About Le Réseau:
Non-profit association created in 1998 by renowned professionals in the fields of private equity, corporate law, tax, banking and audit.
See also : Executive Committee Founders
Mission:
Promote innovation and facilitate entrepreneurship in Switzerland by providing members’ expertise and proposing changes in legal and administrative processes.
Accomplishments:
- OFAS liberalized rules for pension funds to invest in private equity – 1 April 2000.
- Revision of the law on limited companies reducing nominal value of share to one centime – 1 May 2001.
- Art 708 CO – remove board composition restrictions – 25 July 2003.
- Encouraged the creation of technology transfer offices in Swiss universities, today know as SWITT.
- International Legal Debate:“The Challenges of Insolvency Law Reform in the 21st Century – Facilitating Investment and Recovery to Enhance Economic Growth”– September 2004.
- Markus Schriber, President Le Réseau, fostered the creation of Eclosion, Geneva – December 2004.
- Supported introduction of Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) structure to encourage private equity in Switzerland – 1 January 2007.
- Modification of the federal law on foreign graduates (LEtr) to facilitate their integration into Swiss professional schools and workplace – 6 March 2010.
- Actively supported stock option reform : By 102 votes against 49, the Swiss National Council adopted a bill on the taxation of employees’ stock options and shares incentive plan – 16 September 2010.
Download : History and Accomplishments.docx
Current Themes:
- Art. 725 CO
This Group is still working on the final memo that will include a new proposal for Article 725 CO more in line with the specific needs of start-ups. Parliamentary discussions, however, have been postponed and the revision of the SA is focused on the counterproposal, which opposed the Minder initiative.
- Education
Le Réseau members believe that investment in education should lead to self-sufficiency, preparing them to hold jobs, raise their families, and be contributing citizens. This group is working on education programs that will bring experienced members into the classrooms, encouraging all ages in the fields of … discovery.
- Innovation
This group is studying the value processes surrounding Swiss innovation.
Switzerland is strong in innovation, especially in highly technical domains; innovative entrepreneurs play the important role of driving our future prosperity.
Innovators, university-based or other, need support in learning to commercialize their technologies. As it stands today innovative Swiss start-ups are slow getting to, or never reach the market.
The group is exploring why the system is not more productive and ways to rapidly and efficiently commercialize innovations.