Schoch, Auer & Partner, Attorneys At Law

What Schoch, Auer & Partner, Attorneys At Law does

schochauer ag (stylized as schochauer) is a private Swiss law firm headquartered at Marktplatz 4 in St. Gallen, Switzerland, founded in 1970 as a partnership and now operating as a Swiss corporation (Aktiengesellschaft). The firm provides legal advisory, litigation, and notarial services across 14 practice areas covering corporate law, contract law, labour law, tax law, construction and real estate law, restructuring and insolvency, financial market and supervisory law, trademark and copyright, commercial criminal law and compliance, inheritance and estate planning, public law, family law, litigation, and notarisation. A structural differentiator is that every attorney at the firm also serves as a public notary of the Canton of St. Gallen, conferring exclusive authority to execute public notarisations and certifications in the canton.

The firm targets two primary segments: companies and enterprises (from startups to family-owned SMEs and large corporates) requiring counsel on M&A, corporate governance, restructuring, and regulatory matters; and private individuals needing support on employment, family, inheritance, and property law. Services are delivered through direct personal consultation at the St. Gallen office, with cross-border work routed through the firm's MSI Global Alliance membership, which provides access to approximately 260 member firms in roughly 100 countries. The firm's go-to-market is relationship-driven, supported by content marketing (blog and LinkedIn) and community engagement with local institutions (IHK St. Gallen-Appenzell, Startfeld, CSIO St. Gallen, OpenAir St. Gallen).

The business model is fee-for-service professional services billing, with fees agreed in advance and regular updates provided to clients. No tiered pricing or rate cards are publicly disclosed. The firm has approximately 18+ attorneys (12 partners, 1 associate partner, 5 associates) plus 3 consultants and 4 legal staff, with four employees sitting the bar exam annually on average. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and the firm operates without external investment, private equity involvement, or acquisition activity, maintaining control through its partnership governance model.

Name

Schoch, Auer & Partner, Attorneys At Law

Legal name

schochauer ag

Website

https://schochauer.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

schochauer is a private Swiss law firm founded in 1970 in St. Gallen, providing legal advisory, litigation, and notarial services across 14 practice areas to companies and private individuals in eastern Switzerland, with international reach via MSI Global Alliance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (54111), Offices of Notaries (54112)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law (BPAHAAAK)

Keywords

• Legal advisory services
• Corporate law practice
• Commercial litigation
• Notarial services
• Tax law advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Sankt Gallen

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Legal Advisory Services: Professional legal services billed on a fee-for-service basis. The firm agrees on fees with clients in advance and provides regular updates on work performed. Services include corporate law, contract law, labour law, tax law, litigation, and notarial services.
2. Notarization and Certification: Public notarial services for legal transactions requiring specific form, including company formations, articles of association amendments, wills, and marriage contracts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

schochauer is a Swiss law firm providing legal advisory, litigation, and public notarial services to companies and private individuals across 14 practice areas. All attorneys are appointed public notaries of the Canton of St. Gallen, enabling formal notarisations and certifications alongside transactional, regulatory, and dispute resolution counsel. Services are delivered personally by partners and associates from the St. Gallen office and through partner referrals via the MSI Global Alliance network for international matters.

