Team

PARTNERS

  • Former President of the Geneva Bar Association (2020-2022) Philippe Cottier is mainly active in the fields of real estate and construction law, real estate tax law, national and international estate planning, private clients, commercial law and economic criminal law. He practices both as an advisor and before the courts and arbitration tribunals.


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    Philippe Cottier

    Former President of the Geneva Bar Association (Ordre des Avocats de Genève)
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    Philippe Cottier

    Former President of the Geneva Bar Association (Ordre des Avocats de Genève)

    Former President of the Geneva Bar Association (2020-2022) Philippe Cottier is mainly active in the fields of real estate and construction law, real estate tax law, national and international estate planning, private clients, commercial law and economic criminal law. He practices both as an advisor and before the courts and arbitration tribunals.

    He is fluent in French, English and Spanish. He also has a good knowledge of Portuguese.

    After his internship in a local law firm practicing mainly in the criminal field, Philippe Cottier worked in two internationally renowned law firms, first in Madrid and then in London. He then joined a major Geneva law firm where he became a partner in 1998. In 2009, he founded 100 Rhône Avocats.

    philippe.cottier@rhoneavocats.ch

  • Mainly active in the areas of real estate and construction law, Romaine Zürcher advises and represents individuals and institutions, both from the perspective of public law and private law, particularly in matters of real estate transactions and developments, contracts, construction regulations, property rights, rural land law, environmental law, land use planning and rental leases.


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    Romaine Zürcher

    Certified specialist FSA in construction and real estate law – Assessor at the Administrative court of first instance
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    Romaine Zürcher

    Certified specialist FSA in construction and real estate law – Assessor at the Administrative court of first instance

    Mainly active in the areas of real estate and construction law, Romaine Zürcher advises and represents individuals and institutions, both from the perspective of public law and private law, particularly in matters of real estate transactions and developments, contracts, construction regulations, property rights, rural land law, environmental law, land use planning and rental leases.

    After joining 100 Rhône Avocats in August 2019 as an associate, Romaine became a partner of Rhône Avocat·e·s in January 2023. Before doing so, she finished her internship, then – after her admission to the bar in 2016 – worked for three years as an associate in the real estate and construction law department of a large law firm in Switzerland. Romaine studied at the University of Lausanne – with a year of mobility at the University of Zurich – where she obtained her Certificate of Specialisation in Legal Practice in June 2014.

    romaine.zurcher@rhoneavocats.ch

  • Mainly active in the areas of real estate and construction law, Guillaume Francioli advises and represents individuals and institutions, both from the perspective of public law and private law, particularly in matters of real estate transactions and developments, contracts, construction regulations, property rights, rural land law, environmental law, land use planning and rental leases.


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    Guillaume Francioli

    Certified specialist FSA in construction and real estate law – HEC and IHEID Masters
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    Guillaume Francioli

    Certified specialist FSA in construction and real estate law – HEC and IHEID Masters

    Mainly active in the areas of real estate and construction law, Guillaume Francioli advises and represents individuals and institutions, both from the perspective of public law and private law, particularly in matters of real estate transactions and developments, contracts, construction regulations, property rights, rural land law, environmental law, land use planning and rental leases.

    After joining 100 Rhône Avocats in August 2011 as an associate, Guillaume became a partner in January 2016. Prior to that, he worked for a year at Mintz & Levin in Boston, a leading law firm on the American market. He studied economics and then law at the University of Geneva, and obtained the title of Specialist (FSA) in construction and real estate law in 2015.

    guillaume.francioli@rhoneavocats.ch

  • David Bensimon specialises in real estate and construction law (lease law, business contract, brokerage contracts, construction regulations, land use planning, real estate transactions) from both a public and private law perspective. In 2021, he obtained the title of Certified Specialist FSA Lawyer in construction and real estate law. His other areas of expertise are corporate law, commercial law, as well as debt collection and bankruptcy law. He advises individuals, companies and institutions or assists them in legal proceedings before the courts.


