Bankruptcy & Debt
Kellerhals Carrard Bern offers comprehensive legal services in insolvency and restructuring, advising management on measures during impending insolvency, representing financial creditors, debtors, and asset acquirers from financially distressed companies, and serving as extraordinary receivers. The firm collaborates across practice areas, including competition, corporate, real estate, and tax law, to develop innovative restructuring solutions that benefit all parties and, in some cases, avoid formal insolvency proceedings. Their experience encompasses national and international enforcement, as well as formal bankruptcy and composition proceedings.
Business
Kellerhals Carrard Bern offers comprehensive legal services in corporate and business law, including mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, and corporate governance. The firm's attorneys assist clients with company formation, restructuring, and compliance, ensuring adherence to Swiss and international regulations. They also provide counsel on commercial contracts, intellectual property rights, and dispute resolution, supporting businesses across various industries. With a pragmatic and solution-oriented approach, Kellerhals Carrard Bern delivers tailored legal strategies to meet the specific needs of their clients.
Banking & Finance
Kellerhals Carrard Bern offers comprehensive legal services in banking, finance, and fintech, advising Swiss and international financial institutions, insurance companies, and service providers on regulatory compliance, product development, and market entry strategies. The firm's expertise encompasses retail and private banking, capital markets, investment banking, asset management, payment systems, and compliance. They are particularly experienced in fintech, supporting clients with digitalization, blockchain, and innovative financial technologies. Through close collaboration with legislative bodies, regulatory authorities, and industry associations, Kellerhals Carrard Bern provides proactive guidance on evolving regulations and strategic planning.
Criminal Defense
Kellerhals Carrard Bern offers comprehensive criminal defense services, specializing in white-collar crime, anti-corruption, and anti-money laundering cases. The firm's attorneys, such as Dr. Michael Daphinoff, bring extensive experience in criminal and criminal procedural law, focusing on commercial criminal law, combating corruption, and money laundering. They also conduct internal and administrative investigations, ensuring thorough representation for clients facing complex legal challenges.
Employment & Labor
Kellerhals Carrard Bern offers comprehensive legal services in employment and labor law, addressing both individual and collective employment matters, as well as public employment law. The firm's expertise encompasses advising and representing companies, public institutions, and executives on employment and social security law issues. Notably, Dr. Michael Daphinoff, a partner at the firm, specializes in employment and personnel law, providing strategic counsel and representation in this field. Additionally, Dr. Urs Marti, a certified specialist in employment law, focuses on individual and collective employment law, offering extensive experience in contract and commercial law. The firm's dedicated team ensures clients receive tailored solutions to navigate the complexities of employment and labor regulations effectively.
Insurance
Kellerhals Carrard Bern offers specialized legal services in insurance and liability law, providing comprehensive support to insurance companies, reinsurers, brokers, and insured entities. Their expertise encompasses private insurance law, including claims settlement, contract drafting, and coverage analysis; liability law, addressing areas such as directors' and officers' liability, professional liability, and product liability; and regulatory matters, assisting with the establishment of insurance companies, structuring investment products, and representation in regulatory proceedings. As a member of Insuralex, a global network of independent insurance lawyers, Kellerhals Carrard Bern delivers tailored, pragmatic solutions to clients in the insurance sector.
Intellectual Property
Kellerhals Carrard Bern offers comprehensive legal services in intellectual property law, including copyright, trademark, design, and patent matters, as well as unfair competition. The firm advises clients on licensing, exploitation, and strategic property rights issues, and represents them in enforcement actions. Their expertise spans traditional and new media, the entertainment industry, and the art sector.
