Oberson Abels

What Oberson Abels does

Oberson Abels SA is a privately held Swiss law firm (Aktiengesellschaft) formed in 2016 through the combination of Oberson Avocats, which brought more than 50 years of specialized tax advisory heritage, and ABELS, an established business law boutique. The firm operates from five offices across the French- and now German-speaking parts of Switzerland: Geneva (headquarters, Esplanade de Pont-Rouge 5), Lausanne, Neuchâtel, Sion, and Bern, the last opened in 2026 to extend reach into German-speaking Switzerland.

Service delivery is organized into five practice Groups (Fiscal/Tax, Commercial, Banking, Contentieux/Litigation, Private Client) and three transverse Poles (Immigration, Labor Law and Social Security, Foundations/Associations/NGOs). Tax work covers direct and indirect taxation of individuals and entities, international tax including GloBE/Pillar Two, transfer pricing, stamp and withholding tax, VAT, and contentious proceedings before Swiss and foreign tax authorities. Commercial work covers contract drafting, M&A and venture financing, corporate restructuring, data protection (Swiss FADP, LIPAD/GE, GDPR), and company recovery. Banking covers licensing of banks, securities firms, asset managers and trustees, collective investment schemes, ISDA/Swiss Master Agreements and netting opinions. Litigation spans civil, administrative and white-collar matters including international mutual assistance. Private client work spans succession, estate, family governance and relocation-related tax.

The firm serves corporate entities, financial institutions, public-sector and academic institutions, foundations and NGOs, and high-net-worth individuals. Revenue is generated on a professional-services billing basis (rates not publicly disclosed) with no productized or software offerings. Marketing and client development rely heavily on thought leadership: partner-authored publications, active professorial roles at the Universities of Geneva, Lausanne and Fribourg, the annual 'Journées de la Prévoyance' conference, and analyst-tier recognition including Chambers and Partners 2026, Legal 500 (Banking and Finance – Geneva; Data Protection) for 2025 and 2026, and Legal 500 Leading Individual for founding partner Xavier Oberson since 2012.

Name

Oberson Abels

Legal name

OBERSON ABELS SA

Website

https://obersonabels.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Oberson Abels is a Swiss law firm offering integrated legal and tax advisory across five practice groups (Tax, Commercial, Banking, Litigation, Private Client) and three transverse poles, serving corporate, financial, public-sector, NGO, and high-net-worth clients from offices in Geneva, Lausanne, Neuchâtel, Sion, and Bern.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal and Tax Advisory Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Legal Services (5411), Offices of Lawyers (54111)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Reporting & Technical Accounting Advisory (GAAP/IFRS) (BPAHABAF)

Keywords

• Tax advisory services
• Commercial law advisory
• Banking and finance law
• Private client services
• Litigation and arbitration

Headquarters

HQ city

Genève

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Legal and Tax Advisory Services: Professional services revenue generated through legal and tax advisory services to private and institutional clients. Services include corporate tax advisory, personal tax planning, M&A transactions, banking law counsel, litigation representation, private client wealth management, immigration services, and labor law advice.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

OBERSON ABELS SA is a Swiss full-service boutique law firm providing integrated legal and tax advisory services to corporate entities, financial institutions, and private clients. Services span Swiss and international tax advisory (direct, indirect, GloBE, transfer pricing), corporate and contract law, M&A and venture capital financing, banking and capital markets regulation, civil/criminal/administrative litigation, data protection, private wealth and succession planning, immigration, labor law, and advisory to foundations, associations, and NGOs, delivered through interdisciplinary teams across five Swiss offices.

