News

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Thomas Gysin as a partner, effective 1 July 2026. His professional strength, commitment and outstanding negotiation skills reflect the values that define BGPartner.

Thomas Gysin (attorney-at-law, MLaw) has been with BGPartner since 2020. During this time, he advanced from associate to senior associate to managing associate, taking on increasing responsibility for complex national and international mandates. He is specialised in negotiation, national and international contract law, as well as corporate, commercial and capital markets law, including M&A, private equity and venture capital. Prior to entering private practice, he gained over ten years of extensive experience in legal and commercial roles at leading national and international companies.

Thomas Gysin has been involved in numerous landmark transactions. Most recently, he advised Araris Biotech on its full acquisition by Japan's Taiho Pharmaceutical – a transaction with a total value of up to USD 1.1 billion. He also advised on strategic investments in the biotech sector, the greeting-card segment acquisition by GOLDBEK Holding, and international M&A transactions in the technology and services sectors.

Thomas Gysin has impressively demonstrated his particular strength at the negotiating table. In 2024, together with his colleague Tessa Douma, he won the world championship title at the international Negotiation Challenge. This combination of strategic thinking, clear focus and team spirit shapes his daily work for our clients.

We warmly congratulate Thomas on this step and look forward to our continued collaboration. 

On 1 October 2026, the new Transparency Act (TJPG) enters into force. It introduces a central transparency register and requires numerous Swiss companies to report their beneficial owners. This entails new obligations at every level: for companies, holders of equity interests and beneficial owners themselves. The transitional periods are short and the sanctions are tangible.

In our complimentary lunch webinar, we explain who is affected by the new law, what obligations arise and how you can start preparing today.

The webinars take place on 6 and 8 July and on 17 and 19 August 2026, from 12.15 to 13.00 via Microsoft Teams.

➡️ Further information and registration: Events - BGPartner
➡️ Fact sheet on the Transparency Act: Download fact sheet

Do you have any questions in the meantime? We are happy to assist you and support you in implementing the new requirements.

Windward Bio Group AG, a private clinical-stage biotechnology company, has successfully closed a USD 165 million Series B financing round. Windward Bio is committed to improving outcomes for people living with serious immunological diseases.

BGPartner acted as Swiss counsel to OrbiMed (lead investor), Novo Holdings, Blue Owl Capital and Omega Funds, advising on all Swiss law aspects of the Series B financing and assisting with the related negotiations. The team consisted of Oliver Gnehm (Partner), Victoria Marty (Senior Associate), Tessa Douma (Senior Associate) and Céline Meier (Associate).

More information about our legal and negotiation expertise can be found here: Negotiation - BGPartner

Image: © peterschreiber.media/stock.adobe.com

One year ago, BGPartner was recognised as one of Switzerland’s Best Workplaces™ as the first and only law firm in Switzerland. Ranked 13th at the time, we were proud and genuinely excited about this recognition.

Today, we are delighted to celebrate another significant milestone: BGPartner is now ranked 2nd among the «Best Workplaces™» in Switzerland.
This recognition confirms what we strongly believe in: consistent investment in workplace culture delivers lasting impact – not only in theory, but in the way our people collaborate, communicate and support one another every day.

At the «Great Place To Work® Switzerland Best Workplaces™» awards ceremony on 21 May 2026 in Schlieren, our team accepted the award with great pride and celebrated this milestone in a fitting setting. Achievements like this are never individual successes, but the result of a shared commitment across the entire team.

At BGPartner, flat hierarchies, entrepreneurial thinking, transparent career paths and open communication are not just values on paper – they shape how we work together every day. We are very proud of this recognition.

Our greatest strength, however, remains our people. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks for their daily dedication, mutual trust and continued commitment to our workplace culture.

For more information: Best Workplaces™ Switzerland 2026 - Great Place To Work

BGPartner is the first and only law firm in Switzerland to be awarded the Great Place to Work® certificate for the second time in a row. The results of the anonymous employee survey exceed last year's figures in all categories.

In January 2026, all employees took part in the Great Place to Work® survey. The independent research and consulting institute Great Place to Work® uses this survey to measure the quality of workplace culture. The results are highly encouraging: BGPartner achieved higher scores than in the previous year in all five areas assessed – credibility, respect, fairness, pride and team spirit – and thus once again met the criteria for certification.

In 2025, BGPartner was the first law firm in Switzerland to be awarded the Great Place to Work® certificate and was listed as one of Switzerland's Best Workplaces™ in the category «Companies with 20–49 employees». The selection for Best Workplaces™ Switzerland 2026 has not yet been announced, and BGPartner is confident of being represented once again.

Olivier Bula, Partner and Head of HR at BGPartner, comments:
«We delegate responsibility at an early stage, support our employees through a personalised mentoring programme and create space for their own ideas. The fact that all 24 employees took part in the survey and that the scores have increased once again shows that this environment works – for our team as well as for our clients, who benefit from people enjoying their work and being highly engaged.»

BGPartner is committed to flat hierarchies, short decision-making processes, open communication and dynamic teamwork. Regular exchange across all levels, shared team events and a direct feedback culture shape everyday life at our offices in Bern and Zurich.

For BGPartner, a strong internal culture is not an end in itself. It forms the basis for continuity, reliability and the highest quality in advising clients.

About Great Place to Work®:
The independent research and consulting institute measures and analyses the workplace culture of companies based on anonymous employee surveys. The best certified companies are recognised annually as Best Workplaces™. 

Further information: greatplacetowork.ch