In this second blog of a series of several briefings to be posted on the new Financial Services Act and Financial Institutions Act we will look at the code of conduct and certain obligations to which financial services providers will be subject.
Jérôme's practice focuses on banking, finance and regulatory matters, as well as corporate and commercial transactions. He joined our London office as an associate in 2014. Prior to joining Froriep, he worked for several years in the corporate group of a business law firm in Geneva. He graduated from the University of Fribourg in 2004 and earned an LL.M. from New York University, as well as a Certificate in Law and Business from Stern School of Business, in 2010. He was admitted to the Geneva bar in 2009 and to the New York bar in 2013. His working languages are French and English, and he has a good command of German.
Laetitia is a partner in the Banking and Finance group in our Geneva office and specialised in all aspects of commercial, corporate and banking law. Her practice focuses on investment products and services with an emphasis on collective investment schemes, capital markets and regulatory matters. Laetitia is also active in banking litigation and white-collar matters, advising individual and corporate clients on various criminal law matters, including mutual legal assistance. She is a Deputy Judge with the Geneva Criminal Court. Her two-year tenure as Head of Legal of an international leading investment company, specialised in emerging, sustainable and inclusive finance, provided her with in-depth knowledge of the legal and business needs of an asset manager and distribution agent active worldwide, as well as a significant expertise in social impact finance. Her working languages are French, English and Spanish. Laetitia is member of the Geneva Bar Association, the Swiss Bar Association (SAV/FSA), as well as the Legal Team of Sustainable Finance Geneva. She is a member of the Geneva Bar Exam Commission.
In this second blog of a series of several briefings to be posted on the new Financial Services Act and Financial Institutions Act we will look at the code of conduct and certain obligations to which financial services providers will be subject.
Topics: Capital Markets
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Catherine is specialised in all areas of domestic and international corporate taxation. She has developed significant expertise in tax planning on M&A and financing transactions, reorganisations, relocations, collective investment schemes and real estate investments. In addition, she advises a number of high net worth individuals. Before Catherine joined Froriep in July 2017, she worked as a tax expert with a large Swiss bank for several years. Before joining the bank, she had a long-standing role as tax expert with a Big Four advisory firm. Catherine obtained her law degree from the University of Zurich (lic. iur.) in 1995 and was admitted to the Zurich Bar in 1998. She qualified as a Swiss Certified Tax Expert in 2002. Her working languages are German and English.
In our practice we repeatedly find that directors, board members or otherwise involved persons of wealth management structures are uncertain on how to classify a wealth management structure under the Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) or on how the AEOI classification as Passive Non-financial Entity or as Professionally Managed Investment Entity affects the wealth management structure's AEOI obligations and the information that is actually exchanged. This blogpost aims to unravel the tangle.
Topics: Tax , Banking & Finance
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Dunja Koch has expertise in all aspects of corporate and finance law, advising mainly UK and US clients with regard to Switzerland. She is the managing partner of the London office. She joined the firm in 1998 and became a partner in 2003. She regularly works on corporate and M&A deals, as well as leveraged and acquisition finance transactions, but also project, commodity and asset finance matters, including aircraft finance. Here, she acts on behalf of aircraft manufacturers, banks and leasing companies in relation to the Swiss aspects of acquisition of aircraft and engines. Her practice further covers regulatory matters, where she advises asset managers, funds, securities dealers and other financial institutions in relation to their cross-border activities in Switzerland. The Legal 500 United Kingdom 2018 recommended her as a top foreign lawyer in London. Chambers Global (2019) ranked her as leader in the fields of Banking & Finance (Switzerland) and Banking & Finance (UK). She was also specifically recommended in the 2018 edition of the Legal 500 EMEA for Transport Law matters and named one of IFLR1000’s Women Leaders- an elite cohort of the 300 leading female transactional experts in local markets globally. She is the only practitioner from Switzerland to be featured in the guide. Dunja Koch holds a law degree from the University of Zurich and a LL.M. from Queen Mary, University of London. She qualified in Geneva in 1997 and in England and Wales in 1999. She speaks German, French, English and Italian. She is registered on the roll of attorneys in Zurich and a member of the International Bar Association (IBA), Association Suisse de Droit Aérien et Spatial and the Aviation Club of the UK.
We are pleased to announce that the following Froriep attorneys have been listed as experts in the below 8 practice areas:
Topics: Froriep Firm News EN
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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).
Ronald’s practice is focused on disruptive technologies. He advises Swiss and international clients as well as public entities in corporate and technology-related transactions. Ronald has in-depth knowledge of IP/IT law, in particular licensing of IP-rights, IP-transaction, financial market and contract law. He is an expert in the field of blockchain technology, crypto-currencies and crypto-tokens. Before he joined Froriep in 2017, he worked for a major global consulting firm. He was also part of the legal counsel team of a public listed pharmaceutical company at the headquarters in Switzerland and worked for its subsidiary in the United States. Ronald graduated in law from the University of Lucerne in 2011 and was admitted to the St. Gallen Bar in 2012. In 2016 he was awarded a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in business law from the Chapman University, California, United States. His working languages are German and English.
Outsourcing of certain business processes is standard for most companies these days, even for small and mid-size companies. Through outsourcing, business processes within a group of companies can be handled efficiently or access to an advanced IT infrastructure can be made possible. Outsourcing usually involves transferring personal data, such as employee data, customer data or supplier data. The outsourcing provider is a processor, the outsourcing customer is a controller. So far so good. But what if the provider uses the data for its own purposes too? And what if the customer is told what to do by the processor when processing the data? This article explains on which basis the individual roles of controller and processor can be determined taking into account the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Topics: Data Protection
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The professional activity of Gregor Wild focuses on copyright, trademark and design law and related contractual and procedural questions. His expertise primarily extents to Swiss and international Intellectual Property Law, in particular to the representation before the Federal IPI, Swiss Courts and the WIPO. Gregor Wild has global experience under more than 70 jurisdictions where he constantly collaborates with local experts. He has acquired special knowledge in relation with transnational registrations and IP-portfolios. Questions of publicity and registers are building the focus of his academic activities. After his thesis in copyright law and his employment in the trademark division of the Swiss IPI Gregor Wild has joined RENTSCH PARTNER IN 2002. He is a member of the Special Commission of Intellectual Property Rights of the Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects (sia) and lecturer for Private Law at the University of Lucerne. By 1 January 2012 he was elected by the Swiss Federal Council as a member of the Federal Arbitration Board for Exploitation of Author’s and Neighboring Rights (ESchK).
It lies in the nature of the blockchain technology that the control and securing of blockchain transactions have a non-proprietary character. The decentralisation of the system shall furthermore guarantee the stability and consistency of this decentralised trust “sphere”. Starting with this characterisation, it seems at first sight to be paradox to openly think about the question, whether trademark rights could play a valuable role in the “blockchain community".
Topics: Intellectual Property , Disruptive Technologies
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