CMS von Erlach Partners Ltd

Sarah Busca Bonvin is a lawyer and tax expert specialised in both corporate and individual tax law. Together with M. Andrio Orler, she is responsible for CMS’ tax department in Geneva, which she joined in 2017. She worked for 15 years in the Geneva tax administration as Director of the tax affairs where she was responsible for tax rulings before being appointed Deputy Director-General in 2010. This experience has given her significant breadth and depth of knowledge and practice in many ...

Counsel Simone Brauchbar Birkhäuser advises and represents clients in connection with contentious and non-contentious issues relating to trademarks, designs, copyrights, patents, data protection, unfair competition and advertisement. She has substantial experience in the drafting and enforcement of contracts for the transfer of intellectual property rights, especially license agreements. She further regularly deals with all due diligence relevant IP/IT and data protection aspects of corp...

Stefan Brunnschweiler is the managing partner of CMS Switzerland and co-heads the CMS Corporate/M&A Practice Area Group. He was named one of the top 10 lawyers in Switzerland in the edition of “Who is Who” by Bilanz. Stefan Brunnschweiler specialises in international and domestic M&A transactions, venture capital, corporate restructurings, corporate law and general contract matters (e.g. joint ventures, partnerships and shareholders' agreements). He is experienced in a bro...

Partner Mark Cagienard specialises in tax law, covering individual and corporate taxation both on a domestic and international level with a particular focus on corporate finance, M&A and VAT. Mark Cagienard assists clients frequently in obtaining tax rulings and represents them in front of courts and tax authorities. Mark Cagienard graduated from the University of Zurich in 2006 (magna cum laude) and was admitted to the bar in 2008. In 2012 he qualified as a Swiss Certified Tax Expert. In...

Partner Olivier Carrard mainly focuses on Sports law, litigation, arbitration, commercial law, construction law, inheritance law and bankruptcy. Graduated from the University of Fribourg (1982), he was admitted at the Geneva Bar in 1985. He worked at the General Direction of SBS (Basel). He founded his own firm in 1990, and joined ZPG as a partner in 2005, which merged with CMS in 2014. Olivier Carrard is now a Partner of CMS Geneva office. Since January 1st 2016, he has been appointed in 98 ...

Partner & Member of the Steering Committee of the CMS Competition & EU Group Marquard Christen specializes in competition (antitrust) and public procurement law. Marquard advises Swiss and foreign companies on all aspects of Swiss and EU competition law (horizontal and vertical agreements, dominance abuse, merger control and civil antitrust law) and represents them in proceedings before competition authorities and courts. Over the past 15 years, he has gained special knowledge in vari...

Partner Philipp Dickenmann is the head of the Dispute Resolution Practice Group of CMS Zurich. He also serves as core team member of the global CMS Dispute Resolution Practice Area Group as well as the CMS Commercial Practice Area Group. Philipp Dickenmann has extensive experience in commercial litigation and international arbitration. He acts as counsel and co-counsel, sole arbitrator and co-arbitrator in numerous national and international cases. This includes arbitrations conducted under t...

Partner Pierre Ducret is a partner and co-head of the Private Clients and Sports Law departments of CMS von Erlach Partners. He advises and assists clients in complex litigation, mainly in civil and commercial matters, usually with international ramifications. He is particularly active in the field of inheritance law. He also acts as counsel or arbitrator in international arbitration proceedings. In addition to his dispute resolution practice, Pierre Ducret advises his clients on wealth and e...

Dominique Gemperli's main practice areas are banking & financing, capital markets and restructuring. She has more than 10 years of experience in advising Swiss and international financial institutions, industrial enterprises and other companies in project financing, asset financing, corporate lending, real estate financing and acquisition financing. She further assists clients in regulatory matters and general contract and corporate law. Dominique graduated from the University of Zurich i...

Partner & Certified Specialist SBA Construction and Real Estate Law Stefan Gerster is a partner with CMS Zurich since 2001. His practice focuses mainly on real estate law. He is the head of our internal practice group Real Estate & Construction. Among the clients of Stefan Gerster are Swiss and foreign institutional real estate investors, companies with corporate real estate matters and individuals. He provides advice in real estate transactions, including acquisition and financing as...

David Hofmann is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Administrative Law and Public Law. David, who practices law in Geneva, Switzerland, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which David is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Partner Reto Hunsperger acts as head of the insolvency and restructuring department at CMS Zurich.He specialises in litigation and arbitration. With this focus, he represents national and international companies and individuals before state courts and arbitral tribunals (under ICC Rules, Swiss Rules and CAS Rules), mainly in civil, enforcement and sport law matters. In addition, he serves as an arbitrator. A further focus of Reto Hunsperger lies in all sorts of domestic and international inso...

Managing Partner & Certified Tax Expert David Hürlimann’s practice focuses on tax law, in particular taxation of groups, merger & acquisition, corporate restructuring, international tax and tax accounting. Other areas of his tax practice include banking, executive compensation and tax planning for high net worth individuals.David Hürlimann graduated from the Universities Zurich and Geneva in 1998. After serving as a law clerk at the District Court of Zurich for two yea...

Partner Marjolaine Jakob is the head of our insolvency and restructuring team of CMS Zurich. Her practice focuses on national and international insolvency law and related litigation. She advises clients in connection with insolvency proceedings and represents their interests in related proceedings before the competent courts and authorities. Marjolaine Jakob has broad experience in advising companies in restructuring proceedings. Further, she is a proven specialist in international insolvency...

