Establishment of a Corporate / Public Limited Company (AG)

This form of company (AG) is the most important one in Switzerland. The AG disposes of an own legal entity with an own company name. The AG is a capital company, its capital is fragmented in shares. The shareholders execute their rights as associates at the Annual General Assembly. The actual management of the AG is reserved to the Board of Directors and the by this board appointed manager(s) (so-called: Direktoren).

The establishment of an AG
is linked with certain conditions:

• The establishment must be notarised by a notary
• Foreign nationals can own all shares. Also the Board of Directors can be composed of foreign nationals only. At least one person with single signing authority must have domicile in Switzerland who can legally act on behalf of the company (single signing authority or two persons domiciled in Switzerland with joint signature at two.) These persons do not necessarily need to be Member of the Board. 
• The share capital amounts at least to CHF 100‘000.-
• 20% of the share capital, however at least CHF 50‘000.-, must be paid to into a blocked bank account or must be available as a contribution in kind (a so-called “Sacheinlagevertrag” is necessary).