Partner

Dr. Vaïk Müller

Attorney at Law | Head of Banking & Finance

Languages

French
English
German

Vaïk Müller's main areas of focus are banking, regulatory, financial services and products, including funds and derivatives, as well as compliance and regulatory matters, including in the field of FinTech and blockchain. He heads the Banking and Finance Practice Groups of CMS Geneva. Vaïk Müller has a broad experience in advising Swiss and international financial institutions, such as funds, asset managers, banks and securities dealers or brokers on complex local and cross-border issues.

Vaïk Müller is also regularly involved in corporate, commercial and financing transactions, acting for arrangers, underwriters, lenders, borrowers and sponsors in domestic and multijurisdictional financing transactions (including acquisition, leveraged and syndicated financings).

He is author of several publications on financial regulations and a regular speaker at conferences as well as co-responsible moderator of the specialised forum in banking law (regulatory) of the Geneva Bar Association since March 2019. He is also correspondent in Switzerland of the French Association of Doctors of Law (AFDD - Association Française des Docteurs en Droit).

He teaches banking and financial law as part of the tax expert training provided by Expert Suisse and at IFAGE as part of the Banking and Compliance module: an introduction to contractual, prudential, tax, and criminal risks.

Awards & Recognitions

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Vaïk provides a bespoke and supportive service. He is very responsive, has great regulatory knowledge, is commercially aware and understands the needs of his clients and provides innovative insights.

Chambers and Partners, Fintech Legal: Blockchain & Cryptocurrencies, Switzerland, 2026
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Vaïk Müller is super technical, responsive and very commercial in his outlook.

Chambers and Partners, Fintech Legal: Blockchain & Cryptocurrencies, Switzerland, 2026
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"Vaïk Müller perfectly understands the consequences of regulations."

Chambers & Partners, FinTech, Switzerland, 2025
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"Vaïk Müller is really knowledgeable. He has strong experience in derivative products and he is very good on crypto."

Chambers & Partners, FinTech, Switzerland, 2025
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‘Vaïk Müller is by far the most important business partner for our company.'

Legal 500, Banking & Finance Geneva, Switzerland, 2025
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'Vaïk Müller's legal and regulatory expertise, his global and accurate vision of the sector’s challenges and his commitment are essential to the smooth running of our business.’

Legal 500, Banking & Finance Geneva, Switzerland, 2025
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"Vaïk is very knowledgeable and supports us in a very effective manner."

IFLR 1000, client feedback, 33rd edition (2023/2024)
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"The partners are personally involved and from the best in the market. In particular Vaïk Müller, partner in Banking services was outstanding. Close to the market, pragmatic and result oriented."

The Legal 500, Switzerland, Leading Firms: French-speaking Switzerland, 2023
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"All the attributes of CMS as he is our unique point of contact. Efficient, problem solving, client oriented, creative."

IFLR 1000, client feedback, 32nd edition (2021/2022)
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"He is very knowledgeable, available and reliable. He is an expert in his area of expertise. Well known in Switzerland and a respected legal author."

IFLR 1000, client feedback, 32nd edition (2021/2022)

Relevant experience

Support in obtaining FINMA authorization for asset managers and trustees
Advising several financial institutions on capital structuring/restructuring
Advising a foreign MTF regarding the provision of services to regulated and unregulated Swiss participants
Advising on the structuring and placement of a USD 230,000,000 Subordinated Unsecured Convertible Note governed by Swiss law
Advising on QI, FATCA, and CRS remediation
Compliance advice and support for financial institutions regarding Swiss and US (OFAC) sanctions
Advising an Italian bank, on the transactional and regulatory aspects of its acquisition of a majority stake in a next-generation payment technology platform with presence in Switzerland.
Advising on Swiss insurance regulations applicable to Swiss and foreign tied and untied intermediaries (brokers)
Advising on consolidated supervision and ring-fencing of a financial group
Advising on cross-distribution of various financial instruments, incl. funds and structured products
Advising on Swiss sanctions for various type of businesses, including non-financial institution
Advising on non-financial reporting, Minerals and Child labour requirements
Advising on a green bond issuance for a municipality
Advising on MROS communication (assessment and recommendation)
Advising in the context of the sale of a representative of Swiss collective investments to an international group
Advising Swiss financial institutions on LIBOR transition
Obtaining a FINMA ruling (no-action letter) for the issuer of a utility token
Obtaining a FINMA (FinIA) license for an investment fund manager
Advising several Swiss portfolio managers and Swiss distributors on FinSA, FinIA and data protection requirements in connection with cross-border transactions/intra-group outsourcing agreements
Advising on and drafting STO documentation for a corporate (non-regulated) issuer
Obtaining a FINMA ruling (no-action letter) for STO advisor/structurer
Advising foreign and local institutions on OTF requirements

