team

Team and competencies

Lawyers and legal experts

Benno P. Hafner, LL.M.

Co-founder and Senior Partner
Attorney at Law


+ 41 79 407 41 65

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Dr. iur. Guido E. Urbach, LL.M. (NYU)

Co-founder and Managing Partner
Attorney at Law


+41 79 334 41 55

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Isabeau Dubey, MLaw

Legal Associate

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Christoph Erdin, LL.M.

Of Counsel
Attorney at Law

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Livio Fenner, MLaw

Associate
Lawyer

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Jan Fischer, MLaw

Junior Associate
Lawyer

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Dorian Gasser, MLaw, CTL

Partner
Attorney at Law


+ 41 77 480 53 30

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Juan Carlos Gil, LL.M. (LSE)

Of Counsel
Attorney at Law

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Emanuel Hochstrasser

Of Counsel
Attorney at Law (Switzerland and New York)

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Dr. iur. HSG Gentiana Imeri

Partner
Attorney at Law


+ 41 76 321 50 04

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Giorgio Lazzarini, MLaw

Partner
Lawyer

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Dr. iur. Monika Molnár, LL.M. (Taxation), ZHDK CAS

Of Counsel
Attorney at Law

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Dr. Aleksandar Simic

Of Counsel

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Benno P. Hafner, LL.M.

Benno P. Hafner, LL.M.

Co-founder and Senior Partner
Attorney at Law


+ 41 79 407 41 65


Preferred areas of practice

  • Contract law
  • Commercial and corporate law
  • Banking and financial market law
  • Art law
  • Private clients (primarily advisory role)

Professional experience

  • Co-founder and Senior Partner, Hafner Urbach Partner (2026)
  • Founder and Senior Partner, Hafner & Hochstrasser (1992)
  • Partner, Swiss commercial law firm (1990 to 1992)
  • Head of Legal Affairs for the Kontron Group, former sub-group of F. Hoffmann-La Roche (1986)
  • Legal & Tax with STG-Coopers & Lybrand (now: “PWC”) (1980)
  • Court clerk, District Court of Lucerne, Switzerland (1979 to 1980)

Education

  • LL.M. International Business Law, Faculty of Law, University of Zurich (1998)
  • Admitted to the Bar (1980)
  • University of Bern: lic. iur. (1978)

Languages

  • German
  • English
  • French
  • Italian

Memberships

  • Swiss Bar Association (SBA)
  • Zurich Bar Association (ZAV)
  • Lucerne Lawyers’ Association

Publications

Dr. iur. Guido E. Urbach, LLM. (NYU)

Dr. iur. Guido E. Urbach, LL.M. (NYU)

Co-founder and Managing Partner
Attorney at Law


+41 79 334 41 55


Preferred areas of practice

  • Company law
  • Commercial law
  • Contract law
  • National and international arbitration
  • Litigation before state courts
  • International legal assistance
  • Debt enforcement and bankruptcy law
  • White-collar criminal law

Professional experience

  • Partner at Kohli Urbach Rechtsanwälte AG (2010)
  • Admission to the bar (2004) and initial professional experience with two major commercial law firms in Zurich
  • Research assistant to Prof. Dr A. Donatsch in the field of white-collar crime at the University of Zurich (2000)

Education

  • Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel) and LL.M. postgraduate studies (Master of Laws) at New York University (USA)
  • Doctorate in white-collar criminal law, Dr. iur. (2002)
  • Law Degree, University of Zurich, lic. iur., magna cum laude (2000)

Languages

  • German
  • English
  • Knowledge of Hebrew

Memberships

  • Swiss-Israel Chamber of Commerce
  • International Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists
  • Swiss Arbitration Association
  • Swiss Bar Association
  • Zurich Bar Association

Publications

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Isabeau Dubey, MLaw

Legal Associate




Preferred Areas of Practice

  • Internal and regulatory investigations
  • General criminal law, white-collar crime and asset recovery
  • Litigation and Enforcement
  • Crisis management and compliance advisory
  • Contract law
  • Commercial and Corporate law

Professional experience

  • Legal Associate, Hafner Urbach Partner (since March 2026)
  • Internship, Novartis (2025)
  • Junior Associate, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan (2023-2024)
  • Internship, District Court Bulach, Switzerland (2023)
  • Junior Associate, Bär und Karrer (2021-2022)
  • Internship, Law Firm Switzerland (2020)
  • Internship, MME Legal Tax Compliance (2018)

Education

  • Master of Law (MLaw), University of Zurich (2019-2020)
  • Bachelor of Law (BLaw), University of Neuchâtel (2016-2019)

Languages

  • German
  • English
  • French

Membership

  • Women’s White Collar Defense Association (WWCDA)


Christoph Erdin

Christoph Erdin, LL.M.

