Team
Fast, easy-going, highly motivated. The team of EMBARK.LAW is fun to work with. We appreciate their speed and simplicity in communication and processes.
Daniel Koss, Founder and CEO creable AG (MarTech)Hi, we’re team EMBARK.LAW.
Michel Kertai
VC & Startup Lawyer
Attorney-at-law, admitted to practice in Switzerland and California
Co-founder EMBARK.LAW
Education
LL.M, UC Berkeley School of Law, California, USA
MLaw, University of St. Gallen, Switzerland
Languages
German, English, French, Hungarian
About Michel
After several years practicing as a corporate lawyer in Bern, Switzerland, Michel moved to the USA in 2015 to study U.S. law, get his California bar admission and work with Silicon Valley startups.
When he returned to Switzerland in 2016, he founded EMBARK.LAW to focus on helping startups master their legal challenges.
Before becoming a lawyer, Michel was a professional athlete, playing volleyball and beach volleyball at a national level. His background in elite sports is one of the reasons he feels at home in the startup community with its adventurous, challenge-driven spirit.
Barbara Nägeli
Legal Advisor, Data Protection Specialist
Co-founder EMBARK.LAW
Education
CAS ETH in Data & Machine Learning
MLaw summa cum laude (with highest distinction), University of Fribourg, Switzerland
Languages
German, English, French
About Barbara
In her former position as a legal advisor for the Swiss environmental protection agency, Barbara has drafted laws, negotiated international treaties, and much more. She also held the position of deputy data protection officer for several years.
This, as well as her extensive work with startups on data protection and related issues at EMBARK.LAW has given her both deep expertise and a pragmatic approach to applying the law effectively.
Barbara used to be a semi-professional dancer. In her daily life as a lawyer, her creative side helps her think out of the box and come up with unconventional solutions to complicated problems.
Matthias Steinlin
VC & Startup Lawyer, IP Specialist
Attorney-at-law, admitted to practice in Switzerland
Education
PhD in Law summa cum laude (with highest distinction), University of Bern, Switzerland
MLaw, Universities of Bern, Switzerland and Paris-Descartes, France
Languages
German, French, English
About Matthias
Matthias is a Swiss attorney with a particular interest in the protection and commercialization of innovation. He used to work as a trademark attorney at the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) and as an in-house lawyer for a large Swiss company. At the IPI, he gained in-depth knowledge in all areas of intellectual property rights and particularly in trademark law. Matthias also has a PhD in IP law – he wrote his doctoral thesis on the patent protection of medicine.
In addition to advising startups, Matthias is working on his own startup in the MedTech sector. In his spare time, he enjoys climbing snowy peaks and surfing ocean waves.
Tarik Salkim
Legal Advisor Startups & VC
Education
Dipl.-Jur., First State Exam (“erstes Staatsexamen”) with great distinction, Julius-Maximilians University of Würzburg, Germany
Languages
German, English, Turkish
About Tarik
Before joining EMBARK.LAW, Tarik worked in one of the most renowned German law firms in Stuttgart and then at a major law firm in Zurich. During this time, he gained experience in various areas of business law, in particular corporate law, mergers & acquisitions, antitrust and dispute resolution.
At EMBARK.LAW, Tarik now focuses entirely on startups, with a special affinity for the legal aspects of startup financing.
Tarik unwinds from his job by riding his bike (the kind with a motor) or training Muay Thai. Martial arts have taught him that hectic and rash behavior can easily lead to painful consequences. This experience makes it easy for him to keep cool in difficult situations, focus on what’s important and deal with challenges rationally and unflinchingly.
Dario Kvasnicka
Legal Advisor, Lead Growth & Business Innovation
Education
MLaw, Universities of Fribourg and Bern, Switzerland
Languages
German, English, French, Indonesian
About Dario
During his law studies, Dario didn’t just study legal theories, he also founded his own digital entertainment and hospitality company (take a look: Erupt Gaming Lounge). He ran Erupt for or more than five years – his firsthand experience running a business allows him to truly understand the ups and downs that come with a founder’s life. He’s dealt with the realities of managing running costs and has personally experienced how valuable bespoke legal advice can be.
In 2023, Dario joined EMBARK.LAW to focus more closely on the legal aspects of the startup world. Alongside this, he keeps a strategic role in his company.
Outside of work, Dario enjoys organizing social events, hiking, and digital and analog gaming. These activities keep him connected with the latest technological trends and help him further refine his skills in clear communication and efficient process management.
Jan Ritter
Legal Advisor Startups & VC
Education
PhD in Law summa cum laude (with highest distinction), University of Fribourg, Switzerland
MLaw, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
Languages
German, English, French
About Jan
After graduating from the University of Fribourg, Jan continued his academic journey by researching how corporate law and governance can enable successful business transformation. At the same time, he co-founded an ICT company, where he gained first-hand experience of the challenges of creating efficient organizational structures for startups and a deep understanding of disruptive technologies.
Jan is committed to social entrepreneurship and has had the opportunity to advise a number of cooperatives and associations in the areas of youth & sports, nature conservation, etc.
In his spare time, Jan is an accomplished equestrian. This sport has taught him that dedication and empathy are key to building trustful relationships that can overcome even the toughest obstacles.
