Private Clients
Our private clients practice provides comprehensive legal and tax advice to individuals and their families in Switzerland and around the world on all aspects that can be relevant to their personal and financial affairs. Our team has recognized expertise and vast experience in complex asset structuring and restructuring, estate planning and matrimonial agreements, international inheritance litigation and matrimonial property disputes, family governance, relocations including work and residence permits and philanthropy. Our clients appreciate our pragmatic, creative and solution-oriented advice. Beyond our several working languages (English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian), our multicultural mindset and empathic approach allows us to understand the issues of our clients. We efficiently communicate in various jurisdictions and successfully collaborate with advisors worldwide. We offer a talented and intergenerational team and a first class global referral network of private client lawyers and other advisors.
Our team offers you access to experts in the following areas:
Our lawyers, public notaries and tax experts have broad experience earned through working cross-border with affluent families over many generations.
“A family is more than its members, it is their meaningful connection.”
MoreWe recognize that for our clients wealth preservation and asset protection are paramount. We endeavour to help them achieve this and regularly work on structuring and re-structuring of their worldwide assets and the protection of their interests in a clear, transparent and efficient manner.
“Be creative, be modern and stay one step ahead.”
MoreOur team supports clients in all matters concerning marriage, matrimonial property, divorce and issues involving children.
“The past is given; the future is yet in your power.”
MoreOur team assists families with family governance and the implementation of tools for the efficient transfer of wealth and control of family businesses.
“If you understand your values, you are likely to make the right decisions.”
MoreWe deeply care for philanthropy and understand its importance to further human development and protect our planet. Several team members serve on a pro bono basis on the board of Swiss charitable foundations supporting international and domestic charitable projects.
Our umbrella foundation “Sombrilla”, a tax exempted Swiss charitable foundation subject to the supervision of the Federal Foundations’ Supervisory Authority, offers our clients the possibility of channeling their philanthropic endeavors in a cost and tax efficient manner.
“Philanthropy is not about money, it is about the privilege of giving back and humanity.”
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Team
- Frédéric Cottier
- Arnaud Martin
- Thomas Nabholz
- Dmitry A. Pentsov
- Philippe Prost
- Dimitri M. Rotter
- Marc A. Schamaun
- Julien Tron
- Maud Udry-Alhanko
- Julie Wynne
- Daniel Bloch
- Catherine Kavadze
- Oliver Arter
- Walter Häberling
- Reinhard Oertli
- Jean-Marie Vulliemin
- Tomás Navarro Blakemore
- Gianni Fera
- Alexandre Fokiadès
- Lisa Hans-Margot
- Nicole Hilpert
- Noemi Bünter
- Noëlle Gasser
- Imane Kacem
- Thaís Obrist-Bdine
- Selina Bruderer
- Fabienne Häusermann
- Hanna Jäggi
- Mladen Naskovic
- Chantal Odermatt
- Michel Oppliger
“The private client team at MLL offers one-stop shop service for all needs with wide-ranging expertise. They have a dynamic team approach to effectively handle complex international matters”
Publications
Codebasiertes Regelsystem
Möglichkeiten und Grenzen privater Streiterledigung, Zürich 2023- DE
Relocation to Switzerland: The Benefits of Residence in the Alpine Country
The Legal 500 - Focus On, May 2023- EN
Transmission d’entreprise: faciliter le passage entre les générations
Fédération des Entreprises Romandes, 01/2023- FR
Nouveau droit des successions en vigueur dès le 1er janvier 2023 : mesures immédiates
MLL-News, 20 Octobre 2022- FR
Firm News
MLL Legal ranked twice Band 1 in the Chambers High Net Worth Directory 2024
Patricia Guerra | Maud Udry-Alhanko | Serge Calame | Private Client Forum Villa d’Este | Lake Como | The Global Elite
Patricia Guerra | Private Client Forum of the Americas | 28 February 2024 | Mexico
Private Client Global Elite Directory 2024
MLL Legal | Sponsoring Tennis Tournament | International Private Client Forum 2023
News Portal
New International Succession Law: one step forward, one step back – Effective as of 1 January 2025
The new Article 91(1) of the Private International Law Act partially harmonises Swiss legislation with European law by allowing Swiss nationals with multiple nationalities to elect a foreign national law for their succession. This change offers greater flexibility, although it is still limited by the requirement to comply with Swiss forced heirship provisions.
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Inheritance advance, inter vivos gift, sale at a preferential price – what applies in the event of death?
Anyone planning their estate or transferring assets to family members during their lifetime or intending to do so in the future can, on the one hand, make dispositions and division provisions regarding their estate by testamentary disposition, i.e. by means of a last will or an inheritance contract.
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Act on the Transparency of Legal Entities
On 22 May 2024 the Federal Council adopted the dispatch on the new Transparency Act for Legal Entities to be submitted to the Swiss parliament. The bill introduces a new federal register of beneficial owners of legal entities as well as new due diligence duties for risky activities in the legal profession, following the purpose of enhancing effectiveness of the Swiss framework for combating money laundering and terrorist financing. Furthermore, the bill aims compliance with international standards set by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
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New Developments in Swiss Foundation Law
On 1 January 2024, various amendments to Swiss foundation law will come into force. New provisions will be introduced in the following areas:
- Complaint on supervisory matters regulated by law (Art. 84 para. 3 Swiss Civil Code, hereinafter “CC”);
- Extension of the founder’s rights through a reservation of the right to amend the organization (Art. 86a CC);
- Simplification of minor amendments to the foundation’s deed (Art. 86b CC);
- Form applicable to amendments of the deeds (Art. 86c CC).
New Inheritance Law in Force From 1 January 2023 – Immediate Actions
With the entry into force of the inheritance law reform on 1 January 2023, Switzerland is modernising an important part of its more than 100-year-old legislation. The main changes inherent in the new inheritance law[1] are summarised in our Newsletter of 1 June 2021.
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