The Law Society of England and Wales and the Bar Council have welcomed a new UK-Switzerland free-trade agreement that will preserve business-mobility rights and protect UK lawyers’ access to the Swiss legal services market.
Negotiations on the enhanced agreement concluded in Bern on 13 July. The deal has not yet been signed or brought into force, with both countries required to complete their parliamentary approval procedures.
For UK lawyers, the deal places existing temporary mobility arrangements on a permanent footing. UK solicitors and barristers will be able to make short-term business visits to Switzerland without a visa for up to 90 days a year after the current UK-Switzerland Services Mobility Agreement expires in 2029.
The agreement will also safeguard the ability of UK-qualified lawyers to advise in Switzerland on English, Welsh, foreign and international law without requalifying. The commitment covers arbitration, mediation and conciliation, while removing any requirement to register with Swiss professional bodies when providing those services.
Enhanced mobility provisions are also intended to facilitate secondments and staff transfers between UK and Swiss offices. A separate agreement on the recognition of professional qualifications, which came into force in January 2025, will continue to assist eligible lawyers seeking to requalify in the other jurisdiction.
Switzerland is already a significant destination for UK legal services, with exports valued at £391m in 2025. The wider services agreement is expected to reduce regulatory friction and give firms greater certainty when planning cross-border work across both legal markets.
Law Society president Mark Evans described the agreement as “an important milestone for legal services and for the trading relationship between the two countries”.
He said: “While we wait to review the full text of the agreement once it is available, today’s announcement suggests that the government is delivering on the Law Society’s key priorities for these negotiations.”
Evans added that making the mobility arrangements permanent and protecting solicitors’ ability to advise on English commercial and international law would facilitate trade, support market access and strengthen professional links.
“Alongside the Recognition of Professional Qualifications Agreement, which came into force in January 2025, this new agreement reinforces the value of trusted legal expertise and offers new opportunities for our profession,” he said.
Bar Council chair Kirsty Brimelow KC said Switzerland was an important market for the UK profession and welcomed recognition of barristers’ legal services as a contributor to the UK economy and “a key driver of growth”.
“The FTA provides much-needed certainty around business travel and the provision of legal services and so will support both barristers and clients working across the two jurisdictions,” she said.
Brimelow added that the Bar Council would review the full text and continue engaging with the government as the agreement moves towards final implementation.
The agreement is likely to be particularly relevant to firms with established practices. Charles Russell Speechlys has offices in Geneva, Zurich and Zug, while Swiss firms operating in London include disputes specialist Lalive and MLL Legal.
Other prominent firms with UK lawyers working in Switzerland alongside local lawyers include Baker McKenzie and Quinn Emanuel. Gibson Dunn also launched a Zurich office in 2025 under Christopher Harris KC, a barrister and Swiss-admitted lawyer, highlighting the continuing importance of Switzerland for international arbitration.
Orrick, however, shuttered a local office last year, with Charles Adams, another prominent arbitrator, setting up a solo practice.
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