CMS Switzerland pursues further growth in Geneva
Jingjin Guo joined CMS as a Partner in the Corporate/M&A department on 1 July 2026. He advises clients on mergers and acquisitions, corporate matters, cross-border investments and complex financing transactions. He also has extensive experience advising data centre operators and hyperscalers, as well as on digital assets matters.
Dr Serge Pannatier joined the firm as Counsel on 1 July 2026. He focuses on employment law as well as WTO and international trade matters, bringing valuable experience in these areas to further develop CMS Switzerland’s practice.
Caroline dos Santos joined the firm as Counsel in the Dispute Resolution and Arbitration departments on 1 August 2026. She brings extensive experience in complex commercial disputes and international commercial arbitration, as well as in advising on non-contentious commercial matters.
Manoé Ruchat joined the firm as a Senior Associate in the Corporate/M&A department. He advises clients on a broad range of regulatory, Corporate/M&A, commercial and contractual matters.
These arrivals mark an important step in the development of our Geneva office, strengthening our expertise across Data Centres, Employment Law, International Arbitration, Corporate/M&A, Commercial Law and International Trade. By bringing these areas of expertise together, CMS Switzerland strengthens its support for clients on complex matters, both domestic and cross-border, and continues to build on its offering of high-quality legal advice across key areas of business law.
We warmly welcome Jingjin, Serge, Caroline and Manoé to CMS Switzerland.
Jingjin Guo
Attorney at Law | Partner
Jingjin Guo is a Swiss-qualified attorney and Partner at CMS Switzerland, with extensive experience in corporate law, M&A, Banking and Finance, and cross-border reorganizations. Before joining CMS, Jingjin spent more than 18 years in another international law firm, where he progressed to Senior Partner.
Jingjin advises multinational corporations, financial institutions, private investors, and entrepreneurs on domestic and international transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, corporate reorganizations, joint ventures, complex shareholders' arrangements, and complex financing structures. He also has experience in trade finance, secured lending (including syndication) and aviation finance transactions. Jingjin has developed particular expertise in cross-border matters involving Switzerland, Europe, the US and Greater China.
In addition, Jingjin has unparalleled experience advising clients in the technology and digital infrastructure sectors, especially data centres operators and hyperscalers regarding greenfield developments, financing, construction projects in Switzerland and abroad, including investor advisory services and expertise in due diligence. Jingjin currently serves also as Chairman of the Swiss Chinese Chamber of Commerce Romandie Chapter.
Dr Serge Pannatier
Attorney at Law | Counsel
Serge Pannatier is Counsel in the Commercial practice group and specializes in employment and compensation matters. He advises clients on a broad range of employment-related issues including the hiring and dismissal of employees, the employment law implications of corporate reorganizations, collective dismissals, the consistency of employment contracts with statutory requirements, long-term incentive plans, social security and pension fund issues. He also represents clients in employment litigation and assists them with all questions regarding global immigration and mobility. His clients consist mainly of multinational companies and international organizations.
Before joining CMS, Serge Pannatier worked as a trade negotiator with the Swiss Federal Administration, where he gained extensive experience in international trade matters. He therefore advises clients on matters relating to WTO law, international economic sanctions and customs law. He subsequently spent many years with another leading international law firm.
In parallel with his practice, Serge Pannatier has been a faculty member at the World Trade Institute of the University of Bern. He is also the author of numerous publications and conference contributions in the fields of international trade law, environmental law and WTO-related matters.
Caroline dos Santos, LL.M.
Attorney at Law | Counsel
Caroline dos Santos is Counsel in the Geneva office, where she focuses her practice on Dispute Resolution and Commercial matters. She advises and represents clients in commercial and corporate disputes before arbitral tribunals and Swiss courts and assists them in navigating contentious and non-contentious matters in domestic and cross-border contexts.
Caroline acts under several major institutional rules, including ICC, Swiss Rules, UNCITRAL, and AAA, with a focus on large-scale claims and emergency relief. She also assists clients with the enforcement of arbitral awards before the Swiss courts and regularly acts as an arbitrator.
Her main areas of expertise include contract law, with a particular focus on infrastructure and construction projects, including data centres, sales, distribution and joint ventures. In parallel, she regularly advises on the drafting and negotiation of commercial agreements, ensuring consistency between transactional structuring and dispute strategy, including joint ventures and shareholders agreements, as well as distribution agreements.
She was admitted to the Swiss Bar in 2016. Prior to joining CMS, Caroline worked as a Senior Associate in other leading law firms in Geneva. Caroline dos Santos is Co-Chair of ASA below 40 (the under-40 group of the Swiss Arbitration Association) and represents the Swiss Arbitration Association within the framework of its Ambassador Programme for Brazil.
Manoé Ruchat
Senior Associate
Manoé Ruchat is a Senior Associate in the Corporate/M&A practice group in the Geneva office. He advises Swiss and international clients on a broad range of corporate, commercial, contractual, and regulatory matters, with a particular focus on mergers and acquisitions, corporate reorganisations, and general corporate law.
Before joining CMS, Manoé practised corporate and M&A law for several years at another leading international law firm, where he advised Swiss and international clients on a wide range of domestic and cross-border transactions.
Manoé obtained his Bachelor of Laws (BLaw), magna cum laude, from the University of Fribourg in 2014. He subsequently completed his Master of Laws (MLaw), magna cum laude, from the Universities of Fribourg and Zurich in 2017. He was admitted to the Swiss Bar in 2020.
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