Language within the institutions: observed practices

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The linguistic practices of Geneva institutions vary according to their origin, their clientele and their culture. The traditional Geneva private banks retain French as the language of the house, of institutional communication and of relations with the authorities, while using English for their international activities and their research publications. The subsidiaries of foreign banks often adopt the language of their parent company — French for French banks, English for British and American banks, Arabic and English for the Gulf banks. The trading companies work in English, the language of the markets and of their international teams, with French for local relations and for dealings with francophone partners.

The independent asset managers and the family offices, being smaller, adopt the language of their founders and of their clientele, with great diversity. Lawyers, notaries and fiduciaries work in French for Swiss law and local relations, in English for international business, and in German for dealings with the federal authorities and German-speaking colleagues.

This diversity makes for a financial centre in which several languages coexist without any one of them prevailing entirely. It reflects the nature of Geneva as a French-speaking and international city. It demands of staff a linguistic flexibility that the financial centre values, and it obliges the institutions to define their language policy according to their positioning.

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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Language within the institutions: observed practices

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