhanko is a practitioner whom sources "would always refer work to in case of conflict". She specialises in international private client issues, including real estate and divorce-related matters in addition to her standout work in trust management.
Serge Calame is hailed as “really an excellent lawyer” who is “great with clients and has a broad vision”. He demonstrates excellent work in high-stakes private client tax and estate planning for individuals and their businesses.

Oberson Abels achieves three listings in this chapter.
Xavier Oberson is “a well-known player in private client issues” with vast experience in a broad range of matters including private individual taxes as well as complex succession planning.
Frédéric Vuilleumier has impressive experience in private client matters, with a focus on international tax planning and wealth management and structuring. Peers note he is “excellent with client and is really personable”.
Jerome Meyer is a specialist in tax planning and implications of private client matters, touching on residency, asset management and succession. Sources consider him “superb on tax issues”.

At Homburger, Harold Grüninger is commended as a “fantastic private client lawyer” and “an exceptional practitioner” who is considered a go-to source for private client matters.
Gabrielle Nater-Bass stands out for her excellent work on both contentious and non-contentious estate and succession matters, as well as in trust and relocation issues.

Marnin Michaels at Baker McKenzie draws widespread praise from international sources who “rate him very highly” for his excellent work for US private clients.

The “excellent” Louis Boissier of Borel & Barbey advises clients in a wide variety of private client matters, ranging from inheritance to matrimony and family governance.

Tobias Somary leads the private client team at CMS von Erlach Poncet. He wins praise from peers who consider him “an excellent lawyer” and commend his work in complex private client matters including estate and succession planning.

At Blum&Grob Attorneys at Law Natalie Peter is a taxation specialist who peers affirm is "well known in the market and a superb lawyer".

Fischer Ramp Partner’s Michael Fischer is highly sought after for his vast knowledge of taxation issues in the space, advising clients on a broad range of domestic and international tax planning and wealth structuring.

Thomas Sprecher from Niederer Kraft Frey is “excellent in Swiss foundation law” according to sources who commend his “timeliness, precision, comprehensive knowledge and high work speed”.

Jacqueline Burckhardt Bertossa at Burckhardt is an expert in succession, trust and estate planning matters, leveraging her vast experience in the market to provide clients with first-rate counsel.

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