Publications

L'échange automatique de renseignements relatifs aux crypto-actif, Point de Mire article > Link here, December 2025
CMS Expert Guide To Mandatory Reporting Of Criminal Offences For Companies And Their Responsible Persons in Switzerland, September 2025
Circulaire Finma relative à la surveillance consolidée, Point de Mire article > Link here, 25 June 2025
Les règles de conduite sur le marché à l’épreuve de la Market Extractable Value, in GesKR 1/2025, March 2025
L’échange automatique de renseignements en matière de cryptoactifs se profile, Agefi article > Link here, 6 March 2025
Principales exigences de la Circulaire Finma sur les règles de comportement, Point de Mire article > Link here, 5 March 2025
Gestion des risques : L’IOSCO se prépare à encadrer la pratique du pre-hedging , CDBF, 29 November 2024 https://cdbf.ch/1387/
Global Relay Intelligence & Practice (GIRP), GRIP Country Guides: Switzerland, 11 October 2024(https://www.grip.globalrelay.com/grip-country-guides-switzerland/)
Supervisory authorities are increasingly focusing on AI in the financial sector, co-author Dirk Spacek, CMS Publication, June 2024
Accord de Berne sur les services financiers: un modèle pour d’autres places financières?, AGEFI, 12 April 2024
Intelligence artificielle: l’Union européenne légifère, Allnews, 20 March 2024
Initial Coin Offering : Quand les jetons (tokens) d’investissement deviennent-ils des valeurs mobilières ?, Centre de droit bancaire et financier (CDBF), 19 March 2024 (https://cdbf.ch/1334/)
La SEC approuve les spot bitcoin ETF, Allnews, 15 January 2024
Publicité et écoblanchiment : La Commission Suisse pour la Loyauté publie ses directives, Centre de droit bancaire et financier (CDBF), 17 January 2024 (https://cdbf.ch/1319/)
CHALLENGES FOR COMPANIES: THE COMPLEXITY OF ESG REGULATION, CMS Law-Now, December 2023 (together with Marquard Christen and Matthias Kuert)
Sustainable Finance – EU SFDR Implementation Quick Compare Chart with respect to Switzerland, Practical Law™, Thomson Reuters, June 2023
Fonds propres supplémentaires: Pratique de la FINMA et pouvoir de cognition du juge [commentaire de l'arrêt du 30 mars 2023 du Tribunal administratif fédéral B-4004_2021], Centre de droit bancaire et financier (CDBF), 8 May 2023
Blanchiment d’argent: Une condamnation pénale pour une ICO irrégulière, Centre de droit bancaire et financier, 29 March 2023
IOSCO : Un rapport expliquant la DeFi et ses risques, Centre de droit bancaire et financier (CDBF), 7 April 2022
Évolution et perception de la hiérarchie des normes en droit réglementaire suisse: un bref état des lieux, in Droits fondamentaux et constitutions sous le regard universel des docteurs en droit, Droits en mutation III, LGDJ, February 2022
La réglementation des "robo-advisors": quelques considérations sur le droit de la surveillance à la lumière des derniers développements législatifs suisses, in « Droit & Cerveaux », Signatures internationales, AFDD, July 2021
