Five-partner Zurich ally joins CMS group

CMS Cameron McKenna's Swiss ally has absorbed Zurich's Henrici Wicki & Guggisberg.

As revealed on www. thelawyer.com (27 June), the five-partner, 10-lawyer firm is expected to join CMS von Erlach Klainguti Stettler Wille by October.

Henrici Wicki specialises in banking regulatory work for a largely Swiss banking clientele. Included in the team are high-profile banking litigator Andre Aloy Wicki and regulatory banking star Juerg Guggisberg.

CMS von Erlach currently has 12 partners focussing on general commercial, corporate, IP, litigation and real estate. The merger with Henrici will accord the firm a significant banking capability for the first time.

Partners voted in favour of the tie-up in April and the merged outfit will trade as CMS von Erlach Henrici.

A CMS von Erlach spokesman said: "Banking is an important market in Switzerland and we would like a bigger share of this cake."

The merger is the latest in a series of expansionist moves by the CMS alliance across Europe. Earlier this year, CMS acquired Spanish coverage for the first time after securing a deal with Albiñana & Suárez de Lezo. In the same month, Germany's CMS Hasche Sigle picked up the 125 Cologne office of Norton Rose.

While there is no financial integration between CMS alliance firms, the members share a common brand as well as quality control mechanisms and training programmes.