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    David Bensimon

    Certified specialist FSA in construction and real estate law
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    David Bensimon

    Certified specialist FSA in construction and real estate law

    David Bensimon specialises in real estate and construction law (lease law, business contract, brokerage contracts, construction regulations, land use planning, real estate transactions) from both a public and private law perspective. In 2021, he obtained the title of Certified Specialist FSA Lawyer in construction and real estate law. His other areas of expertise are corporate law, commercial law, as well as debt collection and bankruptcy law. He advises individuals, companies and institutions or assists them in legal proceedings before the courts.

    He completed his legal internship with a renowned Geneva firm in civil and criminal litigation, as well as in commercial law. Admitted to the bar in 2014, he then acquired solid experience in real estate law after joining the law firm where he had completed his internship. Having joined 100 Rhône Avocats in September 2016 as an associate, he became a partner of Rhône Avocat·e·s in January 2023.

    david.bensimon@rhoneavocats.ch

LAWYERS

  • Morgane de la Gandara joined the law firm 100 Rhône Avocats in September 2019, first as an intern and then as an associate, and in this same capacity with Rhône Avocat·e·s. Her areas of practice include real estate law, tenancy law, contract law and civil and administrative litigation. She is fluent in French, English and Spanish.


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    Morgane de la Gandara

    Lawyer
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    Morgane de la Gandara

    Lawyer

    Morgane de la Gandara joined the law firm 100 Rhône Avocats in September 2019, first as an intern and then as an associate, and in this same capacity with Rhône Avocat·e·s. Her areas of practice include real estate law, tenancy law, contract law and civil and administrative litigation. She is fluent in French, English and Spanish.

    She obtained her Bachelor in Law in 2015 and her Master degree in 2017 at the University of Geneva. Within a partnership with the Canadian Department of Justice, she obtained a grant in December 2017 from the L.R. Wilson Chair in Information Technology and E-Commerce Law, which is part of the Faculty of Law of the University of Montreal. She then obtained her Certificate of Advanced Studies in Legal Professions in July 2018. In parallel of her career in law, she is also a gemologist, member of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain (Gem-A).

    morgane.delagandara@rhoneavocats.ch

  • Myriam de la Gandara is mainly active in real estate and construction law (lease law, contracts for works and services, right in rem, brokerage contracts, real estate transactions, building regulations), as well as commercial law. She also represents clients in disputes related to family and inheritance law, and regularly assists clients in resolution of such matters through settlement negotiations.


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    Myriam de la Gandara

    Lawyer
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    Myriam de la Gandara

    Lawyer

    Myriam de la Gandara is mainly active in real estate and construction law (lease law, contracts for works and services, right in rem, brokerage contracts, real estate transactions, building regulations), as well as commercial law. She also represents clients in disputes related to family and inheritance law, and regularly assists clients in resolution of such matters through settlement negotiations.

    Graduated from the University of Fribourg, she then qualified in Geneva where she is currently admitted as an attorney-at-law. After practicing for many years in two renowned Geneva law firms, she joined 100 Rhône Avocats then Rhône Avocat·e·s in 2022.

    myriam.delagandara@rhoneavocats.ch

  • Nathalie Bréant’s practice focuses on all aspects of complex commercial disputes, including international arbitration and the enforcement of foreign arbitral awards in Switzerland. She represents clients in a range of domestic and cross-border contentious and non-contentious matters. She has particular experience in representing private companies, individuals and public institutions in real estate and construction projects.


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    Nathalie Bréant

    Lawyer
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    Nathalie Bréant

    Lawyer

    Nathalie Bréant’s practice focuses on all aspects of complex commercial disputes, including international arbitration and the enforcement of foreign arbitral awards in Switzerland. She represents clients in a range of domestic and cross-border contentious and non-contentious matters. She has particular experience in representing private companies, individuals and public institutions in real estate and construction projects.