Product overview

Schochauer is a law firm offering comprehensive legal services through individual specialist practice areas rather than a unified software product. The firm provides 14 distinct legal service lines covering corporate law, contract law, labour law, tax law, construction and real estate law, restructuring and insolvency law, financial market law, trademark and copyright law, commercial criminal law, inheritance law, public law, family law, litigation, and notarisation services. All attorneys are also public notaries of the Canton of St. Gallen. Services are provided to businesses (from startups to large enterprises) and private individuals in eastern Switzerland, with international capabilities through the MSI Global Alliance network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Corporate Law Services Legal advisory and representation for companies on company formation, M&A transactions, corporate succession, restructurings, mergers, demergers, acquisitions, due diligence, corporate governance, and shareholder disputes.
• Contract Law Services Drafting, reviewing, negotiating, and enforcing contracts including purchase agreements, work contracts, lease agreements, service contracts, general terms and conditions, mandate and licence agreements, employment and agency contracts, NDAs, supply and distribution agreements, warranty and liability provisions.
• Labour Law Services Legal counsel on employment contracts, termination, working hours, holidays, salary continuation, prohibition of competition, duty of discretion, employment references, bullying, discrimination, equal treatment, social insurance law, business transfers, and workplace conflict resolution.
• Tax Law Services Comprehensive tax advisory for companies and private individuals including corporate taxation, holding structures, VAT, withholding tax, tax planning, advance tax rulings, capital gains tax, real estate tax, international tax matters, inheritance and gift taxes, tax proceedings, and voluntary disclosure.
• Construction and Real Estate Law Services Advisory on construction contracts, building defects, warranty law, property purchase and sale, building permits, spatial planning, project development, tenancy law, condominium ownership, mortgages, land register matters, neighbour law, and construction litigation.
• Restructuring and Insolvency Law Services Advice on corporate restructuring, reorganisation, over-indebtedness, insolvency, debt enforcement, composition proceedings, bankruptcy law, creditor protection, liability of corporate bodies, composition agreements, settlement procedures, and asset protection.
• Financial Market and Supervisory Law Services Advisory on FINMA licensing, banking and insurance law, collective investment schemes law, FinSA, FinIA, anti-money laundering (AMLA) compliance, FinTech and blockchain regulation, stock exchange law, capital markets, and supervisory measures.
• Trademark and Copyright Law Services Protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights including trademark registration and strategy, copyright and exploitation rights, design protection, IP licensing agreements, domain law, trademark infringement warnings, know-how protection, and competition law matters.
• Commercial Criminal Law and Compliance Services Prevention and defense in commercial criminal matters including fraud, embezzlement, corruption, money laundering, insider dealing, corporate criminal liability, internal investigations, compliance management systems, Code of Conduct, whistleblowing, and criminal proceedings.
• Inheritance Law and Estate Planning Services Advisory on wills, inheritance contracts, estate planning, statutory entitlements, division of estate, execution of wills, inheritance disputes, gifts, international inheritance cases, estate inventory, and inheritance tax matters.
• Public Law Services Representation in administrative law, construction and spatial planning law, environmental law, building permits, procurement law, expropriation law, subsidies, public employment law, police and security law, health and education law, and appeal proceedings against administrative decisions.
• Family Law Services Counsel on marriage, divorce, marital property law, spousal and child maintenance, custody arrangements, cohabitation, registered partnerships, adoption, paternity recognition, child protection, asset division, pension equalisation, adult protection, and deputyship.
• Litigation Services Civil and commercial litigation including civil proceedings, administrative and criminal proceedings, out-of-court settlements, mediation, arbitration, enforcement, debt collection, evidence preservation, litigation strategy, and international law matters.
• Notarisation and Certification Services Public notarisations and certifications performed by public notaries of the Canton of St. Gallen, including deeds of incorporation, articles of association amendments, marital agreements, inheritance contracts, wills, advance care directives, powers of attorney, and registry applications.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MSI Global AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA joint initiative of medium-sized, independent professional service firms with accounting, tax and legal services provided by roughly 260 members in approximately 100 countries worldwide. MSI Global Alliance provides the possibility to refer clients to partners worldwide who are often personally known and offer high quality and cost efficient services in their respective markets.
