Tanja Luginbühl

Lenz & Staehelin

Zurich www.lenzstaehelin.com

tanja.luginbuhl@lenzstaehelin.com Tel: +41 58 450 8000

Biography

Tanja Luginbühl is a leading expert in insolvency and restructuring. She has been involved in various national and cross-border insolvency and restructuring cases representing companies, banks and creditors. She leads the insolvency and restructuring group of Lenz & Staehelin in Zurich. In addition, she has extensive expertise in aircraft lease and finance transactions. Tanja is featured as one of very few female lawyers in Switzerland among the IFLR1000 Women Leaders 2020 –2022, which list leading female transactional lawyers worldwide. Women in Business Law Guide 2020 listed her as leading practitioner in restructuring and insolvency. Who's Who Legal nominated her as one of the world's leading practitioners in Restructuring & Insolvency 2022.

What motivated you to specialise in restructuring and insolvency law?

A career in restructuring and insolvency law requires high emotional intelligence, analytical and problem-solving skills. No two cases are the same and therefore the day-to-day work of supporting clients is very satisfying.

How has the market changed since you first started practising?

The market has continued to evolve and restructuring options have been expanded by law. In Switzerland, however, judicial reorganisation proceedings are still qualified as a failure, which often hinders early action by the management.

How has your involvement in the Swiss Insolvency Association enhanced your practice?

The association has enabled me to network with experienced experts in the field of restructuring and insolvency and to exchange ideas on a highly professional level.

What do clients look for in an effective restructuring and insolvency lawyer?

Clients look for a lawyer that understands the gravity of the situation, thinks commercially, highlights the available options and advises on the best course of action to follow. You need to be very strongly client and solution oriented. As restructuring and insolvency situations are tense for debtors and creditors, an attorney must be able to hold his/her position, be a strong negotiator and show they are not easily shaken or intimidated.

Some practitioners report that restructuring processes offer clients opportunities in M&A, ESG and digital acceleration. What opportunities have you

seen restructuring processes offer clients – if any?

This very much depends on the individual case, but a successful restructuring often leads to increased employee productivity, enhanced communication and better financial control mechanisms.

Which sectors have received the largest restructuring wake-up call from the global coronavirus pandemic, and how are they addressing the issues created?

The pandemic has been a wake-up call to many businesses. Airlines and flightrelated businesses, as well as the automotive industry, are sure to be hit hard. However, thanks to temporary government support measures or financial restructurings, they have quickly adapted to the changed circumstances, but it will remain a challenge based on the current uncertain circumstances, including the energy price crisis.

As head of the insolvency and restructuring group at Lenz & Staehelin, how would you like to see the practice develop over the next five years?

I would like our dedicated team with specialist expertise to continue to advise on high-profile mandates and, ideally, to be called in a little earlier to provide valuable support in the context of successful turnarounds.

Looking back over your career, what has been your proudest achievement?

To become a partner of one of the top firms in Switzerland was certainly an important step in my career. What is even more rewarding, though, is each single transaction or mandate that I could successfully complete together with the support of my team for our clients to their full satisfaction.

WWL says: Tanja Luginbühl is a renowned expert who earns widespread praise for her impressive cross-border insolvency and restructuring expertise.