Of Counsel
Attorney at Law




Preferred areas of practice

  • Metals and mining
  • Oil and gas
  • Natural resources
  • Commodity trading
  • Trade finance
  • Project finance
  • Board mandates in mining companies
  • Representation of trading companies and high-net-worth individuals
  • Advisory services across the entire mining value chain (from exploration to production)

Professional experience

  • Group General Counsel of a leading metals and mining company in Zug (current).
  • Head of Legal and General Counsel at mining companies listed in the United Kingdom, with roles in London, Sierra Leone and Zurich; extensive practical experience in developing mining projects from greenfield and brownfield phases through to production in Africa and South America.
  • Started his career at a renowned Zurich law firm in the M&A and banking department.

Education

  • LL.M. in Banking and Finance Law, University College London (2003)
  • Admission to the Bar in Zurich and Switzerland (2000)
  • Master of Law, University of Zurich (1998)

Languages

  • German (native)
  • English (fluent)
  • Spanish (fluent)
  • Portuguese (fluent)
  • French (intermediate)
  • Russian (basic knowledge)
Livio Fenner

Livio Fenner, MLaw

Associate
Lawyer




Preferred Areas of Practice

  • Business law
  • Contract law
  • Corporate law
  • Civil procedure
  • Debt enforcement and insolvency law
  • Employment law
  • Tenancy law
  • White-collar criminal law
  • National and international arbitration

Professional experience

  • Research Assistant to Prof. Dr. iur. Johannes Liebrecht, Chair of Legal History, University of Zurich (2019–2022); extensive work in teaching and research, management and supervision of digital teaching projects, contribution to academic publications and co-development of new master’s and bachelor’s courses.
  • Research Assistant to Prof. Dr. iur. Marcel Senn, Chair of Legal History, Contemporary Legal History, and Philosophy of Law, Faculty of Law, University of Zurich (2014–2019); involved in teaching and research and supported various projects in legal history and legal philosophy (including “Legal and Social Philosophy: Historical Foundations of European, North American, Indian and Chinese Legal and Social Philosophy” and “Philosophical and Legal-Historical Self-Understanding in Transition: Twenty Contributions on the Emergence and Dissemination of the Scientific Understanding of Law”); participation in the seminar “Law and Legal Scholarship during the Reformation and Renaissance”.
  • Advising start-up companies on the planning, development and implementation of digital and legal aspects (since 2017).

Education

  • Master of Law, University of Zurich (2020)

Languages

  • German
  • English
  • French
  • Arabic (basic knowledge)

Publications

Jan Fischer, MLaw

Jan Fischer, MLaw

Junior Associate
Lawyer




Preferred Areas of Practice

  • Business law
  • Contract law
  • Corporate law
  • Banking law
  • Financial market law
  • Civil procedure

Professional experience

  • Ad hoc clerk at the Maloja Regional Court in St. Moritz (2023 - 2025)
  • Internship at Blum & Grob Attorneys at Law Ltd. in Zurich (2024)
  • Internship at Visinoni & Metzger Attorneys at Law in St. Moritz (2023)
  • Employee in the law firm VISCHER Ltd. in Zurich (2022 - 2023)

Education

  • Master of Law, University of Zurich (2025)

Languages 

  • German
  • English
  • Italian
  • Romansh (basic knowledge)
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Dorian Gasser, MLaw, CTL

Partner
Attorney at Law


+ 41 77 480 53 30


Preferred Areas of Practice

  • Litigation and Enforcement
  • General criminal law, white-collar crime and asset recovery
  • Internal and regulatory investigations
  • Contract law
  • Commercial and corporate law
  • Banking and financial market law
  • Private clients

Professional experience

  • Partner, Hafner Urbach Partner (since 2025)
  • Associate, Swiss commercial law firm (2023–2024)
  • Associate, Swiss major commercial law firm (2020–2023)
  • In-house Counsel and Project Manager at RUAG (2019–2020)
  • Associate, Swiss major commercial law firm (2018–2019)
  • Court clerk, District Court Bulach, Switzerland (2015–2016)
  • Junior Associate, Swiss major commercial law firm (2014–2015)

Education

  • Admitted to the Bar (2017–2018)
  • Master of Law (MLaw) University of Geneva (summa cum laude) (2009–2014)
  • Student Exchange Programme University of Singapore (Fellow of the Ernest Boninchi Foundation) (2013–2014)
  • Swiss Exchange University Zurich (2013)
  • Certificate in Transnational Law (CTL) University of Geneva (lic. iur.) (2012–2013)

Languages

  • German
  • English
  • French
  • Persian/Farsi

Memberships

  • Swiss Bar Association (SBA)
  • Zurich Bar Association (ZAV)
  • International Association of Young Lawyers (AIJA)
  • Private Plaintiff Network (NPK)
Juan Carlos Gil, LLM. (LSE)

