News

Pascale Gola, partner of RUOSS VÖGELE, was newly elected by the Swiss Sports Tribunal as an arbitrator. The Swiss Sports Tribunal was established by Swiss Olympic on 1 July 2024 and serves as the successor of the former Disciplinary Chamber. It is competent for the decision of disputes and the sanctioning in connection with doping and ethic violations in the field of Swiss sports.

The University of Zurich promoted PD Dr. Damian A. Fischer to Adjunct Professor for Private and Business Law. We warmly congratulate him on this outstanding academic achievement and are extremely delighted that in our law firm, law is not only applied, but also scientifically accompanied and thus co-designed. Prof. Dr. Damian A. Fischer advises on private and business law and also regularly renders expert opinions on Swiss law in national and international court proceedings.

RUOSS VÖGELE again receives excellent ratings from clients and lawyers in the current law firm ranking 2025 of the renowned business magazines BILANZ and PME. We are recognized as a leading Swiss law firm in the aviation industry and recommended in 14 areas of law. We have been awarded the highest rating of 5 stars in the following areas of law: Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Contract Law, Corporate Law, Media Law, Insurance Law, Private Equity and Venture Capital. We have been recognized with 4 stars in the following areas of law: Estate and Inheritance Law, Real Estate Law, Employment Law (employer-side), M&A, Tenancy Law, Compliance, Banking and Capital Markets Law, Restructuring and Insolvency Law. We are delighted to receive this award. We sincerely thank everyone who places their trust in us and will continue to support you with professional commitment.

FINMA may only reject applications for supplementary health insurance tariffs in the event of abuse. It is sometimes unclear when abuse exists. The Federal Supreme Court dealt with the issue in 2010 and 2019 and is currently assessing again a case of rejected tariffs due to abuse. This article deals with some fundamental considerations on abuse in supplementary health insurance.

We are looking for a Swiss qualified lawyer (80-100%) with experience in corporate law and transactions.

RUOSS VÖGELE succeeds in defending client in a litigious court case in connection with a big IT-automatization project by means of settlement agreement in court. In this highly complex court case, which had lasted several years due to various intermediary steps and appeal proceedings. Counterparty had made claims of high indemnities which could be settled substantially below the claim.

RUOSS VÖGELE provides expert guidance to several engineering firms, assisting them in achieving legal and economic independence. Our team facilitates the seamless execution of spin-off activities, ensuring that our clients are well-positioned to pursue new opportunities. We support the engineering firms in streamlining their structures and in creating appealing participation prospects for employees. Our collaboration with external tax experts ensures comprehensive tax law compliance.

RUOSS VÖGELE is advising one of three sisters in an inheritance matter. The client's parents transferred the family's assets to their daughters, but reserved the right of usufruct. The aim of the consultation was to secure the parents' customary lifetime support in return for the release of their right of usufruct, and at the same time to find a fair settlement between the sisters. As a result of the negotiations, the parents' right of usufruct was terminated and the assets thus freed up were allocated to each of the sisters. This not only avoided a long and costly dispute, but also restored peace within the family.

RUOSS VÖGELE successfully represented a community of heirs in attachment proceedings against a debtor residing abroad and whose bank accounts had been frozen in Switzerland. The purpose of the attachment in this case was to secure claims of the heirs based on a divorce decree and claims for reduction in connection with the donation of the proceeds from the sale of a property.

The Swiss Code of Civil Procedure (ZPO; SR 272) was partially revised with the amendment of 17 March 2023, which will enter into force on 1 January 2025. This LegalUpdate discusses the most important changes, provides practical advice, and highlights the effects on pending civil proceedings.

RUOSS VÖGELE will have a new temporary office location from November 22, 2024, until summer 2025. You can find us at Dufourstrasse 29, CH-8008 Zurich, Switzerland. Our mailing address will remain unchanged.

Jonathan Felber, Attorney-at-Law, has been an associate at RUOSS VÖGELE since September 2024. He strengthens our team in the areas of litigation, contract law, tenancy law and inheritance law. Welcome Jonathan Felber!

RUOSS VÖGELE is advising an innovative Swiss technology company on the restructuring of a business unit. The restructuring will enable this innovative business unit to develop independently, to open up to investors from the industry and to expand its product range. In this cross-border transaction, RUOSS VÖGELE works closely with lawyers from several countries in Europe and Asia and plays a central role in the coordination and implementation.

PD Dr Damian A. Fischer will also this year be conference chair, speaker and moderator of the specialist conference «Conflicts of Interest: Law & Best Practice - Current Legal Issues relating to the Board of Directors and the Executive Board» on 1 October 2024 in the renowned seminar series of the Europa Institute of the University of Zurich. At the conference, current legal issues relating to the dealing with conflicts of interest situations in management bodies will be examined and discussed in various presentations and a panel discussion.

