General Counsel Network – Major Swiss multinational enterprises

The General Counsel Network has been closed in 2015 after 12 years of activity.

Alongside and in contrast to the General Counsels Club we operate a more informal General Counsel’s Network of the major Swiss multinational enterprises. We do not meet regularly, but only when good occasions arise, such as the visit to Switzerland of Dr. Beat Hess, head of the legal service of Shell International or the discussion with Staatssekretär (State Secretary) Dr. Michael Ambühl.

Members of the qroup general counsels are: Dr. Markus Diethelm (UBS), Dr. Romeo Cerutti (CS), Dr. Yannick Hausmann (Zurich Financial), Dr. Hermann Geiger (Swiss Re), Dr. Thomas Werlen (Nestlé Alumni), Dr. Hanspeter Frick, David Frick (Nestlé), Dr. Beat Hess, Shell International B.B. (Alumni), Dr. Bruno Maier, Roche (Alumni) and Dr. Peter Kurer (Alumni).

As part of the necessary minimum required to sustain a network and to ensure that the likelihood that we do meet at times does not dwindle to almost nothing, the current spontaneous meetings as good occasions arise will perhaps be supplemented in the future by discussions of specific issues. These include: participation in classes on the subject of Legal Professions; in joint continuing education; possible joint appearances on issues relevant to the profession; joint provision of practical work experience opportunities for students during and directly after their studies; possible joint editorship of a book on aspects of the work legal departments with particular reference to the role of General Counsel – all with the aim of raising the profile of corporate law as a profession.

This informal network is also concerned with creating a platform alongside the specialist international professional forums normally visited by its members that deals with issues arising out of companies being seen to be too closely associated with Switzerland. It should be noted that with one exception, major Swiss enterprises still have General Counsel who are Swiss nationals.

These encounters are private events access to which is by invitation only. They are held The Salon and are again off the record and confidential.

These events are held at The Salon and are again private and confidential.