Réglementer l’activité des intermédiaires d’assurance, Centre de droit bancaire et financier (CDBF), May 2021
Abandon du LIBOR et passage aux taux sans risques Centre de droit bancaire et financier (CDBF), November 2020
Le droit suisse s'adapte aux cryptoactifs Allnews, September 2020
Finance durable suisse : le cadre légal se précise Allnews, July 2020
Les recommandations de la SFAMA et de SSF en matière de finance durable, Centre de droit bancaire et financier (CDBF), July 2020
Règles de l'UE sur l'ESG et asset management suisse, Allnews, July 2020
Trustees et gestionnaires : attention au délai d'annonce, Allnews, May 2020
La négociation des dérivés au sens de la LIMF, Présentation synthétique des articles 93 à 117 de la loi sur l'infrastructure des marchés financiers, Schulthess, 258 p., Zurich 2019 (book)
L-QIF : Un nouveau venu dans la famille des placements collectifs suisses, Centre de droit bancaire et financier (CDBF), July 2019
L'avocat face au conseil réglementaire : quelle frontière avec la compliance ?, Revue de l'avocat 02/2019, pp. 55 ff
La commercialisation de produits dérivés OTC à des clients privés : aspects réglementaires, GesKR 03/2019, pp. 449 ff
L'échange de garanties selon la LIMF, GesKR 01/2018, pp. 51 ff
Clauses de reconnaissance d'ajournement : quelques considérations sur l'article 12 al. 2bis OB, GesKR 03/2018, pp. 363 ff
How the new Swiss Regulations Affect the Ability of Private Fund Managers to Market to Swiss Investors, The Hedge Fund Law Report 10/2, 2017
La qualification juridique des tokens : aspects réglementaires, GesKR 04/2017, pp. 486 ff (with Vincent Mignon)
Guide pratique de la commercialisation des placements collectifs en Suisse, Schulthess, 176 p., Zurich 2016 (book)
New Swiss Regulations Require Appointment of Local Agents and Increased Disclosure in Fund Documents, The Hedge Fund Law Report Vol. 8/19, 2015 (with Olivier Stahler)
Obligations et responsabilité du dépositaire de placements collectifs : analyse juridique comparée de l'activité de dépositaire en droit suisse et français, Schulthess, 398 p., Zurich 2014 (book)
Distribution of hedge funds in Switzerland, The Hedge Fund Journal 98, 2014 (with Olivier Stahler)
La réglementation du trading à haute fréquence : état des lieux, GesKR 03/2014, pp. 387 ff
Rewritten rules, STEP Journal 21/8 2013 p. 23 (with Julien Dif)
New rules for collective investment schemes bankruptcy in Switzerland, STEP Journal 21/1 2013 (with Julien Dif)
La qualification juridique du contrat de prime brokerage en droit suisse, GesKR 02/2013, pp. 258 ff
The Swiss "professio juris", STEP Journal 20/4 2012 (with Julien Dif)
Les secrets d'affaires des fonds d'investissement alternatif, GesKR 02/2012, pp. 252 ff (with Sevan Antreasyan)

