What Lenz & Staehelin does

Lenz & Staehelin is a Swiss business law firm established in 1873 and headquartered in Geneva with offices in Zurich and Lausanne. The firm operates as a partnership and employs 501–1,000 staff, providing integrated legal and tax advice across 18 practice areas including Corporate and M&A, Banking and Finance, Capital Markets, Litigation and Arbitration, Intellectual Property, Tax, Private Clients, Restructuring and Insolvency, Investigations, ESG, Data Protection, and Technology and Outsourcing, organized against 14 sector specializations (Financial Services and Fintech, Life Sciences, Private Equity, TMT, Energy, Real Estate, Sports, VC and Startups, etc.). Its client base spans listed and unlisted multinationals, SMEs, ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families, financial institutions, life sciences companies, and the public sector, with marquee mandates such as SpaceX's USD 75 billion IPO, the Bertarelli family's sale of Serono to Merck, the Credit Suisse/Winterthur to AXA transaction, and ongoing Vontobel and Ipsen advisory work.

The firm is consistently recognized as Switzerland's leading law firm by all major international legal directories, with eight practice areas in Band 1 of Chambers Europe 2024, seven in Chambers Global 2024, and consecutive wins across Chambers, Legal 500, Who's Who Legal, IFLR1000, IAM Patent 1000, WTR1000, Citywealth, and Legalcommunity awards from 2008 through 2026. It maintains distribution channels through direct, partner-led client engagement supported by an extensive thought leadership platform (news, insights, publications), multilingual web presence (EN/DE/FR/CN), an /ai/ initiative signalizing AI-augmented legal service delivery, and active participation in industry bodies including the Capital Markets and Technology Association (CMTA) for blockchain tokenization standards and the Geneva International Legal Association (GILA) as a founding member.

The business model is traditional fee-for-service legal advisory with quote-based, per-engagement pricing that is not publicly disclosed. The firm derives revenue from engagement fees across its integrated practices, with no SaaS, technology product, or self-service platform offerings. Newer strategic thrusts include dedicated AI capability investment, sustainability/ESG advisory, crisis management, fintech and tokenization standards work, and sustained talent investment that has earned Universum 'Most Attractive Employer' rankings in the Swiss legal sector.

Name

Lenz & Staehelin

Legal name

Lenz & Staehelin

Website

https://lenzstaehelin.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1873

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Lenz & Staehelin is Switzerland's leading full-service business law firm, advising listed multinationals, SMEs, ultra-high-net-worth individuals, financial institutions, and life sciences companies across 18 practice areas and 14 sectors from its Geneva, Zurich, and Lausanne offices through partner-led, fee-for-service engagements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Law Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (54111), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate & Commercial Law (BPAHAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) & Securities Law (BPAHAAAI), M&A Advisory (Buy-Side & Sell-Side) (BPAHAOAA), White-Collar Defense & Investigations (BPAHAAAJ)

Keywords

• Corporate legal advisory
• Banking and finance law
• Capital markets law
• Intellectual property law
• Litigation and arbitration

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Lenz & Staehelin is a full-service Swiss business law firm that provides legal advisory and representation services to multinational corporations, SMEs, high-net-worth individuals, and institutions across Switzerland and globally. Services are organized into 18 practice areas (including Corporate and M&A, Banking and Finance, Capital Markets, Litigation and Arbitration, Intellectual Property, Tax, Private Clients, and Investigations) and 14 industry sectors, delivered partner-led through offices in Geneva, Zurich, and Lausanne.

