• Banking and Finance

    For over 30 years, banking and finance law has been at the core of our practice.
    We advise financial intermediaries – including banks, insurance companies, securities firms, fund managers, wealth managers and trustees – on a full range of regulatory and contractual issues.

    Team members

Banking and Finance

For over 30 years, banking and finance law has been at the core of our practice.
We advise financial intermediaries – including banks, insurance companies, securities firms, fund managers, wealth managers and trustees – on a full range of regulatory and contractual issues.

Our Banking & Finance team brings together seasoned lawyers with deep industry expertise and a constant focus on market and regulatory developments.  The depth of experience of our Banking & Finance Group, combined with the sophistication and quality of the matters we handle, positions our firm among the leading players in Switzerland in this field. Our team is regularly recognized for its expertise and the excellence of its services.

We provide forward-thinking, strategic counsel grounded in in-depth regulatory knowledge, extensive practical experience, and a thorough command of market practice. Building long-term, trusted relationships with our clients is central to our approach. We are known for the dedication of our experienced lawyers, our responsiveness, and our ability to efficiently mobilize multidisciplinary teams and foreign counsels when matters require cross-border coordination.

Members of our team regularly speak at professional conferences and deliver training for the Swiss Bankers Association, the Swiss Association of Wealth Managers, and the Fund Academy.

Banking and Financial Regulation / Financial Services and Regulatory

We guide financial institutions and individuals through every stage of their regulatory journey – from initial structuring and licensing to ongoing compliance, restructurings and mergers.
Our services include:

  • Licensing and authorizations of banks, securities firms, fund managers, branches and representative offices of foreign groups, independent wealth managers and trustees
  • Structuring and registration of Swiss and foreign counsels
  • Anti-money laundering compliance
  • Regulatory advice and support in audit processes
  • International administrative assistance
  • Advice relating to the Berne Financial Service Agreement

Financing

We advise lenders and borrowers on securities-backed loans, trade finance, and commercial loans. Our expertise extends to syndicated loan transactions. We are particularly recognized for our in-depth knowledge of security interest-related issues and our ability to coordinate efficiently with foreign counsel in jurisdictions where the security interests are located.
Our services include:

  • Asset, commercial, and real estate financing
  • Syndicated loans transactions
  • Trade finance
  • Margin and Lombard lending
  • Structuring and enforcement of pledges and other security arrangements

FINMA Enforcement and Criminal Proceedings in Regulatory Matters

We advise financial institutions and individuals in FINMA enforcement proceedings as well as related criminal matters. Our firm is regularly appointed by cantonal and federal authorities in connection with investigations and prudential proceedings. We also act as CDB-appointed investigators, nominated by the Board of the Swiss Bankers Association.
Our expertise covers:

  • Advice in FINMA enforcement proceedings against banks, fund managers, wealth managers, trustees, and individuals
  • Regulatory compliance and organizational restructuring
  • Criminal proceedings in prudential matters
  • Market abuse and price manipulation cases

Financial Litigation

Financial disputes are increasingly complex, requiring deep knowledge of financial products, industry practice and regulatory framework. Our decades of experience, a track record of numerous judicial proceedings in which we have been involved, particularly before the Complex Cases Chambers, and our thorough understanding of the regulatory environment make our team a leading player in this field.

Our positioning regularly leads to appointments as counsel or Swiss law experts in high-profile financial disputes before international commercial courts, including the London High Court, the Dubai International Financial Centre Courts, the Irish High Court, and the Singapore International Commercial Court.
Our services include:

  • Financial disputes relating to asset management, wealth management, financial products, distribution, loans, and trade finance
  • Strategic pre-litigation advice and risk management
  • Enforcement of guarantees and security interests
  • Swiss law advice and expert opinions in foreign proceedings

Collective Investment Schemes and Similar Structures

We provide comprehensive advice on the structuring, authorization, distribution, and ongoing operation of collective investment schemes and similar vehicles, both in Switzerland and internationally.
Our services include:

  • Structuring, taxation, and registration of Swiss investment funds, and approval of foreign investment funds in Switzerland
  • Authorizations for custodian banks, fund management companies, fund managers, and representatives of collective investment schemes
  • Offering of collective investment schemes and structured products
  • Coordination in the structuring of foreign investment vehicles
  • Contractual structuring relating to distribution, asset management, custodian banking, representation, fund management, and SICAVs

Publications

  • Banking FBT Chambers Global 2025
  • Banking FBT Chambers Global 2025
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Team members

FrédériqueBensahel

Frédérique Bensahel
Head of practice | Geneva

+41 22 849 60 40
fbensahel@fbt.ch

Team

Michel Abt
Marco Villa
Jean-Marie Kiener
Jean de Skowronski
Jean-Louis Tsimaratos
Colombe Jacob
Julien Le Fort
Aurélie Moyal-Azra
Noémie Pauli
Véronique Chatelain Gomez
Juliette Alber

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