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Our transaction and financing experts can help you in every aspect of deal-making, from initial start-up all the way through to IPO and beyond.
Our experience includes project financing and spin-offs, building a Swiss presence, tax advice, corporate governance, capital markets, management buy-out, mergers & acquisitions, restructuring and demergers, fund formation and management, venture capital and private equity and employee participation (option plans, share plans).
Growth Financing. We have advised companies and investor syndicates in over 100 financing rounds in the life sciences field with deal values from CHF 200'000 to CHF 185 million. We have drafted and negotiated a number of bridge loans for venture backed life sciences companies, many of them converted into equity.
We have acted in a multitude of transactions involving life sciences companies, advising companies and investor syndicates, structuring deals and advising on the transfer of intellectual property rights.
Selected recent transactions include:
Selected debt transactions include:
Project Financing. We help entrepreneurs in the early stages, even before they have established their business. We provide legal tools for project financing.Spin-offs. We have assisted a big number of spin-offs from the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH), the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), the University of Zurich and the University of Basel and are familiar with the many challenges of such spin-offs.
Building a Swiss presence. We have assisted a number of international Swiss players building up a Swiss presence including transfer of IP, operations, inter-company arrangements and solving the related tax challenges. Tax Advice (including VAT). We assist companies in implementing optimal tax structures. For start-ups, we obtain formal tax relief and analyse their VAT needs. Our tax experts assist in all tax matters. Corporate Governance. We design the optimal corporate governance structure tailored to the needs of your company. Our expertise with listed companies helps us design structures for smaller companies, which allow for future growth. For listed companies, we advise on disclosures and public reporting requirements. For management transactions, we advise on structure, timing and compliance with reporting requirements. Capital Markets. (Initial public offering, reverse listing and secondary offering). We have introduced eight major life sciences companies to the SIX Swiss Exchange or (with US counsel) to NASDAQ (market caps between CHF 320 and 1'500m) and have assisted in the secondary offering (deal values between CHF 40 and 400m). We are recognized as listing experts at the SIX Swiss Stock Exchange and thus can file the listing application on the company’s behalf.
Management Buy-Out. We have assisted in several management buy-outs, implementing the tax-driven structure on the buyer's side and the related finance documentation. Mergers & Acquisitions. Our M&A team assists our clients in the preparation of M&A transactions. We assist buyers and sellers in due diligence, contract negotiation and closing; we also resolve IP, tax, regulatory, labour, environmental, real estate, and other ancillary issues.
Restructuring and Demergers. We help companies benefit from the flexibility created by the Swiss Merger Law including spin-offs, split-offs, and divestitures. Our firm has published one of the leading commentaries on this law and has gained an excellent reputation in this field.Fund Formation and Management. We assist in structuring, forming and administering funds established in Switzerland.
Recent examples include:
Swiss Venture Capital and Private Equity. We advise Switzerland based VCs and private equity companies on investments made both in and outside Switzerland and, if required, coordinate foreign counsel. Non-Swiss Venture Capital and Private Equity. We advise VCs and private equity companies on Swiss portfolio investments, including requirements set by German tax legislation. Employee Participation (Option Plans, Share Plans). Our tax team, using our corporate and labour expertise, has helped find solutions for option and share plans which are a key tool to incentivise employees in many companies. We have drafted and implemented a large number of stock option and share plans, and advised on the drawing up of tax structures and obtaining any necessary rulings from the various cantonal tax authorities.