Tamara Roos
Legal Advisor Startups & VC
Education
CAS Financial Markets Regulation
MLaw, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
Languages
German, English
About Tamara
Tamara brings broad experience in financial markets law to EMBARK.LAW. In her previous position at one of the Big Four auditing firms, she advised on banking and financial market law and was responsible for conducting regulatory audits of global and national banks. She then deepened her expertise in the area of investment funds at a renowned Zurich law firm. There she advised clients on financial market law issues and assisted foreign funds with their regulatory compliance and applications to FINMA and SIX.
On her days off, Tamara can often be found in the mountains, accompanied by her dog, running, swimming or on her racing bike. Through working with dogs, she has learned that effective communication is the basis for successful collaboration. Endurance sports, especially trail running, have shown her that tough uphill climbs are usually rewarded with a spectacular view and additional strength for future challenges.
Céline Aeschlimann
VC & Startup Lawyer
Attorney-at-law admitted to practice in Switzerland
Education
MLaw University of Bern, Switzerland
Languages
German, English, Spanish
About Céline
Céline is a Swiss attorney who brings a distinct versatility to EMBARK.LAW. Prior to joining the firm, she worked in both a traditional law firm and various public authorities. Thanks to this combination, she not only understands the legal craft but has a deep understanding of how authorities operate and how decision-making processes unfold on the other side – a crucial advantage when it comes to efficiently navigating regulatory hurdles. This dual perspective enables her to approach the law not only conceptually, but above all in a practical and implementable way.
Outside of work, Céline finds balance through sport and culture. Her passion for classical music reflects her attention to detail: she understands that a harmonious result depends on the precise and meaningful interplay of every line. On the running track, meanwhile, she has learned that sustainable success depends not on a quick sprint, but on consistency and mental endurance.
Exceptional experience
My experience with EMBARK.LAW has been exceptional. As a startup founder, it is critical to find a legal team that fully understands the specific needs and challenges you face when running a startup and managing investment rounds, and EMBARK.LAW has exceeded all my expectations.
For example, during our financing rounds, they not only handled all of the legal issues with great professionalism, but also worked closely with me to set up the financing and structure the rounds. They took the time to model different valuations and clearly explain what they meant in terms of capital allocation. This level of dedication and expertise made all the difference for us.
I highly recommend EMBARK.LAW to anyone looking for top-notch legal assistance, especially in the startup sector. Their experience and collaborative approach is an invaluable resource.
Claudio Cammelli, CEO and Founder Vivan AG (digital beverage marketplace)The Startup Law Firm
We believe in people who are bold enough to explore their full potential and create their own place in this world. People who are willing to venture beyond the obvious and see the countless possibilities at the horizon.
People like you who found, run and invest in startups.
As one of Switzerland’s first law firms uniquely devoted to the startup ecosystem, we specialize in long-term collaborations with:
- startups focused on scaling, securing investments, and achieving successful exits,
- angel investors, VCs and corporate venture funds.
With dual qualifications in Swiss and U.S. law, a wide network of local and international partners, and in-depth know-how in industries such as financial services & FinTech, IT, real estate and MedTech as well as the public sector, we are at your side to help you do the great things you’re aiming for.
Our commitment is simple: to be the best possible lawyers for startups and investors.
Our Why
To empower people to realize their full potential, so they can carve their own path in this world and achieve great things.
Our Vision
To create the most user friendly law firm for high-growth startups and investors, actively accelerating innovators and reshaping legal services.
Our Mission
We provide legal services with supreme user experience, both for our clients and our team.
Our UX Command-ments
Our UX Commandments
To put our mission, legal services with supreme user experience, into practice, we, as a team, have created a set of guidelines that shape our everyday work: our UX Commandments.
Deliver the fish instead of the fishing lesson
- Deliver a product, not a manual.
- Solve the problem.
Great support up to and across the finish line
- Take ownership of your projects and manage them accordingly from start to finish, staying on top of tasks and timeline.
- The project isn’t over until everything is dealt with and we can pop the champagne.
Set new standards for legal services
- Keep innovating: How can we make things better, easier, more efficient, more user-friendly?
- Stay on the lookout for helpful new technology and use the technology we have to create great user experiences.
Live and breathe startups
- Think like an entrepreneur and tackle issues with a business mindset.
- Take an interest in the stories, products and team. Join in the excitement and celebrate successes.
Aim for the “Wow”
- Exceed expectations: How can you go one (or more) steps further than what’s expected?
- Be generous with insider tips, goodies, advice outside the box, etc.
Create a trust circle
- Promote candid relationships and trust through open and direct communication and feedback, honesty, empathy and loyalty.
- Listen to where the other person is coming from. Use the phone when things get hairy.
Anticipate
- Be proactive and anticipate potential needs and issues.
- Put yourself in the shoes of the recipient of your communications: How will they react, what do they need to so you can meet on common ground?
Make it convenient
- Write, communicate and prep to make things convenient for the other person and reduce the effort they need to put in as much as possible.
- Anticipate potential hassles for the other person and act accordingly.
Manage expectations and be responsive
- Say what’s up and then do what you said: Clearly communicate tasks and timeline and then stick to them.
- Respond quickly, even if it’s just a “I received your message and I’m on it”.
Keep it simple & pragmatic
- Go for business-minded and pragmatic advice.
- Write and talk so people can understand. Get to the point first, explanations below/after.