Family offices in Basel

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A family office is an organisation that manages the affairs of one family or of several families. A single-family office serves one family, while a multi-family office offers its services to several families and is in substance an asset manager or wealth planner. Switzerland has become one of the leading locations for family offices in the world, with estimates of several hundred single-family offices, many of them in Zurich, Geneva, Zug and the Lake Geneva region.¹

Basel has a smaller but significant community of family offices, many of them connected to the industrial and pharmaceutical families of the region. The regulatory status of a family office depends on its structure. A single-family office that manages only the assets of one family is generally not subject to authorisation under the Financial Institutions Act, because it does not act commercially for third parties. A multi-family office that manages assets for several families requires a licence as a portfolio manager or, if it administers trusts, as a trustee.² The line between the two can be difficult to draw, in particular when a family office serves several branches of an extended family or co-invests with other families.

Notes

On the number of family offices in Switzerland and their regulatory status, see the studies of the Swiss Family Office Association, the University of St. Gallen and the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences. Figures to be verified. ↩
On the exemption of single-family offices from the licensing obligation under Art. 2 para. 2 lit. a FinIA (management of assets of persons with economic or family ties) and the licensing obligation for multi-family offices, see SR 954.1 and FINMA practice. 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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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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Family offices in Basel

Notes

Setting up or expanding in Switzerland?