FRORIEP Law Blog

Dr. Catrina Luchsinger Gähwiler

Catrina is a specialist in financial market law and corporate law. She has a wealth of experience advising financial market clients, including banks, asset managers and investment vehicles, as well as substantial operational knowledge. She also serves on the management boards of various com-panies, some of which are in the financial services sector. Catrina joined our firm as an associate in the year 2000. She became a partner in 2007. Catrina advises financial services clients and investment companies on regulatory issues as well as on contractual aspects relating to the financial market industry. She furthermore has considerable experience in acquisition and financing transactions, in general corporate work, both for listed and privately held companies, in mergers and acquisitions – predominantly in the financial services sector – and regularly advises in equity capital market transactions both for SIX Swiss Exchange, where she is admitted as a listing agent, and for BX Berne eXchange. Chambers Europe and Chambers Global have identified her as a Recognised Practitioner in the field of banking and finance, where clients have commended her client orientation. She is also ranked as a leading lawyer in the IFLR1000 guide for financial services regulatory and M&A. Catrina obtained her law degree from the University of Zurich in 1991 and was admitted to the Zur-ich Bar in 1995. She gained her PhD in 2004. Her working languages are German, English and French. She is a member of the Zurich Bar Association, the Swiss Bar Association, the International Bar Association (IBA) and the International Pacific Bar Association.

Dr. Mark Montanari

Mark’s practice focuses on capital and financial markets, corporate law, start-ups as well as M&A and financing transactions. He regularly advises international and domestic clients in these fields, including public takeover and stock exchange laws and regulations. Mark joined our firm in 2010 and became counsel in 2017. Prior to that, he worked as a clerk at the District Court Emmental-Oberaargau and with a business law firm in Berne. Thereafter he worked as research and teaching assistant at the University of Berne (Institute of Business Law). After having graduated in law from the University of Berne in 2005, he was admitted to the Bar in 2008 and went on to complete a PhD (summa cum laude) in 2011 in the field of financial markets. His working languages are German and English. Mark is a member of the Zurich Bar Association, the Swiss Bar Association and the International Association of Young Lawyers (AIJA).

Switzerland is strenghtening its competitiveness as Fund Centre - a new, unregulated fund category for qualified investors is proposed

Posted by on 28 June 2019

The Swiss Federal Council initiated a consultation on an amendment of the Swiss Federal Act on Collective Investment Schemes (CISA), aiming to introduce a new, unregulated fund category called "Limited Qualified Investor Fund (L-QIF)", reserved exclusively for qualified investors. By introducing the L-QIF, Switzerland establishes a Swiss fund category similar to the Luxembourg Reserved Alternative Investment Fund (RAIF) or the Malta Notified Alternative Investment Fund (NAIF). The consultation of the Federal Council will last until 17 October 2019.

Topics: Banking & Finance

Xenia Rivkin

Xenia Rivkin's practice focuses on arbitration, litigation and banking and finance law. Prior to joining Froriep in 2018 as an associate, Xenia Rivkin spent one year working as a Human Rights Officer (UN Youth Volunteer) for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Eastern Ukraine. She previously trained as a lawyer in a law firm and at a first instance court in Bern. During her studies she completed internships in law firms in Italy and Portugal. Xenia Rivkin holds a degree in law from the University of Fribourg and spent six months at the Catolica Global School of Law in Lisbon. She was admitted to the Bar in 2017. Her working languages are English, German, French, Italian, Portuguese and she is conversant in Russian.

Froriep's take on equality

Posted by on 14 June 2019

Today, nationwide, women are taking to the streets calling for living conditions and opportunities guaranteeing true equality in paid and unpaid work. The last such strike happened on 14 June 1991, 10 years after equality between man and woman was enshrined in the Swiss constitution.

Topics: Froriep Firm News EN

Matthias Städeli | Rentsch Partner

Matthias Städeli is a litigator in the areas of trademark and copyright law as well as unfair competition law. In addition to his broad expertise in the field of intellectual property right, he further practices in contract law and advertising law. He regularly represents clients in complex litigations before courts and administrative bodies. He advises clients on the development and management of IP rights and all related issues, including licensing and distribution. Matthias J. Staedeli graduated from Zürich University School of Law in 1989 and has been admitted to the Zürich and Swiss Bar since 1992. 1999 he graduated with distinction from Linz University, Austria and earned a Master Degree in Arts and Media Management (M.A.S.). From 2003 until 2004 he studied Intellectual Property at Boston University School of Law where he graduated as Master of Laws (LL.M., Concentration Intellectual Property). During 2004 he was trained at Harvard Law School and Suffolk University School of Law, Boston, in the field of negotiation and mediation.

