Penalex Avocats - Avocats & spécialistes en droit pénal
Swiss criminal law firm in Vevey, founded 2020, providing criminal defence, economic crime, judicial assistance and digital investigation services to individuals, companies, public institutions and international clients across French-speaking Switzerland.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersVevey, Switzerland
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Penalex Avocats - Avocats & spécialistes en droit pénal does
Penalex Avocats SA is a Swiss criminal law firm headquartered in Vevey (Canton of Vaud), founded in 2020 and structured as a société anonyme. It is exclusively active in criminal procedure and offers criminal defence, economic and business criminal law, judicial assistance and extradition, victims' rights, and digital investigation services before cantonal, federal, international and supranational jurisdictions. The firm is built around three FSA-certified specialist lawyers in criminal law (Tirelli, Filliez-Bonnard, Trajilovic), supported by two trainee lawyers, a certified digital investigator/criminologist (Beaudet-Labrecque), a forensic criminalist and AML investigator (Vautier), and a data-protection specialist (Avigdor, CIPP/E), with the supporting administrative team making up a headcount of around ten. The core product is bespoke criminal defence representation for individuals, corporate executives, companies, public institutions, and international clients, with case experience spanning banking and finance, public-sector matters, and advice to foreign states. The firm also fields a digital self-serve layer — e-commerce-enabled storefront for legal documents and training, online appointment booking (Bookly), online question submission with a 24-hour response SLA, and emergency 24/7 availability — hosted on WordPress/WooCommerce with Stripe payments and Infomaniak (Swiss-resident) data hosting. In March 2026, Penalex launched Compass, a proprietary preventive criminal risk-analysis tool that codifies the founders' 20 years of criminal law and economic crime experience into a structured offering for executives and companies.
The business model combines professional-services billing with emerging recurring revenue. Standard and emergency appointments are priced on a unit basis (CHF 120–360 standard, CHF 200–500 emergency, with a 10% online-booking discount), while ongoing representation is hourly at CHF 180–550 depending on urgency, complexity, and FSA specialist involvement. The e-services layer (downloadable documents, corporate training, Compass) introduces subscription/recurring mechanics and productised advisory. Go-to-market is sales-led via direct relationships and inbound referrals, augmented by content marketing, video, newsletters, academic and conference participation (Cambridge International Symposium on Economic Crime), and an SEO/FAQ-driven knowledge base. Customer segments are horizontal — individuals, corporates, executives, public institutions, and foreign clients — with banking & finance and public-sector mandates being the most visible recurring categories.
Penalex Avocats - Avocats & spécialistes en droit pénal firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Penalex Avocats - Avocats & spécialistes en droit pénal
- Legal name
- Penalex Avocats SA
- Website
- https://penalex.ch
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Swiss criminal law firm in Vevey, founded 2020, providing criminal defence, economic crime, judicial assistance and digital investigation services to individuals, companies, public institutions and international clients across French-speaking Switzerland.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Penalex Avocats - Avocats & spécialistes en droit pénal industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Criminal Law Services
- NAICS
- Offices of Lawyers (541110)
- SIC
- Services-Legal Services (8111)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fraud Risk & Financial Crime Controls Advisory (BPAKADAL)
Keywords
Where Penalex Avocats - Avocats & spécialistes en droit pénal is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Vevey
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Penalex Avocats - Avocats & spécialistes en droit pénal business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Legal Services - Standard Appointments: Billable legal consultations including conference calls, video conferences, and in-person meetings at the Vevey office. Pricing varies by service type and lawyer seniority (FSA specialist vs regular lawyer at the Bar).
- Emergency Legal Services: Urgent legal consultations available 24/7, including weekends and public holidays, with 25% premium pricing over standard rates.
- E-Services Platform: Online platform offering downloadable legal documents, training courses for companies in criminal law areas, and subscription-based access to legal tools.
- Corporate Criminal Risk Assessment: Compass tool for preventive criminal risk analysis targeting executives and companies.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Conference Call - 20 minutes |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Videoconference - 40 minutes |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Office Appointment - 60 minutes |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Emergency Conference Call - 20 minutes |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Emergency Videoconference - 40 minutes |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Emergency Office Appointment - 60 minutes |
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | Hourly Rates - Ongoing Representation |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Penalex Avocats - Avocats & spécialistes en droit pénal product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Penalex Avocats SA is a Swiss criminal law firm providing criminal defense representation before cantonal, federal, international, and supranational jurisdictions. The firm offers standard and emergency legal consultations, online appointment booking, downloadable legal documents, corporate criminal law training, and Compass, a proprietary preventive criminal risk analysis tool for companies and executives.