Memberships & Roles

Swiss Bar Association (SAV/FSA)
Geneva Bar Association (ODAGE)
French Association of Doctors of Law (AFDD)

Awards & Rankings

Chambers FinTech Guide 2026 | Recognized in FinTech Legal and FinTech Blockchain & Cryptocurrencies
The Best Lawyers 2026 | Recognized in The Best Lawyers in Switzerland 2026 for Banking and Finance Law and Corporate Law
Chambers FinTech Guide 2025 | Recognized in The Chambers FinTech Guide for FinTech Legal, Blockchain & Cryptocurrencies
The Best Lawyers 2025 | Recognized in The Best Lawyers in Switzerland 2025 for Banking and Finance Law and Corporate Law
The Best Lawyers 2023 | Recognized in The Best Lawyers in Switzerland 2023 for Banking and Finance Law and Corporate Law
Legal 500 EMEA 2023 | Recommended lawyer in The Legal 500
Global Law Experts (GLE) | Asset Management, Switzerland, 2022 | Global Law Expert

Lectures list

Cross-border Financial Services: The Berne Financial Services Agreement Explained, Cross-Border Financial Services 2025 webinar series, 4 December 2025
Quel est l’impact de la directive européenne CRD VI sur les banques suisses dans la fourniture de services à des clients dans l’Union Européenne ?, Academy & Finance Conference, 20 November 2025
Lecture "Quelles opportunités et quels défis l'intelligence artificielle représente-t-elle pour les établissements financiers suisses ?", CMS Geneva, June 2025
Cours et cas pratiques sur les infrastructures numériques, CAS Digital Finance Law (DFL), University of Geneva, May 2025
Cross-border Financial Services: How to be compliant with AML/CTF requirements ? Cross-Border Financial Services 2025 webinar series, April 24 - The link to watch the replay is here
"Music for the Future or the Future of Music? Sustainability and Mass Litigation in the Swiss Legal Framework" Conference for the Geneva International Legal Week, March 2025
Cross-border Financial Services: Horizon scanning - What are the 3 most important aspects regulators will be looking at in 2025?, the link to the replay is here, February 2025
La réglementation des produits structurés, séminaire dans le cadre du cours de Master "Instruments financiers et structures de détention" du Prof. Fabien Liégeois, Université de Genève, 18 September 2024
The impact of the Berne Financial Services Agreement - Access for Asset Management, Banking and Investment Services, CMS Webinar, 7 February 2024
Quel impact de MiCA en Suisse ?, Séminaire, Academy & Finance, 1 June 2023
Protection des données en Suisse : comment mettre en place l’organisation et les process exigés par la loi, Séminaire, Academy & Finance, 5 April 2023
Reducing Digital Asset Risk with Rigorous Due Diligence for European and UK Institutions, Webinar, replay available here (registration required), 28 March 2023
Panelist at the Fireside chat/session on Digital assets policy and regulation during the AIMA European Digital Assets Forum 2022, Zurich Marriott Hotel, 5 October 2022
Protection des données et services financiers, Séminaire, Academy & Finance, 27 September 2022
Le Limited Qualified Investor Fund (L-QIF), Plus de flexibilité pour la gestion collective, Co-Event avec BDO, Hôtel Métropole, Geneva, 20 September 2022
Gérants de fortune et évaluation du caractère risqué des modèles d’affaires, Finix Event, 26 April 2022
AIMA Webinar 360, Funds distribution and asset allocations in hedge funds in Switzerland post-COVID and in light of the new FINSA rules, 7 April 2022
Règles en matière de conflits d'intérêts (LSFin), Academy & Finance, Geneva, November 2021
Quelques questions pratiques posées par la LSFin, Academy & Finance, Geneva, November 2021
L’organisation des fonctions de contrôle : quelles sont les attentes du régulateur?, Academy & Finance, Geneva, March 2021
FinSA and ESG criteria in the investment process, Academy & Finance, Geneva, March 2021
Practical aspects of the application for FINIA, FINSA and new concept of offer, Webinar with BDO Geneva, March 2021
Aspects pratiques de la requête en autorisation LEFin, LSFin et nouveau concept d'offre, Webinar with BDO Geneva, January 2021
Comment s’adapter au nouveau cadre réglementaire suisse : KSFin, OSFin, LEFin, OEFin, LPCC révisée ?, Offre de produits financiers et nouvelle réglementation suisse, Academy & Finance, Geneva, October 2020
Le champ d’application de loi sur les services financiers (LSfin) et de la loi sur les établissements financiers (LEFin), Seminar LSFin / LEFin, Banque Pictet & Cie SA and Geneva Bar Association, Geneva, February 2020
Les nouvelles conditions pour l’offre de produits financiers, Obligations LSFin: comment mettre en pratique les nouvelles règles de conduite, Academy & Finance, Geneva, December 2019
Analyse des risques de blanchiment: comment procéder ?, Actualités compliance: LBA/OBA FINMA, CDB20, LSFIN et structures complexes: état des lieux, Finix Events, Geneva, November 2019
Evaluation du caractère justifié des structures des clients, Identification des bénéficiaires économiques et des risques, Finix Events, Geneva, April 2019
Mandat de conseil “transaction-based” vs. “portfolio-based” (Articles 11/12 LSFin), Forum spécialisé Ordre des Avocats, Droit bancaire (réglementaire) , Geneva, March 2019
LSFin/OSFin vs MiFID 2, Forum spécialisé Ordre des Avocats, Droit bancaire (réglementaire), Geneva, November 2018
Information of clients, Implementing CRS (Common Reporting Standard) in Switzerland, Academy & Finance, November 2016

Education

2015 - Docteur en droit, University of Zurich
2010 - Bar Admission (Geneva, Switzerland)
2008 - Master 2 Relations internationales, University of Lyon III
2005 - Lic.iur, University of Geneva

Practice Areas

Banking & Finance Corporate / M&A Commercial ESG FinTech & Blockchain

sectors

Private Equity Funds

Insights

Global Reach