    Prior to joining 100 Rhône Avocats in March 2021, as a trainee, she worked in a leading international law firm in Geneva, where she assisted on several high-value cross-border commercial and construction disputes under ICC, LCIA and SCAI arbitration rules regularly governed by English law. She also has particular expertise in disputes relating to the development, commercialization and protection of intellectual property, including in the Life Sciences sector. She studied in Nice then in Geneva, where she qualified in October 2022 and is an associate at Rhône Avocat·e·s since.

    nathalie.breant@rhoneavocats.ch

  • Pierre-Antoine Keiser primarily engages in litigation and advisory, particularly in labour law, real estate and tenancy law. He practices in both French and English. He began his legal studies at the University of Geneva in 2015 and is now the holder of a Bachelor of Law and a Master’s degree in Civil and Criminal Law, […]


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    Pierre-Antoine Keiser

    Lawyer
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    Pierre-Antoine Keiser

    Lawyer

    Pierre-Antoine Keiser primarily engages in litigation and advisory, particularly in labour law, real estate and tenancy law. He practices in both French and English.

    He began his legal studies at the University of Geneva in 2015 and is now the holder of a Bachelor of Law and a Master’s degree in Civil and Criminal Law, awarded in August 2018 and February 2020, respectively. He also completed a specialization certificate in legal practice in September 2019.

    On the other hand, he started his legal internship in 2019 at a local law firm and passed the bar exam in May 2021. He then joined a Geneva-based law firm focused on banking law in June 2021, where he had the opportunity to advise clients on civil and criminal litigation. He also worked on defending clients in several « complex » economic criminal cases.

    He ultimately joined Rhône Avocat·e·s in October 2024 as an associate.

    In addition to his role as an attorney, he serves as a part-time clerk and legal advisor at the the Geneva “Tribunal des prud’hommes”.

    pierre-antoine.keiser@rhoneavocats.ch

  • Federica Panetti practises mainly in the areas of real estate and construction law, from both a public and private law perspective.


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    Federica Panetti

    Lawyer
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    Federica Panetti

    Lawyer

    Federica Panetti practises mainly in the areas of real estate and construction law, from both a public and private law perspective. She also advises clients in the areas of employment law, civil liability, medical law and, more generally, in representing clients before the civil, criminal and administrative federal and cantonal authorities. She practises in french, english, italian and spanish.

    She completed her traineeship with a local law firm. After being admitted to the Bar in October 2021, she worked as an Associate in her training law firm, before joining Rhône Avocat-e-s in July 2023.

    She holds a Bachelor’s degree (2017) and a Master’s degree (2019) from the Faculty of law of the University of Geneva, as well as a Certificate of specialisation in legal matters (2019). She is a member of the Geneva Bar Association and the Swiss Bar Association.

    federica.panetti@rhoneavocats.ch

  • Emile Branca mostly practices in matters of real estate, construction and commercial law. He advises and represents both private and institutional clients, particularly in contractual matters (contractors, sales, brokerage, lease), rights in rem, land planning regulations, building permitting and public procurement.


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    Emile Branca

    Lawyer
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    Emile Branca

    Lawyer

    Emile Branca mostly practices in matters of real estate, construction and commercial law. He advises and represents both private and institutional clients, particularly in contractual matters (contractors, sales, brokerage, lease), rights in rem, land planning regulations, building permitting and public procurement.

    Before joining 100 Rhône Avocats in October 2021, as a junior associate, and then Rhône Avocat·e·s as an associate in October 2023, Emile Branca worked for several years as a minute-taker for the Geneva Parliament.

    Admitted to the bar in 2023, he completed his studies at the University of Geneva, graduating with a Bachelor of Laws, a Certificate in Transnational Law, a Master of Laws and a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Legal Professions.

    emile.branca@rhoneavocats.ch

  • Soraya Lopez practises mainly in the areas of real estate and construction law, from both a public and private law perspective. She also advises and represents clients in the areas of lease law, contract law and criminal law. She practises in French and Spanish. She also has a good knowledge of Portuguese.


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    Soraya Lopez

    Lawyer
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    Soraya Lopez

    Lawyer

    Soraya Lopez practises mainly in the areas of real estate and construction law, from both a public and private law perspective. She also advises and represents clients in the areas of lease law, contract law and criminal law. She practises in French and Spanish. She also has a good knowledge of Portuguese.

