Eversheds extends European footprint with Swiss association

Eversheds has formed an association with Swiss law firm Schmid Rechtsanwaelte, adding a new jurisdiction to its international network.

The alliance has been branded Schmid Eversheds, with the Swiss firm's chairman Peter Schmid heading the outpost.

The inclusion of Schmid within the network means that Eversheds now has a presence in Zurich and Berne, where the local firm currently has offices. The alliance gives Eversheds presence in 21 countries across 36 offices.

Schmid said that joining Eversheds International substantially increases his firm's service offering.

"Established law firms in Switzerland are rarely part of a larger international firm and therefore our relationship with Eversheds gives us a distinct advantage in the Swiss market," said Schmid.

Alan Jenkins, Eversheds chairman, added: "It is vital that we are present in such regions [as Switzerland] where our clients want to do business."

The new launch comes just three months after Eversheds increased its international network through an association with Czech law firm Balcar Polansky & Spol, which gave it a presence in Prague and Bratislava (The Lawyer, 1 October 2007).