Banking and wealth management

French	English	Deutsch	Definition
Actifs sous gestion	assets under management	verwaltete Vermögen	assets entrusted to an institution for management or advice
Avoirs en déshérence	dormant assets	nachrichtenlose Vermögen	assets whose holder has ceased to give any sign of life
Ayant droit économique	beneficial owner	wirtschaftlich berechtigte Person	person who in reality benefits from the assets
Banque dépositaire	custodian bank	Depotbank	bank that holds assets managed by a third party
Banque privée	private banking	Privatbank / Private Banking	wealth management for wealthy private clients
Family office	family office	Family Office	structure managing all the affairs of one or more families
Fortune transfrontalière	cross-border wealth	grenzüberschreitend verwaltete Vermögen	assets managed outside the client’s country of residence
Gestionnaire de fortune indépendant	independent asset manager	unabhängiger Vermögensverwalter	manager who manages assets without holding them
Mandat de gestion	discretionary mandate	Vermögensverwaltungsmandat	authority to manage a client’s assets
Marge d’intérêt	net interest margin	Zinsmarge	difference between interest received and interest paid
Planification patrimoniale	wealth planning	Vermögensplanung	legal and tax organisation of an estate
Responsabilité illimitée	unlimited liability	unbeschränkte Haftung	partners’ commitment of their personal wealth
Société en commandite par actions	partnership limited by shares	Kommanditaktiengesellschaft	form adopted by the holding entities of certain Geneva houses
Trust	trust	Trust	legal relationship under Anglo-Saxon law entrusting property to a trustee
Trustee	trustee	Trustee	person who holds and administers the property of a trust

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 September 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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Banking and wealth management

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