We live and breathe insurance law - thanks to our many years of experience in the insurance industry and in insurance law firms at home and abroad.
BNS Attorneys at Law is a specialist law firm based in the heart of Zurich that provides tailored legal services in the areas of
Liability law Insurance and reinsurance law Transport law General contract law Dispute resolution
About us
BNS Attorneys at Law primarily advises and represents clients in matters involving liability law, insurance and reinsurance law, as well as transport law.
Our firm offers a wide array of advisory services from reviewing policy wordings and assessing commercial and (re)insurance contract issues, investigating and monitoring complex domestic and international claims on behalf of insurance carriers, advising on coverage and regulatory issues, to designing professional claims departments or handling entire claims portfolios.
Over the last few decades, our lawyers have handled numerous liability defence and insurance coverage disputes in all lines of business and at all levels of the Swiss court system. Our lawyers have also frequently assisted with foreign litigation and acted as party representatives or specialist arbitrators in international arbitration proceedings in Switzerland and abroad, including for example France and Bermuda.
Our firm also provides advice and representation in other areas of commercial law.
With many years of professional experience behind them – be it in various senior roles within the insurance industry or as partners in domestic and international insurance law firms – our lawyers are attuned to the needs and the challenges of the increasingly complex insurance business landscape.
Expertise
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Our professional offering in the area of liability law includes:
- General liability
- Professional liability, including medical and legal malpractice
- Product liability
- Commercial liability
- Directors’ and Officers’ liability (D&O)
- Motor and railroad liability
- State liability
Our services extend in particular to the following areas of insurance and reinsurance business:
- Professional and commercial liability
- Motor and personal liability
- Financial Lines and Specialty Lines: including directors’ and officers’ liability (D&O), fidelity and crime, professional liability including financial institutions’ professional indemnity (FIPI), employment practices liability (EPLI), cyber insurance, warranties and indemnities (W&I or M&A insurance), and event cancellation covers
- Property insurance
Coverage counselling, claims monitoring and loss adjustment:
- Liability and coverage assessments
- Insurance coverage defence
- Second and expert opinions
Insurance and reinsurance contracts:
- Review and revision of (re)insurance policy wordings
Dispute resolution:
- Litigation before all Swiss courts
- Party representation in arbitration proceedings
- Standing as arbitrators in arbitration proceedings
Claims handling:
- Design of claims organisations
- Assumption of claims department functions and handling of entire claims portfolios
We support our clients in all aspects of transport insurance.
Our services include the assessment of complex contractual frameworks inherent in the international transport and logistics business and advising on the resultant liabilities of freight forwarders, carriers and logistics providers.
We advise and defend clients against claims. We also handle subrogation claims and recovery proceedings on their behalf.
Our legal professionals provide a wide range of contract-related services to help clients avoid problems down the road, starting with assisting clients in challenging contract negotiations, drafting, reviewing and revising contracts and general terms and conditions, and if need be, enforcement of their contractual claims.
Our attorneys have many years of court experience and some have also served as specialist judges at the Commercial Court of Zurich or as clerks with other Zurich courts.
We are therefore well equipped to represent our clients in civil litigation and criminal proceedings before all Swiss courts and authorities. Our particular focus is on liability defence and coverage litigation. Our lawyers also act as party counsel or serve as arbitrators in insurance or reinsurance arbitration proceedings.
Drafting and review of commercial contracts and general terms and conditions
General legal advice
Communication with authorities
Team
Markus Hämmerli
Partner
James Anthony
Partner
Stefan Bauer
Partner
Dr. Hans Nigg
Consultant
Erik Stenberg
Consultant
André Graf
Consultant
Ivana Unger
Associate
Fabienne Vetterli
Junior Lawyer
Cornelia Hasler-Odlum
Office Manager
News
The Legal Nature of the Customer's Claim against the Bank for Criminal Misconduct of the Bank Employee – Potential Coverage Implications
Swiss Federal Supreme Court Decision of 13 September 2022, No. 4A_407/2021 (published as BGE 149 III 105)
Date: 25. September 2023
The critical legal issue in this decision was whether a customer who fell victim to the criminal misconduct of a bank employee had a claim against the bank for contractual performance or for damages based on the bank's legal liability.
New look – same values
Serving clients with passion and competence has been at the centre of our work for 15 years. We are proud to be able to count ourselves among the leading Swiss law firms for liability and insurance law. These accomplishments would not have been
Read more...City of Zurich not liable for tram accident caused by pedestrian distracted by his mobile phone
Swiss Federal Supreme Court Decision 4A_179/2021
On 20 February 2019, a pedestrian was seriously injured in a collision with a tram (streetcar). The pedestrian was standing at a tram stop with his back to the approaching tram and his eyes on his
Read more...