gbf Attorneys-at-law

What gbf Attorneys-at-law does

gbf Attorneys-at-law is a privately held Swiss boutique law firm operating through three parallel entities (gbf Rechtsanwälte AG, gbf Avocats SA, and gbf Attorneys-at-law Ltd) to serve German-, French-, and English-speaking clients. The firm is headquartered in Zurich (Hegibachstrasse 47) with a second main office in Geneva and notary offices in Bern and Olten, giving it coverage of Switzerland's principal commercial hubs and three cantonal notary jurisdictions. Its core function is the delivery of specialized legal advisory and contentious services to international corporate clients in six sectors: insurance and reinsurance, aviation and aerospace, transport and logistics, trade and distribution, marine and yachting, and technology and digital economy. The service portfolio spans litigation and arbitration, M&A, regulatory and FINMA advisory, data protection (nDSG/GDPR), e-commerce, employment and immigration, taxation, and notarial authentication.

The firm's go-to-market is partner-led, enterprise-focused, and built around direct client engagement rather than intermediated distribution. Demand generation relies on thought leadership publications (Jusletter, HAVE, ASA Bulletin), industry events (gbf Transport Law Day, Schulthess Insurance Law Forum, AIDA), and a multilingual LinkedIn presence, with the firm itself describing its model as serving "international companies in specialized sectors." Revenue is generated through professional services fees on a quote-based billing model that is not publicly disclosed; there is no consumer or SMB channel, and no disclosed subscriptions, technology platform, or AI-based product. Differentiation rests on deep vertical specialization (notably aviation insurance, marine and yacht finance, and reinsurance), cross-border and multilingual coverage, and individual partner credentials (multiple LLMs in Maritime, Air & Space, Dispute Resolution, Chinese Law; Certified Specialist SBA Tort and Insurance Law; FINMA and Swiss Re in-house lineage).

The business is structured as a partnership with no parent company, external investors, or PE/VC ownership indicated. Recent activity shows steady, organic expansion through lateral hires and one internal partner promotion between 2024 and June 2026, alongside deliberate cultivation of new client corridors (Chinese, Polish, Lusophone). There are no disclosed funding rounds, acquisitions, or technology platforms; the firm operates as a pure-play professional services practice whose primary assets are its partners' credentials, its cantonal notary licenses, and its specialized sector reputation.

Name

gbf Attorneys-at-law

Legal name

gbf Rechtsanwälte AG

Website

https://gbf-legal.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

gbf Attorneys-at-law is a privately held Swiss boutique law firm with offices in Zurich and Geneva and notary offices in Bern and Olten, delivering specialized advisory and litigation services in insurance/reinsurance, aviation, transport, trade, marine, and technology sectors to international corporate clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate & Commercial Law (BPAHAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) & Securities Law (BPAHAAAI)

Keywords

• Insurance law services
• Aviation legal advisory
• Maritime shipping law
• Transport trade law
• Litigation arbitration services

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Fees: Professional legal services billed to corporate clients in insurance, reinsurance, aviation, shipping, transport and trade sectors. Services include advisory work, litigation, arbitration, corporate transactions, and notary services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

gbf Attorneys-at-law is a Swiss law firm providing specialized legal advisory and contentious services across six core sectors: insurance and reinsurance, aviation and aerospace, transport and logistics, trade and distribution, marine and yachting, and technology and digital economy. The firm delivers litigation, arbitration, M&A transactions, regulatory compliance, data protection, e-commerce, labor/immigration and notary services through offices in Zurich, Geneva and notary offices in Bern and Olten.

