The office in Geneva, opening on 1 December, will be managed by corporate partner Oliver Drennan, who was recruited in June from the London arm of Morgan Cole specifically to head the new venture.


Jonathan Fox, chief executive of the 32-partner practice, told the Gazette that the firm had been doing a significant amount of work in Geneva and Lausanne for the past four years and already has two lawyers on secondment to Swiss-based clients.



He said the country was a logical place for the firm to open its first overseas office, given that the major cities of the larger EU countries were already saturated with English law firms.


Mr Fox explained: 'Many of our clients - mostly US-based multinationals - have a European head office in Geneva or Lausanne.'


The move was also driven by the firm's sports law practice, since a number of the world's major sporting bodies - including the International Olympic Committee, FIFA and UEFA - have either their head office or a significant presence there.


Some 50% of Collyer-Bristow's work comes from private clients as well, with its private client department recently strengthened by the arrival of a partner and three other lawyers from national firm Pinsents. 'There is no doubt a rich source of private client referral work in Switzerland,' Mr Fox said.


Since July this year, foreign-qualified solicitors have been allowed to practice without restriction in Switzerland.