Product overview

Oberson Abels SA is a Swiss law firm offering integrated legal and tax advisory services organized into five main practice Groups (Fiscal/Tax, Commercial/Business Law, Banking, Litigation, and Private Client) and three cross-functional Poles (Immigration, Labor Law & Social Security, and Foundations/Associations/NGOs). The firm operates as a unified full-service boutique law firm with offices in Geneva, Lausanne, Sion, Bern, and Neuchâtel, providing interdisciplinary legal counsel rather than discrete software products or modular offerings. Services span tax advisory (direct/indirect taxation, international tax, VAT), corporate and contract law, data protection, company restructuring and recovery, banking and financial markets law, civil/criminal/administrative litigation, private wealth and succession planning, and immigration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tax Advisory (Groupe Fiscal) Integrated Swiss and international tax advisory for individuals and legal entities, covering personal taxation, corporate taxation, indirect taxes (VAT, stamp duty, customs), transfer pricing, GloBE/Pillar Two, tax litigation, mutual administrative assistance, real estate tax, source taxation, trust and foundation taxation, and tax compliance — delivered by partners with prior tax authority and court experience.
• Commercial & Contract Law (Groupe Commercial) Corporate and contract law advisory for companies and shareholders, including contract drafting and negotiation (sale, loan, pledge, lease, license, employment), M&A and venture capital financing, joint ventures, corporate restructurings (mergers, spin-offs, transformations, asset transfers), corporate recovery, directors' and shareholders' advisory, and corporate governance counsel.
• Data Protection Services Dedicated data protection practice advising clients on the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (LPD), cantonal data protection laws (e.g., LIPAD/GE), and the GDPR; preparation of processing activity registers, internal data-handling policies, privacy notices; review of processor agreements; cybersecurity counsel and breach response; and training of Data Protection Officers.
• Banking and Financial Law (Groupe Bancaire) Banking, financial services, and capital markets law advisory including authorization of banks, securities firms, asset managers, and trustees with the competent authority, structuring and registration of Swiss and foreign collective investment schemes, outsourcing projects in the financial sector, international mutual legal assistance procedures, ISDA and Swiss Master Agreement negotiation, and Netting and Collateral Opinions.
• Litigation (Groupe Contentieux) Civil, administrative, and criminal litigation representation before Swiss authorities and courts, including banking and commercial disputes, private disputes (in particular succession), seizure and provisional measures, recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments, civil and criminal international mutual legal assistance, white-collar and economic criminal defense (anti-money laundering, asset crimes, corruption, data protection offenses, tax offenses, customs offenses, international sanctions), and internal investigations led by former federal prosecutors.
• Private Client Services (Groupe Private Client) Comprehensive wealth, succession, and family advisory for high net worth individuals and families, including personal tax planning, domestic and international relocation tax, gift and inheritance taxation, family governance, trusteeship and foundation structuring, estate planning, and tool/personnel/shareholder tax planning.
• Immigration Services Cross-functional immigration advisory supporting corporate and private clients on relocations into and out of Switzerland, residence and work permits, and the tax dimensions of international mobility.
• Labor Law and Social Security Cross-functional labor law and social security advisory covering employment contracts, work permits, pension and social security matters (Prévoyance) and the firm's annual 'Journées de la Prévoyance' conference.
• Foundations, Associations and NGOs Legal and tax advisory for non-profit organizations including foundations, associations, and NGOs, covering VAT exemption procedures, governance, tax compliance, and specialized non-profit structuring, including VAT assistance for public sector entities and academic institutions.

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Homburger: Leading Zurich-based Swiss law firm with established tax, banking, and corporate practices; comparable in technical depth and academic profile to Oberson Abels but operating at larger scale.
• Walder Wyss: Major Swiss full-service firm with strong tax, corporate, and banking law capabilities; competes with Oberson Abels across the same Swiss corporate and HNWI client base.
• Lenz & Staehelin: Largest Swiss law firm with full-service offices in Geneva, Zurich, and Lausanne; offers comparable tax, corporate, banking, and litigation practices but at materially greater scale, competing with Oberson Abels for premium Swiss mandates.
• Bär & Karrer: Top-tier Swiss law firm with strong tax, corporate, and banking practices in Geneva and Zurich; competes with Oberson Abels for Swiss corporate tax, M&A, and financial regulation mandates.
• Niederer Kraft Frey: Zurich-headquartered Swiss law firm with strong tax, corporate, and financial services practices; comparable technical positioning to Oberson Abels and competing for the same Swiss financial sector mandates.
• KPMG Switzerland (Tax & Legal): Big 4 advisory practice with a substantial Swiss tax and legal services offering; competes with Oberson Abels on corporate tax, transfer pricing, GloBE, and cross-border tax mandates for enterprise clients.

Direct peers

• Pestalozzi Attorneys at Law: Swiss law firm with a recognized tax practice and offices in Zurich and Geneva; similar interdisciplinary, partner-led model and comparable size bracket, making it a directly competing boutique-to-mid-tier Swiss firm.
• Tavernier Tschanz: Geneva-based boutique Swiss law firm with strong commercial, corporate, and M&A practices; comparable size and Geneva focus, and notably the previous firm of Oberson Abels Managing Director Sébastien Bettschart, representing direct competitive overlap.
• Wenger Vieli: Zurich-based Swiss law firm with comparable corporate, tax, and financial services practices; similar mid-tier scale and notable as a previous employer of Oberson Abels Managing Director Pierre-Marie Glauser.
• Schellenberg Wittmer: Geneva- and Zurich-based Swiss law firm with strong dispute resolution, corporate, and banking practices; competes with Oberson Abels in Geneva for litigation, banking, and private client mandates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oberson-abels-sa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Oberson Abels