Our practice areas

Administrative law governs the relationship between private individuals and businesses, on the one hand, and the public authorities, on the other. Refused decisions, permit procedures, public procurement or disputes with an administration: our firm assists its clients in Geneva in their dealings with the State, from preventive advice through to appeals before the administrative courts.

Agricultural law and rural land law are subject to particular rules, governed in particular by the Federal Act on Rural Land Law (LDFR). Transfer of farms, acquisition of agricultural property, exemption from the Act, subdivision or maximum charge: these operations require specific expertise. The firm advises farmers, landowners and heirs in managing and transferring their agricultural assets in Geneva.

Any construction or property development project in Geneva takes place within a dense regulatory framework, between the federal Spatial Planning Act (LAT), land-use plans and the cantonal Buildings Act (LCI). Our firm advises developers, owners and public authorities at every stage of a project, from planning to obtaining a building permit. It is also regularly engaged to defend owners facing sensitive proceedings for the finding of unlawful constructions and restoration orders, both in building zones and in agricultural zones.

The law of associations and foundations governs the formation, operation and dissolution of non-profit and public-benefit legal entities. Our firm assists founders, committees and foundation boards in Geneva in the legal structuring of their association or philanthropic project, and in managing the related governance questions. We act in both advisory and litigation matters, with particular attention to the liability of governing bodies.

Tenancy law governs the relationship between landlords and tenants, whether for residential or commercial premises. Our firm advises and represents both landlords – private owners, property managers and institutional landlords – and tenants. We act in both advisory and litigation matters, with in-depth knowledge of how the relevant courts and authorities operate.

An order carried out without a mandate, a loan called in, a blocked account, a looming audit: the banking relationship is never discussed calmly. It is both contractual and regulated. Geneva, an international wealth-management centre, concentrates these issues. Our firm advises banks and other financial intermediaries such as independent asset managers in the conduct of their business and in complying with their regulatory obligations. We act in both advisory and litigation matters, under Swiss law as well as in international situations.

Road traffic law combines a criminal aspect, applicable to offences under the Road Traffic Act (LCR), and an administrative aspect, relating to the withdrawal of the driving licence. In Geneva, our firm defends drivers prosecuted for a traffic offence – whether speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or an accident – as well as those challenging a licence withdrawal. We act in both criminal defence and administrative appeals.

Construction law encompasses a range of legal aspects relating to the realisation and transformation of property projects. It is governed both by private law, in the relationships between the parties involved, and by public law, through construction standards. Our firm advises the parties involved at every stage of their projects. We act in particular in pre-contractual negotiation for the drafting of contracts, building permits, spatial planning and dealings with the authorities. Where necessary, we defend our clients in judicial and administrative proceedings.

Contracts lie at the heart of most economic and private relationships. Carefully negotiated and drafted, a contract prevents disputes; left to improvisation, it becomes their source. Our firm assists private individuals, self-employed persons and businesses at every stage in the life of a contract, from the pre-contractual phase to performance, and defends their interests when the relationship breaks down. We act in both advisory and litigation matters, under Swiss law as well as in international dealings.

Adult and child protection law organises the measures intended to protect adults who can no longer safeguard their own interests, as well as minors whose development or family situation so requires. Our firm assists the persons concerned, their relatives and deputies in setting up, carrying out and challenging these measures. We act as legal adviser, as private deputy or as court-appointed deputy.

Divorce and separation law governs the legal, financial and personal consequences of the end of a relationship, whether marital or cohabiting. Our firm assists couples and families in these often delicate and sensitive situations, where financial issues are frequently compounded by questions concerning children and the organisation of future life. We act both in seeking amicable solutions and in the litigious defence of our clients’ interests.

Immigration law governs the conditions of entry, residence and settlement of foreign nationals in Switzerland. Our firm assists private individuals, families and businesses in Geneva in obtaining and renewing residence and work permits, and in defending their rights in the event of refusal, revocation or removal. We act in both advisory and litigation matters, before the immigration authorities and the administrative courts.

Relocating to Switzerland means combining the immigration, tax and wealth aspects specific to each situation. Our firm assists individuals and their families wishing to settle in Geneva, in particular under expenditure-based taxation (lump-sum taxation), as well as in obtaining the necessary residence permits.

Acquiring Swiss nationality follows a multi-level procedure – federal, cantonal and communal – whose conditions and time limits vary according to each person’s situation. In Geneva, our firm assists those wishing to obtain Swiss nationality, whether by the ordinary or simplified route or by reinstatement, as well as those facing a refusal or a delay in the handling of their file. We act both in an advisory capacity, in putting the file together, and in litigation, before the competent authorities and courts.

White-collar crime covers offences committed in the course of an economic or financial activity: fraud, criminal mismanagement, misappropriation, forgery of documents or money laundering. Our firm assists company directors, businesses and private individuals facing white-collar criminal proceedings. We act with a technical approach suited to the complexity of these cases.

Criminal law governs the prosecution and punishment of ordinary offences, from the opening of the investigation to the enforcement of the sentence. Our firm defends both accused persons and complainants at every stage of the proceedings, from the police interview to appeals, and also once judgment has been handed down, during the enforcement of penalties and measures. We act in both defence and advisory matters, with a determined approach and swift availability suited to the demands of criminal litigation.

Civil liability law allows anyone who has suffered damage to obtain compensation from the person responsible, whether on the basis of fault or of a statutory strict liability. In Geneva, our firm assists people who have suffered bodily injury following an accident or an offence, as well as those in dispute with an insurance company over the scope or amount of their compensation. We act both in negotiation and in litigation before the civil courts.

Health law governs the relationship between patients, healthcare professionals, medical institutions and insurers. Our firm assists doctors, clinics, medico-social institutions and patients in French-speaking Switzerland in this technical field where many areas of law intersect. We act in both advisory and litigation matters, with in-depth knowledge of the issues specific to the medical sector.

A well-formed company is an instrument. Poorly designed, it becomes a battlefield between those who own it and those who run it. Corporate law governs the structure of capital, the distribution of power and the liability of those who exercise it – three questions that almost never arise at the right moment.
Our firm assists entrepreneurs, shareholders, groups and directors at every stage in the life of a company, with extensive experience in restructuring, merger and acquisition transactions. We act in both advisory and litigation matters, under Swiss law as well as in international structures.

Sports law lies at the crossroads of contract law, arbitration, labour law, the law of associations and the rules specific to sports federations, many of which are headquartered in Switzerland. Our firm assists athletes, clubs, agents and sports organisations in negotiating their contracts and in defending their interests before sports bodies. We act in both advisory and litigation matters, with first-hand knowledge of the mechanisms specific to professional sport, particularly football.

Succession law governs the transfer of assets on a person’s death, whether or not they have made testamentary dispositions. In Geneva, our firm assists private individuals in planning their succession, as well as heirs, joint heirs and estates facing a dispute or simply seeking to trace assets within a succession. We also act, on the instruction of the Justice of the Peace, as official administrators of estates.

Labour law governs the relationship between employers and employees, from the conclusion of the employment contract to its end, while regulating the performance of the employment relationship and the management of conflict situations. Within a legal framework shaped by the interplay of the Code of Obligations (CO), the Employment Act (LTr), collective agreements applicable to certain professions and numerous applicable public-law provisions, our firm assists private individuals and businesses both in their advisory needs and in resolving their disputes. We act in particular in the drafting and negotiation of contracts, the management of employment relationships, transfers of contracts, dismissal and restructuring, as well as in litigation before the competent Swiss courts.