What transparency costs and what it yields

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Transparency has a cost that Geneva companies measure and a return that they measure less. The cost is that of reports, due diligence, audits, systems and staff, which the major houses count in millions of francs a year and which the medium-sized ones bear with greater difficulty. It is also the cost of exposure: a company that publishes its due diligence gives its critics the means to contradict it. The return is that of access to the banks, which finance transparent companies more readily, and to European clients, who demand it. It extends to insurers, investors and talent, for whom transparency is a signal, and to the authorities, which, as Part H showed, judge the sincerity of compliance arrangements.

For the financial centre as a whole, the calculation is clearer than for each individual company. A transparent trading centre sets itself apart from Dubai, where transparency is not required, and moves closer to the standards that International Geneva produces. It reduces the risk of scandals whose reputational cost Part H measured and gives its defenders, in Berne and in public opinion, an argument that traditional discretion does not provide. Chapter VI of Part K made compliance a robust decision in all scenarios, and transparency is its visible face.

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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