Juan Carlos Gil, LL.M. (LSE)

Of Counsel
Attorney at Law




Preferred areas of practice

  • Inheritance law (asset and estate planning)
  • Commercial law
  • Contract law
  • Financial market law
  • Private international law
  • Litigation before state courts
  • National and international arbitration

Professional experience

  • Of Counsel at Kohli Urbach Rechtsanwälte AG
  • Partner at Jegher Gil
  • Practice with business law firms in Zurich, London and Madrid (1996–2003)
  • Independent legal consultancy
  • Admission to the bar (1998)
  • Civil Court of Basel-Stadt (1995)

Education

  • Postgraduate Studies at the London School of Economics and Political Science, LL.M., merit (1995)
  • Law Degree, University of Basel, lic. iur., cum laude (1993)

Languages

  • German
  • Spanish
  • English
  • French
  • Italian

Memberships

  • Swiss Bar Association
  • Zurich Bar Association
Emanuel Hochstrasser, LL.M. (NYU)

Emanuel Hochstrasser

Of Counsel
Attorney at Law (Switzerland and New York)




Preferred areas of practice

  • White-collar criminal law
  • Administrative criminal law
  • Criminal organizations
  • Terrorism

Professional experience

  • Resumption of legal practice at Hafner & Hochstrasser
  • Judge on the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona (until 2004–2020)
  • Co-founder and Senior Partner at Hafner & Hochstrasser (1992)
  • Court clerk at the Hinwil District Court (1978)

Education

  • Admitted to the New York Bar (1983)
  • New York University (law degree) (1981)
  • Admitted to the Zurich Bar (1980)
  • Court clerk at the Hinwil District Court (1978)
  • University of Bern, lic. iur. (1978)

Languages

  • German
  • English
  • French
  • Italian

Memberships

  • Swiss Bar Association (SBA)
  • Zurich Bar Association (ZAV)
  • Lucerne Lawyers’ Association
Dr. iur. HSG Gentiana Imeri

Dr. iur. HSG Gentiana Imeri

Partner
Attorney at Law


+ 41 76 321 50 04


Preferred areas of practice

  • Representation before state courts, administrative bodies and arbitral tribunals
  • Internal and regulatory investigations, crisis management and compliance advisory
  • Banking and financial market law
  • White-Collar Crime
  • Private clients

Professional experience

  • Partner, Hafner Urbach Partner (since 09/2025)
  • Associate, US litigation boutique, litigation and white-collar crime (2024–2025)
  • Associate Swiss major commercial law firm, cross-border litigation, internal investigations and white-collar crime, financial market law (2021–2024)
  • Junior Lawyer, international US commercial law firm (2019–2020)
  • Lecturer, University of St. Gallen (since 2018)
  • Research assistant, Chair of Law & Economics, Legal Theory, International and European Law (Prof. Dr. Anne van Aaken), University of St. Gallen (2014–2018)
  • Internship,  Swiss major commercial law firm (2015)

Education

  • Admitted to the bar in the Canton of Zurich (2021)
  • Dr. iur. HSG in Law, Highest Distinction, Professor Walther Hug Prize (2020)
  • Visiting researcher, University of Chicago Law School (2017–2018)
  • Visiting researcher, Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods (2017)
  • M.A. HSG in Law and Economics (2015)
  • B.A. HSG in Law and Economics (2012)

Languages

  • German
  • English
  • Albanian

Memberships

  • Swiss Bar Association (SBA)
  • Zurich Bar Association (ZAV)
  • Swiss-Albanian Law Association (SALA), Founder and President
  • Chamber of Commerce Switzerland – Central Europe (SEC)

Publications

Giorgio Lazzarini

Giorgio Lazzarini, MLaw

Partner
Lawyer




Preferred areas of practice

  • Family office services
  • Banking law
  • Compliance
  • Contract law
  • National and international M&A transactions
  • Private equity transactions
  • Corporate and commercial law matters
  • Employment law
  • Advising start-ups and entrepreneurs
  • Advising financial intermediaries
  • Advising national and international companies
  • Offshore company formation and complex corporate structures (domestic and international)

Professional experience

  • Partner at Kohli Urbach Rechtsanwälte AG (2014)

Education

  • Master of Law, University of Zurich (2014)

Languages

  • German
  • English
  • French
  • Mandarin Chinese (advanced proficiency)
Dr. Monika Molnar

Dr. iur. Monika Molnár, LL.M. (Taxation), ZHDK CAS

Of Counsel
Attorney at Law




Preferred practice areas

  • National and international tax law (focus on value added tax, customs, excise duties)
  • Indirect taxes
  • Commercial and contract law
  • Maritime law
  • Aviation law
  • Art trade
  • Blockchain
  • Tax and customs procedures, including administrative and mutual assistance procedures as well as criminal proceedings
  • Advisory services in German, English, Hungarian and Russian

