Profile

Philip is an M&A, corporate finance and capital markets specialist with a main focus on complex investment and financing structures, restructurings and special situations. Philip regularly acts as advisor on buy- and sell-side public and private M&A transactions. Furthermore, he regularly represents lenders, borrowers and sponsors on high profile financing transactions. Philip’s practice also includes advising underwriters and issuers on all aspects of ECM and DCM transactions, including public takeovers, equity investments, block trades, IPOs, rights offerings and convertible bonds issues. In addition, he regularly acts as advisor in corporate restructurings and general corporate and commercial matters.

Deals & Cases

30.10.2024
Georg Fischer (GF) agrees to divest its GF Machining Solutions division
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15.06.2023
Confederation and UBS sign CHF 9bn Loss Protection Agreement
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29.09.2022
Porsche successfully starts trading on Frankfurt Stock Exchange
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Experience

Philip is an M&A, corporate finance and capital markets specialist with a main focus on complex investment and financing structures, restructurings and special situations. Philip regularly acts as advisor on buy- and sell-side public and private M&A transactions. Furthermore, he regularly represents lenders, borrowers and sponsors on high profile financing transactions. Philip’s practice also includes advising underwriters and issuers on all aspects of ECM and DCM transactions, including public takeovers, equity investments, block trades, IPOs, rights offerings and convertible bonds issues. In addition, he regularly acts as advisor in corporate restructurings and general corporate and commercial matters.

Philip has a particular focus on financial institutions as well as the CG&R and healthcare industries. He is admitted to practice in Switzerland and recognized as an authorized issuer’s representative at the SIX Swiss Exchange. He has published numerous articles on corporate law and finance topics in Swiss and international commentaries and journals.

Experience highlights include advising:

  • Georg Fischer (GF) on the divestment of its GF Machining Solutions division to United Grinding Group (2024)
  • The banking syndicate on a USD 3.65 billion term and revolving credit facilities agreement for Galderma (2024)
  • Glencore on its USD 75m investment into Li-Cycle via a convertible note instrument (2024)
  • SIX listed Feintool Group on the sale of Feintool Technology AG to Certina (2023)
  • Lakera in securing USD 10m in funding to secure Generative AI in the enterprise (2023)
  • PolyPeptide Group on its EUR 111 million revolving credit facility with Credit Suisse, Danske Bank and Zürcher Kantonalbank as mandated lead arrangers (2023)
  • Clariant on placing CHF 150m bond maturing 2028 (2023)
  • The Swiss Confederation on the CHF 9 billion loss protection guarantee granted to UBS Group in connection with its merger with Credit Suisse Group (2023)
  • Oliver Healthcare Packaging on in its acquisition of EK-Pack (2023)
  • UBS and BOCI in BOCI’s issuance of CNH 200m fully digital structured notes originated by UBS (2023)
  • Swiss Finance & Property AG on the CHF 135 million rights offering of Orascom Development Holding AG (2023)
  • INEOS on the acquisition of a major concrete additives business from Sika (2023)
  • The shareholders of Unit8 on the commencement of a growth investment by Sagard NewGen (2022)
  • Cinven and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board (“Ontario Teachers”) on their investment in the combination of group.ONE and the dogado group (2022)
  • EQT Future Fund on the acquisition of EQT VIII’s participation in SHL Medical (2022)
  • UBS Switzerland AG as agent, coordinator and mandated lead arranger as well as Credit Suisse (Switzerland) Ltd., Deutsche Bank Luxembourg S.A., NATIXIS and Zürcher Kantonalbank as mandated lead arrangers and lenders on a new CHF 500 million syndicated revolving credit facility for Swiss Life AG (2022)
  • Porsche on its international initial public offering and listing on Frankfurt stock exchange (2022)
  • Stadtcasino Baden on its acquisition of a majority stake in Casinò Locarno (2022)
  • Ambienta SGR SpA on the sale of its portfolio company SF-Filter AG to funds advised by Equistone Partners Europe (2022)
  • Global Blue and Silver Lake in Global Blue’s USD 225m strategic growth equity investment from Certares and Knighthead (2022)
  • Credit Suisse and UBS as arrangers on the financing of Swisspearl Group’s acquisition of Cembrit Group A/S (2022)
  • Kernkraftwerk Leibstadt AG on the placement of a CHF 200 million bond (CHF 175 million plus CHF 25 million top up) with a term to maturity of 5 years (2022)
  • Deutsche Bank AG, acting as coordinator, HSBC acting as agent and further banks on the Revolving Committed Facility of DKSH Holding Ltd. (2022)
  • UBS and Zürcher Kantonalbank on the CHF 202m rights offering of Feintool International Holding AG (2022)
  • Mobimo Holding AG on completing rights offering and listing of shares on SIX Swiss Exchange arranged by UBS and ZKB (2022)
  • Bell Food Group on the placement of a CHF 300 million bond with a term to maturity of 7 years (2022)
  • UBS Switzerland AG and an international bank syndicate in a CHF 2.8 billion financing for Stadler Rail (2022)
  • Axpo group on the issuance of a SIX Swiss Exchange listed CHF 500 million sustainability-linked bond (2022)
  • Veraison Capital and VT5 Acquisition Company on the structuring of the first Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) under Swiss law and VT5’s initial public offering at SIX Swiss Exchange (2021)*
  • UBS and Credit Suisse in a CHF 1.5 billion Government-backed financing for Swiss International Air Lines and Edelweiss Air (2020)*
  • RRJ Capital und Temasek on a several hundred million US dollars investment in leading airline caterer gategroup (2019)*
  • SIX Swiss Exchange listed Arbonia in its CHF 415 million public takeover of Looser Group (2016)*
  • *Transactions handled before joining Niederer Kraft Frey
2015 PhD in Law (Dr. iur.), University of St. Gallen
2013 Admitted to the Bar (Attorney-at-law)
2011 M.A. HSG in Law & Economics, University of St. Gallen
2009 York University (Osgoode Hall), Toronto
2008 B.A. HSG in Law & Economics, University of St. Gallen
Best Lawyers 2025
Best Lawyers 2024
Chambers Global 2022 – 2024
Chambers Europe 2022 – 2024
IFLR1000 2024 – Rising Star Partner
The Legal500 EMEA 2024 – Next Generation Partner
Who’s Who Legal: Switzerland 2024
The Legal500 EMEA 2023 – Next Generation Partner
The Legal500 EMEA 2022 – Recommended
  • HSG Alumni
  • Zurich Bar Association
  • Swiss Bar Association
2022 Partner, Niederer Kraft Frey
2021 Designated Partner, Niederer Kraft Frey
2018 Senior Associate with an international law firm in Switzerland
2015 Associate with an international law firm in Switzerland
2012 Legal Structurer Global Structured Securities Trading, UBS Investment Bank
2012 Research and Teaching Assistant for Corporate Law at the University of St. Gallen
2010 Junior Associate with an international law firm in Switzerland
2008 Trainee Legal Traded Products FICC, UBS Investment Bank

