Your business law boutique
Dr. iur. Sébastien Gobat
Attorney-at-Law
Profile
Gobat Legal is a business law boutique specializing in intellectual property law (trademarks, designs, copyright), antitrust and unfair competition law, distribution law and new technology law. The firm also has proven expertise in company law (business transfers, transactions, M&A), insolvency law and construction law.
The firm provides advice and represents its clients with high standards and conviction in civil and administrative litigation. Particularly attached to bilingualism, the firm intervenes in French as well as in German before all the cantonal and federal judicial authorities of the country.
Expertise
- Intellectual property
- Antitrust law
- Unfair competition law
- Distribution law, franchising and agency
- Labour law
- Corporate law
- Business transfer and transactions (M&A)
- Insolvency law and restructuring
- Sport law
- Data protection
- Construction and real estate law
Lawyer
Dr. iur., Attorney-at-Law
Degree in Economics
Born in 1980
Admitted to the bar in 2012
CONTACT
s.gobat@golegal.ch
+41 31 307 23 00
AFFILIATIONS
- Swiss Bar Association (FSA), Bernese Bar Association (AAB)
- International Trademark Association (INTA)
- International Association of Trademark Owners (MARQUES)
- Swiss Association of Competition Law (ASAS)
- swissdistribution
- INGRES (Swiss Association for Intellectual Property Law)
- Association LP (Association for Insolvency Law)
- INSOL Europe
- Association suisse de droit du sport (ASDS)
Training
Bernese bar exam (2nd rank)
2012
Dr. iur. (summa cum laude), University of Bern
2011
Master of Law (summa cum laude), University of Bern
2003-2007
Master of Business Information Systems (MDI), HEC Lausanne
2002-2003
Degree in Economics, University of Neuchâtel
1998-2002
Maturité (type D – modern languages), Lycée cantonal, Porrentruy (JU)
1995-1998
Experience
Gobat Legal, independent Attorney-at-Law, Bern
Since 01.09.2020
Attorney-at-Law (Partner), Troller Hitz Troller, Bern
2022-2024
Attorney-at-Law (senior associate), Wenger Plattner, Bern
2015-2020
Attorney-at-Law (associate), Kellerhals Anwälte, Bern
2012-2013
Legal internships :
2010-2011
- Administrative Court (TA) of the Canton of Berne
- Kellerhals Anwälte, Bern
- Regional Court of the Bernese Jura - Seeland, Biel/Bienne
Legal Counsel, The Swatch Group Ltd, Legal Department, Biel/Bienne
2006-2010
Teaching activity
Parallel to his legal practice, Sébastien Gobat has various teaching assignments in the field of commercial law at the Haute école de gestion ARC in Neuchâtel and the Haute École d’Ingénierie et de Gestion du Canton de Vaud.
He also teaches sports law (European law, antitrust law, rules of procedure) at the Fernfachhochschule Schweiz.
Other ACtivities
Swiss Football Association (SFA), member of the control and disciplinary commission
Since 2023
Swiss Football League (SFL), member of the licence commission
Since 2021
Publications
Thesis
L’indemnité de clientèle du distributeur : étude de l’application analogique de l’art. 418u CO aux contrats de distribution, doctoral thesis Bern 2011.
Articles and other contributions
Kollokationsklage im Konkursverfahren, in: Kommentierte Musterklagen zur Zwangsvollstreckung und zu den Rechtsmitteln, Fischer Willi/Theus Simoni Fabiana/Gessler Dieter (Hrsg.), Volume V, 2nd edition, Zurich 2022, p. 99 ss. (co-author with Stefan Kesselbach).
Commentary on articles 133, 138 et 139 SchKG, in: Basler Kommentar zum SchKG, A. Staehelin/Bauer/D. Staehelin/Lorandi (ed.), 3rd edition, Basel 2021 (co-author with Pablo Duc).
Switzerland Chapter to Merger Control, in: The Legal 500 & The In-House Lawyer Comparative Legal Guide, 3rd édition, 2018.
L’applicabilité et la mise en œuvre du droit de la protection des données à la blockchain, graduation thesis in the framework of the further training programme « Responsable de la protection des données en entreprise / DPO ».
Les fusions d’hôpitaux sous l’angle du droit de la concurrence, in:
AJP/PJA 3/2018, pp. 344-353. pdf
Distribution & Agency 2016, 2017 and 2018: Switzerland, in: Getting the Deal Through: Distribution & Agency, Andre R. Jaglom (Hrsg.), Law Business Research Ltd.
Kollokationsklage im Konkursverfahren, in: Kommentierte Musterklagen zur Zwangsvollstreckung und zu den Rechtsmitteln, Fischer Willi/Theus Simoni Fabiana/Gessler Dieter (ed.), Volume V, Zurich 2016, p. 45 ss. (co-author with Stefan Kesselbach).
Les monnaies virtuelles à l’épreuve de la LP – Questions choisies à l’exemple du bitcoin, in:
AJP/PJA 8/2016, pp. 1095-1105. pdf
L’indemnité de clientèle du franchisé : Conditions d’application analogique de l’art. 418u CO au contrat de franchise, in: AJP/PJA 4/2013, pp. 537-545. pdf
Le for de la consorité et du cumul d’actions (art. 15 CPC), ZZZ 2011/12, pp. 189-198. pdf
Conferences and presentations
La position juridique de l’employeur, de l’employé(e) et du médecin en cas d’arrêt de travail, presentation at an event organized by SUVA on the theme of absence management, on 5 June 2019, Campus Strate J, Delémont.
Kryptowährungen im Konkurs, Weiterbildung für Notare, Notar-Stellvertreterinnen und Notar-Stellvertreter, 10. November 2018, GDI Gottlieb Duttweiler Institut, Rüschlikon.
Les monnaies virtuelles et la LP, presentation at the 18th General Assembly of the LP Association (SchKG Vereinigung) on 2 March 2017, in Bern.
Les accords de confidentialité : un outil juridique incontournable pour les start-up, Swiss Economic Forum Roadshow « Connaissances pratiques pour les start-up » on 8 January 2013, in Lausanne.
Fees
HOURLY FEE
In principle, the firm works on the basis of an hourly fee agreed with the client at the beginning of the mandate. In setting the fee, the value in dispute, the interests at stake and the difficulty and urgency of the case are duly taken into account.
FEE CAP
If the nature of the case permits, a maximum fee (“cap”) may be agreed upon for each stage of the case or the procedure. This allows the client to better plan and budget his legal fees.
FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT
In the case of long-term collaboration with the firm, more advantageous rates (e.g. in the form of a monthly flat fee or preferential hourly fee) can be agreed upon in a framework agreement.
