Top 35 UK law firm Charles Russell Speechlys has added disputes partner Simon Hofstetter in Zurich from local law firm MBH Attorneys at Law. 

Hofstetter is a Swiss qualified lawyer and brings more than 15 years’ experience in domestic and international commercial litigation, asset recovery and bankruptcy proceedings as well as Swiss corporate law. He spent the last six years as a partner at MBH, prior to which he practised independently. 

Michael Wells-Greco, head of Charles Russell Speechlys’ Swiss offices, said Hofstetter would be “an invaluable assed” to the firm’s growing European team. 

“The firm’s continued investment and expansion in this market means we can offer clients greater service they require in whichever region they operate,” he added. 

Hofstetter represents clients before courts and authorities of both German and Italian-speaking parts of Switzerland and also regularly advises companies on corporate law matters including white collar crime, M&A, changes in equities, shareholders matters and corporate governance.

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Simon’s arrival at Charles Russell Speechlys follows the firm adding Italian tax specialist Nicola Saccardo as a partner in its private client team in London in August from Milan law firm Maisto e Associati. 

The firm has one of the biggest private client offerings in the UK and is one of the few law firms to offer tax, regulatory, funds, dispute resolution and commercial advice with a full private client offering across Europe's wealth centres – London, Luxembourg, Paris and Switzerland – as well as in Hong Kong and the Middle East. 

Hofstetter has joined the firm in Zurich as its fourth partner, working alongside a team of six associates and tax experts. The firm bolstered its partner ranks in Zurich earlier in the year when Alice Martin was made up in the tax trusts and succession team in a six-strong partner promotions round that also saw Raphaël Bagdassarian get the nod in the corporate tax practice in Paris as well as four lawyers in the UK.

The promotions round followed Charles Russell Speechlys growing revenue outside the UK by 24% in the year ended 30 April 2022 as firmwide revenue grew 3% to approximately £178m. Profit per equity partner (PEP) was 526k, a slight dip on the previous year when PEP rocketed by more than 40% to hit 533k. 

The firm attributed the revenue increase to ‘supporting clients with their growth plans and new client wins, particularly in Switzerland, Paris, Luxembourg and the Middle East offices’ when reporting the financial results in August. The firm said it saw an increase in high-profile work across its tax and advisory, complex transactional and contentious practices for private clients and corporates, as well as private capital-led transactions for individuals with global interests and their family offices.