PRACTICE AREAS

Personalized medicine, increasing pressure on costs and the informed patient are just a few of the buzzwords that express the dynamics of the healthcare sector. Numerous legal issues arise at the interface between service providers, payers (insurance) and individuals. Public Sector Law informs you about risks and side effects and represents you as a party in legal proceedings.

Selected services:

• Legal advice for medical and health professionals
• Therapeutic product and medical device law
• Health insurance
• Research cooperation
• Patient rights
• Hospital organisation
• Administrative procedures and litigation

Comprehensive support of digitisation projects in the public sector, namely with the following services:

• IT contracts
• Data protection law (also including Privacy Impact Assessments PIA)
• All necessary steps to ensure a given solution is correctly anchored in the relevant environment (drafting of the necessary legal basis, contracts and terms of use, advice on other specific public law aspects)
• Use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the public sector
• Where necessary, we work with partner companies to bring in relevant technical or business know-how

We advise on all aspects of data protection law (GDPR, Swiss federal law and cantonal law) including inter alia:

• Data protection compliance projects
• External Data Protection Officer (DPO)
• Legal opinions
• Compliance projects and DPO services may be performed upon the client’s request using the data protection compliance software ZOA GDPR

The Swiss procurement market comprises an annual volume of around CHF 40 billion. The procurement law framework, which is currently being revised by the Confederation and the cantons, is also extensive. IT contracts and major infrastructure tenders raise complex questions. Must a contract be put out to public tender? How should the criteria be weighted? Does it make sense to challenge the award? These are just a few of the issues for which Public Sector Law can support you with its extensive experience. We provide the necessary legal advice and conduct proceedings at all levels.

Selected issues:

• Research cooperation and networks
• Accreditation
• Drafting of internal legislation
• Public and private law contracts
• Data protection
• Public employment law

With the energy sector and public utilities, an entire industry is undergoing change. From alternative energy sources to certification systems, Public Sector Law has the big picture. We advise public utilities and related companies as well as municipal organisations.

Selected services:

• Reorganisations and privatisations
• Licensing and Concessions
• Public procurement (tenders)
• Construction and planning projects
• Data protection
• State Aid
• Administrative procedures and litigation

Selected fields of activity:

• Legal issues in the relationship between church and State, respectively between religious communities and the State
• Freedom of religion and conscience
• Data protection
• Drafting of internal legislation
• Public and private law contracts and cooperations
• Subsidies
• Public employment law

Litigation is another core competence of Public Sector Law. Administrative proceedings are subject to different rules than proceedings under civil law. The deadlines are short, special principles apply to the parties and the judgments are handed down by administrative courts. For this reason, our sound procedural knowledge through many years of experience is essential in litigation.

Selected fields of activity:

• Litigation forecasts
• Representation in proceedings, e.g. in objections and complaints
• Permit applications
• Administrative investigations

Selected areas:

• Climate change and environmental law
• Construction and planning law
• Rules of professional conduct of the legal profession
• IT Law, particularly in a public context (data protection, tender proceedings, drafting of legislation relating to the use of new technologies)
• Public employment law and disciplinary law
• Personality and media law
• Public foundations
• Subsidies
• Constitutional law and ECHR, Human rights, European law
• Contract law and contract drafting