Legal education and English

Read the PDF edition (2 pages)

Swiss universities have responded to the demand for English-speaking lawyers. The law faculties of Zurich, Geneva, Basel, St. Gallen, Bern and Lucerne offer courses and master's programmes in English, particularly in international business law, financial market law, tax law and arbitration.¹ Many Swiss law students spend a semester or a year abroad, often in an English-speaking country. The generation of lawyers now entering practice is more at ease with English than any previous generation.

The Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, with its campus in Rotkreuz, offers programmes in English in business and information technology that train specialists for the international economy of central Switzerland. Private providers offer courses in legal English and in the drafting of contracts in English. The professional associations, including the cantonal bar associations and STEP, organise English-language training for their members. The combination of these offers has created a substantial pool of bilingual professionals in the region.

Notes

LLM GUIDE, "LLM Programs in Switzerland", llm-guide.com: LL.M. programmes at the University of Zurich (full-time and part-time), the University of Geneva (including an LL.M. in Tax), the University of Bern (including a Master of Law in International Trade and Investment Law), the University of St. Gallen (Master in International Law), the University of Lucerne (MLaw/LLM double degree) and the University of Basel (Swiss International Law School), and the LL.M. in International Dispute Settlement of the Geneva LL.M. programme run by the Graduate Institute and the Geneva Law School. The language of instruction of each programme and programmes in financial market law are not specifically stated in this source. ↩

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.

English

Contact

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.

Get in touch →

Legal education and English

Notes

Setting up or expanding in Switzerland?