Swiss-qualified attorneys PARTNERS OLTRAMARE HOCHSTAETTER EARDLEY REISER & PARTNERS

Transcription

1 Swiss-qualified attorneys PARTNERS OLTRAMARE HOCHSTAETTER EARDLEY REISER & PARTNERS

2 OUR PHILOSOPHY Founded in 1978, OHER & Partners is a Swiss law firm based in Geneva. Specialising in business law, our firm assists a local and foreign clientele, not only before the courts and arbitral tribunals, but also by providing ongoing legal advice. A tailor-made service OHER & Partners, well recognised by its peers, provides a made-to-measure service for a clientele in pursuit of excellence and precision. Our clients interests are central to our focus, along with the highest standards of professional ethics. A close support to the client OHER & Partners advises institutional clients, private individuals and legal entities, whether they are partnerships, family businesses, SMBs, multinationals, or start-ups. We assist our clients throughout their activities, professional as well as private, by making the most of our lawyers varied skills, to ensure they receive the necessary specialist service. We regularly discuss cases and update legal issues with our clients, while avoiding legalese when communicating with them. 2

3 Experienced professionals OHER & Partners is a sensibly sized boutique law firm which favours direct, personalized and regular contacts with its clients to understand better their immediate and long-term challenges and needs. Working closely together, we define the main goals, and analyse the risks inherent in a course of action; we agree on a common strategy and implement the steps necessary to achieve our clients objectives. Composed of lawyers with international experience and well able to advise in several languages, OHER & Partners offers its clients a swift, flexible and efficient service. A dedicated availability OHER & Partners guarantees a strong response. Our lawyers react quickly and undertake all necessary steps to provide advice within our clients deadlines. We provide full transparency with respect to invoicing, enabling us to agree fair fee estimates with our clients. 3

4 AREAS OF LAW OHER & Partners specialises in six areas of law: Commercial contracts We advise our clients in drafting commercial contracts, general terms and conditions, and related legal documents. Once we have defined our clients objectives and assessed the legal risks, we work with our clients to determine the best means to meet their needs. Anticipating future eventualities is essential in avoiding subsequent disputes; therefore we focus on the drafting of irreproachable contractual documents. We assist our clients at the pre-contractual stage, including negotiation, and subsequently in the performance and enforcement of contracts. Our extensive experience covers: international sales, contract for work and services, partnerships, shareholders agreements, employment, agency, brokerage, distribution, franchise, licence and lease agreements. Banking and finance OHER & Partners advises banks, security dealers, investment funds and independent asset managers in their relations with their clients, their business partners and the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA). We assist our clients in setting up new business structures as well as in the day-to-day management of legal documents (management and advisory agreements, anti-money laundering, KYC requirements, etc.). In particular, OHER & Partners advises its clients in all licensing matters before the FINMA using its vast experience and professional contacts developed over time with this regulator. OHER & Partners closely follows all Swiss and international regulatory changes in order to foresee the challenges, risks and opportunities of tomorrow s banking and financial world. 4

5 Real estate OHER & Partners assists its clients in all forms of real estate transactions. These can include organisation of consortiums, development and management of real estate projects, planning and follow-up of land settlement procedures, negotiation of contracts with the various building trades. We also offer in this area expert services to help our clients comply with the administrative formalities such as building permits, appeal proceedings and public procurement procedures. OHER & Partners advises landlords (private or institutional, commercial or residential real estate) in their relationships with their tenants and represents/assists them before the courts. Litigation and arbitration OHER & Partners represents its clients in dispute resolution matters. We analyse each case s strengths and weaknesses with complete objectivity and independence, to provide the appropriate advice in a commercial context and closest to our clients interests. Some cases will need to be pleaded before a state court or arbitral tribunal, whereas others will call for negotiations or mediation with the opposing parties. OHER & Partners assists its clients in all phases of the dispute: negotiations, mediation, representation before state courts or arbitral tribunals, enforcement of judgements/awards and possible debt collection. OHER & Partners pleads before state courts (in Switzerland) and before arbitral tribunals (Swiss and international commercial arbitration). We also assist clients involved in international disputes with the ramifications in Switzerland (temporary and permanent injunctions, freezing of assets deposited in Switzerland, Swiss law opinions, etc.). 5

6 AREAS OF LAW Mergers and acquisitions OHER & Partners offers fully-fledged legal advice and assistance in merger and acquisition transactions involving small and mid-sized, as well as listed, companies. Our firm structures mergers and acquisitions to enable our clients to reach their objectives with the most favourable tax treatment. Our focus is to meet, with a collaborative approach, the sometimes complex objectives of our clients with simple solutions, increasing our clients satisfaction. We specialise in assisting law firms located in the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as investment banks, on international merger and acquisition transactions involving Swiss businesses. Our team is extremely reactive and offers cost-effective services with the highest quality standards. Our lawyers have recently dealt with mergers and acquisitions across a number of sectors, including in the food, transportation and printing industries, as well as with transactions involving financial institutions, oil and telecommunication companies, medical products and services, real estate and hotels. 6