• IHK St. Gallen-Appenzell (Chamber of Industry and Commerce)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn inter-sectoral association with approximately 1,300 member companies, predominantly small and mid-sized businesses. The chamber represents and promotes the interests of industry, commerce and service providers in the St. Gallen-Appenzell region.
• StartfeldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe innovation and start-up network in Eastern Switzerland supporting ambitious entrepreneurs, start-ups, and established SMEs with advice, coaching, financing, and facilities in every phase of innovation.
• myclimateminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA partner for effective climate protection, both locally and globally. The Swiss non-profit organisation shapes the future through consultation, education and climate protection projects as a science-based and business-orientated non-profit organisation.
• Swiss Startup AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe voice of Swiss startups working to improve framework conditions for Swiss startups through political advocacy, education, and community support, empowering them to grow, innovate, and thrive.
• Corporate Law Club (CLC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA platform for law students across Switzerland offering valuable insights into the practice of the Swiss legal market through engaging podcasts. The firm contributes content through podcast appearances.
• Friends of the St.Gallen Symphony OrchestraminorOthersAn association providing financial and intellectual support for the orchestra's concerts, special projects, and musical events since 1877, with additional support for children and young adults initiatives.
• Ostschweizer Stiftung für Musik und TheaterminorOthersFoundation established in 1987 by patrons of music and theatre from Eastern Switzerland with the aim of promoting the economic and cultural significance of the region, particularly supporting the St. Gallen Theatre and Symphony Orchestra.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Homburger AG: Leading Zurich-based Swiss law firm providing full-service legal counsel including corporate, banking, tax, IP, and litigation. Multiple schochauer alumni (Aemisegger, Nagel) previously worked at Homburger, signaling comparable practice areas, talent pool, and institutional client orientation. Larger in scale but operates in the same Swiss legal services category.
• Niederer Kraft Frey AG: Zurich-based Swiss law firm providing comprehensive corporate, banking, finance, real estate, and dispute resolution services. Operates in the same Swiss mid-to-large full-service law firm category as schochauer, with comparable corporate, real estate, and private client focus areas.
• Walder Wyss AG: One of Switzerland's largest full-service commercial law firms, headquartered in Zurich with a similarly broad practice mix spanning corporate, M&A, tax, real estate, IP, and dispute resolution. Comparable to schochauer in offering comprehensive legal advisory but operates at materially greater scale and with broader geographic reach, making it a broad incumbent in the same category.
• Bär & Karrer AG: Swiss full-service law firm headquartered in Zurich with offices in Geneva, Lugano, and London, providing corporate, M&A, tax, banking, and dispute resolution services. Comparable to schochauer in offering comprehensive legal practice across regulatory, transactional, and contentious matters, though at significantly larger scale.
• Pestalozzi Attorneys at Law AG: Major Swiss law firm with offices in Zurich, Geneva, and Lausanne providing corporate, banking, IP, and dispute resolution services. Comparable to schochauer for breadth of practice; relevant as alumni workplace (Matthias Niklaus did his legal traineeship at Pestalozzi) and as a competitor for complex Swiss commercial mandates.
• Lenz & Staehelin: One of the largest Swiss law firms with offices in Zurich, Geneva, and Lausanne, providing full-service legal advisory including tax, corporate, dispute resolution, and private clients. Directly comparable to schochauer through alumni connections (Urban Broger worked there) and overlapping tax and private client practice areas.
• MLL Meyerlustenberger Lachenal Forte AG: Swiss law firm with offices in Zurich, Geneva, and Lausanne, providing full-service legal advice across corporate, tax, IP, employment, real estate, and dispute resolution. Comparable practice breadth and target client mix (Swiss corporates and HNW individuals) as schochauer, with broader geographic reach.

Direct peers

• VISCHER AG: Mid-sized Swiss full-service law firm headquartered in Zurich with offices in Basel and Geneva, covering corporate, tax, IP, employment, and private client matters. Closely comparable to schochauer in size and breadth, serving both corporate and private clients across Switzerland.
• Python & Peter Attorneys at Law: Swiss mid-sized law firm headquartered in St. Gallen offering comprehensive legal services to corporate and private clients across similar practice areas. The closest direct geographic peer to schochauer in the same city and Eastern Swiss market, with comparable positioning in full-service private practice.
• Bratschi AG: Swiss law firm with offices in St. Gallen, Zurich, Bern, Basel, and Lausanne offering comprehensive business law advice including corporate, tax, real estate, and private client services. The most direct geographic and practice-area peer to schochauer, combining a St. Gallen presence (shared market) with comparable full-service mid-size positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/schochauer

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Schoch, Auer & Partner, Attorneys At Law