Professional experience

  • Founding of MOLNAR AG, a tax advisory firm in Zurich (2023).
  • Appointed to a Swiss-Australian cruising industry group (ocean and European/Asian river cruising, shipbuilding), initially as Head of Group Legal Tax Compliance, later as General Manager.
  • Tax partner at a major commercial law firm in Zug/Zurich specializing in fintech.
  • Deputy Director at an international auditing and consulting firm in Zurich and London (until 2010); simultaneously served as International Knowledge Manager for Indirect Taxation (VAT and customs) and Swiss country representative within the Big Four.
  • Regular speaker, lecturer in adult education and correspondent for the IBFD (International Bureau of Fiscal Documentation) in Amsterdam.
  • Author of numerous textbooks and practical guides on Swiss VAT and Swiss customs law.

Education

  • Accredited interpreter for the Court of Appeal of the Canton of Zurich.
  • Accredited Incoterms® 2010 trainer (ICC Germany e.V., International Chamber of Commerce).
  • Curating degree at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHDK).
  • LL.M. postgraduate studies at the University of Bern (Master of Law) with a focus on tax law.
  • Advanced studies as a federal fellow at the University of Zurich.
  • Studies at the Faculty of Law of the University of Szeged (Hungary, JD).

Languages

  • German
  • English
  • Hungarian
  • Russian

Memberships

  • International Bar Association (IBA)
  • International Fiscal Association (IFA)
  • Court of Arbitration for Art (Netherlands Arbitration Institute)
  • Board Member, Zug Art Society (Zug, Switzerland)
  • Crypto Valley Association (CVA)
  • Swiss-Hungarian Chamber of Commerce (HSU)
  • Chamber of Commerce Switzerland – Central Europe (SEC)
Dr. Aleksandar Simic

Dr. Aleksandar Simic

Of Counsel




Preferred areas of practice

  • Supporting aircraft operators in developing management systems (personnel, policies, processes, documentation)
  • Advising organizations on meeting requirements for commercial operations
  • Development and implementation of aviation strategies
  • Optimizing operational efficiency and safety
  • Consulting in airline and airport management

Professional experience

  • Over 40 years of experience in the aviation industry with a focus on operations, airworthiness, safety and security; recognized as an expert in international aviation, safety management systems as well as airline and airport processes and infrastructure; acknowledged for dedication, leadership and excellence in aviation (including awarded “CEO of the Year in the Business Aviation Industry”).

Education

  • Doctorate in Aviation Management (1999)

Languages

  • English
  • Serbian
  • Russian

Memberships

  • IS-BAO (International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations)
  • NBAA (National Business Aviation Association)
  • EBAA (European Business Aviation Association)

Publications

  • "Dodatnim veštinama do uspešnijeg upravljanja avionom" (De. Verbesserte Fähigkeiten für erfolgreiches Fliegen), Serbian, Paperback, ISBN 978-86-6010-023-0, Admiral Bücher, 22. April 2024
  • "Dragi putnici imamo problem u avionu!" (De. Lieber Passagier wir haben ein Problem!), Serbian, Paperback, ISBN 978-86-6010-014-8, Admiral Bücher, 1. Februar 2021
  • „Faktor umora u vazduhoplovstvu" (De. Ermüdungsfaktor in der Luftfahrt), Serbian, Paperback, ISBN 978-86-6010-008-7, Admiral Bücher, 1. November 2018
  • „Wirtschaftliche Aspekte der Luftraumkontrolle und -Sicherung", Megatrend-Überblick, Vol. 15, Nr. 3, 1. November 2018, UDC 341.226:65.011.47
  • „Umor dremucka u kokpitu" (De. Ermüdung durch Nickerchen im Cockpit), Nova Galaksija (Scientific Magazine), 3. Mai 2017
  • „Sve sto je potrebno znati o putovanju avionom" (De. Alles was du über das Reisen im Flugzeug wissen musst), Serbian, Paperback, ISBN 978-8690246205, Admiral Bücher, 13. September 2016
  • „Nesrece koje su promenile avio-industriju" (De. Katastrophen, die die Luftfahrtindustrie verändert haben), Serbian, Paperback, ISBN 978-8688617864, Admiral Bücher, 17. Februar 2015

Administration

Andrea Basic

Andrea Basic

Legal Assistant

David Beetschen

David Beetschen

Fiduciary Assistant

Yasemin Dolder

Yasemin Dolder

Office Manager

Eliana Frei

Eliana Frei

Assistant, CAS Paralegal

Fiorentina Hajrullahu

Fiorentina Hajrullahu

Legal Assistant

Marion Knecht

Marion Knecht

Trust Officer / HR

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Selina Müller

Student