Company law, contracts, supervision, anti-money laundering rules, sanctions and disputes: what Swiss law requires of your business, and where the risks lie before they become problems.
Regulation and Supervision
The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA licenses and supervises banks, insurers, securities firms, fund managers and, since 2023, independent asset managers and trustees. The articles collected here explain FINMA's mandate and instruments, the licensing procedure and the organisation a supervised institution needs, enforcement proceedings and their consequences, and the development of Swiss supervisory law. They also show which activities of foreign groups in Switzerland require a licence, which do not, and how to structure a business so that the question is answered before it starts rather than in the course of an investigation. To the articlesCapital Markets
The Swiss capital market is organised around the SIX Swiss Exchange in Zurich and BX Swiss in Bern and supervised by FINMA and the exchanges themselves. The articles collected here explain listing requirements, the prospectus under the Financial Services Act, the disclosure of significant shareholdings, ad hoc publicity, market abuse and insider dealing, and Swiss takeover law. They also trace the history of the Swiss exchanges and show what a listing in Switzerland can offer companies from Asia, the Middle East and Africa that want access to European investors. To the articlesAML and Compliance
Switzerland applies strict rules against money laundering, and they reach well beyond the banks. The articles collected here explain the Anti-Money Laundering Act, the offence of money laundering under Article 305bis of the Criminal Code, the reporting duty and the right to report to MROS, the due diligence expected of financial intermediaries and trading houses, and the return of illicit assets. They also cover the revision of the Anti-Money Laundering Act and the new federal transparency register that apply from 1 October 2026, and what they mean for foreign groups with Swiss companies. To the articlesSanctions and Export Control
Switzerland adopts most sanctions of the European Union under the Embargo Act and enforces its own export controls on war material and dual-use goods. The articles collected here explain how Switzerland decides on sanctions, how asset freezes, prohibitions on making funds available and trade restrictions work in practice, and how the Goods Control Act and the War Material Act apply to exports and to trade in which the goods never reach Switzerland. They also cover US sanctions and export controls that affect Swiss companies, in particular companies with Chinese, Central Asian or Middle Eastern shareholders. To the articlesCommodity Trading
Geneva and Zug are among the world's leading commodity hubs, and a large share of the world's oil, grains, metals and minerals is traded by companies based in Switzerland. The articles collected here explain what a trading house does, how the trade is structured and financed, which contracts and securities it relies on, and which rules govern it, from anti-money laundering and sanctions to corporate criminal liability for bribery. They also discuss the figures behind the Swiss commodity sector and the particular questions raised by trade with Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East. To the articlesTrade Finance
Trade finance keeps commodities and goods moving between producers, traders and buyers. The articles collected here explain the documentary credit and the doctrine of strict compliance, pre-export and prepayment finance, security over goods afloat and in storage, the assignment of receivables, and the role of the banks in Geneva and Zug that specialise in financing trade. They also look at the cases in which trade finance failed, what lenders learned from the losses of 2020, and how electronic trade documents and tokenised receivables are beginning to change the business. To the articlesLitigation and Arbitration
Switzerland is one of the world's leading places for resolving international disputes. The articles collected here explain the Swiss courts, including the commercial courts of Zurich and other cantons, international arbitration in Geneva and Zurich under the Swiss Rules and Chapter 12 of the Private International Law Act, the review of awards by the Federal Supreme Court, and the attachment and enforcement of claims against assets located in Switzerland. They also cover investment treaty protection and the particular questions that arise when the counterparty is a state or a state-owned company. To the articlesWhite-Collar Crime and Corporate Liability
Swiss law holds companies criminally liable for offences committed within them where they failed to take the organisational measures needed to prevent them. The articles collected here explain corporate criminal liability under Article 102 of the Criminal Code, the bribery of foreign public officials, money laundering, sanctions violations and trade fraud, and the proceedings brought against Swiss trading houses in recent years. They show what compliance organisation the authorities expect, how internal investigations are conducted, and how companies and their managers should respond when prosecutors or FINMA become involved. To the articlesInternational Organisations
Geneva hosts the European headquarters of the United Nations and a large number of international organisations, and Basel is the seat of the Bank for International Settlements. The articles collected here explain the role of these organisations in Switzerland, the legal status and privileges of international organisations and their staff, the tradition of Swiss good offices and arbitration, and the connection between international Geneva and its financial centre. They are of particular interest to governments, state-owned enterprises and companies that deal with international organisations or with their suppliers. To the articles