Advising across three jurisdictions

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The trinational economy generates a steady demand for legal and tax advice that spans the three countries. Individuals need advice on the choice of health insurance, the taxation of their salaries and the planning of their pensions. Employers need advice on payroll, posting and home working. Investors need advice on the acquisition of property in the neighbouring countries.¹ The complexity of the rules described in this chapter makes professional advice indispensable for many of these questions.

Effective advice in this field requires knowledge of Swiss, German and French law and of the treaties between the three countries. It also requires an understanding of how authorities in each country apply the rules in practice. In the author's experience, the questions that arise in cross-border mandates rarely fit within a single legal system. A practitioner who works across the borders must consider the interaction of tax law, social security law, labour law and immigration law, often under time pressure and with incomplete information. Cooperation between advisers in the three countries is therefore common, which makes a network of trusted contacts across the borders an important professional asset.

Notes

On the advisory market for cross-border matters in the trinational region, see the publications of the cantonal bar associations and the chambers of commerce. To be verified. ↩

For general information only. This article does not constitute legal or tax advice, does not replace advice on an individual case and creates no lawyer-client relationship. It reflects the legal position as of August 2025.

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Contact

Dr Alexander Ressos, TEP

Rechtsanwalt/Attorney-at-Law

I am a Swiss attorney-at-law and also admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong and in England & Wales, with almost 25 years of experience.

Together with my multilingual team, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Ukrainian and French native speakers, I advise companies and their owners from around the world on the full range of banking, corporate, commercial and tax law matters in Switzerland, including international tax planning, fiduciary services, and legal family office services including immigration & relocation or real estate investments. My practice has a particular focus on clients from growth and frontier markets in Greater China, Central Asia and the Caucasus, the rest of Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, and I equally advise clients from Europe and North America. Through an affiliated Swiss trust company, we also take care of the incorporation and ongoing administration of their companies and other structures, including accounting, tax returns and corporate secretarial services, and I serve as a professional director where required. With the support of a network of first-class cooperation partners, I also implement solutions worldwide.

My approach is to act as a trusted advisor who works directly with decision-makers, on an equal footing: I start from what you want to achieve and shape every structure, contract and tax decision around your commercial goals and how it improves your after-tax return. As “lawyers who make it happen”, my team and I stay involved until your company is set up, your structure is in place and your transaction has closed, and we remain available for any follow-on work that may be required. You benefit from bespoke solutions and personal attention, and sound, friendly and practical advice. We are not the lowest-cost provider in the market, nor do we intend to be; our aim is to deliver well-founded, proper solutions and excellent value for money.

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Advising across three jurisdictions

Notes

Setting up or expanding in Switzerland?