Product overview

Lenz & Staehelin is a Swiss law firm operating under the tagline 'The world's Swiss law firm.' The firm offers legal services across multiple practice areas including Banking and Finance, Capital Markets, Corporate and M&A, Litigation and Arbitration, Intellectual Property, Tax, Private Clients, Employment, ESG, Data Protection and Privacy, Technology and Outsourcing, and various sector specializations. The firm does not appear to offer a technology product or SaaS platform but rather provides traditional legal advisory services through its offices in Zurich, Geneva, and Lausanne. No discrete product names, modules, or technology offerings were identified on the website.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Corporate and M&A Legal Advisory Legal advisory on corporate transactions, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and restructurings for multinational and mid-market clients, delivered partner-led from the Zurich and Geneva offices.
• Banking and Finance Legal Advisory Legal counsel to banks, lenders, and borrowers on financing transactions, lending structures, and financial services regulation in Switzerland.
• Capital Markets Legal Advisory Advice on equity and debt capital markets transactions, IPOs, and securities law, including blockchain-based tokenization of shares, co-headed from the Zurich office.
• Litigation and Arbitration Representation in commercial litigation and domestic and international arbitration, recognized through GAR 100 rankings and top-30 international arbitration practice rankings.
• Intellectual Property Legal Services IP protection, patent and trademark prosecution, and IP litigation, with the team recognized by IAM Patent 1000, WTR1000, and Managing IP.
• Tax Advisory Corporate and private client tax advisory, including cross-border tax planning; the team has been named Switzerland Tax Firm of the Year by ITR and recognized across ITR World Tax Rankings.
• Private Client Services Wealth structuring, estate planning, philanthropy, trusts, and family governance for ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families; recipient of multiple Citywealth IFC Awards and STEP Private Client Award.
• Asset Management Legal Advisory Advice on asset management regulation, fund formation (including L-QIFs), and portfolio investments for managers and investors in Switzerland.
• Investigations Internal and regulatory investigations counsel, ranked in the GIR 100 for investigations expertise, co-headed from the Geneva office.
• Restructuring and Insolvency Legal counsel on corporate restructurings and insolvency proceedings, recognized in the GRR 100 ranking for Insolvency and Restructuring.
• Competition and Regulated Markets Competition law advice including merger control, antitrust investigations, and regulated markets work, recognized in the GCR 100 as an Elite competition law practice.
• Technology and Outsourcing Legal advisory on technology transactions, IT outsourcing, data protection, and digital transformation mandates.

Quantifiable outcome

• Eight practice areas ranked Band 1 by Chambers Europe 2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Capital Markets and Technology Association (CMTA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLenz & Staehelin teamed up with leading actors from Switzerland's industry to create standards for issuing and trading securities using blockchain technology. The firm participated in developing the CMTA's Blueprint for the tokenization of shares of Swiss corporations and its first AML Standards.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Homburger: Leading Zurich-based Swiss law firm competing head-to-head with Lenz & Staehelin across corporate/M&A, capital markets, banking & finance, IP, and dispute resolution, with similar Band-1 rankings and comparable blue-chip Swiss and international clients.
• Bär & Karrer: Major Swiss full-service law firm with offices in Zurich, Geneva, and Lugano, directly competing across corporate, M&A, banking & finance, tax, dispute resolution, and IP practices with comparable international client rosters.
• Walder Wyss: Swiss full-service law firm based in Zurich with strong practices in corporate/M&A, finance, IP, and dispute resolution; competes directly with Lenz & Staehelin for Swiss and cross-border mandates and similar directory recognition.
• Niederer Kraft Frey: Zurich-based Swiss law firm with strong corporate, banking, capital markets, and dispute resolution practices; competes directly for premium Swiss and international clients and regularly appears alongside Lenz & Staehelin in legal directory rankings.
• Schellenberg Wittmer: Geneva- and Zurich-based Swiss law firm with a strong focus on dispute resolution, arbitration, banking, and corporate law; competes directly for Swiss commercial litigation and arbitration mandates.
• Pestalozzi: Zurich-based Swiss full-service law firm with practices spanning corporate, banking, IP, dispute resolution, and tax; competes with Lenz & Staehelin for premium Swiss mandates and ranks in comparable international directories.
• Meyerlustenberger Lachenal: Swiss law firm with offices in Zurich, Geneva, and Basel providing corporate, banking, IP, competition, and dispute resolution advice; competes directly with Lenz & Staehelin across many of the same practice areas.
• Froriep: Swiss law firm with offices in Zurich and Geneva focusing on corporate, M&A, IP, and dispute resolution; a more boutique alternative competing for similar Swiss and international clients.

Broad incumbents

• CMS Switzerland: Part of the CMS global network, offering a broader international platform in Switzerland across corporate, finance, and dispute resolution; competes with Lenz & Staehelin on cross-border mandates where clients want integrated multi-jurisdictional delivery.
• Baker McKenzie: Global law firm with a long-established Zurich office covering corporate, M&A, banking, and dispute resolution; competes with Lenz & Staehelin for premium Swiss and cross-border work via a much larger international network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lenz-&-staehelin
• Instagraminstagram.com/lenzandstaehelin
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lenz & Staehelin