Product overview
Penalex Avocats SA is a Swiss criminal law firm offering a comprehensive legal services platform. The core offering is criminal defense representation for individuals and companies before all Swiss and international jurisdictions. The firm operates an e-services platform (e-services) providing online legal consultations with 24/7 availability, appointment booking (via Bookly), downloadable legal documents (via WooCommerce), and corporate criminal law training. A key innovation is Compass, a proprietary preventive criminal risk analysis tool. The firm also maintains a free Knowledge Base/FAQ covering all areas of criminal law, procedure, and related topics. Team expertise spans criminal defense, forensic science, digital investigation, economic crime, and data protection, with three FSA-certified criminal law specialists.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Compass: A preventive criminal risk analysis tool developed by Penalex, based on 20 years of practice in criminal law and economic crime. It allows executives and companies to anticipate, map, and neutralize their criminal exposures.
Products and services
- Criminal Defense Services Full-service criminal defense representation for individuals and companies before all cantonal, federal, international, and supranational jurisdictions. Includes defense in mass-delinquency cases and complex sensitive matters.
- Online Legal Consultation (E-Services) Online platform offering 24/7 access to criminal lawyers via a question-and-answer system with guaranteed response within 24 hours. Includes online appointment booking for video conferences, telephone conferences, and in-person meetings.
- Compass Preventive criminal risk analysis tool that enables executives and companies to anticipate, map, and neutralize their criminal exposures. Based on 20 years of criminal law and economic crime practice.
- Knowledge Base / FAQ Free informational database of frequently asked questions covering criminal law, criminal procedure, judicial records, execution of sentences, cybercrime, digital investigation, extradition, road traffic, and lawyer selection.
- Legal Document Downloads Downloadable legal documentation and packs available for purchase through the e-commerce platform, covering various aspects of criminal law.
- Corporate Criminal Law Training Training services for companies in specific areas of criminal law, provided both online and in-person.
- Criminalistics and Digital Investigation Services Specialized investigation services including forensic science (trace analysis, DNA, fingerprints, ballistics), criminal analysis, digital forensics, and sciences forensiques, supporting criminal defense cases.
Quantifiable outcome
- Guaranteed response within 24 hours for online legal questions
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Penalex Avocats - Avocats & spécialistes en droit pénal
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Penalex Avocats - Avocats & spécialistes en droit pénal technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature3 records
Penalex Avocats - Avocats & spécialistes en droit pénal partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Infomaniak AGcoreData hosting partner for all client data storage. Servers located in Switzerland ensuring data residency compliance. Critical infrastructure partner for the e-services platform and client data management.
- PrivacyRulesminorInternational network of data protection professionals. Gabriel Avigdor serves as Swiss representative. Collaboration on cross-border data protection and privacy matters.
- Institute for the Fight against Economic Crime (ILCE)minorAcademic partnership with criminology institute. Olivier Beaudet-Labrecque serves as Vice-Dean and scientific collaborator. Collaboration on research and training in economic crime investigation.
- Center for Digital Investigation and Cryptology (CINC)minorAcademic partnership for digital investigation expertise. Olivier Beaudet-Labrecque holds CAS in Digital Investigation from CINC and serves as Vice-Dean.
- University of Geneva - Faculty of MedicineminorAcademic partnership where Gabriel Avigdor serves as lecturer and module coordinator for MAS/DAS in Drug Discovery and Clinical Development.
- Haute école de gestion de Neuchâtel (He-Arc)minorAcademic partnership where Gabriel Avigdor lectures on new technologies in the health sector for the Bachelor in Economic Law.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Penalex Avocats - Avocats & spécialistes en droit pénal competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Froriep: Swiss firm with a strong white-collar crime, fraud, and asset recovery practice in Zurich and Geneva. Comparable to Penalex as a provider of sophisticated criminal defence for corporate and high-net-worth clients in Switzerland.
