Practice Areas
Michel Jaccard is the founder of id est avocats, a certified B Corp boutique law firm advocating responsible and sustainable business practices. Over the past 25 years, he has been involved in corporate finance and M&A transactions both in Switzerland and internationally. True to the firm’s guiding principles, Michel also advises NGOs, non-profit organizations, purpose-driven companies, impact investors, and philanthropic ventures on governance, impact, and sustainability matters.
Leveraging specific expertise in technology and computing, Michel supports SMEs, industrial leaders, and global brands as they navigate innovation, AI, data protection, and cybersecurity. He regularly assists with negotiations and dispute resolution in complex business projects that require a deep understanding of digital technologies (software development, outsourcing, hosting, migration, AI and platform solutions, R&D, and technology joint ventures).
Michel holds a JD and PhD from the University of Lausanne and an LLM from Columbia Law School (Stone Scholar, Fulbright grantee). He is a certified CEDR mediator and an ITDR mediator and legal expert, is admitted to practice in Switzerland and New York, and has been highly recommended in Corporate/M&A, Technology, Media/Telecoms and Intellectual Property by leading guides such as Chambers, Legal500, Best Lawyers and Who’s Who Legal.
He frequently serves as a jury member, mentor, or coach in startup competitions (Venturekick, MassChallenge, >>Venture>>, FIT, Prix Strategis, Seedstars, and more). Michel is also a lecturer in the Master in Sustainable Management and Technology (SMT), offered by the Enterprise for Society Center (E4S)—a partnership between the University of Lausanne, IMD, and EPFL—and teaches on AI and law topics at the University of Neuchâtel.
Career
2024- Guest Lecturer, Tech4Regeneration Program, EPFL, Lausanne
2023-4 Faculty Lecturer in Master of Law in Innovation, University of Neuchâtel
2023 World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) List of Neutrals, Geneva
2022- Faculty Lecturer in Master of Science in Sustainable Management and Technology at Enterprise for Society Center (E4S), University of Lausanne - UNIL, IMD, EPFL
2022- Member of the Co-creation team of the Impact Term Sheet, Legal Innovation for Sustainable Investments (LISI)
2022 Listed as a Recognized Expert (Legal) by the Capital Market and Technology Association (CMTA), Geneva
2021 Accredited Mediator, Center for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR), London
2019 Mediator, Institution for IT and Data Dispute Resolution (ITDR)
2018 Accredited Special Coach, Innosuisse – Swiss Innovation Agency
2017 Advisory Board Member at Swiss Legal Tech Association (SLTA)
2015-9 Trainer at Startup Board Academy
2014- Jury, Mentor and Coach at MassChallenge, VentureKick, FIT Digital, Business Experience, <>
2012 Founding partner of id est avocats
2006 Partner at BCCC avocats
2003-4 Foreign Associate at White & Case LLP (New York)
2000-3 Associate at Tavernier Tschanz (now NKF)
Publications
Negotiating deals for positive impact – What’s so special about the financing and governance of sustainable Businesses?, CEDIDAC Lausanne 2025 (forthcoming)
Purpose, mission lock and capped profits: can steward ownership appeal to private equity?, EIZ, Private Equity Symposium, Zurich 2024
IA et prestations de soins : gouvernance et questions juridiques, Congrès CIPIQ-S, 2024
Capital-Risque et durabilité sont-ils compatibles ?, CEDIDAC Lausanne 2024.
Impact Investing – how does it differ from traditional venture capital deals ?, Tech4Regeneration Program, EPFL, 2024
Scaling Up your business – Incentive Plans, IMD/Innovaud program, 2024
Le conseil d’administration face à la durabilité – risques, responsabilités et opportunités, Séminaire Expertsuisse 2023
Venture Capital, ESG and Sustainable Investments – Where do we stand ? What needs to be done ?, RSDA/SZW 3/2023 (with Anh-Thu Thai)
Intelligence artificielle et prestation de services, Réflexions juridiques et pratiques autour des contrats de l’intelligence artificielle, CEDIDAC Lausanne 2023
Venture capital and human rights due diligence – time to act, Business and Human Rights Symposium, University of Lausanne, 2023 (with Christof Cardinaux)
Les données industrielles, Présentation de contrats modèles, Centre Patronal, 2023
Supply Chain et Cybersécurité, Questions choisies, Clusis, 2023
Negotiating your term sheet with a VC, MassChallenge Switzerland, since 2022
CR/CO II Commentaire des Articles 772-803 CO (Droit de la société à responsabilité limitée / LLC law), Commentaire romand, Basel (with Fernand Chappuis)
Les défis actuels de la profession d'avocat, Demi-journée de la profession d'avocat, CEDIDAC Lausanne 2021
Indemnification mechanisms in equity investment agreements – Critical overview with impact assessment of new legislation, GesKR 2|2021, p. 267-276 (with Mehmet Toral)
Smart contracts – de la théorie à la pratique, Bern 2020 (with Mehmet Toral)
Les conflits entre actionnaires de sociétés anonymes; enseignements pratiques pour la rédaction de conventions d'actionnaires, Lausanne, 2016
Le "privilège de liquidation" en cas de revente des titres : affaire de notaire ou affaire d'actionnaires ?, Lausanne, 2015
De la protection des données personnelles à la sécurisation des données connectées, Livre anniversaire du Marathon du droit - Chapitre de la protection des données, Geneva, 2015
Internet, médias sociaux, applications : terrains propices à la déloyauté commerciale ?, in Challenges of Unfair Competition Law, Geneva, 2014
Conventions d’actionnaires et PME – Quelle utilité ?, in L’Expert-Comptable suisse, 2014
Swiss Chapter, The International Free and Open Source Software Law Book, Open Source Press, 2nd edition, 2014
Protection des données : kit du praticien, Revue de l’avocat 09/2014, 2014
Commentaire des Articles 39a à 39c et 69 LDA (Propriété intellectuelle), Commentaire Romand, Basel, 2013
Contrat de développement de logiciel, Recueils de contrats commerciaux: Modèles commentés selon le droit suisse, Basel, 2013
Couvrir les risques de l’administrateur, CEDIDAC no 89, Lausanne, 2012
Le management dans un processus de MBO – Enjeux, conflits d'intérêts et particularités contractuelles, L'Expert-Comptable Suisse (ECS) 6–7/2011, pp. 457-462, 2011
Le conseil d'administration au service des actionnaires majoritaires – Risques, conflits d'intérêts et best practices en cas de cession d'actions, RSDA 5/2010, 2010
Sociétés anonymes privées en crise : l’actionnaire majoritaire démuni face au minoritaire ? Réflexions critiques sur la protection renforcée du minoritaire en cas d’assainissement, GesKR 2|2010, Zürich
Les contrats informatiques, Publication of the Centre d’études juridiques européennes, Zürich 2009
L'équilibre des pouvoirs dans le cadre de la révision du droit de la SA – Réflexions à partir des nouvelles règles sur la rémunération, l'organisation, la transparence et la gestion des conflits d'intérêts au sein du conseil d'administration, RSDA 2/2008
L'organisation du conseil d’administration, la transparence et la gestion des conflits d’intérêts selon le projet de révision, CEDIDAC no 76, Lausanne, 2008
Capital-risque et financement par étapes: de nouvelles perspectives suite à la révision du droit de la Sàrl?, in GesKR, Zürich, 2007
