Litigation

Our top tier litigation team specialises in very large, complex matters and multijurisdictional disputes across all industry sectors. We have a strong track record of collaborating with leading international firms on a lead or co-counsel basis. The diverse team, made up of expert lawyers many of whom were educated or qualified in different jurisdictions, has the collective skill, international mindset and experience to identify, fully grasp and manage effectively the particular issues which arise in cross border disputes.

We advise and represent our clients in all types of litigation before cantonal and federal courts and tribunals, in proceedings before administrative authorities, in particular FINMA, and administrative courts, as well as in white-collar crime matters before criminal authorities and courts.

Clients regularly turn to NKF’s Dispute Resolution team before a dispute has arisen to seek advice and representation with a view to avoiding disputes. We have extensive experience negotiating in and out-of-court settlement agreements in our clients’ interests.

Our litigation team works seamlessly with specialists from other NKF practices to provide tailored and comprehensive specialist advice. We have close ties with leading law firms all over the world, allowing us to support clients to preempt and manage effectively disputes with a transnational character and involving other jurisdictions.

Experience:

• Swiss counsel to the Fédération International de Football Association in the corruption case regarding football officals in multiple proceedings and investigative steps brought in various jurisdictions
• Counsel to UBS, the world’s largest wealth management bank, in complex proceedings involving parties and authorities in three different jurisdictions
• Counsel to Bill and Melinda Gates as minority shareholders of Sika AG in a substantial dispute against the majority shareholder of Sika AG (controlling 52% of the votes and 16% of the economic interest) and the French industry group Saint-Gobain, relating to an unfriendly takeover attempt by Saint-Gobain
• Counsel to a financial institution in proceedings before FINMA, the Swiss financial markets supervisory authority related to the 1MDB scandal
• Counsel to a Mexican entity in its dispute with an Israel based globally active market leader, spanning over a large number of jurisdictions
• Co-counsel to a Swiss based global industry leader in a class action brought before the courts of the Northern District of California
• Counsel to a board member of a now bankrupt large Swiss entity in one of the largest D&O liability cases in Switzerland to date
• Co-counsel to a well-known individual in the landmark exoneration rendered by the Swiss Federal Criminal Court in the context of an alleged violation of the Swiss blocking statutes (art. 271 of the Swiss Criminal Code)