Biography: Banking

Martin Hess is currently managing partner of Wenger & Vieli. His practice focuses on financial services law, mergers & acquisitions and information technology law. He advises Swiss and foreign financial institutions such as banks, securities dealers, asset managers, stock exchanges, clearing houses and central securities depositories on all matters with respect to financial services and capital markets law, both relating to regulatory law as well as private law.

Martin Hess is recognised by the SIX Swiss Exchange as an issuer's representative. He represents his clients before supervisory authorities as well as courts and in case of insolvency. He has been involved in structuring the legal basis for electronic funds transfer systems and securities clearing systems as well as for central counterparties for stock exchange transactions. He further contributed as an expert to the legislation in Switzerland on securities law and netting.

Martin Hess obtained his doctorate degree in law from the University of Zurich in 1984. In 1987, he was admitted to the Bar Association of Canton Zurich. Before joining private practice in 1994, he was research assistant at the Faculty of Law of the University of Zurich and, later, served as legal counsel to the Swiss National Bank (Central Bank). In 1994 and 1997, he was a member of International Monetary Fund missions to countries in Eastern Europe. Martin Hess has regularly published articles on the subject areas of his practice and contributed as author to the legal commentaries on Swiss banking law and on the Swiss Intermediated Securities Act.