    She studied at the Universities of Geneva and Valencia, in Spain. She obtained her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in law in 2018 and 2020, and a Certificate of Specialisation in legal matters in 2020. During her Masters, she spent a semester studying in Spain, where she was able to deepen her knowledge of international law and criminal mediation.

    Before obtaining her bar exam in May 2023, she completed her legal internship with a local law firm. She finally joined the firm Rhône Avocat·e·s in March 2024 as an associate.

    soraya.lopez@rhoneavocats.ch

  • Manuel Jaquier joined Rhône Avocats as a lawyer in June 2024. He studied at the Universities of Fribourg and Vienna and obtained a PhD in public procurement law and a Master’s degree in law with a bilingual mention. He passed the Certificate of Advanced Studies in Legal Professions in 2021.


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    Manuel Jaquier

    Lawyer
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    Manuel Jaquier

    Lawyer

    Manuel Jaquier joined Rhône Avocats as a lawyer in June 2024. He studied at the Universities of Fribourg and Vienna and obtained a PhD in public procurement law and a Master’s degree in law with a bilingual mention. He passed the Certificate of Advanced Studies in Legal Professions in 2021.

    From 2012 to 2016, he worked as a graduate assistant to Prof. Jean-Baptiste Zufferey at the Chair of Administrative Law of the University of Fribourg Law Faculty. He then completed several internships, in particular clerk for a first instance civil law court and legal officer for the Valais State Council (SAIC).

    He is a member of the committee of the Swiss Public Procurement Association (SPPA).

    manuel.jaquier@rhoneavocats.ch

  • Thibault Oesch graduated from the University of Fribourg in 2021 with a Bachelor of Law degree in European Law. In 2023, he subsequently obtained a Master of Law magna cum laude from the University of Fribourg and a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Legal Professions at the University of Geneva.


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    Thibault Oesch

    Trainee-Lawyer
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    Thibault Oesch

    Trainee-Lawyer

    Thibault Oesch graduated from the University of Fribourg in 2021 with a Bachelor of Law degree in European Law. In 2023, he subsequently obtained a Master of Law magna cum laude from the University of Fribourg and a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Legal Professions at the University of Geneva.

    After several summer internships with Geneva law firms, Thibault Oesch worked as a research assistant to Prof. Yves Mausen at the University of Fribourg’s Public Law Department in 2022. At the same time, he held the position of ad hoc clerk at the Tribunal d’arrondissement de la Côte from 2021 to 2023. Thibault Oesch joined Rhône Avocat‧e‧s as a trainee lawyer in October 2023.

    thibault.oesch@rhoneavocats.ch

  • Colin Mayeux holds a Bachelor’s degree in law from the University of Fribourg and a Master’s degree in law with a major in sports law from the University of Neuchâtel. In 2022, he obtained a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Legal Professions at the University of Geneva.


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    Colin Mayeux

    Trainee-Lawyer
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    Colin Mayeux

    Trainee-Lawyer

    Colin Mayeux holds a Bachelor’s degree in law from the University of Fribourg and a Master’s degree in law with a major in sports law from the University of Neuchâtel. In 2022, he obtained a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Legal Professions at the University of Geneva.

    Before joining the Rhône Avocat∙e∙s law firm in February 2024 as a trainee lawyer, Colin Mayeux worked for a legal protection insurance company. He has also previously completed various internships as a labour jurist in the Canton of Vaud, as a jurist in an Anti-Doping Agency in Europe and as a clerk in the Juvenile Court of the Canton of Fribourg.

    colin.mayeux@rhoneavocats.ch

  • Myrian Morales graduated from the University of Geneva in 2022 with a Bachelor of Law degree, during which time she also attended the University of Zurich for an exchange. During her studies, she took part in public international law courses at The Hague Academy of International Law. In 2024, she graduated magna cum laude from […]


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    Myrian Morales

    Trainee-Lawyer
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    Myrian Morales

    Trainee-Lawyer

    Myrian Morales graduated from the University of Geneva in 2022 with a Bachelor of Law degree, during which time she also attended the University of Zurich for an exchange. During her studies, she took part in public international law courses at The Hague Academy of International Law. In 2024, she graduated magna cum laude from the University of Geneva with a Master of Law degree, and also obtained a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Legal Professions.

