The legal profession and English

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The legal profession in Zug has adapted to the English-speaking economy. The larger law firms of the canton and the Zug offices of Zurich firms work mainly in English for their international clients. Many Swiss lawyers have studied in the United States or the United Kingdom and hold a Master of Laws from an English-speaking university. Some are also admitted in New York or in England and Wales. Foreign lawyers work in Zug as in-house counsel or as advisers in international law firms, and lawyers from member states of the European Union and the European Free Trade Association can register in a Swiss cantonal register under the Federal Act on the Free Movement of Lawyers.¹

The Swiss bar examinations are conducted in the official languages of the cantons, and admission to the cantonal register requires a thorough knowledge of Swiss law. The legal profession is therefore bilingual in a specific sense: its members work in English with international clients and in German with the courts and authorities. This combination is one of the professional resources that make Zug attractive to international companies. It is also a bottleneck, since the number of lawyers who master both languages at a high level and understand both Swiss and common law is limited.

Notes

Federal Act of 23 June 2000 on the Free Movement of Lawyers (BGFA, SR 935.61), text on droit-bilingue.ch: Art. 27 para. 1 (EU/EFTA nationals entitled to practise under a home title listed in the annex may permanently represent parties before the courts if registered with a cantonal supervisory authority), Art. 28 (registration in the public list) and Art. 30 (entry in the cantonal register after an aptitude test under Art. 31 or after at least three years on the list with effective and regular activity in Swiss law or a shorter activity plus an interview under Art. 32, with the same rights and duties as Swiss lawyers). ↩

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

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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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The legal profession and English

Notes

Setting up or expanding in Switzerland?