Staiger Attorneys at Law Ltd

Firm Details:
Managing Partner: Jonas Stüssi
Number of partners: 10
Number of lawyers: 22
Languages:English, French, German, Greek, Italian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish

Firm Overview:
STAIGER Attorneys at Law Ltd., established in 1964, is a well-known and respected law firm in Zurich. An expert team of highly qualified lawyers acts for national and international high net worth individuals and has a profound understanding of their needs. The firm handles complex matters of national and international estate planning. It has a wide expertise and longtime experience in trust and foundation matters in an international context. The firm also provides specialist tax advice and has a profound Know How in FATCA and Automatic Exchange of Information matters. The law firm is well connected to law firms outside Switzerland and is often mandated to handle complex international matters as a single point of entry for high net worth individuals and/or their family offices.

Main Areas of Practice:  

Foundation & Trust Law:
3 Partners, 10 fee earners
■ The practice assists clients in setting-up foundations or trusts as well as in the estate planning related thereto. Furthermore, it supports clients in administrating, restructuring and liquidating such structures, including acting as members of foundation board, trustees or protectors
■ Relevant work: The firm advised a HNW family on the establishment of a new trust structure and the acquisition of a UK real estate out of another family structure with ties to South Africa and the Netehrlands
Partner involved: Georgia Fotiou
Contact: Georgia Fotiou, Michael Hamm
Tel: +41 58 387 80 00
Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Inheritance Law: 
3 Partners, 3 fee earners
■ The practice is specialised in establishing last wills, marriage and inheritance contracts in the context of domestic and international estate planning. It has expert knowledge in the fields of execution of estates and inheritance litigation
■ Relevant work: Division of an international estate, including real estate in Switzerland and abroad and further issues regarding trust structures (change of jurisdiction, liquidation etc.)
Partner involved: Michael Hamm
■ Relevant work: Representing the heir of an international family in an inheritance dispute. Conduct legal proceedings in Switzerland and coordinate legal proceedings in Cayman Islands and Australia
Partner involved: Andreas von Erlach
Contact: Michael Hamm, Andreas von Erlach
Tel: +41 58 387 80 00
Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Estate & Succession Planning:
2 Partners, 3 fee earners
■ The practice assists clients in the successful transfer of wealth to the next generation, including but not limited to family business succession planning and succession tax issues
■ Relevant work: Leading and coordinating the estate planning for a UHNW family with members in Switzerland, Austria and the UK and assets in Switzerland, Austria and Italy. The firm's client, the father, is the CEO of a Swiss based multinational. Besides his estate planning the firm assisted him in optimizing his pension scheme and his tax situation. The mandate included the set-up and the proper structuring of a family foundation domiciled in Liechtenstein
Partner involved: Michael Hamm
■ Relevant work: Advising a Swiss UHNW family in structuring their business affairs and implementing a family governance. Representing the family in a large investment conglomerate. Administration of the real estate portfolio and executing commercial and residential real estate transactions. Providing tax advice for the business ventures as well as for the individual family members.
Partner involved: Andreas von Erlach
Contact: Michael Hamm, Andreas von Erlach
Tel: +41 58 387 80 00
Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Family:
2 Partners, 3 fee earners
■ The practice assists families in the development and establishment of family governance structures and processes
■ Relevant work: Advice on the development of a family constitution as well as the establishment of rules and processes regarding ownership, management and control, decision making
Partner involved: Georgia Fotiou
Contact: Georgia Fotiou
Tel: +41 58 387 80 00
Email: [email protected]

Tax:
3 Partners, 5 fee earners
■ The practice advises clients on all national and international tax law matters. Services include relocations and residency in Switzerland, preparation of tax returns, obtaining tax rulings, cross border estate planning, tax compliance and the impact of the Automatic Exchange of Information
■ Relevant work: Advice on legal, tax and regulatory matters to a complex wealth management structure with beneficiaries and assets in numerous jurisdictions (USA, UK, South Africa, Israel, Holland, France, Switzerland)
Partner involved: Georgia Fotiou
Contact: Georgia Fotiou, Michael Hamm
Tel: +41 58 387 80 00
Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Family Law:
1 Partner, 2 fee earners
■ The practice is specialised in domestic and international family law, especially in divorce and separation proceedings as well as matrimonial property and adoption matters
■ Relevant work: Swiss marriage contract of a French couple residing in Switzerland with assets in several European countries and advice on the adoption of 2 children including the estate planning impact of such adoption
Partner involved: Michael Hamm
Contact: Michael Hamm
Tel: +41 58 387 80 00
Email: [email protected]