Sandro Abegglen

Partner, Banking, Finance & Regulatory, Investigations & Enforcement, White Collar Crime, Investment Funds

Sandro Abegglen has been advising and representing major Swiss and international financial institutions for almost 20 years on financial services regulatory, investment funds, civil law and AML/KYC issues. For years, he has been ranked band one for banking, banking regulatory, investment funds and asset management by all major international law directories, and has been named “Lawyer of the Year 2019” for Investment Funds by Best Lawyers.

Experience

Sandro Abegglen is a member of the Legal and Compliance Committee of SFAMA, the Swiss investment fund and asset management industry’s self-regulatory and industry body. He is a board member of a large, international asset manager, and an adjoint professor for contracts and financial services laws at the University of Berne, Faculty of Law. Sandro is regularly asked by the Swiss government to act as expert on legislative projects, recently on the new Financial Services Act FIDLEG as well the new Financial Institutions Act FINIG, and frequently renders speeches at conferences of the Universities of Berne, Zurich and St. Gallen.

For 20 years, Sandro has been advising and representing banks, securities houses and asset managers on financial services regulatory, civil law and AML/KYC issues. Typically, banks and asset managers instruct him on matters of strategic importance. He advised many major institutions on the sea-change inducement ruling of the Supreme Court, and is currently counseling large clients on the implementation of FIDLEG and FINIG. He is a highly recognised expert in investment funds, wealth management and asset management and in obtaining FINMA and other authorities licenses for institutions such as banks, securities dealers and asset managers, both in the traditional investment expertises and for private equity and real estate managers/advisors, as well as for their products such as investment funds and investment foundations – areas where he brought about a number of important practice changes.

Sandro represents banks and asset managers, their directors and executive board members, in investigations and enforcement proceedings brought by the Swiss supervisory authorities FINMA and CDB Supervisory Board, and, in cooperation with international counsel, by other regulatory and law enforcement authorities, in particular from the UK and the USA. He represents clients at the Federal Administrative Court and the Swiss Supreme Court levels in appeals against FINMA decisions.

Sandro advises and represents financial institutions in large, typically international litigations involving regulatory, code of conduct or AML/corruption issues.

  • Swiss Bar Association
  • Zurich Bar Association
  • IBA International Bar Association
  • Member Legal Committee Swiss Funds Association and Asset Management Association SFAMA

Market Perception

  • Outstanding, diligent and pro-active.

    Legal 500 2018: Banking and Finance

  • Sources describe him as 'an excellent lawyer' who offers the 'perfect mix between academic expertise and business friendliness.'

    Chambers Global 2018: Investment Funds

  • Sources say that leading lawyer Sandro Abegglen 'is a very skilled expert who is able to transpose complex legal considerations into advice useful for businesses.'

    Chambers Global 2017: Banking & Finance and Regulatory

  • In terms of investment management he is certainly the name that stands out.

    Who's Who Legal 2017: Most Highly Regarded in Investment Management

  • One of the few lawyers in Switzerland who is absolutely up to date with what's going on at the regulatory end.

    Chambers Global 2016: Investment Funds

Speaking Engagements

News & Insights

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