Cécile Berger Meyer Partner, Head of Real Estate
Attorney at Law, LL.M., Certified Specialist SBA Construction and Real Estate Law

Cécile Berger Meyer

Partner, Head of Real Estate
Attorney at Law, LL.M., Certified Specialist SBA Construction and Real Estate Law
+41 58 450 70 00
cecile.berger@lenzstaehelin.com
Geneva
Route de Chêne 30
CH-1211 Geneva
www.lenzstaehelin.com
  • Expertise

    Cécile Berger Meyer is a partner based at our Geneva office, where she heads up the Real Estate practice group. She advises both private and institutional clients on real estate law, civil matters (purchases, sales, structuring and financing) and administrative law matters (planning, construction licenses, restrictions on acquisitions, public procurements). Cécile is also vice-chair of the SVIT Romandie, a member of various committees of real estate actors / organisations, and has been a judge with the Geneva lease Conciliation Commission and Lease Court for many years. Cécile also sits at the investment committee of a Swiss German based pension fund, and on other boards of directors of real estate companies.

  • Practices

  • Professional Experience and Education

    and Education

    2013Partner at Lenz & Staehelin
    2004Joined Lenz & Staehelin
    2020Swiss Board School Corporate Governance best practice certification
    2010Certified Specialist SBA Construction and Real Estate Law
    2006University of Chicago Law School (LL.M.)
    2004Admission to Geneva Bar
    2000University of Fribourg (lic. iur.)
  • Specialist Areas

    Real Estate, Corporate and M&A, Commercial and Contracts
  • Languages

    French, English, German, Italian
  • Memberships

    Swiss Bar Association (SAV), Geneva Bar Association (OdA), Union Internationale des Avocats (UIA), Swiss Advocates’ Chamber of Certified Specialists SBA Construction and Real Estate Law (board member), CVI - Chambre Vaudoise Immobilière (board member), SVIT Romandie (vice-chairman).
  • SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

    • Kühni Beat, Berger Meyer Cécile, Menghini Fabiano, The Real Estate M&A and Private Equity Review 2021 - Switzerland, in: The Law Reviews, 6th edition, September 2021, 178-188
    • Berger Meyer Cécile, Kühni Beat, Menghini Fabiano, Construction 2020 - Switzerland, in: The Legal 500 Country Comparative Guides, April 2020
    • Berger Meyer Cécile, Adank Nathalie, Quelques aspects juridiques de la location sur Airbnb, in: Le Temps, Focus Droit, 15 June 2018
    • Berger Meyer Cécile, Kühni Beat, Menghini Fabiano, Commercial Real Estate 2018 - Switzerland, in: Global Legal Insights, 4th edition, September 2017, 187-195
    • Berger Meyer Cécile, Kühni Beat, A key to buying a holiday home in Switzerland, in: The Lawyer, 18 April 2016, 37
    • Berger Meyer Cécile, Rötheli Andreas, The Real Estate Law Review 2016 - Switzerland, in: The Law Reviews, 5th Edition, London 2016, 404-415
    • Berger Meyer Cécile, Restrictions en matière d'hypothèques, in: Newsletter SVIT, May 2013
    • Berger Meyer Cécile, Ledermann David, Coordination et structuration en matière de PPP, Aspects de droit des contrats et des sociétés, in: Aktuelles Vergaberecht 2012 / Marchés Publics 2012, Zurich 2012, 437-450
    • Rötheli Andreas, Berger Meyer Cécile, Dematerialised mortgage certificates: new regulations, in: Real Estate Newsletter of the International Bar Association Legal Practice Division, vol 16 no 1, April 2012
    • Rötheli Andreas, Kühni Beat, Berger Meyer Cécile, Investing in Swiss real estate: key legal issues in a difficult market, in: Cross-border Corporate Real Estate Handbook 2009/10, November 2009
    • Rötheli Andreas, Berger Meyer Cécile, Untouched by sub-prime fallout, in: IFLR, the 2008 guide to Real Estate, a special IFLR supplement, 2008
  • Other Activities