Product overview

gbf Attorneys-at-law is a Swiss law firm providing specialized legal services across six core industry sectors: Insurance & Reinsurance, Aviation & Aerospace, Transport & Logistics, Trade & Distribution, Marine & Yachting, and Technology & Digital Economy. The firm operates as a unified platform offering both advisory and litigation services through 15 attorneys and notaries across offices in Zurich and Geneva, with notary services in Bern and Olten. The service portfolio spans litigation and arbitration, M&A transactions, data protection compliance, e-commerce advisory, regulatory licensing, notary authentications, labour law, and taxation services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Legal Services - Insurance & Reinsurance Comprehensive legal advice and litigation services for insurance and reinsurance companies, covering coverage disputes, regulatory compliance, policy drafting, and market entry.
• Legal Services - Aviation & Aerospace Legal services for the aviation and aerospace industry, including aircraft transactions, financing, regulatory matters, and insurance coverage.
• Legal Services - Transport & Logistics Legal advisory and litigation services for transport companies, including freight claims, carrier liability, and multimodal transport matters.
• Legal Services - Trade & Distribution Commercial law services for trading companies and distributors, covering contract disputes, international trade law, and distribution agreements.
• Legal Services - Marine & Yachting Legal services for shipping companies and yacht owners, including vessel transactions, maritime law, and marine insurance matters.
• Legal Services - Technology & Digital Economy Legal advisory for technology companies covering data protection, e-commerce, fintech, and digital transformation matters.
• Litigation & Arbitration Dispute resolution services before Swiss courts and international arbitral tribunals for complex commercial and insurance disputes.
• Mergers & Acquisitions Transactional legal services for M&A transactions in insurance, transport, and trading sectors, including due diligence and deal structuring.
• Data Protection & Privacy Advisory services on Swiss and European data protection laws (nDSG/GDPR), privacy policies, data transfers, and compliance programs.
• Notary Services Notary services for corporate transactions, real estate, succession planning, and commercial registry matters in cantons of Bern, Solothurn, and Zurich.
• Regulatory & Compliance Services Regulatory advisory for financial market participants including licensing applications, business plan preparation, and FINMA compliance.
• Labour & Immigration Employment law advisory including work permits, employment contracts, terminations, and immigration procedures for Switzerland.

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Notice Design GmbHminorOthersDesign agency based in Zurich responsible for website concept and design
• BlueMouse GmbHminorOthersInternet agency in Baden responsible for website programming
• Sachverständigenbüro Mülot GmbHminorOthersEU representative for data protection matters, based in Greven, Germany

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bär & Karrer AG: Leading Zurich-based Swiss firm with strong insurance, shipping, aviation, and international dispute resolution practices; comparable specialty positioning and blue-chip international client base as gbf.
• Pestalozzi Attorneys at Law Ltd: Zurich-based Swiss commercial firm with established insurance & reinsurance, transport, and dispute resolution practices; directly comparable specialty depth in the same sectors as gbf.
• Homburger AG: Premier Zurich-based Swiss law firm with notable insurance, transport, and dispute resolution practices; competes for the same Swiss-headquartered international insurance and aviation clients as gbf.
• Schellenberg Wittmer Ltd: Leading Swiss boutique law firm headquartered in Zurich with strong dispute resolution, insurance, shipping, and arbitration practices — the closest comparable in scale and specialty to gbf, particularly in international arbitration and insurance litigation.
• Lenz & Staehelin: Geneva- and Zurich-based leading Swiss firm with strong insurance, shipping, aviation finance, and international arbitration practices — directly comparable bilingual specialty coverage as gbf.
• Niederer Kraft Frey AG: Major Zurich-based Swiss commercial law firm with comparable insurance & reinsurance, transport, aviation finance, and dispute resolution practices; serves similar international corporate clients and competes directly for the same mandates.
• Blum & Grob Attorneys at Law: Zurich-based Swiss boutique with strong aviation, transport, and asset finance practices — the firm where partner Philippe Wenker previously co-headed the aviation/transport team; competes for the same aviation finance and asset finance mandates.
• Walder Wyss AG: Major Zurich-based Swiss commercial firm with comparable insurance, transport, technology, and dispute resolution practices; serves similar enterprise client base in Switzerland.

Emerging players

• Clyde & Co LLP: Global law firm widely recognized as the leading international insurance, reinsurance, aviation, and shipping specialist; while primarily UK-headquartered, it is a key competitor for the cross-border insurance and transport mandates that anchor gbf's international client work.

Broad incumbents

• CMS von Erlach Poncet AG (CMS Switzerland): Swiss office of global law firm CMS with established insurance, transport, and aviation practices; broader international network and full-service capabilities position it as a larger incumbent competing for the same specialty mandates (senior gbf partner von Zedtwitz previously headed CMS's insurance practice).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gbf-attorneys-at-law

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 gbf Attorneys-at-law