Senior Startup & Venture Capital Lawyer (80%-100%)

Kellerhals Carrard; Zürich; On-site; CHF 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Professional development opportunities

Flexible working arrangements

Central office location in Zurich

Team events and retreats

Job summary

A leading Swiss law firm in Zurich is seeking a seasoned lawyer to join its growing team in Startup & Venture Capital. The ideal candidate will possess a Swiss law degree, fluency in German and English, and experience in corporate law and venture capital transactions. This position offers opportunities for professional development, autonomy, and collaboration in a dynamic legal environment, serving tech startups and investors. Candidates with a strong academic record and precision in their work will excel in this role.

Qualifications

• Must have a Swiss law degree and relevant experience in Swiss law.
• Fluent in both German and English, in spoken and written form.
• Strong academic record with excellent grades in law school.
• Proven attention to detail and accurate legal work.
• Ability to communicate complex legal concepts clearly.
• Experience in providing legal counsel to technology startups and investors.

Responsibilities

• Advise clients on venture capital transactions and corporate law.
• Provide legal support for technology companies at all life cycle stages.
• Work with founders, startups, and investors to navigate legal complexities.
• Produce error-free legal documents and advice.

Skills

Fluent in German

Fluent in English

Attention to detail

Client focus

Excellent communication skills

Collaborative team player

Problem-solving skills

Adaptability

Experience in startup ecosystem

Education

Swiss law degree

Job description

Why us?

We are not just looking for lawyers; we are keen on further building on one of the finest, most savvy and efficient legal teams for technology companies and investors in Switzerland and beyond. As the capital invested in technology companies is expected to further rise again and the number of university spinoffs climbs ever higher, our Startup & Venture Capital Team is experiencing further substantial growth. At Kellerhals Carrard we consider ourselves privileged by the fact that we collaborate seamlessly with many thought leaders in areas that go beyond the scope of corporate law. Thus, we do not just excel in one or two areas; we are leaders across a multitude of legal fields and are, therefore, able to provide best counsel for our clients as well as creating constant learning opportunities for colleagues new and old.

We do not take it for granted that we have the privilege to act as key legal enablers in the ever-growing Swiss tech scene, and we enjoy every moment of it. We get to work with the brightest and also most challenging minds: founders, researchers, professional investors, professors and many more stakeholders.

Join us, and be part of a team that enjoys every moment at the cutting edge of the Swiss startup scene and technological evolution.

Who are we?

Welcome to the Kellerhals Carrard Startup & Venture Capital Team, where innovation and technology meet law!

We are not your average law firm; we live the ‘startup vibe’ while grounding our business on the foundation of a law firm that has gained expertise for over a century. We were among the first law firms in Switzerland to have a dedicated focus on the thriving tech market. As such, we have emerged as one of the leading law firms for entrepreneurs and investors, and are currently listed as Switzerland’s #1 most active and DACH’s second most active VC law firm by Pitchbook, with more than half a billion VC investments into Swiss startups facilitated in 2025.

We advise technology companies (including spin-offs from ETH, HSG and other reputed Swiss universities) at all stages of their life cycle - from founding to exit. Our clients include founders, startups, scale-ups and established technology companies as well as venture capital, private equity and corporate investors. We operate as legal enablers at the forefront of disruptive technologies and their impact on society. Our startup clients trust us, in particular, for structuring financing rounds, safeguarding intellectual property, creating employee incentive plans, and navigating all legal complexities during their growth journey – from incorporation to exit, including trade sales to corporate or private equity acquirers and IPOs. Our investor clients appreciate our deep understanding of local market trends and rely on us specifically when negotiating deal terms or conducting legal due diligence work.

Why you?

You are a seasoned lawyer with a passion for technology and innovation and experience in venture capital and corporate law (and ideally also M&A) who wants to join our ever-growing team. Your entrepreneurial spirit, your willingness to go the extra mile and your hunger for personal development set you apart.

Your profile

The ideal candidate will tick all the following boxes.

Must-haves

• Legal Expertise: You have a Swiss law degree and several years of relevant practical experience in Swiss law, in particular in Venture Capital transactions and adjacent fields. This is a non-negotiable for this position.
• Languages: You speak both German and English fluently and you are able to communicate confidently and flawlessly in both – in spoken and in written form.
• Academic Excellence: You are able to demonstrate outstanding academic achievements, including but not limited to excellent grades in law school. A strong academic record is considered a key indicator of your dedication to legal excellence and intellectual rigor.
• Precision and Accuracy: You possess proven attention to detail and a track record of consistently delivering accurate legal work. The ambition and capability to produce error-free documents and provide precise legal advice is essential for success in this role.
• Client Focus: You do not lose sight of clients’ interests. Going the extra-mile for your clients comes naturally to you.
• Communication Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex legal concepts in a clear and concise manner to both legal and non-legal stakeholders.
• Collaborative Team Player: You work effectively in cross-functional teams, collaborating with other departments and internal and external stakeholders to achieve business objectives. You quickly grasp your role and level of ownership on a given matter and have a track record in delegating work effectively and efficiently to other team members and in reliably overseeing it.
• Problem-Solving Aptitude: You are a logical thinker showcasing a proactive and solution-oriented mindset, offering strategic and actionable legal advice to address complex issues.
• Adaptability and Agility: You demonstrate the ability to adapt to fast-paced, dynamic environments inherent in the startup and VC culture, showing agility in addressing legal issues efficiently.
• Continuous Learning and Growth Mindset: You exhibit a commitment to ongoing professional development, staying updated on legal trends impacting startups and seeking opportunities for personal and professional growth.
• Experience in Startup Ecosystem: You have gathered relevant experience in providing legal counsel to technology startups and investors, including a strong understanding of venture financing, equity structures and related matters.

Nice-to-haves

• Entrepreneurial Spirit: You are characterized by a self-motivated drive to explore new opportunities, a willingness to take initiative as well as to seek and provide solutions and a strong commitment to contribute to a culture of continuous improvement.
• Additional Languages: Any language additional to the required ones is considered a plus.
• Post-Grad Titles: Post-grad titles such as a doctorate or an LL.M./MBA are a great addition to a rock-solid academic record, which we value. However, at the end of the day, your skills, personality, drive and enthusiasm will matter more to us.

What do we offer

• Client Interaction: Take responsibility and build relationships with clients, together with very experienced team members, right from the start.
• Autonomy & Flexibility: Enjoy a high degree of autonomy in your work. Onboard your own clients, explore new fields of law, or pioneer collaborations and initiatives.
• Competitive Compensation: We provide an attractive compensation package that rewards entrepreneurship, and that is composed of base compensation combined with compelling participation in client acquisition and discretionary bonus elements.
• Team Synergy: Join a professional, dedicated, and fun team that has your back from day one. We invest continuously in a high integration of our workflows, corporate practices, know-how management and legal tech/AI, which allows for an efficient and effective delivery of our legal expertise to our clients.
• Professional Development: We invest in your success and your growth by ensuring extensive exposure to client- and transaction-based learning and by providing a multitude of learning and career development opportunities.
• Additional perks: Up-to-date IT infrastructure and latest legal tech (including AI) tools for seamless collaboration and high productivity; central and accessible office location at Bellevue, Zurich; extensive network of top experts across all KC locations across Switzerland; opportunity to work at other offices at times; regular team events, team lunches, retreats, and more.

Your mission