Baker McKenzie

Scale and presence in Switzerland

Baker McKenzie describes itself as "one of the largest law firms in Switzerland." The firm operates dual offices in Geneva and Zurich, Switzerland's primary hubs for finance, business, and international trade. These two cities are where most multinational corporate decision-making occurs, meaning the firm is positioned to serve the people companies are relocating. The Swiss practice has more than 130 lawyers distributed across both offices. For context, this places Baker McKenzie among the larger law firms in the country, though smaller than the handful of mega-firms. The firm's roots in Switzerland run deep: it describes its Swiss presence as having been "an integral part of the Swiss legal landscape for more than half a century." This longevity suggests the firm has developed institutional knowledge of Swiss immigration and employment practice over decades, even though the site does not provide details on the firm's history or the background of its immigration specialists.

For someone arriving to work

The firm's relevance to immigration lies in its employment and compensation practice. Baker McKenzie's site lists this explicitly as a core offering, and the firm presents itself as serving "Swiss and multinational industry players, financial institutions, private equity houses and insurance companies" with "top-tier legal advice" in "all areas of business law." This means someone relocating with a job already in place at a multinational employer might engage Baker McKenzie's employment team to navigate work permit requirements and residency issues. The firm has the multinational infrastructure to handle cross-border employment issues: a person moving from Germany to Switzerland can potentially engage Baker McKenzie simultaneously in both jurisdictions through its global network. The site emphasizes practical problem-solving: the firm describes itself as "providing clients with practical and innovative solutions," which for an incoming employee means handling not just legal requirements but the real-world transition from one country's employment law to Switzerland's.

Global network and Swiss expertise

Baker McKenzie's global footprint shapes its value for relocating professionals. The firm operates "more than 70 offices in over 40 countries," allowing it to coordinate advice when someone relocates and needs counsel in multiple jurisdictions simultaneously. This matters for someone who is moving employment from one country to another and needs both immigration counsel in the new location and legal transition support in the old one. The firm positions itself as having "local experience with international reach," which is exactly what a multinational employee needs. The site mentions recognition from prestigious legal directories: the firm has earned "top rankings by Chambers and Partners and Legal 500." These are the directories that in-house counsel and international HR departments consult when vetting firms for relocation support, which suggests Baker McKenzie is known within the universe of companies that actually relocate professionals internationally. Being recognized in these directories means the firm has demonstrated competence in the eyes of the companies most likely to sponsor international transfers.

The firm's practice areas span the full range a relocating employee might encounter. Beyond employment and compensation, the firm offers banking and finance, capital markets, cybersecurity and data privacy, dispute resolution, tax, intellectual property, international trade, corporate M&A, real estate, restructuring, technology and media telecommunications, and wealth management. Someone relocating to take a senior corporate role might need advice on multiple fronts simultaneously: work permit questions, employment contract negotiation, tax implications of relocation, and possible stock option or wealth management questions. Baker McKenzie's breadth means those issues can potentially stay within one firm. The firm also notes recognition in specific practice areas, including specific achievements like the Managing IP's IP STARS ranking, the Chambers High Net Worth Guide ranking, and deal transaction involvement with major companies, though these are examples from the global firm rather than specific Swiss achievements.

Proven transaction experience across industries

Baker McKenzie demonstrates active capacity in major cross-border transactions. The site references recent deals where the firm advised on significant matters: advising UBS on a syndicated credit facility, advising Pentair on a USD 1.4 billion acquisition, advising Cheyne Capital on asset-based financing, and advising VAT Group on an acquisition. These deal references are important because they show the firm handles exactly the kind of work that relocating professionals need support with. A major acquisition, for instance, typically involves relocating senior managers or specialists from the acquiring company to oversee integration at the target location, triggering work permit, tax residency, and employment law issues across jurisdictions. The fact that Baker McKenzie handles the deal's structuring, negotiation and documentation means the firm can coordinate both the transaction advice and the immigration side of bringing in people to execute it.

What the site does not detail

The site does not specify how Baker McKenzie handles the actual immigration application process. Does the firm file work permit applications on behalf of clients, or does it advise clients' employers who then handle the applications? The page does not clarify. No fee information is published, leaving cost entirely unknown. The site does not state whether the firm specializes in employment law for any particular industry, though the fact that it serves "financial institutions, private equity houses" suggests finance is a significant client base. No timeline is given for how long employment-related immigration advice takes or what a typical engagement looks like. The site also does not indicate whether Baker McKenzie advises on residency permits beyond employment, business immigration, or family reunification, and whether these are offered if a client's situation extends beyond pure employment-based work permits.

Who it suits and who it does not

Baker McKenzie is best suited to someone relocating with an employment contract at a multinational corporation, particularly one with its own legal or HR operations that might coordinate with Baker McKenzie. The firm is also suited to someone in a senior or specialized role where the company is likely already using law firms for other matters and would engage McKenzie for employment and immigration issues together. The multinational scope works well for someone who is relocating between countries and benefits from coordinated counsel across jurisdictions. The firm's recognition in Chambers and Partners means it is likely known by companies that regularly relocate executives and use it as a trusted advisor.

Someone seeking immigration advice alone, without a corporate employment relationship, would likely be better served by a specialist immigration firm where that expertise is the core offering, not a component of employment counsel. Someone with a tight budget would also want to seek out firms that specialize in immigration, where costs may be lower than a mega-firm. The language limitation is also notable: the site publishes only in English. Someone from Germany or the French-speaking cantons who needs to work in their native language should verify that Baker McKenzie can accommodate that before engaging. For someone arriving without an employment contract, looking to start a business or immigrate through investment or retirement, Baker McKenzie's employment focus means the firm is not positioned to help.