Christophe Emonet

Christophe Emonet is a Partner and heads the Geneva Litigation & Arbitration group and the White Collar Crime practice. He specializes in (inter)national banking/commercial disputes and investigations, regulatory and white collar crime matters (corporate/financial fraud & corruption). He has broad experience of asset recovery and cross-border bankruptcies. Mr. Emonet represents financial institutions, corporations, foreign States and HNWIs, who request his assistance for strategic matters and complex negotiations.

Christophe Emonet graduated from the University of Geneva in 1996 (MLaw), was admitted to the Bar in 1998 and became a Partner in 2004. Prior to joining Pestalozzi in 1999, Christophe Emonet worked with barristers and solicitors in London. As part of his cursus, he also served for one year as foreign associate in two major law firms in Madrid and Buenos Aires.

Christophe has more than 20 years of experience in complex banking/commercial disputes, regulatory matters, investigations and insolvency. Highlight cases led by Christophe Emonet include representing more than 40 banks in the worldwide restructuring and orderly liquidation of a mutinational Swiss headquartered commodities trading Company and assisting a foreign banker in the Parmalat investigations (Switzerland and Italy) and an HNWI in the Swiss and SFO investigations related to British Aerospace, both resulting in prosecuting authorities renouncing to bring charges. More recently, Christophe Emonet represented a Swiss listed bank in the largest ever criminal investigation (ten years of preliminary investigations followed by a five-month daily trial) and civil state court disputes, against former directors and auditors in relation to a 3 billion Swiss franc loss. He also represented Swiss banks in the DOJ Tax Programme for Swiss Banks and assisted a foreign listed bank in the context of the sale of its offshore and fiduciary activities from over 40 countries, in providing a second expert review on regulatory, compliance and cross-selling issues. Current assignments include leading the defence of the former CEO of a foreign pension fund in large scale Swiss and foreign investigations and representing a foreign state in major mutual assistance and national criminal proceedings, as well as worldwide recovery actions against a former public agent.

Christophe Emonet's expertise in commercial/banking litigation and investigations, white-collar crime, insolvency and asset recovery is recognised by Chambers, The Legal 500, Who is Who, Best Lawyers, etc. Sample quotes distinguish him as a "brilliant strategist" (The Legal 500 2016, Litigation; Chambers Europe 2016, WCC), "striking in the court room as well as in negotiations" (Chambers Europe 2016, WCC; The Legal500 2014, Banking & Finance), who "stands out for his determination and intense dedication to his clients in banking litigation and internal investigations" (The Legal 500 2016 and 2015, Banking & Finance), is "an expert and the key partner in asset tracing, insolvency and coporate recovery" (The Legal500 2011-2016, Insolvency & Corporate Recovery; Chambers Europe 2016) and a "fierce advocate" (Chambers Global 2015, WCC ).