Dr. Peter Reichart, LL.M.

With over 25 years of experience in commercial litigation and arbitration, Peter is recognised as one of Switzerland's leading litigators. His expertise spans banking, labour, and construction law, and he frequently represents clients in liability and responsibility cases, including directors and officers of corporations and law firms. Additionally, he is regularly appointed as an arbitrator.
Education
University of Michigan Law School, LL.M. 1999
University of Zurich, Dr.iur. 1995 (summa cum laude, awarded Prof. Dr. Walther Hug Prize)
University of Zurich, lic.iur. 1991 (magna cum laude)
Professional Career
Associate (1999-2001) and partner at Wartmann Merker (since 2002)
Lecturer at the University of St. Gallen (since 2023)
Associate at Jenner & Block, Chicago (1999)
Associate at an international law firm in Zurich (1996-1998)
Law clerk and court secretary at the District Court of Hinwil (1994-1996)
Assistant to Prof. Dr. Walter R. Schluep (Chair of Swiss and European Private and Commercial Law) (1992-1994)
Recent Cases
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Representation of a UK company in the pursuit of claims exceeding USD 70 million under a steel trading contract, against a Swiss commodity trader, a subsidiary of a global mining and commodity trading group. This case included a published decision by the Swiss Federal Supreme Court on jurisdiction: BGer 4A_19/2023.
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Acting for a Swiss bank in a lawsuit brought by 29 former clients, seeking over USD 20 million in damages related to loss-making investments made by their external asset manager.
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Representation of a Swiss bank in its defence against a CHF 22 million claim arising from allegedly unjustified margin calls.
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Defending an investor in a real estate project against a CHF 10 million claim related to an alleged project development.
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Assisting a foreign bank to recover over USD 225 million in assets that were unlawfully misappropriated.
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Defending a Swiss bank against a damages claim related to the application of a zero-interest rate floor on LIBOR mortgages.
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Defending a Swiss bank against a USD 1.5 million claim for the alleged unlawful reversal of account credits related to payment processing.
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Representation of a Swiss bank in its defence against an EUR 18 million claim involving alleged errors in a margin call.
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Representing a Swiss bank in a liability insurance claim concerning unauthorised transactions carried out by an employee.
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Supporting a global bank in defending itself against liability claims filed in the USA, applying Swiss law.
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Appointed as a party arbitrator in Swiss Rules arbitration proceedings involving a dispute over an iron ore supply contract, with USD 26 million at stake.
Memberships
ASA (Swiss Arbitration Association)
Zurich Bar Association
Swiss Bar Association
International Bar Association
Publications
Commentary on Art. 15/16 and Art. 72/73 FIDLEG, in: Bahar/Watter (Eds.), Basler Commentary on the Financial Services Act / Financial Institutions Act, Basel 2023 [together with Marco Manzoni]
‘Statutory Jurisdiction Clause’, SWZ 5/2021, pp. 605 et seq. [together with Marco Manzoni]
‘For they do not understand what we are doing’, A plea for more understanding of the work of lawyers by the courts, ZZZ 55/2021, pp. 597 et seq.
‘Causality, a new obstacle in liability proceedings?’, On the recent practice of the Federal Supreme Court, in: Liability in Corporate Law X, Liability Proceedings, Sethe/Isler (eds.), Zurich 2020, pp. 139-164
‘Fraud attempts in payment transactions in the digital age’, SZW/RSDA 4/2019, pp. 392-404
‘Enhanced Liability Protection for Auditors under Company Law: Procedural Insights on Article 759, Paragraph 2 E-OR, SZW/RSDA 5/2017, pp. 661-671
‘Lawsuits Against Financial Service Providers in the Draft of the Swiss Financial Services Act (FIDLEG): A Critical Appraisal’, SZW/RSDA 4/2016, pp. 390-399 [together with MLaw Richard Meyer]
‘The prepayment penalty in the mortgage business – legal bases and calculation for fixed-rate mortgages, with particular consideration of negative interest rates’, in: AJP 10/2015, pp. 1398-1408 [together with Silvia Haffner]
‘Liability for estoppel in the group, discussion of BGE 137 III 550 et seq.’, in: GesKR 2/2012, pp. 287–293 [together with Alexander Wintsch]
‘Private witness examination by the lawyer in civil proceedings’, in: SJZ 107 (2011), pp. 201–205 [together with Peter Hafner]
‘Regarding the ‘proper delivery’ in the recognition procedure according to Art. 27 No. 2 LugÜ und Art. 15 HZÜ, Considering the Impact of American Long-Arm Statutes’, in: Liber discipulorum et amicorum, Commemorative Volume for Prof. Dr. Kurt Siehr on His 65th Birthday, Zürich 2001
‘Renvoi in Swiss Private International Law: Function and Significance’, SSIR Vol. 94, Zurich 1996
Presentations
‘Bank Customers' Right to Information: Scope and Limits’, presentation at the ZAV Banking Law Section, 11 June 2024 [with Christoph Mettler]
’Focus on Civil Procedure - The Instruction Hearing’, speaker and workshop leader at the joint further training event for the courts and the legal profession, 26 October 2023
‘Causality, a new obstacle in liability proceedings?’, presentation at the 10th Zurich Conference on Liability in Corporate Law, Europa Institute, 11 February 2020
Participation in panel discussion at the 10th CIVPRO Conference on Civil Procedure Law on commercial court proceedings, 30 August 2019
‘Man in the middle’ and other fraud attempts in the digital age’, presentation at the ZAV Banking Law Section, 20 March 2018
‘Legal action against financial service providers under the FIDLEG - some questions and problems’, presentation at the Association of Foreign Banks in Switzerland, Zurich, 18 January 2017 [together with Richard Meyer]
Participation in panel discussion at the 8th Zurich Conference on Liability in Corporate Law, Europa Institut, 3 September 2015
‘Contact between lawyer and witness - from the lawyer's point of view’, ZAV Civil Procedure Law Section, 24 June 2015 [together with Prof. Dr. Markus Kaufmann, District Court Gaster-See]
Participant in the panel discussion ‘The Witness as Evidence: From Attorney Contact to Courtroom Examination’ (The Witness as Evidence: from Contact by the Lawyer to Questioning in Court), 9th Zurich Conference on Civil Procedure Law, Europa Institut, 7 May 2015
‘Out-of-court contact between lawyer and witness, ZPO – pitfalls and opportunities’, seminar University of St. Gallen and Center for Conflict Resolution CCR, 7 March 2013, Zurich
‘Claims for damages by investors against banks’, presentation to the ZAV Banking Law specialist group, 14 June 2011 [with Peter Hafner]
Languages
German
English
Contact
P+41 44 212 10 11 F+41 44 212 15 11
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“Peers highly recommend Peter Reichart for his adept handling of complex commercial and corporate litigation.”Who’s Who Legal Switzerland 2021
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“Peter Reichart enjoys an outstanding reputation in the market as 'one of the best and most renowned litigators on the planet' who is 'very much in demand' for his 'high competency and profound legal knowledge'.“Who's Who Legal Thought Leaders - Switzerland - Commercial Litigation 2023
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“Peers highly recommend Peter Reichart for his adept handling of complex commercial and corporate litigation.”Who's Who Legal Thought Leaders - Switzerland - Commercial Litigation 2023