    • Judge (landlord side) at the Geneva Lease Court
    • Vice-chairman of SVIT Romandie
    • Member of the Examination Commission of the Swiss Bar Association for real estate and construction practitioners
    • Member of the Committee of the Chambre vaudoise immobilière (CVI)
  • Contact Details

  • Assistant

  • Other Activities

    • Judge (landlord side) at the Geneva Lease Court
    • Vice-chairman of SVIT Romandie
    • Member of the Examination Commission of the Swiss Bar Association for real estate and construction practitioners
    • Member of the Committee of the Chambre vaudoise immobilière (CVI)
  • References

    Very smart and can find solutions in very complicated situations

    Chambers and Partners, 2022

    She can draft a solid contract in a few hours

    Legal 500, 2022

    The “extremely precise and hard-working” Cécile Berger Meyer is praised as “a leading practitioner”, commended for her deep knowledge of real estate law.

    Who's Who Legal, 2022

    Very competent and knowledgeable lawyer with great experience in construction law.

    Chambers and Partners, 2021

    Great negotiation skills

    Chambers and Partners, 2021

    She shows great competence, meticulousness, and innovation, which makes her one of the best in her field of activity.

    Legal 500, 2021

    She has surrounded herself with a competent, reactive, but also human team allowing confidence.

    Legal 500, 2021

    She is a "well-known" real estate specialist, and displays exceptional awareness and knowledge of civil and administrative matters.

    Who’s Who Legal, 2020

    She is renowned for her profound ability to deliver effective counsel to clients on financings acquisitions and regulation.

    Who’s Who Legal, 2020

    She stands out for her accountability, knowledge of the case and sympathy levels. She’s available 24/7 if needed and always remembers every detail of a complex case.

    Legal 500, 2020

Very smart and can find solutions in very complicated situations

Chambers and Partners, 2022

She can draft a solid contract in a few hours

Legal 500, 2022

The “extremely precise and hard-working” Cécile Berger Meyer is praised as “a leading practitioner”, commended for her deep knowledge of real estate law.

Who's Who Legal, 2022

Very competent and knowledgeable lawyer with great experience in construction law.

Chambers and Partners, 2021

Great negotiation skills

Chambers and Partners, 2021

She shows great competence, meticulousness, and innovation, which makes her one of the best in her field of activity.

Legal 500, 2021

She has surrounded herself with a competent, reactive, but also human team allowing confidence.

Legal 500, 2021

She is a "well-known" real estate specialist, and displays exceptional awareness and knowledge of civil and administrative matters.

Who’s Who Legal, 2020

She is renowned for her profound ability to deliver effective counsel to clients on financings acquisitions and regulation.

Who’s Who Legal, 2020

She stands out for her accountability, knowledge of the case and sympathy levels. She’s available 24/7 if needed and always remembers every detail of a complex case.

Legal 500, 2020

1/10

Insights

Insights 25.01.2021

Lex Koller: Temporary ban on foreign investors acquiring commercial real estate in Switzerland?

Lex Koller: Temporary ban on foreign investors acquiring commercial real…

With a surprisingly clear vote of 22:0, with two abstentions, the Legal Affairs Committee of the Swiss National Council passed a committee initiative that intends to temporarily suspend the exemption for the acquisition of real estate properties used for commercial purposes, which applies under the Lex Koller. According to the committee, this initiative shall prevent Swiss businesses, which have come under pressure as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, from being forced to sell their business premises at favorable prices to foreign companies. The initiative is now being considered by the Legal Affairs Committee of the Swiss Council of States and could, if approved and if the legislative amendment is declared urgent, be passed by the Swiss parliament and put into force within a few months.

Insights 03.12.2020

Covid-19-Commercial Rental Act rejected

Covid-19-Commercial Rental Act rejected

After the Swiss National Council had already decided on Monday not to act on the draft of the Covid-19-Commercial Rental Act prepared by the Swiss Federal Council, the Swiss Council of States has now also resolved not to act on the draft, thus drawing a line under a controversial proposal. Tenants and landlords of affected commercial leases who have not yet achieved an agreement on the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic thus have to find individual solutions.

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