Profile

Ulysses von Salis specialises in private equity, M&A and corporate transactions as well as financings, with a particular focus on large companies and financial institutions. He advises investors, private equity sponsors, managers and target companies on private equity transactions. He is distinguished as a leading Corporate/M&A and Banking & Finance lawyer by Chambers and other legal directories.

Experience

Ulysses’ M&A and corporate experience includes private equity transactions (M&A and acquisition finance), other private and public M&A transactions, complex domestic and cross-border transactions, mergers, spin-offs, JVs and reorganisations. His finance practice focuses on advising lenders, borrowers and private equity sponsors on complex finance transactions, in particular acquisition, leveraged and syndicated financings as well as financings with manifold security.

Expertise includes advising:

  • 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)
  • Lead counsel to Actelion Ltd, the largest European biopharma company in its USD 30 bn acquisition by Johnson & Johnson and the simultaneous demerger of its drug discovery and early clinical pipeline business into Idorsia Ltd. as well as the IPO of Idorsia Ltd
  • Capvis and Partners Group in their buy-out of VAT Group AG, the market leader for vacuum valves, and subsequently VAT Group AG in the CHF 1.38 billion IPO on SIX Swiss Exchange in April 2016, at that time the largest IPO in Europe in 2016
  • Partners Group in its acquisition first of a minority stake (2021) and then the majority (2022/2023) in the Swiss watch manufacturer Breitling
  • Capvis in its acquisition of Schurter Holding AG, a leading manufacturer of components for low voltage safe power supplies, input systems and sophisticated overall electronic solutions, and several other acquisitions and exits of Swiss portfolio companies of Capvis (including Xovis, Variosystems and Lista)
  • Founders and shareholders of Akara Group on the sale of the Swiss real estate asset manager Akara to Swiss Prime Site
  • Columna Capital LLP in its acquisition of Ardentis, a leading Swiss dentist clinics group, and of Datamars SA, a leading Swiss supplier of identification solutions
  • A consortium of more than 20 Swiss banks in a multibillion financing of a Swiss retail company
2000 Harvard Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts/USA, LL.M.
1997 Admitted to the Bar, Rechtsanwalt
1996 University of Zurich, PhD, summa cum laude, distinguished with Walther Hug-Preis 1997
Best Lawyers/ Handelsblatt Switzerland 2023/24 – Lawyer of the Year for Private Equity Law
Best Lawyers 2013 – 2025
Chambers Global 2012 – 2024
Chambers Europe 2010 – 2024
IFLR1000 2017 – 2024 – Highly Regarded
The Legal500 EMEA 2024 – Recommended
Lexology Index – Thought Leaders – Switzerland 2021 – 2024
Lexology Index – Global 2019 – 2024
Lexology Index – Switzerland 2017 – 2024
Expert Guides: Private Equity 2006-2022
The Legal500 EMEA 2021 – Recommended
The Legal500 EMEA 2020 – Recommended
The Legal500 EMEA 2019 – Recommended
  • Swiss Bar Association
  • SECA Swiss Private Equity and Corporate Finance Association
2006 Partner, Niederer Kraft Frey
2001 Associate, Niederer Kraft Frey
2000 European General Counsel, Speedventures, Munich, Stockholm, Amsterdam
1996 Clerk with the District Court of Zurich
1991 Assistant for Commerical and Corporate Law (Prof. Dr. Peter Forstmoser) at University of Zurich

German

English

Deals & Cases

30.10.2024

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

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25.01.2024

MVM Partners closes USD 30m investment in icotec ag

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12.07.2023

Capvis successfully completes the financing for the acquisition of SCHURTER Group

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Market Perception

«‘Ulysses von Salis’ client service and general level of service, his level of sophistication and his commercial awareness and vision are all very strong’. ‘He is a very good lawyer and very into the details’.»
Chambers 2024
«Ulysses von Salis wins plaudits for his extensive experience advising on corporate M&A and financing transactions. »
Who’s Who Legal 2022
«Top know how. Professional. Excellent, flawless execution. Holistic views. »
IFLR 1000 2021
«Clients describe him as ‘smart, fast and knowledgeable.’ Sources also say that von Salis ‘remains calm, even in stressful deals.’»
Chambers Global 2021

Events

23.06.2023

SECA Workshop Venture Capital

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24.05.2019

NKF and SECA invite to their second SECA Workshop Venture Capital

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Awards & Rankings

19.09.2024

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

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06.02.2024

Nineteen NKF lawyers listed as “Thought Leaders Switzerland 2023” by Who’s Who Legal

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14.09.2023

NKF ranked top-tier firm in six practice areas by IFLR1000 2023

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Publications

01.01.2021

The M&A Law Review – Swiss Chapter 2021

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01.03.2020

Private equity in Switzerland: market and regulatory overview

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01.09.2019

The M&A Law Review – Swiss Chapter 2019

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