Are you looking for a competent criminal defence attorney or simply a good lawyer for criminal law in Zurich?
Whether as a criminal defence attorney (from the very beginning), as a private plaintiff's representative or as a consultant: we are experts in criminal law. Specialized in criminal law and cybercrime. We discuss all cases internally and exchange information (intervision). In this way, we guarantee consistently high quality in case handling. We are constantly undergoing further training and are well networked.
We are also available to authorities as extraordinary public prosecutors.
Criminal defence with passion by professionals.
The concept of the presumption of innocence is not just an empty word for us. Our goal is to achieve the best for you in every situation with bite and expertise.
Bächtold Gallarotti are permanently active in the cantons of Zurich, Aargau, Thurgau and Schaffhausen as well as in the cantons of Eastern Switzerland and Central Switzerland. On request, we are available throughout German-speaking Switzerland as freely mandated criminal defence lawyers. We also represent injured parties and private plaintiffs in French-speaking Switzerland.
If criminal charges are brought against you, you are the accused. The police and public prosecutor's office are a powerful, well-oiled machine that, once set in motion, will not easily let go of an accused person. As a layperson, you are helplessly at the mercy of these authorities and have no chance of effectively using the rights of defence to which you are entitled.
Important decisions are regularly made at the very beginning of criminal proceedings. Do I make statements? Do I provide passwords? Do I request sealing? Do I accept pre-trial detention? You therefore need experienced criminal defence lawyers as early as possible in the criminal proceedings who can assess your situation soberly and objectively and prepare you for what is to come. Only with foresight and a tailor-made strategy can you maximize your chances of success. Don't hesitate: the sooner you are defended, the better for you.
Accusations are initially nothing more than that: unproven accusations against an innocent person. Nevertheless, the accusations are already associated with stigmatization and put the accused noticeably on the defensive. We are your allies, we listen and stand up for you. We are independent and committed only to your interests and the law. We soberly analyze and assess your situation and the legal situation. We work with you to develop a defence strategy and then pursue it consistently, where necessary through all instances (including the Federal Court and the ECHR).
Depending on the initial situation and interests, our role is "fighter for your acquittal/freedom", advocate, negotiator, advisor and coach or simply experienced guide through the criminal proceedings.
We are always respectful and friendly in tone, but we always stand up for the interests of our clients. We do this consistently. If our clients' rights are violated, we also get loud and forceful. We do not oppose on principle, but only where this is in line with our strategy. If we can achieve better results by acting in partnership, we act in partnership.
We will defend you regardless of the accusations made against you. In principle, this includes any possible criminal offense, in particular
e.g. bodily injury, assault, brawling, homicide, assault
E.g. theft, robbery, burglaries (EBD)
e.g. sexual harassment, sexual assault, rape
e.g. threats, coercion, deprivation of liberty, kidnapping
E.g. fraud, bankruptcy fraud, mismanagement, breach of trust, embezzlement, documentary offenses
e.g. hacking (unauthorized intrusion into a data processing system), DDOS attacks (data corruption), data theft (unauthorized acquisition of data), cyber fraud
Libel, slander, defamation
E.g. minor and serious violations of the Road Traffic Act, qualified serious violations of the Road Traffic Act (speeding offenses), driving disqualifications, violations of the Ordinance on Working and Rest Periods (ARV)
E.g. transportation of narcotics, trafficking in narcotics, importation of narcotics (e.g. MDMA, cocaine, cannabis, psychoactive mushrooms, etc.)
E.g. violations of the Customs Act
Expulsion from the country, lifelong activity ban, outpatient / inpatient psychiatric treatment, detention
due to risk of absconding, risk of collusion, risk of repetition, risk of execution
We are prepared to defend you before all instances of the Swiss criminal justice system. This includes:
We only take legal action on your behalf and only if there is a prospect of success, or in accordance with our defence strategy.
The police are very good at getting defendants to talk and motivating them to cooperate. Their tools include in particular:
A committed criminal defence pays off, but can quickly cost a considerable sum. Tight finances are no reason to forego a defence! We negotiate our fees with you at the beginning of the mandate, whereby our standard rate is CHF 300 per hour. We agree on a sufficient advance on costs.
If serious allegations are made against you, or at least if it is not a trivial matter, you are entitled by law and constitution to an official defence if you do not have the necessary financial resources. Contact us, we will be happy to assess this for you and provide assistance with the relevant application. A lack of funds should never be a reason not to seek effective defence at an early stage.
If you have freely mandated your defence (not via official defence), you can change it at any time without reason and in principle without observing a deadline.
If you have an official defence, the hurdle is significantly higher. Depending on the canton, you may have to demonstrate a seriously damaged relationship of trust with your defence. This requires objective reasons. However, at least at the beginning of criminal proceedings, you should be given the option of choosing an official defence. However, always bear in mind that differences of opinion with your defence are not necessarily a bad sign. A good defence is not just an uncritical mouthpiece for the client.
Call us without obligation or send us an e-mail.
If you have been wronged, you want dedicated lawyers at your side who will vigorously assert your interests It is not that easy to make yourself heard by the criminal authorities as an injured party. First of all, we listen to you carefully, understand your position and your concerns.
From an (often) large amount of documents, we then draw up a clear and concise criminal complaint that will make the public prosecutor willing to
to tackle your case. At this stage, we have already anticipated the decisive legal issues and prepared them with you. We make the necessary requests for evidence,
so that your facts can be proven in the best possible way. However, the proceedings only begin once the criminal complaint has been filed. It is now important that the public prosecutor's office provides continuous support until the end. Where necessary, we also intervene in the proceedings with legal remedies (e.g. complaints). However, this is usually not necessary, as we, as a private prosecutor's office, strive for a close, cooperative relationship with the public prosecutor.
partnership with the public prosecutor's office. How we can help you as an injured party representative or private plaintiff representative:
Bächtold Gallarotti Attorneys at Law also advise authorities and companies, particularly in the area of cybercrime. For example, a handbook on conducting cyber criminal proceedings was developed with our involvement. The fact that many law enforcement authorities are notoriously overburdened is now also known to the general public. We are happy to act as extraordinary public prosecutors. Be it in order to
to guarantee the necessary independence, to bridge staff shortages or because of our expertise in the field of cybercrime.
As former prosecutors, we are ideally suited to lead internal investigations. For more complex projects, we bring in the necessary people ourselves for support (other lawyers, accounting experts, IT forensic experts, etc.).
2. Criminal complaints and private plaintiff representation
3. consulting for companies and authorities
4. Internal investigations
Call us!
+41
(0)44 242 20 20
Via Goldbrunnenplatz / Schmiede Wiedikon using tram no. 9 or tram no. 14 . S-Bahn: The train station "Wiedikon" is in walking distance (10 min.).
Parking spaces available in front of our office and in the white and blue zone.