7 Trusts and estates Our firm offers a full range of legal services relating to trusts and estates, including assistance for drafting wills and trust deeds, as well as litigation and asset searches. Once we have examined and defined our clients wishes with respect to their estate, we suggest cost-efficient and tax-compliant solutions. Our approach offers long-term and flexible solutions ensuring our clients entire satisfaction and peace of mind. OHER & Partners maintains a network of internationally-recognised partners offering services in the trusts and estates area in the most important jurisdictions. This network enables us to offer services to an international clientele with domicile or residence in Switzerland or abroad, while ensuring that solutions comply with all applicable legal provisions. 7

8 THE PARTNERS Jacques A. Hochstaetter After classic studies and a law degree at the University of Geneva in 1950, Jacques A. Hochstaetter passed the Geneva Bar in In 1973, he sets up his office at 16, rue de Candolle, where he joins Gabriel C. Oltramare, and with whom he founded our firm. His activity as counsel ranges from Swiss to international cases. He has served as director of various entities, in the real estate, tourism and finance sectors, in Switzerland and abroad. E. [email protected] John F. Eardley After having completed his legal studies at the University of Geneva in 1974, John F. Eardley joined OHER & Partners, and subsequently passed the Bar exam in May John F. Eardley is mainly active as a trial attorney in the private law area (commercial and contract law) and also provides legal advice, on a Swiss and international level. He also has extensive experience in his specialisms of finance law, corporate law and arbitration. E. [email protected] 8

9 Christian M. Reiser Having graduated from the University of Geneva, Christian M. Reiser passed his Bar exam in 1976 and developed his career both as trial attorney and advising individuals and businesses. He chaired the Geneva Bar Council from 2006 to Being able to assist clients in most areas of law, he easily describes himself as a family doctor, while at the same time specialising in key areas ranging from corporate law to trusts and estates, and from administrative law to arbitration. E. [email protected] Michel Bosshard Following a Master of Law after studies at the University of Zurich and at the University of Geneva, Michel Bosshard completed his education by a Master in business management and a Master in Advanced Studies in European law. He joined OHER & Partners in 1992 and passed his Bar exam in 1993, becoming a partner in His professional activity (counselling and trial attorney) involves Swiss as well as international cases, especially for Thai and Asian clients. He serves as director of several companies, mostly in the field of real estate. E. [email protected] 9

10 THE PARTNERS Eric Beaumont Eric Beaumont graduated from the University of Geneva in 1998 with a law degree and passed his Bar exam in Geneva in Having worked with a law firm in Singapore, he has an extensive experience of common law. In 2003, he joined OHER & Partners as an independent lawyer, and then as a partner, in Eric Beaumont is mainly a trial attorney in private law (commercial law, contract law, persons and family law, trusts and estates) and has counselling activity, on a Swiss and international level. He obtained the Swiss Advanced Certificate in Trust management granted by the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP). E. [email protected] Flavien Valloggia After having completed his legal education at the University of Geneva in 1999, Flavien Valloggia joined OHER & Partners at the end of 2000; he passed the Geneva Bar exam in May Flavien Valloggia is mainly active in the resolution of private law disputes (commercial law and contract law) and in the field of counselling, on a Swiss and international level. Also specialising in administrative law, his fields of excellence are construction law, land settlement law and public procurement law. E. [email protected] 10

11 Alexandre de Senarclens Alexandre de Senarclens graduated from the University of Fribourg in 1999 with a law degree, passed his Bar exam in Geneva in 2001 and completed an LL.M. at Georgetown University in After having worked with well-established Geneva law firms, Alexandre de Senarclens joined OHER & Partners as a partner in August He is mainly active in the field of banking law, especially assisting clients before the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA). In addition, in the commercial law field, he notably advises companies in the negotiation of contracts and their internal organisation. Alexandre de Senarclens also assists and represents clients in civil, arbitral and criminal (white-collar crime) procedures. E. [email protected] Pascal Dévaud Pascal Dévaud obtained his law degree at the University of Fribourg in 1997 and his LL.M. at Georgetown University in He was admitted to the Geneva Bar in 2000 and to the New York Bar in He worked with a Swiss law firm before joining OHER & Partners in July He assists clients before state courts and arbitral tribunals, in commercial, financial and trusts disputes. He has dealt with numerous mergers and acquisitions, including private equity operations, and serves as director of Swiss companies. He also assists clients in structuring project finance transactions. E. [email protected] 11

12 PARTNERS 16, RUE DE CANDOLLE 1205 GENEVA SWITZERLAND T. +41 (0) F. +41 (0) OLTRAMARE HOCHSTAETTER EARDLEY REISER & PARTNERS