A selection of representative cross-border mandates. Details are anonymised to protect client confidentiality.
Case 1 — The "Bilingual Bridge": Strategic Relocation to Canton Fribourg
Client Profile
A prominent family from Shenzhen — founders of a multi-billion RMB medical technology group — sought a Swiss base offering top-tier education and a strategic location between the Swiss-German and French business ecosystems.
The Challenge
While Fribourg is highly attractive for its bilingual culture, non-EU nationals face a high legal threshold of 'Major Public Interest' to secure a residence permit. As the family's wealth remained tied to Chinese operations, a sophisticated 'Source of Wealth' audit was required to satisfy Swiss Anti-Money Laundering (AML) standards.
Our Solution
We negotiated a customized Lump-Sum Taxation (Forfait Fiscal) agreement. By leveraging 2026 federal minimums and specific municipal coefficients, we secured a ruling based on an annual expenditure base, providing total fiscal predictability.
The Outcome
The family received their permits within six months. They successfully relocated to a historic manor, enjoying a high-security environment while maintaining a tax-efficient bridge to their Asian business empire.
Case 2 — Strategic Cross-Border Corporate Expansion
The Scenario
A leading Swiss industrial firm aimed to expand into the Greater China market but faced impediments regarding foreign exchange controls, Intellectual Property (IP) security, and PIPL (Personal Information Protection Law) compliance.
Our Solution
We architected a Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprise (WFOE) in a strategic Special Economic Zone, drafted localized contracts with enforceable Swiss-seated arbitration clauses, implemented a 'Tiered Capitalization' strategy and a compliant profit-repatriation pathway via service fees and royalties optimized under the Swiss-China Double Taxation Treaty, and harmonized European GDPR with Chinese PIPL for seamless cross-border data flows.
The Outcome
The client launched operations with their IP fully protected. The structure allowed the frictionless movement of capital and data, enabling rapid scaling while maintaining a low-risk regulatory profile.
Case 3 — Multi-Jurisdictional Family Wealth Protection
The Scenario
A dual-national family with assets in Switzerland and China was concerned about jurisdictional volatility and intergenerational succession. Their primary wealth was tied to a Chinese operating entity, while liquid assets were held personally in Europe, risking probate delays.
Our Solution
MEI & HAO engineered a multi-layered Legacy Shield. We established a Swiss-governed Family Limited Partnership (FLP) to hold European real estate, removing appreciation from the individual's taxable estate. For Asian assets, we coordinated a discretionary trust to provide a 'firewall' against litigation and political risk, integrated with a Family Governance Constitution to ensure business continuity for the Chinese entity.
The Outcome
The family achieved absolute structural distance between personal liability and global wealth, securing a tax-efficient roadmap for the future transfer of over CHF 100M in assets.
Case 4 — Success in Complex International Investment Arbitration
The Scenario
A multi-billion dollar Chinese conglomerate undertook a significant investment in a Swiss enterprise. Due to unforeseen changes in official regulatory policies and 'Force Majeure' administrative hurdles in the home jurisdiction, the investor was unable to complete the capital injection. The Swiss company initiated arbitration, seeking massive damages for breach of contract.
Our Solution
Acting as lead legal counsel for the Chinese company, we developed a robust defense centered on the doctrine of impossibility and the intersection of private contractual obligations with public international law. We meticulously documented the 'official reasons' as exogenous, insurmountable obstacles entirely beyond the client's control, and challenged the claims by highlighting the failure of conditions precedent and a lack of supporting evidence.
The Outcome
We convinced the arbitral tribunal that the client had acted in good faith and that the failure to inject funds was legally excusable. The tribunal dismissed all complaints from the Swiss company, shielding our client from significant financial liability and reputational damage in the European market.