New Partner and Counsel as of 2022
Pestalozzi welcomes Lara Dorigo to the partnership and congratulates Christophe Berclaz and Louis de Mestral on their new positions as Counsel. In addition, Prof. Dr. Kern Alexander is joining Pestalozzi as Counsel. The appointments take effect on 1 January 2022.
"We are delighted to welcome Lara Dorigo as an outstanding addition to the Pestalozzi partnership. Over almost two decades, Lara has consistently shown herself to be an exceptional IP lawyer with deep knowledge in her field and particularly vast experience in the enforcement and defence of patents and trademarks" says Christoph Lang, Chair of Pestalozzi and Head Corporate/M&A group.
"Both Christophe Berclaz and Louis de Mestral have earned the confidence of their clients and colleagues to become recognised specialists in their areas of practice. Their promotion to Counsel is a reflection of their first-class legal service to clients as well as our commitment to appreciating and developing the firm's internal talents" adds Christophe Emonet, Head Litigation & Arbitration group.
"We are delighted to have Kern Alexander on board as Counsel. His appointment adds momentum to our strategy to advise our clients to the very highest standards. In addition, through his work at the University of Zurich and University of Cambridge, Pestalozzi can further exchange and build a bridge between academia and private practice" says Oliver Widmer, Partner and member of the Financial Services group.
Pestalozzi looks forward to the contributions of Lara Dorigo, Christophe Berclaz, Louis de Mestral and Kern Alexander and wishes them every success in their new roles.
Lara Dorigo – joining Pestalozzi as Partner
Lara Dorigo is joining Pestalozzi as Partner and new Head of the IP & TMT group. 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.
Christophe Berclaz – new Counsel
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 – new Counsel
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.
Prof. Dr. Kern Alexander – joining Pestalozzi as Counsel
Kern Alexander is Counsel and 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.