Alfred Köpf | Rentsch Partner

In his work as a European Patent Attorney, Dr. Alfred Köpf focusses on biotechnology, organic chemistry, medical technology, process technology, and mechanics. Dr. Alfred Köpf studied Biology at the University of Bayreuth, Germany and wrote his Diploma Thesis on the Chemical Ecology of Anthraquinones in leaf beetles. He joined the Masters Program in Entomology/Agriculture at the Kansas State University as a Fulbright scholar and came to the ETH Zürich for his PhD thesis on molecular evolution. Before he started his academic career, Alfred Köpf worked for several years as a CNC-lathe-worker and gained thereby practical experience in mechanical engineering. He has been active since several years in the public discussion about patentability of biological inventions (AIPPI Switzerland (Q 150 und Q159), Science et Cité, LES). Since 2003 Dr. Alfred Köpf is lecturing on patents at the Department of Chemistry and applied Biosciences (D-CHAB) of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zürich. In 2011, he was elected by the Swiss Parliament to become a non-permanent judge of the newly established Swiss Federal Patent Court.

Introduction of the Patent Box in Switzerland

Posted by on 20 May 2019

On 19 May 2019, the Swiss electorate voted in favour of implementing the Swiss patent box. Tax advantages on income generated from intellectual property rights will become a valuable tool for companies in Switzerland to promote research and development activities and to generate added value in these areas.

Topics: Tax , Intellectual Property

Alice Brunner

Alice Brunner is head of marketing and business development at Froriep. She is responsible for overseeing all the firm’s PR, marketing, sponsoring and events. Alice Brunner joined Froriep in 2012 and became head of marketing and business development in 2017 with 5 years’ marketing and communications experience behind her. She has worked for a global network for French trade shows and for a company that markets and represents advertising in private electronic media in the areas of television, radio, online, search engine and mobile marketing. She has a Swiss Federal Diploma in Marketing and Communications, and continuously follows courses about Social Media Marketing. Her working languages are German, English and French – and she speaks Italian as well.

FRORIEP recognised in 2019 edition of The Legal 500 Europe, Middle East & Africa

Posted by on 15 April 2019

We are delighted to announce that Froriep has been recommended for Switzerland in the following practice areas:

Topics: Froriep Firm News EN

Nicola Benz

Nicola Benz’s practice is focused on technology and life sciences transactions. She assists technology companies of all sizes, from start-ups to established players, as well as investors, suppliers and customers across a broad range of industries and sectors. Nicola Benz’s expertise covers outsourcing, licensing, joint ventures and collaborations and associated intellectual property issues. She also has considerable experience advising on all types of commercial contracts, competition and regulatory issues and data protection. Nicola Benz is recognised as a globally leading patent and technology licensing lawyer, as well as a leading practitioner in the field of intellectual property. Chambers Europe (2018) ranked her as leader in the fields of Intellectual Property and Life Science, and she was recommended in the 2018 edition of the Legal 500 EMEA for Intellectual Property as well as TMT matters. She has also been named as a thought leader for data law in the publication "Who's Who Legal 2018". Born in Scotland, Nicola obtained her law degree from the University of Edinburgh (LLB Hons) in 1997. She joined our firm as an associate in 2002 and became a partner in 2010. Since 2017 she has been the managing partner of our firm. Her working languages are English and German. Nicola is a member of the Zurich Bar Association, the International Trademark Association (INTA), the Licensing Executives Society (LES) and the International Technology Law Association (iTechLaw).

Cornelia Mattig

Cornelia Mattig specialises in data protection and intellectual property law, as well as corporate and commercial law issues. Cornelia Mattig joined Froriep as an associate in 2018. Before joining Froriep, Cornelia Mattig trained with firms in Ireland, Germany and Switzerland as well as at the District Court of March in the Canton of Schwyz. After she passed the Bar exam in the Canton of Schwyz, she worked as a notary public and lawyer in an accounting and auditing firm. She graduated from the University of Zurich with a Master of Law (Business Law) in 2014 before obtaining her LL.M. in European Law at Queen Mary University of London in 2017. She was admitted to the Bar in 2018. She also holds a Data Protection Officer Certificate from the University of Maastricht. Her working languages are German and English.

The EDPB is limiting the application of certain lawful bases for data processing around online services – what you need to know

Posted by on 15 April 2019

The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) has published guidelines on the use of processing of personal data necessary for the performance of a contract as a legal basis under Art. 6.1 lit. b General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The guidelines are now in the public consultation phase.

Topics: Data Protection , Intellectual Property

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