Baloise merges with Helvetia: the advisors
Lenz & Staehelin is advising Baloise as lead counsel on its merger with Helvetia, which is represented by Walder Wyss. The two Swiss composite insurance groups will join forces, thus combining a business volume of around CHF 20 billion across eight countries and a global specialty business. The newborn entity will be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange.
The merger
Pursuant to the transaction, which is structured as a statutory merger under the Swiss Merger Act, Baloise will be merged with and into Helvetia. The combined group will go under the new name “Helvetia Baloise Holding”. The transaction is pending customary closing conditions, with closing expected in the fourth quarter of 2025.
The Lenz & Staehelin team
M&A partners Tino Gaberthüel (pictured above – left) and Simone Ehrsam (pictured above – right) led the Lenz & Staehelin team on the matter. The firm’s line-up further included Nicolas Lehmann, Lukas Held and Andrin Scherrer (all M&A), Patrick Schleiffer, Patrick Schärli and Angela Graf (all capital markets, regulatory), Marcel Meinhardt, Sinem Süslü, Jannick Koller and Tim Voser (all antitrust), Lukas Aebi and Stephan Brandner (both tax) as well as Jürg Simon (IP).
The Walder Wyss team
Walder Wyss advises Helvetia on all Swiss law aspects of the merger. Partner Hans-Jakob Diem (pictured) leads the firm’s team, working alongside a core team of partner Thiemo Sturny, senior associate Christian A. Schmid and associate Nicolas von Sinner from corporate/M&A as well as the team members partner Reto Jacobs, counsel Gion Giger and senior associate Felix Tuchschmid from competition, partner Markus Pfenninger and senior associate Sarah Vettiger from regulatory, partner Thomas Meister and counsel Janine Corti from tax, partner Roger Staub and managing associate Manuel Bigler from IP/IT, partner Irène Suter-Sieber and senior associate Gustaf Heintz from employment as well as partner Katja Schott-Morgenroth, counsel Stefan Walder and managing associate Dimitrios Berger from corporate/M&A. Clifford Chance advises Helvetia on non-Swiss law aspects of the merger.