German

English

French

Deals & Cases

30.10.2024

Georg Fischer (GF) agrees to divest its GF Machining Solutions division

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22.10.2024

dss+ acquires global infrastructure advisory firm Infrata and staff safety consultancy firm ETSCAF

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18.10.2024

Deutsche Private Equity (DPE) acquires IMPAG Group

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Market Perception

«The team around Philip Spoerle and Andrea Giger stands out for its quick and efficient handling of transactional projects. They have a lot of experience in handling complex projects and have a profound legal and commercial knowledge. Combined with a 24/7 availability on partner level, this leads to a great client experience.»
Legal 500 2024
«Philip Spoerlé is a great bank finance lawyer: his broad experience and knowledge ensure that his advice is very consistent, relevant and on point, while his strong relationships in the lending community make him a valued partner with great market insight.»
Chambers Global 2024
«Both Philip Spoerle and Andrea Giger are standout lawyers – always available, impressively swift and possessing profound understanding of both commercial and legal intricacies. They approach projects with a pragmatic style, ensuring that complex issues are navigated with precision and efficiency. »
Legal 500 2024
«‘Philip Spoerlé is a very good lawyer. He was very competent, diligent and pragmatic, and he found a good solution in a short period of time’. ‘He offers in-depth expertise and efficiency, and is very structured but still pragmatic and easy to communicate with’.»
Chambers Global 2024
«He is known for being a very hard-working lawyer and he is very versatile,’ and further notes his ‘broad skill set and legal knowledge.»
Chambers Global 2022
«Philip has excellent cooperation skills and response times and is also accurate and has a very good track record. He is experienced in capital markets transactions, offers excellent webinars and is very committed. He is also pleasant to work with and profound. I’d say he is a rising star.»
Chambers 2022
«He is very technical. As a banking lawyer, he really knows international practices very well. He is able to give customised Swiss law advice and takes into consideration what is going on globally, which is very important and helpful for us.»
Chambers 2022

Awards & Rankings

19.09.2024

NKF ranked top-tier firm in six practice areas by IFLR1000 2024

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Publications

22.11.2022

The International Capital Markets Review 12th Edition – Chapter 13: Switzerland

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