Daniel Jenny is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate Law. Daniel, who practices law in Zürich, Switzerland, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Daniel is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Partner Daniel Kinzer advises and defends businesses and individuals in regards to contentious matters in the areas of criminal law, economic criminal law, administrative criminal law, contractual and financial litigation, real estate law (public and private), employment law (public service and private law), computer law and data protection. Following his graduation from the University of Oxford (UK) with a MA in Physics and Philosophy, Daniel Kinzer obtained a degree in Swiss law and a Maste...

Kaspar Landolt focuses on banking & finance, capital markets and corporate law. He has more than twenty years of experience in acquisition finance, corporate lending, real estate finance, project finance and asset finance, the issuance and offering of financial instruments, applying for regulatory licenses and other capital market topics as well as restructuring. Other key competencies of Kaspar include insurance, collective investment schemes as well as M&A and corporate law. Kaspar ...

Partner Dr André E. Lebrecht’s main focus is on legal issues in commercial matters, in particular transactions, litigation, arbitration and regulatory work, mainly but not exclusively for banks, collective investment schemes, securities dealers, asset managers, insurance companies and industrial companies. André E. Lebrecht graduated from the University of St.Gallen (lic. iur. and Dr. iur.) and the University of Miami (LL.M.).He is admitted to the bar in Switzerland (Z&uum...

Jérôme Levrat specialises in corporate law, private equity, venture capital, M&A and commercial matters. He regularly advises funds and companies (including in the industrial, distribution, health care and life sciences, finance and energy sectors) in international and national M&A and private equity transactions, and routinely represents investors and start-ups in venture capital investments and financial rounds. Jérôme also has solid experience in regard to...

Counsel Fabien Liégeois advises businesses (groups, banks and SMEs) and individuals on Swiss and international taxation matters.His practice focuses on restructurings (mergers and acquisitions, demergers or transfers of assets), cross-border transactions and setting up businesses in Switzerland. He also assists individuals in their relocation to Switzerland (wealth and inheritance planning), in particular in anticipating the legal and economic consequences of such decisions. He also de...

Christian Lüscher mainly focuses on litigation, banking and commercial law, construction law, landlord-tenant disputes, white collar crime, and international judicial assistance in civil and criminal matters. He was admitted at the Geneva Bar in 1990, and attended law school in the United States graduating as a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from Tulane Law School in 1991. He founded his own firm in 1994, and joined ZPG as a partner in 2005, which merged with CMS in 2014. In 2001, he was elected...

Partner Sidonie Morvan has 20-years experience in real estate law with a wealth of expertise in construction law, having expedited developments in both the private (real estate transactions, brokerages, contracts for architects and builders, and leases) and public (planning and construction permits) sectors. Ms Morvan regularly advises developers, architects, real-estate agents, general contractors and property owners on the day-to-day management of their businesses, and can represent them be...

Vaïk Müller is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Banking and Finance Law and Corporate Law. Vaïk, who practices law in Geneva, Switzerland, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Vaïk is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Andrio Orler is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Tax Law. Andrio, who practices law in Geneva, Switzerland, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Andrio is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Alain Raemy is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate Law. Alain, who practices law in Zürich, Switzerland, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Alain is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Partner Certified Specialist SBA Construction and Real Estate Law Sibylle Schnyder specialises in real estate law and mainly deals with real estate acquisitions and divestments, portfolio transactions, construction and development projects, landlord and tenant law, real estate financing, sale & rent back transactions and real estate related litigation. Among the clients of Sibylle Schnyder are Swiss and foreign institutional real estate investors, companies with corporate real estate matt...

Louise Lutz Sciamanna is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Trusts and Estates and Wealth Management Practice. Louise Lutz, who practices law in Zürich, Switzerland, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Louise Lutz is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Partner Certified Specialist SBA Inheritance Law Tobias Somary heads the private client team of the firm. He specialises in the area of estate and succession planning, prenuptial agreements, estate administration, inheritance disputes, foundations & trusts, charities, art, private banking laws, and in- and outbound relocation. After having worked with a large Zurich law firm (Baer & Karrer) in 1998 and 1999, Tobias Somary joined CMS in 2000. In 2004 he completed post-graduate studies ...

Partner Dr Patrick Sommer is Co-Head of the CMS Competition & EU Group. In this position, he jointly leads an international team of more than 170 competition lawyers. Patrick Sommer focuses on competition law, corporate law and M&A. Patrick Sommer has graduated from the University of St.Gallen in 1987 and was admitted to the bar in 1989. He has written his doctoral thesis on the relationship of Switzerland to the European Union and completed postgraduate studies at the Collège ...

Partner Stephan Werlen focuses on M&A and corporate law, joint ventures, MBOs, acquisition finance, venture capital transactions, corporate restructuring and corporate relocation. He has broad experience both in domestic and international mergers and acquisitions (including auction processes) and the financing of such transactions. In addition, he is an expert in W&I insurance transactions (M&A insurance) with a long track record in this area. Stephan Werlen also regularly advises...

Managing Partner Jodok Wicki concentrates on dispute resolution, litigation and international arbitration. He heads the firm's dispute resolution group and leads also the litigation practice group of CMS. Jodok maintains an active practice of state court litigation and appellate proceedings in a variety of commercial matters, such as purchase and sales agreements, joint ventures, post M&A disputes, director and officer and auditor liability and product liability. He has also a particular ...

Julien Witzig is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Tax Law. Julien, who practices law in Geneva, Switzerland, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Julien is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Niklaus Zaugg specialises in contract law, litigation and arbitration. He advises clients in a wide range of commercial disputes, including banking disputes, and he represents their interests both before domestic courts and international arbitral tribunals. Niklaus Zaugg has been practicing as a lawyer since 2008. His clients include Swiss financial institutions and active, listed multinational industrial companies. Niklaus Zaugg studied at the Universities of Geneva and Zurich and received h...