Chambers and Partners, a legal research company, has released its Chambers Fintech 2024 guide, an annual report which recognizes the top fintech advisors and litigators worldwide.

In this year’s Swiss edition, Chambers and Partners ranked MME Legal | Tax | Compliance, MLL Legal, Baer and Karrer, and Lenz and Staehelin as the top Swiss law firms in the fintech legal category, recognizing them for their expertise, diligence and customer service.

MME is a law firm based in Zurich and Zug that’s widely regarded for its work in the fintech sector. The company offers legal, tax and compliance advice to financial institutions and startups involved in various areas including cryptocurrency, electronic payments and robo-advisory. But its main domain of expertise is blockchain and digital assets. The company has worked with players such as Sygnum Bank, advising the company on regulatory and compliance work concerning the structuring for its digital asset bank.

MLL Legal is one of the largest Swiss commercial law firms, advising its clients in all areas of commercial law. MLL Legal stands out for its industry expertise in technically innovative specialist areas such as fintech, blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI), and also in regulated and innovative industries such as life sciences, information and communications technologies (ICT), financial services, real estate and retail and luxury. In the fintech sector, MLL Legal has worked with Kraken, one of the leading crypto exchanges worldwide, advising the company on anti-money laundering (AML) issues and financial market regulation matters related to the crypto exchange offering its products from the European Union (EU) into Switzerland.

Top Blockchain and Crypto Lawyers in Switerland

In addition to being named among Switzerland’s top four law firms in the fintech field, MME and MLL Legal also made the ranking in the blockchain and cryptocurrency category, being recognized as the most prominent Swiss law firms in the domain and gaining nine recognitions in the individual lawyer category. Individual lawyers recognized this year are Andreas Glarner, Ronald Kogens and Thomas Linder from MME, and Kilian Schärli, Catrina Luchsinger Ghwiler, Alexander Vogel, and Reto Luthiger from MLL Legal.

Fintech Legal, Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies, Leading Firms and Leading Individuals, Source: Chambers Fintech 2024, Chambers and Partners, Dec 2023

Baer and Karrer is another Swiss law firm that made it into this year’s the Chambers Fintech ranking. A leading legal firm, Baer and Karrer has a team of more than 200 lawyers spread across Zurich, Geneva, Lugano, Zug, Basel and St. Moritz. The firm specializes in banking and finance, capital markets, corporate and tax law, and has worked with established financial institutions as well as startups in the implementation of new technological platforms and initial investment rounds. The lawyers also assist in the development, implementation and protection of new business models and innovative financial products. Baer and Karrer has advised Bitcoin Suisse, one of Switzerland’s leading crypto service providers, on various novel compliance issues related to cryptocurrencies.

Finally, Lenz and Staehelin is a Swiss full service law firm, serving global clients from its offices in Geneva, Lausanne and Zurich. The firm has notable practices in banking and finance, corporate and intellectual property (IP), and tax, advising startups, investors, technology companies and established financial institutions on high-end fintech matters.

Fintech Legal, Leading Firms, Source: Chambers Fintech 2024, Chambers and Partners, Dec 2023

Top Swiss Fintech Lawyers (Category Individual)

In addition to being recognized for their fintech practice, these four law firms gained a total of ten recognitions in the individual lawyer category.  Practitioners from MME, MLL Legal, Baer and Karrer and Lenz and Staehelin who made it into the 2024 Leading Individuals ranking are Andreas Glarner, Ronald Kogens and Thomas Linder from MME; Kilian Schärli, Reto Luthiger and Alexander Vogel from MLL Legal; Daniel Flühmann, Peter Hsu and Eric Stupp from Baer and Karrer; and Ronald Kogens and Lukas Morscher from Lenz and Staehelin.

Fintech Legal, Leading Individuals, Source: Chambers Fintech 2024, Chambers and Partners, Dec 2023

Each year, Chambers and Partners releases its selection of the world’s top performing payments, blockchain, cybersecurity and data protection specialists across the world. These law firms and practitioners are selected and ranked after in-depth interviews with clients and a thorough assessment of their reputations and expertise. Criteria taken into account include technical legal ability, professional conduct, client service, commercial awareness/astuteness, diligence and commitment.

This year, the Chambers Fintech 2024 report comprises 860 department rankings and features 490 unique ranked organizations. This represents double-digit growth over the previous guide in percentage terms. A total of 703 individual lawyers were ranked, up 26% from 2023 and almost double the 383 lawyers included in the 2021 edition. Chambers Fintech 2024 also ranked 26 Up and Coming junior partners and 31 Associates to Watch/Star Associates.

Top Fintech and Blockchain Consulting Firms in Switzerland

In the Swiss ranking, Chambers Fintech 2024 also recognized the most prominent and experienced consulting firms in the fintech sector, putting EY, PwC and Validity Labs at the top of the list.

The report highlights EY’s work in the financial sector, emphasizing the firm’s involvement with licensing matters, audits, and regulatory advice related to blockchain technology and digital assets. PwC is recognized for its strong expertise in traditional tax and audit services, as well as for its initial coin offering (ICO) services. Finally, Validity Labs is a market-leading consultancy widely known in the Swiss market for the quality of its blockchain, tokenization and ICO expertise.

Consulting, Leading Firms, Source: Chambers Fintech 2024, Chambers and Partners, Dec 2023

In Switzerland, law firms are sharpening their fintech expertise amid a thriving fintech sector and ecosystem. According to the 2023 Tech Cities Index by Savills, Switzerland has emerged into a fintech powerhouse, with two Swiss cities claiming spots in the top ten fintech hubs in Europe last year.

Zug, which is known for its extensive crypto and blockchain ecosystem, secured the fourth position regionally, while Zurich followed closely at the sixth position, recognized for its massive fintech startup ecosystem, highly educated and skilled workforce, and robust financial sector.

Savills 2023 Tech Cities Fintech Index, Source: Savills

Featured image credit: Edited from freepik