1.0Market Snapshot
- 9,493
- Law and notary offices (NOGA 69.10.01) in 2024, BFS STATENT, up from 8,054 in 2011.
- 29,897
- Employees of law and notary offices in 2024 (22,613 full-time equivalents), BFS STATENT — lawyers, notaries and support staff. 59% are women.
- +0.5%
- Employment growth in 2024 (29,761 to 29,897), BFS STATENT. Since 2011 employment has grown by 15%.
- 2.4
- Full-time equivalents per law or notary office in 2024 (BFS STATENT): most Swiss practices are sole practitioners or small partnerships.
- 43%
- Share of legal employment in the cantons of Zurich (8,811) and Geneva (3,956) in 2024 (BFS STATENT).
According to Val Index analysis of Swiss commercial-register and federal data (2026), Switzerland counts 9,493 legal services & law firms companies — Law and notary offices (NOGA 69.10.01) in 2024, BFS STATENT, up from 8,054 in 2011..
2.0Industry Overview
Swiss law and notary offices employ 29,897 people in 9,493 enterprises (BFS STATENT, 2024), 15% more than in 2011. The sector is split between a handful of large commercial firms and thousands of small practices: on average an office has 2.4 full-time staff. Business law is concentrated in Zurich and Geneva, which together account for 43% of legal employment; in cantons such as Bern and Basel many law firms also act as notaries. The BFS does not publish the sector's revenue, so any market-size figure is an estimate.
3.0Industry Health Check (SWOT)
- Steady growth: employment up 15% since 2011 (BFS STATENT)
- Very small units: 2.4 full-time staff per office on average
- Succession in small practices through mergers and team moves→ §7.0
- Partner departures and spin-offs taking clients with them
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8.0Regional Clusters
Western Switzerland
3,045 offices with 9,037 employees in 2024 (BFS STATENT, NOGA 69.10.01). Geneva alone has 1,292 offices and 3,956 employees.
Zurich
2,120 offices with 8,811 employees — 4.2 per office, the largest units. Home of Walder Wyss, Bär & Karrer, Lenz & Staehelin and Advestra.
Bern and Solothurn
1,014 offices with 3,425 employees; Kellerhals Carrard has one of its main offices in Bern.
Northwestern Switzerland
890 offices with 2,479 employees.
Central Switzerland
824 offices with 2,348 employees.
Eastern Switzerland
824 offices with 1,885 employees — 2.3 per office.
Ticino
758 offices with 1,805 employees.
Sources
Corrections
Figures and statements from the February 2026 edition that this edition withdraws or corrects, and why.
- "CHF 8.5B market" and "CHF 630K revenue per lawyer" withdrawn: the BFS does not publish the sector's revenue and the figures had no source.
- "~6,500 companies" and "~13,500 employees" replaced by BFS STATENT 2024: 9,493 law and notary offices and 29,897 employees.
- "+3.2% growth" and "~40% international share" withdrawn or replaced: employment grew 0.5% in 2024; no source measures the international share.
- Lawyer counts per firm removed: they were unsourced. Kellerhals Carrard now shows its own figures (about 600 employees, 360 professionals).
- Trend "SME succession creates advisory boom" replaced by the rule that shapes law-firm succession: only registered lawyers may control a law firm (BGE 138 II 440).
- Homburger, Niederer Kraft Frey, Schellenberg Wittmer and VISCHER removed from the key players: not verified for this edition.
- The cost split is now labelled as indicative: it was never measured.
9.0Frequently Asked Questions
▶How much is a law firm worth in Switzerland?
ValIndex's multiples table puts Swiss legal services at 4.5–7.0× EBITDA in transactions and 3.5–5.5× EBITDA on statutory valuations. Because only registered lawyers may own a law firm, most small practices change hands through mergers or a successor lawyer, often with an earn-out tied to clients staying.
▶What drives the value of a Swiss law practice?
Value depends on: (1) how many clients stay after the founder leaves; (2) recurring work such as corporate housekeeping, notarial work or retainers; (3) the team beyond the founder; (4) specialisation; (5) location — Zurich and Geneva for business law; (6) for notaries, the value of a cantonal licence.
▶How big is the Swiss legal services sector?
BFS STATENT counts 9,493 law and notary offices with 29,897 employees in 2024 (22,613 full-time equivalents), 15% more employees than in 2011. The BFS does not publish the sector's revenue.
▶Who are the largest law firms in Switzerland?
Among the largest commercial firms are Kellerhals Carrard (about 600 employees and 360 professionals), Walder Wyss, Bär & Karrer and Lenz & Staehelin; newer boutiques such as Advestra (founded 2021) compete in transactions.
▶What are the key trends in Swiss legal services?
Five trends: (1) slow, steady growth — +15% employment since 2011; (2) law firms organised as companies since BGE 138 II 440; (3) spin-offs and boutiques; (4) national firms built by mergers; (5) business-law demand following M&A activity, which rose to 502 deals in 2025.
▶What are the main risks when taking over a Swiss law practice?
The main risks are: (1) clients following the founder or a departing partner; (2) dependence on a few large mandates; (3) professional liability; (4) conflicts of interest when practices merge; (5) cantonal rules for notarial practices. Due diligence should check client concentration, open mandates and professional insurance.
▶Can an investor buy a Swiss law firm?
Not as an outside investor. Under BGE 138 II 440 (2012) a Swiss law firm organised as a company must be fully controlled by registered lawyers; the question of multidisciplinary partnerships was left open. Buyers are therefore other lawyers and law firms.
▶Where are Swiss law firms located?
Western Switzerland has the most law and notary offices (3,045 with 9,037 employees in 2024), followed by Zurich (2,120 with 8,811), Bern and Solothurn (1,014 with 3,425), Northwestern Switzerland (890 with 2,479), Central Switzerland (824 with 2,348), Eastern Switzerland (824 with 1,885) and Ticino (758 with 1,805).