Profile
Patrik Peyer is the co-head of NKF’s Corporate and M&A team. He is a corporate law specialist with a focus on complex M&A transactions, private equity, venture capital and corporate governance. He has broad experience in and a deep understanding of all phases of the private equity and venture capital investment life cycle. He provides innovative legal solutions to help companies of all sizes to achieve their commercial and growth objectives. Patrik was the managing partner of Niederer Kraft Frey from 2021 until 2024.
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Patrik Peyer’s expertise focuses on M&A transactions in the tech (including fintech) and life science industries. He advises investors, entrepreneurs and both domestic Swiss and international companies with operations in Switzerland throughout the entire life cycle of venture capital and private equity investments. Patrik has broad experience advising boards of directors and executive management teams on Corporate Governance and remuneration matters.
- Swiss counsel to Sportradar Group AG on the successful launch of its IPO and the start of trading on Nasdaq
- Counsel to SERgroup Holding International GmbH on the acquisition of Interact Digital AG
- Swiss counsel to the private equity investor Ardian on the acquisition of a majority stake in Swissbit Holding AG
- Counsel to Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, Canada’s largest single-profession pension plan, on the purchase of 156,658 shares (2.85%) in Barry Callebaut AG
- Counsel to Lindsay Goldberg, a New York based private investment firm, on the acquisition of Bilcare Research Group
- Counsel to Boston Scientific Corporation, USA in its acquisition of the Swiss company Symetis SA for USD 435 million
- Mergers & Acquisitions: Switzerland 2024 in: In-Depth: Mergers & Acquisitions, Law Business Research, 21 November 2024
- Going public, staying private or selling Round table moderator at the 7th Mergers and Acquisitions in the Technology Sector Conference, Barcelona, 14-15 March 2024
- Competition of legal forms – “GmbH vs. AG” Conference host & Speaker at the 20th Zurich Corporate Law Conference of the European Institute of the University of Zurich, Zurich, 23 March 2023
- New Swiss Corporate Law – “Much ado about nothing”?, 2022 Conference host & speaker at the 19th Zurich Corporate Law Conference of the European Institute of the University of Zurich, Zurich, 7 September 2022
- LexGTDT: Private Equity (Transactions) in Switzerland 2022 in: Lexology Getting The Deal Through – Private Equity (Transactions) 2022, Law Business Research, 11 March 2022
- Start-up financing from a legal perspective, 2021 Speaker at Venture Capital Webinar, Zurich, 28 April 2021
- Private Equity (Transactions) in Switzerland 2021 in: Lexology Getting The Deal Through – Private Equity (Transactions), Law Business Research, April 2021
- Freedom of scope in Swiss Corporate law (Gestaltungsfreiheit im Aktienrecht), 2021 Conference host & Speaker at the 18th Zurich Corporate Law Conference of the European Institute of the University of Zurich, Zurich, 30 March 2021
- Die wesentlichen Grundzüge des Gesellschaftsrechts, 2020 Speaker at Executive MBA University of Zurich, Zurich, 7 November 2020
- Locking the Deal-making Gates: the world turns protectionist, 2020 Speaker at IBA Webinar, 27 May 2020
- Private Equity (Transactions) in Switzerland 2020 in: Lexology Getting The Deal Through – Private Equity (Transactions), Law Business Research, 11 May 2020
- Compensation Regulations, 2020 Conference host & speaker at the 17th Zurich Corporate Law Conference of the European Institute of the University of Zurich, Zurich, 3 March 2020