Lawsuits & Disputes
Kellerhals Carrard Bern offers comprehensive legal services in lawsuits and disputes, specializing in international arbitration and commercial litigation. The firm's arbitration practice is co-headed by Dr. Bernhard Berger, a leading arbitrator in Switzerland with extensive experience in international commercial arbitration and litigation. The team represents clients across various sectors, including construction, pharmaceutical, chemical, hi-tech, information technology, energy, consumer goods, financial services, sports, and insurance. They handle complex cases involving multiple parallel proceedings, parties, contracts, jurisdictions, and rights, conducting proceedings in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. The firm's expertise encompasses purchasing, joint ventures, construction, agency/sales/franchising, corporate law, M&A, intellectual property law, information technology law, public procurement law, and competition law. Additionally, they manage and coordinate state court proceedings related to arbitration, including precautionary measures, arrest, evidence collection, contesting arbitration awards, and the recognition and enforcement of arbitration awards.
Real Estate
Kellerhals Carrard Bern offers comprehensive legal services in construction and real estate law, assisting clients through all project phases, from design and contract drafting to addressing performance issues and dispute resolution. The firm has extensive experience with Swiss standard contracts, such as SIA 118 and KBOB model contracts, and international standards like FIDIC. Their expertise encompasses drafting contracts for construction, architecture, and engineering services; conducting civil litigation and arbitration proceedings; advising on public procurement law; and managing administrative procedures related to zoning and building permits. The team also provides legal structuring for projects, including ownership transactions, leasing, financing, and tenancy matters. Notably, they have advised clients like CSL Behring on the planning and construction of pharmaceutical plants in Switzerland.
Media, Technology and Telecoms
Kellerhals Carrard Bern offers specialized legal services in the Media, Technology, and Telecommunications sectors, providing comprehensive support to clients navigating complex IT and telecommunications projects. Their expertise includes drafting and negotiating contracts for outsourcing, software development, and licensing agreements, as well as advising on internet and data protection issues, including e-commerce and online marketplaces. The firm represents telecommunications companies in regulatory matters, particularly concerning the interconnection of fixed and mobile networks. Additionally, they assist clients with intellectual property rights, including copyright, trademark, design, and patent law, and provide guidance on technology transfer, licensing, and enforcement strategies. Their services extend to drafting and negotiating trade and distribution agreements, supporting clients in development, production, procurement, marketing, and distribution across various sectors.
Corporate & Commercial
Kellerhals Carrard Bern provides comprehensive legal services in corporate and commercial law, assisting clients with structuring transactions, conducting legal due diligence, drafting and negotiating transaction documents, obtaining regulatory approvals, and managing integration processes. The firm's corporate practice encompasses drafting commercial agreements, corporate housekeeping-including share register maintenance and corporate secretarial work-and regulatory support. Additionally, they offer services such as board memberships, board secretary roles, or external counsel positions when appropriate. Their clientele includes publicly listed, private, and foreign-owned companies, financial institutions, equity investors, management teams, and entrepreneurs, often involving cross-border elements. In such cases, they collaborate closely with clients' teams or their international network of law firms.
Energy, Environment & ESG
Kellerhals Carrard's Energy, Environment & ESG practice offers comprehensive legal services in energy law, environmental regulations, and sustainability strategies. The firm advises clients on market regulation, contract law, antitrust proceedings, M&A transactions, and data protection within the energy sector. Their expertise includes guiding energy suppliers, power plant operators, and large energy consumers through complex regulatory frameworks and licensing procedures. Additionally, Kellerhals Carrard assists clients in developing and implementing ESG strategies, ensuring compliance with evolving sustainability standards and enhancing corporate governance practices.
Private Client
Kellerhals Carrard's Private Clients Team in Bern offers comprehensive legal services to Swiss and international individuals, families, and entrepreneurs, focusing on family law, inheritance law, and real estate matters. Their expertise includes estate planning, corporate succession, drafting marriage and inheritance agreements, establishing foundations, and managing estate divisions and will executions. They also provide support for clients relocating to Switzerland, addressing tax considerations in collaboration with the firm's notaries and tax experts. Additionally, the team specializes in resolving both national and international inheritance disputes, offering practical and considerate solutions tailored to each client's unique circumstances.
