Services for Corporations

Under Swiss law, an employment contract is a contract whereby the employee undertakes to work for an employer for a limited or unlimited period and the employer undertakes to pay him/her a salary based on the amount of time he/she works (time wage) or the tasks he/she performs (piece work). Even if the legal framework is liberal, certain mandatory statutory terms apply automatically to every employment contract.

In Switzerland, the optimal choice of a company’s legal structure depends upon a variety of factors, such as the setting up procedure, the minimal capital required, the anonymity or publicity of the shareholders, or the type of liability associated with the legal structure. A business relationship can also be set up on a purely contractual basis.

M&A transactions of privately held corporate entities are usually structured as share deals, asset deals or mergers. Public tender offers are the most common means of obtaining control of a public company.

Switzerland offers a well-developed and stable bank loan market with reputable banks, borrowers and advisers. Financing is possible on a confidential basis and interest paid on bank loans are in principle not subject to Swiss withholding tax. Many types of securities are available for securing loans.

Swiss law is based on the civil law tradition and is often chosen by the parties in large international contracts. The principle of freedom of contract is upheld to the maximum in Switzerland for commercial contracts.