- Private equity in Switzerland: market and regulatory overview, 2020 in: Practical Law/ Thomson Reuters, 1 March 2020
- International Redomiciliation of LLC, 2019 in: Theus Simoni/Hauser/Bärtschi (Hrsg.), Handbuch Schweizer GmbH-Recht, Basel 2019
- Corporate governance at state-backed companies, 2019 Panel participant at the 6th Annual Corporate Governance Conference, Frankfurt, 5 December 2019
- Shareholders’ Agreements – A toolbox for corporate structuring, 2019 Speech held at the STS Schweizerische Treuhänder Schule: Treuhand Intensiv, Zurich, 19 September 2019
- Employee Stock Option Plans for Start-up Companies, 2019 Speech held at the SwissVC: Legal Best Practices Workshop, Zurich, 9 July 2019
- Legal challenge of corporate venturing, 2019 Second SECA Venture Capital Workshop, Zurich, 25 May 2019
- Venture Capital Investments: How to get in? How to get out?, 2019 Second SECA Venture Capital Workshop, Zurich, 24 May 2019
- When banks invest in FinTech start-ups: Legal challenges of corporate venturing, 2019 Speech held at the FinTech-Event, Zurich, 9 May 2019
- Share deals vs asset deals in tech companies, 2019 Round table moderator at the 4th Mergers and Acquisitions in the Technology Sector Conference, Barcelona, 28 March 2019
- The Shareholders’ Agreement, 2019 Conference host & speaker at the 16th Zurich Corporate Law Conference of the European Institute of the University of Zurich, Zurich, 5 March 2019
- Traditional fundraising structures vs fundraising fashion trends, 2019 Panel moderator at the 4th IBA Silicon Beach Conference, Santa Monica, 17 February 2019
- Private equity in Switzerland – market and regulatory overview, 2020 in: Practical Law/ Thomson Reuters, 2020
- Venture Capital Investment: How to get in? How to get out?, 2018 First SECA Venture Capital Workshop, Zurich, 25 May 2018
- How can you make your technology company sexy for potential buyers?, 2018 Panel participation at the 3rd Mergers & Acquisition in the Technology Sector Conference, Barcelona, 23 February 2018
- Starter kit for start-ups – The suitable legal setting for your business idea, 2017 Panel participation at the AIJA Half Year Conference, Riga, 18 May 2017
- M&A in financial distress, 2017 Panel participation at the AIJA M&A Seminar (Unravelling the Ins and Outs of Restructuring), La Clusaz, 27 January 2017
- Challenges for venture capital investors in a digital world, 2017 Roundtable moderation at the Worldwebforum, Zurich, 25 January 2017
- NKF Client News November 2016 (FinTech / Startups – Insights on a Success Story) in: Online Publication, 29 November 2016
- Private Equity in Switzerland: Market and regulatory overview, 2016/17 in: Practical Law Multi-jurisdictional Guide 2016/17 Private Equity and Venture Capital, Thomson Reuters (14 Pages; 4148 kb)
- Purchase price: Locked box vs. Closing accounts, 2016 Speech held at the AIJA M&A Seminar (It’s all about money making and securing payments in M&A transactions), Budapest, 22 April 2016
- Exits: Single, double or triple track, 2016 Panel participation at the AIJA M&A Seminar (Private equity masterclass), Corvara, 16 January 2016
- M&A transaction structuring, Panel moderation at the AIJA M&A Seminar (M&A reloaded: A comprehensive view of the M&A process), 2015 Kitzbühel, 29 January 2015
- Voraussetzung der Sonderprüfung – Nachweis der vorgängigen Ausübung des Auskunfts- oder Einsichtsrechts, 2014 in: GesKR 1 (2015) 136 (Besprechung des Urteils 4A_319/2014 des schweizerischen Bundesgerichts vom 19. November 2014)
- Hauptaufgaben des Verwaltungsrats, 2014 in: Fischer/Drenckhan/Gwelessiani/Theus Simoni (Hrsg.), Handbuch Schweizer Aktienrecht, Basel 2014