RUOSS VÖGELE represents a former board member in a claim for damages for alleged breach of fiduciary duty in court. The court dismissed the action inter alia in its entirety on the grounds of lack of unlawfulness (no evidence of unlawful trade secret infringement) and lack of causality and ordered the counterparty to pay the court costs and a party cost compensation. The judgement is final.

RUOSS VÖGELE represents a leading Swiss media company in court proceedings against an internationally active non-governmental organization for infringement of trademark and copyright law and unfair competition law, in connection with the imitation of the logo and layout of a well-known media brand and the unauthorized use of its distribution network. The filing of the lawsuit serves as the basis for a comprehensive amicable settlement between the parties.

The revision of the Insurance Supervision Act, which came into force on January 1, 2024, introduced an overall concept of proportionate and graduated supervision. Regulation is to be geared more strongly than before to the protection needs of policyholders. This means that insurance companies can benefit from simplifications or even exemption from Swiss insurance supervision if the purpose of protecting policyholders allows it.

RUOSS VÖGELE advises a Swiss company active in the fashion business with the sale of a business unit comprising stores, goods as well as employees. By doing so, this entire business part which is linked to an international brand, can be re-transferred to the former franchisor.

RUOSS VÖGELE advises a logistics company in connection with the formation of a joint venture with a competitor. The advice includes governance aspects of the new joint venture company, the drafting of a shareholders' agreement and other commercial agreements.

Once again, RUOSS VÖGELE has received various rewards in the current law firm ranking 2024 of the business magazines Bilanz and PME! RUOSS VÖGELE is recommended as an outstanding law firm in the aviation industry and in the following twelve areas of law: Corporate Law, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Private Equity and Venture Capital, General Contract Law, Media Law, Insurance Law (all rated with the maximum of 5 stars); Estate and Inheritance Law, Employment Law (employer-side), Real Estate Law, Tenancy Law, Compliance and Mergers & Acquisitions (all rated with 4 stars). We are extremely pleased with this positive recognition.

The following update on the implementation of the revised intermediaries law provides an overview of the amended and new legal provisions and regulations. It also focuses on unclear regulations and their implementation. Finally, there are some considerations on how companies can deal with an unclear legal situation in insurance mediation.

RUOSS VÖGELE advises an international multi-family office in connection with various media reports and in the preparation of an external communication strategy for media enquiries as well as with regard to possible procedural steps in the event of imminent violations of personality rights.

RUOSS VÖGELE obtains an affirmative judgment of a Swiss court for its client, a manager of an international group of companies, in a long lasting employment law dispute. The proceedings were more complicated and lasted longer than usual due to the international context of the case with certain additional proceedings taking place abroad.

RUOSS VÖGELE advised a private individual in connection with a complex inheritance purchase. By securing bank financing and legal structuring, it was possible to keep a property in family ownership and secure it for the next generation. The comprehensive advice also included establishing condominium ownership and transferring a condominium unit to a future heir by means of a mixed donation.

The Department of Finance of the Canton of Zurich demanded the repayment of Covid-19 state contributions on the grounds that the supported company (a client of RUOSS VÖGELE) had made an annual profit. The Covid-19 state contributions should be repaid to the extent of the profit. The Government Council of the Canton of Zurich has approved RUOSS VÖGELE's appeal on behalf of its client against the claw-back order of the Department of Finance. The company may retain the state contributions in full and will receive litigation compensation.

Since January 1, 2024, the revision of the Insurance Supervision Act (ISA) has introduced new provisions for the intermediation of insurance contracts. The revised insurance intermediary law also contains special provisions on dealing with conflicts of interest. This article presents the current legal situation with a focus on the new conflict of interest rules.

RUOSS VÖGELE advises a Swiss start-up active in the field of software development with two consecutive capital increases by means of conversion of loans. This enables the company to finance its further growing business. The second capital increase is made by using a recently created capital band under the revised law on corporations.

The Industry Agreement "Intermediaries" contains requirements for health and supplementary health insurers with regard to their cooperation with intermediaries. It was revised with effect from 1 September 2023. It is intended to declare the Industry Agreement generally binding with regard to certain regulations at the beginning of 2024.

RUOSS VÖGELE advises a Swiss company on the acquisition of production facilities and equipment as well as regulatory registrations abroad. The mandate includes the drafting of contracts and the preparation of other transaction-relevant documents.

RUOSS VÖGELE advises a medium-sized Swiss company in the healthcare sector as the principal (and future tenant of the rental space) on the drafting and structuring of a contract for work and services with the total contractor, an internationally renowned architecture firm, which, in addition to planning and project planning, also carries out the construction management and the construction of the building.