- Schellenberg Wittmer: Leading Swiss law firm with a prominent white-collar crime, compliance, and investigations practice. Penalex partners previously trained at Schellenberg Wittmer, and the firm is a comparable provider of high-end criminal defence and economic-crime work across Swiss jurisdictions.
- Bonnard Lawson: Geneva/Lausanne-based Swiss law firm with a business criminal law and white-collar defence practice. Founding partner Emmeline Filliez-Bonnard previously practised there, and the firm competes in the same Suisse romande criminal-defence niche.
Broad incumbents
- Homburger: Top-tier Zurich law firm with a corporate criminal, regulatory, and investigations practice. Comparable to Penalex for high-stakes matters but operating at significantly larger scale with broader institutional clients.
- Kellerhals Carrard: Major Swiss full-service firm with a criminal law and compliance practice. Penalex partner Gabriel Avigdor previously practised there; the firm competes as a broader incumbent with deeper resources and national coverage.
- Niederer Kraft Frey: Zurich-based Swiss law firm with a corporate crime, regulatory enforcement, and investigations practice. Comparable as a higher-end incumbent offering criminal and regulatory defence to corporate clients.
- Lenz & Staehelin: Largest Swiss law firm with a strong investigations and white-collar crime practice across Zurich, Geneva, and Lausanne. Directly competes with Penalex for premium mandates in business criminal law in Suisse romande.
- Pestalozzi: Swiss full-service firm with offices in Zurich and Geneva and an established criminal, compliance, and internal investigations practice. Competes with Penalex in the upper-end of Swiss criminal defence work.
- Walder Wyss: Major Zurich-based Swiss law firm with a white-collar, investigations, and compliance practice. Competes with Penalex for high-end criminal and economic-crime mandates at the upper end of the Swiss market.
Regional players
- Python & Peter: Vaud-based Swiss law firm referenced in Penalex's hiring history and operating in the same Suisse romande regional market. Provides a comparable mix of advisory and contentious legal services in Western Switzerland.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Penalex Avocats - Avocats & spécialistes en droit pénal social profiles
Digital presencePenalex Avocats - Avocats & spécialistes en droit pénal compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Penalex Avocats - Avocats & spécialistes en droit pénal financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Penalex Avocats - Avocats & spécialistes en droit pénal leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Penalex Avocats - Avocats & spécialistes en droit pénal funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Penalex Avocats - Avocats & spécialistes en droit pénal M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Penalex Avocats - Avocats & spécialistes en droit pénal
What does Penalex Avocats - Avocats & spécialistes en droit pénal do?
Penalex Avocats SA is a Swiss criminal law firm providing criminal defense representation before cantonal, federal, international, and supranational jurisdictions. The firm offers standard and emergency legal consultations, online appointment booking, downloadable legal documents, corporate criminal law training, and Compass, a proprietary preventive criminal risk analysis tool for companies and executives.
Is Penalex Avocats - Avocats & spécialistes en droit pénal a public or private company?
Penalex Avocats - Avocats & spécialistes en droit pénal is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Penalex Avocats - Avocats & spécialistes en droit pénal founded?
Penalex Avocats - Avocats & spécialistes en droit pénal was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Penalex Avocats - Avocats & spécialistes en droit pénal based?
Penalex Avocats - Avocats & spécialistes en droit pénal is headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Penalex Avocats - Avocats & spécialistes en droit pénal make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Legal Services - Standard Appointments are the primary driver. The others are emergency Legal Services, E-Services Platform and corporate Criminal Risk Assessment.
Who are Penalex Avocats - Avocats & spécialistes en droit pénal's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Froriep, Schellenberg Wittmer and Bonnard Lawson. Broad incumbents are Homburger, Kellerhals Carrard, Niederer Kraft Frey, Lenz & Staehelin, Pestalozzi and Walder Wyss. Python & Peter is listed as a regional player.
Does Penalex Avocats - Avocats & spécialistes en droit pénal have an API?
No public API is recorded for Penalex Avocats - Avocats & spécialistes en droit pénal.
What industry is Penalex Avocats - Avocats & spécialistes en droit pénal in?
Penalex Avocats - Avocats & spécialistes en droit pénal's product category is Criminal Law Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAKADAL, Fraud Risk & Financial Crime Controls Advisory. Its NAICS code is 541110 and its SIC code is 8111.