Clemens von Zedtwitz
Partner, PhD, LLM, Certified Specialist SBA Tort and Insurance Law
Clemens von Zedtwitz acts for a variety of insurers, intermediaries and their insureds in defence of claims against them or advising on coverage issues. He also advises and represents clients in their engagement with the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA).
-
Provides coverage advice and defends high-value, international and complex claims in the fields of casualty, financial institutions, directors’ and officers’ liability, environmental risks, professional indemnity, product liability and property damage
-
Frequently advises insurers on product development across all business lines, in particular on regulatory and cross-border issues
-
Represents clients facing investigations by regulatory bodies e.g. Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA)
- Recommended by the latest Legal 500 as Leading Individual in Insurance
- Recognized by Who's Who Legal Switzerland as Most Highly Regarded practitioner and Thought Leader in Insurance & Reinsurance
- Admitted to the bar in 2005
- Certified Specialist SBA Tort and Insurance Law
- Master of Laws, LL.M., University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
- Law degrees (lic. iur., Dr. iur.) from the University of St. Gallen (thesis awarded with the "Prix d'Excellence" of the Swiss Society of Insurance Law)
- Lectures at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich in the field of contracts and torts and insurance law, at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW, CAS Claims Management and CAS Recht, Regulierung & Risikomanagement) and the University of Applied Sciences in Business Zurich (HWZ, CAS Rechtsschutzmanagement)
- Before joining gbf, he was a partner at CMS von Erlach Poncet AG for six years, where he was head of the insurance practice group
Presentation28.09.2023
Schulthess Forum Insurance Law
Moderator of the Schulthess Forum Insurance Law, International Insurance Programs.
Publication01.01.2023
Basler Kommentar VVG
Kommentierung von Art. 4-10 und Art. 100 Abs. 2 VVG (zusammen mit Riccardo Maisano [Art. 4-8, 10, 100 Abs. 2] und Dominik Skrobala [Art. 9])
Presentation27.09.2022
Zurich Financial Lines Forum 2022
Claims Update from the Legal Practice: Focus D&O.
Reinsurance dispute
Representing an international reinsurance company in a dispute with a foreign life insurer (financial reinsurance)
Product liability/importer of orthopaedic joint replacements
Representing an importer of orthopaedic joint replacements in defense of liability claims in state court proceedings
Product liability/agrochemical group/coverage dispute
Representing the branch office of a foreign insurer in arbitration proceedings (Swiss Rules), defense against coverage claims of a Swiss agrochemical group
Professional liability of a medical doctor
Representing the medical doctor in the defense against recourse claims of a social health insurer
Surety insurance
Supporting the branch office of a foreign surety insurer in the handling of claims with Swiss clients (payment of security, recourse)
Data protection & new insurance product
Data protection law advice to an insurance company on the launch of a new insurance product for consumers.
Lawyer’s professional liability
Defending a lawyer against a professional liability claim brought by a former client in state court proceedings.
Business interruption damages arising from COVID-19
Defending the Swiss branch of a foreign insurer in a state court proceeding against a coverage claim brought by a company active in the food-sector.
usiness interruption damages arising from COVID-19
Defending the Swiss branch of a foreign insurer in arbitration proceedings against a coverage claim brought by a multi-national company active in the aviation industry.
Business interruption damages arising from COVID-19
Defending a Swiss property insurer in a state court proceeding against a coverage claim brought by a hotel owner.
Business interruption damages arising from COVID-19
Defending a Swiss property insurer in a state court proceeding against a coverage claim brought by a nursery home.
Review of general terms and conditions / VVG revision
Advising Swiss and foreign insurers on the revision of their general terms and conditions in view of the entry into force of the revised Swiss Insurance Contract Act (1 January 2022)
Fire damage / international pharmaceutical company
Advising an international pharmaceutical group on the enforcement of claims for damages arising from a fire on the company's premises (property damage/loss of earnings)
Claims Handling / COVID-19
Claims handling of business interruption losses for Swiss and foreign insurers
Reinsurance dispute / COVID-19
Advising and representing a Swiss reinsurance company on coverage and loss aggregation issues related to COVID-19
Business interruption insurance / COVID-19
Representation of a Swiss insurance company in coverage dispute regarding business interruption losses in connection with COVID-19
PI Insurance, medical doctors and lawyers
Claims handling in Switzerland for Lloyd's based insurers (medical doctors' professional liability insurance, lawyers’ professional liability insurance, D&O insurance)
Intermediary and distribution model
Advising a German car manufacturer on the development of an intermediary and distribution model for vehicle warranty insurance policies and the subsequent FINMA review
D&O insurance
Advising the D&O's of a multinational industrial company in liability and coverage issues in a hostile takeovers attempt
D&O coverage dispute, arbitration
Representing two international insurance companies in a directors’ and officers’ liability insurance coverage dispute (arbitration proceedings in accordance with the Swiss Rules of International Arbitration)
Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA)
Advising Swiss P&C and health insurers on various regulatory issues
Recourse claim
Advising and representing a PI insurer in defending against a recourse claim
Credit and surety insurance
Advising an international insurance company in cross-border regulatory issues in the area of credit and surety insurance
Lloyd’s coverholder
Advising a UK insurance company in setting up a Lloyd’s approved coverholder in Switzerland (credit and surety reinsurance)
Captive- and reinsurance structure
Advising a Swiss insurer on setting up a complex captive- and reinsurance structure
Reinsurance dispute
Representing an international reinsurance company in a complex dispute with a Swiss direct insurer