Massimo Chiasera
Portrait
Massimo Chiasera's practice focuses on white-collar crime, internal investigations, domestic and cross-border litigation as well as international judicial and administrative assistance.
He advises and represents clients in internal and regulatory investigations led by Swiss and foreign authorities, in complex compliance matters (including money laundering as well as anti-bribery and corruption) and in criminal proceedings.
Massimo Chiasera has an in-depth knowledge of the financial services industry, based on his prior experience as a Litigation & Investigations Counsel at a major Swiss bank where he managed a wide range of internal investigations, white collar and whistleblowing proceedings. In parallel to his work at Bär & Karrer, he was a former prosecutor of the Office of the Swiss Armed Forces Attorney General and now acts as a presiding judge within the Swiss Military Justice Corps.
Ranked as "Up and Coming“ for White-Collar Crime by Chambers Europe 2026, Massimo was also consistently recognized as a "Rising Star“ in Corporate Crime by Euromoney Legal Media Group from 2020 to 2022.
- Representation of a Swiss based subsidiary active in the luxury goods sector regarding a multi-million-dollar fraud and embezzlement scheme related to its products.
- Representation of an international sport organization as harmed party in a multi-million-dollar money laundering, fraud and criminal mismanagement investigation conducted by the Swiss Office of the Attorney General.
- Representation of various Swiss banks in cross-border proceedings led by the Italian tax and criminal authorities.
- Representation of a Swiss based subsidiary of a listed company in complex unsealing proceedings related to the seizure of an extensive amount of data and physical files by the Public Prosecutor's office.
- Representation of a board member of an industrial company regarding an investigation into alleged compliance violations by the company.
- Complex internal investigation for a Swiss bank concerning a global money laundering scandal related to the Venezuelan oil and natural gas industry.
- Internal investigation and assistance in a whistleblowing matter for a client operating in the global air cargo and aviation business.
- Representation of an industrial company against its former management regarding alleged criminal conduct (accounting crimes, fraud, embezzlement).
- Defense of a non-Swiss individual in criminal proceedings led by the Swiss Office of the Attorney General, including the release of CHF 10+ million in retained assets.
- Partner at Bär & Karrer (2023)
- Associate at Bär & Karrer (2018-2022)
- Presiding judge within the Swiss Military Justice (since 2022)
- University of California at Berkeley (UC Berkeley): LL.M. (2017); Certificate of Specialization in Business Law; Honors: Dean's List
- Litigation & Investigations Counsel und Compliance Specialist at a major Swiss bank (2012-2018)
- Executive board member of the Swiss Corporate Counsels Association (VSUJ) (2015-2018)
- Prosecutor of the Office of the Swiss Armed Forces Attorney General and Department Head (2016-2021)
- Investigative Judge of the Office of the Armed Forces Attorney General (2011-2015)
- University of Lucerne, Competence Center for Forensics and White Collar Crime Law: CAS in Forensics (2011)
- Lawyer at a Swiss law firm (2011-2012)
- Admitted to the Zurich Bar (2011)
- Trainee at a Swiss law firm (2009-2010)
- University of Zurich: lic. iur. (2009)
- University of Siena, Italy: Erasmus-Sokrates program (2007)
- Swiss Bar Association (SAV/FSA)
- Zurich Bar Association (ZAV)
- English
- French
- German
- Italian
