Attorneys

Pierre-André Béguin

After graduating in law from the University of Geneva, Pierre-André Beguin qualified as an attorney in 1973. Since then, he has always practiced law independently, first as of 1984 as an Associate, thereafter Partner of LALIVE & BUDIN in Geneva, then as Senior Partner at Budin &Partners in Geneva, a law firm which he left in 2014 to create with our current law firm.

Since 2015, Pierre- André Béguin has been practicing law as a Founding Partner at BRH Partners LLC.

Whilst practicing his profession in its traditional aspects, Pierre-André BEGUIN devotes his activity more specifically to the representation of litigating parties in court litigations and arbitration proceedings, to provide legal assistance to foreign Governments in the recovery of assets of criminal origin. Furthermore, Pierre-André BEGUIN also advises clients on commercial, banking, financial, tax and inheritance related matters.

Pierre-André BEGUIN is a founding partner of Tax Lex Trustee SA, a company operating as trustee under the supervision of the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA.

Areas of Practice

  • Advising and representing institutional and private clients in domestic and international litigations before ordinary courts or arbitration courts in civil, inheritance, financial and commercial disputes;
  • Legal assistance to private and institutional clients on complex financial and commercial operations;
  • Inheritance planning and trusts ;
  • Swiss and International taxation;
  • Representation of foreign governments and other parties in international legal mutual assistance proceedings in criminal matters;
  • White collar criminal law;
  • Management of companies.

Professional Associations

Member: the Geneva and Swiss Bar Association.

Direct line : +41 (0) 22 322 94 09
Courriel : pab@brhpartners.ch

Thomas Béguin

Thomas Béguin is a Certified Specialist SBA Inheritance Law. His main areas of practice include the representation and advice in inheritance litigation as well as estate and tax planning.

His activities also include commercial and banking litigation, tax litigation, enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards in Switzerland, debt enforcement proceedings, in particular the sequestration of assets, as well as international mutual assistance in tax and criminal matters.

Thomas Béguin is a qualified manager in the meaning of the Federal Act on Financial Institutions within the activities of trustee of Tax Lex Trustee SA.

Thomas Béguin was admitted to the Geneva Bar in 2009. He also holds a Master of advanced studies in tax law (LL.M.) and is a registered Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP).

Thomas Béguin is a member of the Geneva Bar Association, the Swiss Bar Association, the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and the Geneva Bar Examination Commission.

Education

  • Certified Specialist SBA Inheritance Law (Swiss Bar Association, 2024)

  • Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) (STEP Diploma in International Trust Management, with distinction, Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, 2022).

  • LL.M. Tax, Master of advanced studies in tax law, with distinction (University of Geneva, 2010-2012).

    Admission to the Swiss bar (Republic and Canton of Geneva, 2009).

    Master of Laws (University of Geneva, 2007 and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 2006-2007).
  • Bachelor of Laws (University of Geneva, 2003-2006).

  • email : tb@brhpartners.ch

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Philippe Bonvin

Philippe Bonvin obtained a law degree in the University of Lausanne in 1973 and qualified as an attorney in Geneva in 1976. After practicing law as an Attorney for 3 years, he then worked as an in-house lawyer in various companies, in particular in WW Finance SA, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Credit Suisse First Boston Group specialized in investment banking.

Philippe then returned to practicing law as an attorney, first as a senior associate and then as a partner in the law firm of Pirenne Python Schifferli Peter (today Python & Peter) in Geneva; as of 1996 he joined Budin & Partners also as a partner until 2014.

In parallel with his practice as an attorney, Philippe Bonvin served as a director in several companies, in particular in the oil sector.

As of January 1st 2015, Philippe Bonvin has been practicing law at BRH Partners LLC as a founding partner.

Philippe has an important experience in banking and commercial law in general. More specifically, he specializes in the law of collective investment schemes and well as in securities law, commercial law and in information technology law.

Areas of Practice

  • Banking and financial law
  • Collective investment scheme law
  • Commercial law and Swiss and International contract law
  • Mergers and acquisitions
  • Information Technology law and contracts

Philippe Bonvin is bilingual in English and French and he has a good command of German and Spanish

Professional Associations

Member: the Geneva and Swiss Bar Association.(www.montereyfundsclub.com)

Direct line : +41 (0) 22 322 94 07
Courriel : pbo@bluewin.ch

Ludovic Rais

Ludovic Rais, born in Lausanne on 4 March 1977, has a master’s degree in law with honours and was admitted to the Bar in 2004. Before being admitted to the Geneva Bar as a partner and co-founder of BRH Partners LLC in Geneva, Mr Rais worked as a magistrate at the conciliation authority for tenancy matters in the canton of Jura between 2000 and 2005. He then worked successively as a lawyer for Ernst & Young in Berne, Oberson Avocats in Geneva and Budin Avocats in Geneva between 2005 and 2014.

Ludovic Rais advises private clients, with a particular focus on tax and inheritance matters, and represents them before the Swiss judicial and administrative authorities. His experience and the positive results which he has achieved clearly show his expertise in the following areas of practice:

Area of practice

  • Tax advice for individuals and companies;
  • Negociation and obtention of tax rulings with the various cantonal tax authorities (direct taxes) and the Federal Tax Administration (withholding tax and stamp duty);
  • Tax planning and structuring (e.g. optimising the application of the Geneva tax shield) and inheritance planning for wealthy individuals;
  • Tax analysis on whether individuals should opt for the classification of either commercial or private wealth for all or part of their assets;
  • Advice and assistance on the sale of commercial or private assets;
  • Drawing up employee shareholding plans;
  • Advice and assistance to individuals wishing to become resident in Switzerland or to leave Switzerland, including coordination of international tax and legal aspects and work permits;
  • Advice on lump sum taxation (“forfait fiscal”) and negotiations of such special taxations with cantonal tax authorities;
  • Tax structuring of mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructurings and takeovers, and relocations to and from Switzerland;
  • Advice on Swiss tax and inheritance law in relation to trusts;
  • Applications under the LFAIE (“Lex Koller, i.e the legislation concerning he ownership of real estate by non-resident foreign nationals”) and in particular relating to properties held by foreign regulated trustees;
  • Advice and structuring of real estate transactions (acquisition, development and sale) and their financing by Swiss and foreign residents;
  • Swiss and international tax issues relating to double taxation agreements;
  • Mutual administrative and judicial assistance in tax matters;
  • Litigation in tax, inheritance and commercial matters.

Languages

  • French
  • English
  • Italian

Courriel : lr@brhpartners.ch

[Print version – Download CV]

Trainee lawyers

Aline Rollier

Aline Rollier joined the firm as a trainee lawyer in September 2022. Her practice focuses mainly on litigation.

Education

Bachelor degree in law (University of Geneva, 2016-2019)Master’s degree in law (University of Geneva, 2019-2020, University of Zurich, 2020)Certificate of Specialization in Legal Practice (University of Geneva, 2021)