    After several summer internships with Geneva law firms, Myrian Morales worked as a legal assistant at Rhône Avocat.e.s SA throughout 2023. Starting in September 2024, she joined the team as a trainee lawyer.

    myrian.morales@rhoneavocats.ch

  • Salomé D’Alessandri obtained a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Geneva in 2022. In 2024, she successively obtained a Master of Laws magna cum laude from the University of Geneva and the Certificate of Specialisation in Legal Practice. After completing several summer internships with Geneva law firms, Salomé D’Alessandri worked as a research […]


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    Salomé D’Alessandri

    Trainee-Lawyer
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    Salomé D’Alessandri

    Trainee-Lawyer

    Salomé D’Alessandri obtained a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Geneva in 2022. In 2024, she successively obtained a Master of Laws magna cum laude from the University of Geneva and the Certificate of Specialisation in Legal Practice.

    After completing several summer internships with Geneva law firms, Salomé D’Alessandri worked as a research assistant to Professor Anne-Sylvie Dupont in the Public Law Department of the University of Geneva in 2023. At the same time, she worked as a legal assistant in a Geneva law firm from 2022 to 2024. Salomé D’Alessandri joined Rhône Avocat‧e‧s SA as a trainee lawyer in September 2024.

    salome.dalessandri@rhoneavocats.ch

  • Justine Rossier joins Rhône Avocat·e·s as a trainee lawyer in January 2025. Justine Rossier graduates with a Bachelor of Laws (2022) and successively obtains a Master’s degree in public law and the Certificate of Advance Studies in Legal Professions (2024) from the University of Geneva. During her studies, Justine Rossier completed a summer internship with […]


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    Justine Rossier

    Trainee-Lawyer
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    Justine Rossier

    Trainee-Lawyer

    Justine Rossier joins Rhône Avocat·e·s as a trainee lawyer in January 2025.

    Justine Rossier graduates with a Bachelor of Laws (2022) and successively obtains a Master’s degree in public law and the Certificate of Advance Studies in Legal Professions (2024) from the University of Geneva.

    During her studies, Justine Rossier completed a summer internship with Rhône Avocat·e·s and worked as a legal consultant and legal manager with the “Junior Entreprise Genève association”. Justine Rossier also took part in the “Concours Romand d’éloquence” 2022 organised by the “Club Genevois de Débat” of the University of Geneva.

    justine.rossier@rhoneavocats.ch

  • Alexandra Keutgen joined Rhône Avocat∙e∙s SA in September 2024 as a paralegal trainee. Having studied at the Universities of Geneva and Zurich, she holds a Bachelor’s degree in law from the University of Geneva. In 2024, she obtained the Certificate of Specialisation in Legal Practice and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in business law […]


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    Alexandra Keutgen

    Paralegal trainee
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    Alexandra Keutgen

    Paralegal trainee

    Alexandra Keutgen joined Rhône Avocat∙e∙s SA in September 2024 as a paralegal trainee. Having studied at the Universities of Geneva and Zurich, she holds a Bachelor’s degree in law from the University of Geneva. In 2024, she obtained the Certificate of Specialisation in Legal Practice and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in business law at the University of Geneva.

    During her studies, she worked as a legal advisor in a student office. She also carried out various internships in banks and law firms in Geneva, Brussels and Luxembourg. She additionally completed a legal internship of several months at the Belgian Arbitration Centre.

    alexandra.keutgen@rhoneavocats.ch

Assitants

  • Silvia Presas

    Assistant
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    Alison Mera

    Assistant
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    Alison Mera

    Assistant

  • Cristhel Piguave

    Assistant
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  • Tania de Sousa

    Assistant
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