Frank Scherrer

Wenger Vieli Ltd

Zurich www.wengervieli.ch

f.scherrer@wengervieli.ch Tel: +41 58 958 58 58

Biography

Frank Scherrer studied law in Neuchâtel and gained an LLM from Exeter University (UK). From 1993 to 1996 he worked at the Europa Institut Zurich and as an assistant at the law faculty of the University of Zurich where he obtained his doctorate in 1996 for a thesis on Swiss and European merger control procedure. Frank Scherrer joined Wenger & Vieli in 1999 where he became a partner in 2005. He speaks German, English and French.

What attributes makes for an effective life sciences lawyer in today’s climate?

Interest, effort to understand scientific facts, precision, thoroughness.

What do you enjoy most about working in life sciences?

To work in a field with a promising future.

In what way has the coronavirus pandemic brought about new legal concerns among the healthcare sectors?

The pandemic has provided new impulses for accelerated and differentiated marketing authorisation procedures. In Switzerland, the pandemic has also raised questions about the distribution of competencies between the federal government and the cantons in the area of pandemic control.

To what extent can online diagnosis and telemedicine be relied on? What are the legal risks accompanying this new approach for healthcare professionals?

Online diagnosis and telemedicine facilitate access to healthcare. To what extent they can be relied on is defined primarily by the physicians' duty of care. One risk is potentially inadequate diagnosis, which can cause liability. As the collection and protection of data is infiltrating in every aspect of our lives, to what extent do you see the need for life sciences lawyers to possess adequate knowledge on information law?

Data law is an important and growing area of life sciences law. At least the basics of data protection law should be familiar to each life sciences lawyer.

In your experience, what benefit do multilingual lawyers deliver to clients?

For advising clients in the life sciences sector, a good knowledge of English is practically necessary.

How does Wenger Vieli AG distinguish itself from competitors?

While we have been growing considerably as an organisation during the last years, it is important to us to keep a good personal relationship with all employees and clients.

What advice would you give to aspiring lawyers hoping to one day be in your position?

I would advise them to pursue their goals and strive to always do a good job at what they're doing at the moment.

WWL says: Frank Scherrer is highly sought after by clients in the pharmaceutical and health industries for his product liability expertise.