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Leading international law firm with strong English-speaking team specializing in corporate and commercial law
Geneva-based international firm with strong English-speaking practice; specializing in banking and finance
Zurich-headquartered firm known for bilingual English-speaking team in corporate and tax matters
Full-service law firm with significant English-language expertise in corporate and IP matters
Global CMS network with strong Zurich office offering comprehensive English-language legal services
Geneva office of major Swiss firm specializing in corporate and immigration matters for expats
Geneva law firm specializing in banking and finance with strong English-speaking capabilities
Ticino firm with multilingual English team serving Italian and international clients
Major Swiss firm with strong English-language corporate and banking practice
Geneva-based international law firm with comprehensive English-speaking services
Leading Geneva law firm with established English-language practice in corporate matters
Zurich firm with established English-language corporate and banking practice
International law firm with Geneva office offering banking and corporate legal services in English
Requirements vary by country and activity — payment services, e-money issuance, lending and investment services all have different regulatory frameworks. A banking lawyer can advise.
Cross-border lending is generally permitted within the EU, but local regulatory requirements and documentation standards apply. Legal advice is essential.
Browse our verified directory of law firms across Switzerland's major cities. All listed firms offer English-language legal services to expats and foreign nationals.
Find My Lawyer in 60 SecondsFINMA (Eidgenössische Finanzmarktaufsicht): Federal Financial Market Authority regulating banks, insurance, securities. BankG (Bankengesetz) governs bank licensing, capital requirements, deposit insurance. FinSA/FinIA (2020): Modern financial services/institution acts requiring SEC-style licensing for investment advisors, consumer protection rules, conflicts of interest disclosures.
Einlagensicherung (Deposit Insurance): CHF 100,000 per depositor per bank (esisuisse manages fund). Covers only bank failures; not market losses. Covers Swiss and foreign deposits with Swiss bank branches.
Banking Secrecy (substantially reduced): Swiss banking secrecy historically (pre-2000s) protected depositor identity from tax authorities. Post-AEOI (Automatischer Informationsaustausch – Automatic Exchange of Information, implemented 2017+): Switzerland exchanges financial account information with 130+ countries automatically (CRS – Common Reporting Standard). U.S. persons face FATCA reporting (Form 8938, FBAR). Banking secrecy NO LONGER shields tax evasion; applies only to commercial confidentiality (legitimate business secrets).
UBS-Credit Suisse Merger (March 2023): Credit Suisse acquired by UBS with government intervention (CHF 100B liquidity assistance, loss absorption). CS shareholders took total loss; UBS absorbed ~CHF 16B losses. Implications: Consolidation of Swiss banking; reduced competition; confidence shaken (withdrawals accelerated from other banks Q1 2023); regulatory tightening on capital/liquidity.
FATF Compliance: Switzerland on FATF grey list periodically; enhanced AML (anti-money laundering) compliance expected. Reporting obligations for transactions > CHF 100,000 (STR – suspicious transaction reports).
Case Study: Zurich private banking client (net worth CHF 50M) employed private bank to manage wealth. Client disclosed historic unreported U.S. income (FATCA violation). Bank escalates to FINMA; client enters voluntary disclosure (U.S. IRS/Swiss tax authorities). Settlement: Back taxes + penalties ~40% of undisclosed amount (~CHF 5-10M), mandatory FATCA reporting going forward. Bank liability exposure: reputational (client lost), potential FINMA fine if due diligence failed; mitigation via comprehensive KYC (know your customer) prior to 2020 FinSA implementation.
