Insurance
Practice Group
Schellenberg Wittmer's Insurance Group consists of lawyers with practical and specialist knowledge of the insurance and re-insurance industry. Specialist lawyers are fluent in the full range of insurance products and the various legal and regulatory aspects relevant to insurance business. On the dispute resolution side, we have developed particular expertise in the coordination and monitoring of complex litigation in multiple jurisdictions.
Expertise
Experience
Our Insurance Group assists clients with the following:
- All issues relating to the regulation and establishment of (re-)insurers and (re-) insurance portfolios in Switzerland
- Issues of private insurance law
- Insurance fraud defence
- Defence work under all lines of liability insurance programs
- Issues arising from different types of co-insurance and re-insurance schemes
- Insurance broker-related issues
- Representation of clients before state courts and arbitral tribunals in all aspects of insurance, re-insurance and liability law
- Adaptation of policy and condition wordings, or insurance products to be introduced into the Swiss market, to the Swiss legal environment
- Advice on regulatory requirements for treasury and asset management activities
- Lead counsel in one of the largest accidents in the history of European aviation (Überlingen mid-air collision). The team was appointed by Skyguide and its insurers AXA Winterthur Insurance Company to represent their interests and to coordinate all compensation negotiations and recourse claims, and conduct and coordinate legal proceedings in different jurisdictions including the coordination of
insurance and re-insurance issues - Counsel to a business aviation operator and its insurers in relation to an aircraft accident in France
- Counsel in a complex litigation on broker’s responsibilities and remunerations
- Negotiation for insurers with insured relating to freight forwarder’s liability insurance cover
- Advice on the design of life insurance products for the Swiss market (life insurance and capitalisation products) and the regulatory requirements for such products in Switzerland
- Advice to a financial institution on the set-up of a referral activity with respect to life insurance policies intermediated by third-party brokers to existing clients of financial institution
- Preparation of group insurance products sold to the Swiss market
- Establishment of Swiss direct insurance company and Swiss branch of foreign direct insurance company, obtaining FINMA licenses
- Counsel to a damage insurer on the set-up of a Swiss rent guarantee insurance solution combined with a household damage insurance
- Establishment of insurance brokerage activity in Switzerland, including FINMA registration and preparation of documentation for insurance broker
- Advice on regulatory requirements for cross-border insurance and insurance brokerage activities between Liechtenstein and Switzerland
- Advice on reinsurance coverage backing direct insurance coverage provided by licensed Swiss insurance companies
- Advice to a Swiss insurance group on Swiss regulatory and compliance matters in relation to its treasury and asset management activities
Contact
Partners
Full Team
Awards & Recognitions
Our leading practitioners are well recognised among leading law firms across international directories and publications:
- WWL Switzerland and across WWL insurance and reinsurance international guides
- Expert Guides
- Legal 500
Books & Articles
Swiss M&A - Warranties, Indemnities and Insurance in Private M&A, 2022 Edition
L'action de l'employé contre l'administrateur de la société en cas d'omission de payer les primes de l'assurance d'indemnités journalières ; analyse de l'arrêt du Tribunal fédéral 4A_428/2014
Revision in the Swiss Unfair Competition Regime: A Paradigm Shift in the Judicial Control of General Terms and Conditions