Practitioner's note: working in English with Swiss counterparties

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Advisers who work with international clients in Zug should be aware of the practical limits of English in the canton. Contracts, board minutes and correspondence can be drafted in English, which most counterparties in the international economy will accept. Filings with the commercial register, tax returns, court submissions and dealings with most authorities, however, still require German or at least a German translation, subject to the exceptions described in Chapter II. An adviser who prepares a transaction in English must therefore plan for the translation of documents that will be filed or used in proceedings, and must check whether the German version or the English version will prevail in case of discrepancy.

The adviser should also be aware of the linguistic nuances of Swiss legal terminology. Many Swiss legal concepts have no exact equivalent in English. The unofficial English translations of Swiss legislation published by the Confederation use terms that do not always correspond to their meaning in English or American law. The Swiss "Stiftung" is not the same as an English charitable trust, the Swiss "Aktiengesellschaft" differs in important respects from an English public limited company, and the Swiss "Verwaltungsrat" is not identical to a board of directors under common law. Documents drafted in English under Swiss law should use Swiss concepts consistently and, where necessary, give the German term in brackets to avoid misunderstanding.

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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Practitioner's note: working in English with Swiss counterparties

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