- Kommentar zu Art. 26 VegüV, 2014 in: Gerhard/Maizar/Spillmann/Wolf (Hrsg.), Vergütungsrecht der Schweizer Publikumsgesellschaften, GesKR-Kommentar zur VegüV, Zürich/St. Gallen 2014
- Schweizerisches Gesellschaftsrecht, Fragen und Antworten – Leading Cases, 2013 2. edition, Bern 2013
- New Swiss Rules to enhance Financial Stability of Banks – Capital Requirements; Recovery and Resolution Regime, 2012 in: Bankers’ Law, Volume 4 Number 4, p. 28-35
- Umsetzung des FINMA-Rundschreibens «Vergütungssysteme» bei Banken, Variable Vergütungen im Spannungsfeld zwischen Regulierung und Zivilrecht, 2011 in: SJZ 107 (2011) Nr. 7, S. 149-158
- The Future of Private Banking in Switzerland – an Outlook from a legal Perspective, 2010 in: Bankers’ Law, Volume 3 Number 4, S. 30-32
- FINMA-Richtlinie stösst auf rechtliche Barrieren, Variable Vergütungen für den Finanzsektor stehen im Spannungsfeld zwischen Regulierung und Zivilrecht, 2010 in: NZZ vom 4. Juni 2010 (Nr. 126)
- Besprechung von “Mario Marti, Aktienemission im Internet, Bern/Zürich 2008″ in: SJZ 105 (2009) 305
- Das «vernünftige» Verwaltungsratsmitglied – oder der objektivierte Fahrlässigkeitsbegriff in der aktienrechtlichen Verantwortlichkeit, 2008 in: Gaudenz G. Zindel/Patrik R. Peyer/Bertrand Schott (Hrsg.): Wirtschaftsrecht in Bewegung. Festgabe zum 65. Geburtstag von Peter Forstmoser, Zürich/St. Gallen 2008 und Zürich/Basel/Genf 2008, 102
- Vertretung der Aktiengesellschaft, Wirkung der Vertretungsmacht und einer Beschränkung der Vertretungsbefugnis (Besprechung des Urteils 4A_357/2007 des schweizerischen Bundesgerichts vom 8. April 2008) in: GesKR 18 (2008) 382
- Die Einwirkung der Gesellschafterversammlung auf geschäftsführende Entscheide in der GmbH, 2007 in: SJZ 103 (2007) S. 397 und S. 429-434
- Schweizerisches Gesellschaftsrecht, Fragen und Antworten – Leading Cases, Bern 2007
- Übungsbuch Obligationenrecht – Allgemeiner Teil, Zürich 2007
- Vollstreckung unvertretbarer Handlungen und Unterlassungen, (Dissertation) Zürich 2006
- Zur zunehmenden Bedeutung der Rechtsvergleichung als Hilfsmittel der Rechtsfindung in: recht 22 (2004) 104
2011
University of St. Gallen, Executive MBA HSG
2006
Admitted to the Bar, Attorney-at-law
2005
University of Zurich, PhD (Dr. iur.)
2003
University of Cambridge, LL.M., British Counsel Chevening Scholar 2002 / 2003
1999
University of Zurich, Masters Degree
Best Lawyers 2018 – 2025
Chambers Global 2020 – 2024
Chambers Europe 2020 – 2024
IFLR1000 2024 – Highly Regarded
The Legal500 EMEA 2020 – 2024 – Recommended
Lexology Index – Thought Leaders – Switzerland 2024
WHO’S WHO LEGAL: GLOBAL 2020 – 2024
Lexology Index – Switzerland 2016 – 2024
IFLR1000 2023 – Highly Regarded
Lexology Index – Thought Leaders – Switzerland 2023
IFLR1000 2022 – Highly Regarded
IFLR1000 2021 – Highly Regarded
Chambers FinTech 2020
IFLR1000 2020 – Notable Practicioner
The Legal500 EMEA 2019 – Next Generation Lawyer
IFLR1000 2019 – Notable Practicioner
The Legal500 EMEA 2018 – Next Generation Lawyer
The Legal500 EMEA 2017 – Next Generation Lawyer
- International Bar Association IBA
- Swiss Bar Association
- Zurich Bar Association
2015
Partner, Niederer Kraft Frey (Managing Partner from 2021 until 2024)
2014
Secondee to the Frankfurt office of a Magic Circle firm
2009
Senior Associate, Niederer Kraft Frey
2006
Associate, Niederer Kraft Frey
2003
Research Assistant for Corporate Law at University of Zurich
2001
Research Assistant for Contract and Tort Law at University of Zurich
2000
Clerk with the District Court of Zurich
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English
French