Meet our new Partners and Counsels
We are delighted to introduce our new partners and counsels who will make a significant impact for our clients and the future of Pestalozzi. Pragmatism, integrity and team spirit are central to everything we do at Pestalozzi. Learn more about how our new partners and counsels bring these values to life.
Lara Dorigo, Partner and Head of IP & TMT
"By joining forces with our clients, we build the strongest teams. We want to understand our clients' needs and anticipate their future challenges."
Lara Dorigo heads the Intellectual Property group at Pestalozzi. She has extensive experience in the IP field and an affinity for technology-related issues. Over the last decade, Lara Dorigo has focused on patent disputes, particularly in the life sciences field. She also handles trademarks, copyrights and unfair competition litigation. In addition, she advises clients on branding strategies, parallel imports and grey market issues, licensing and all sorts of technology transfer agreements, life sciences regulatory matters and entertainment law. Lara Dorigo is widely recognised as one of the leading lawyers in her field.
Fabian Martens, Partner
"We communicate quickly and directly, reduce complexity and focus on what really matters."
Fabian Martens is a member of the Competition & Trade group at Pestalozzi. He has profound experience in Swiss and European competition law/antitrust with a strong background in the economic underpinnings. In addition, he has extensive expertise in public procurement law and represents bidders and contracting authorities at both the federal and the cantonal level. In 2021, Fabian was awarded the Lexology Client Choice Award in Competition Law for Switzerland.
Prof. Dr. Kern Alexander, Of Counsel
"We give independent advice on new challenges that businesses and the global economy are facing."
Kern Alexander is a member of Pestalozzi’s Financial Services group. He is a Professor of International Financial Law and Banking Regulation at the University of Zurich and a lecturer at the University of Cambridge. He advises bank boards on regulation, ethics and strategy. He is also a founder of the Research Network of Sustainable Finance.
Christophe Berclaz, Counsel
"As an integrated law firm, we work together to best serve our clients' interests."
Christophe Berclaz is a member of Pestalozzi’s Litigation & Arbitration group in Geneva. He has developed a strong practice in complex litigation that involves an international component and multi-jurisdictional aspects. He specialises in white-collar matters, including asset-tracing, recovery and international mutual assistance in criminal matters. In addition, Christophe Berclaz has broad experience in private banking, internal investigation, civil liabilities and enforcement of foreign decisions.
Louis de Mestral, Counsel
"Integrity, quality and pragmatism are at the heart of what we do at Pestalozzi."
Louis de Mestral is a member of Pestalozzi’s Litigation & Arbitration group in Geneva. His main practice areas include commercial litigation, enforcement and bankruptcy law as well as employment and social security law. Louis de Mestral advises in non-contentious and contentious matters and regularly represents parties before Swiss courts. In doing so, he has acquired extensive knowledge of civil proceedings.
About Pestalozzi
Pestalozzi is a multicultural Swiss business law firm focusing on high-end work for domestic and international clients since 1911. Pestalozzi lawyers are strong and empathic personalities, known for their truly independent approach to advising and representing their clients. The firm guides and supports its clients in their strategic business decisions, anticipates their future challenges and helps them solve their critical issues. Being fully integrated, Pestalozzi encounters no internal limits in shaping the most competent and efficient teams for the clients’ needs. With over 100 professionals in Zurich and Geneva, the firm is at home in Switzerland’s two main commercial hubs – and has developed a wealth of experience in its key industries of Banking, Life Sciences, Commodity Trading and Insurance. While being locally embedded, Pestalozzi has also developed sought-after expertise in dealing with multi-jurisdictional transactions and disputes.
