Dr. Matthias Courvoisier
Biography
Dr. Matthias Courvoisier is a partner in Baker McKenzie's Zurich office and the head of the Firm's Capital Markets Practice Group. He is also a member of the Firm's European Capital Markets Steering Committee. For more than 20 years, Matthias has worked on legal matters relating to capital markets law, mergers and acquisitions, as well as litigation in these fields. He is a co-editor of the commentary on the listing rules of SIX Swiss Exchange and he has written various articles on capital markets law-related topics.
Matthias served as a member of the committee tasked with drafting the standards for auditing public takeover offers and the rules of the SIX Swiss Exchange on the listing of SPACs. He is a regular speaker at the Zurich capital markets' events and webinars and other seminars.
Practice Focus
Matthias focuses his practice on capital markets transactions in Switzerland, including public takeovers, IPOs and other equity capital market transactions. He has extensive experience working on M&A transactions and represents clients involved in capital markets-related litigation cases.
Matthias is valued by clients, who highlight that he "has an excellent knowledge regarding the law; additionally he has a very good feeling for economic questions, which is extremely helpful in order to find the best solution," further noting: "It is difficult to find another lawyer who covers both aspects so excellently." (Chambers Global 2021)
Representative Legal Matters
- Acted for the issuer, underwriters or depositary bank in each of the four inaugural global depositary receipts (GDR) listings on SIX Swiss Exchange under China-Switzerland Stock Connect, consisting of the offerings by Gem Co., Gotion High-tech Co., Keda Industrial Group Co. and Ningbo Shanshan Co. with total proceeds of over USD 1.5 billion.
- Structured the first Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) under Swiss law and advised VT5 Acquisition Company, the first Swiss-listed SPAC, on its initial public offering.
- Advised banks on a CHF 19 billion repurchase by Roche of its own shares from Novartis.
- Advised Basilea on its private placement.
- Advised Basilea on its repurchase offer for its outstanding convertible bond and its concurrent offer of a new convertible bond.
- Advised Zur Rose Group on its convertible bond offering.
- Advised Implantica AG on its cross-border IPO.
- Acted as Swiss banks counsel for UBS and Joh. Berenberg, Gossler & Co. KG in the IPO of Zur Rose Group AG.
- Advised Swiss Finance & Property Investment AG on its 2017 capital increase.
- Advised Cosmo Pharmaceuticals on its private placement of shares worth CHF 216 million.
- Advised Arbonia AG on its CHF 415 million public takeover of Looser Holding AG.
- Acted as transaction counsel in the IPO for Varia US Properties AG.
- Advised Cosmo Pharmaceuticals on its move to the Netherlands.
- Advised Basilea Pharmaceutica on its issuance of a CHF 200 million convertible bond.
Professional Honors
- Ranked lawyer, Capital Markets, Chambers 2021
Admissions
- Switzerland (2000)
Education
- University of Zurich (Ph.D. Law) (2005)
- London Business School (Master Finance) (2004)
- University of Zurich (Master of Laws) (1995)
Languages
- English
- French
- German