FINMA authorisation
Licence applications and supervisory dialogue for asset managers, trustees, fund management companies and securities firms under the Financial Institutions Act (FinIA).
An independent
Swiss firm.
Goldblum and Partners builds Swiss structures and runs them to regulatory standard: company formation, FINMA and SRO licensing, substance, administration and tax, kept under one roof so a single firm stays accountable from incorporation through to ongoing compliance. Financial regulation is our main field; the corporate and fiduciary work is built on it.
At a glance
A Swiss firm built around financial regulation.
Corporate, regulatory and fiduciary work, formed and run from Zurich and Zug, in five languages.
- Founded
- 2007, in Switzerland
- Main field
- Financial regulation, since 2014
- Offices
- Zurich & Zug
- Languages
- EN · DE · FR · ES · IT
- Recognition
- IFLR1000 · ITR World Tax
Who we are
Founded in 2007, Goldblum and Partners began as a general practice and, over the years, narrowed its focus to financial regulation — the licensing and compliance work that surrounds a regulated business. Today it is a corporate, regulatory and fiduciary firm, owner-managed rather than part of an international network.
Forming a Swiss company is rarely the hard part. What decides whether a structure holds up is what comes after it: the FINMA or SRO licence, real substance for tax purposes, and the administration that keeps the entity in good standing. We do all of that ourselves, so one firm is accountable for the result rather than a chain of suppliers.
We act for clients in English, German, French, Spanish and Italian, from offices in Zurich and Zug, and meet on request in Geneva, Bern and Lugano.
Our history
From a general practice to a regulatory specialist
Nineteen years, and a clear direction of travel: from a broad European practice to a Swiss firm built around financial regulation.
- 2007
Founded
Established in Zurich by a group of lawyers as a general corporate and fiduciary practice.
- 2009
Swiss offices open
Offices in Zurich and Zug; for a time the practice also ran offices elsewhere in Europe.
- 2013
Focus on Switzerland
The Firm closed its other offices and concentrated on two Swiss locations, Zurich and Zug.
- 2014
The regulatory turn
After a run of regulatory mandates, the Firm made financial regulation (SRO and AML work, then FINMA licensing) its main field.
- 2015
First IFLR1000 listing
IFLR1000 recommended the Firm in Banking & Finance for the first time.
- 2019–2021
Repeated rankings
Listed by IFLR1000 across Banking & Finance, Corporate / M&A and Restructuring & Insolvency.
- 2022–2026
Today
Continued IFLR1000 and ITR World Tax recognition; the regulatory, crypto and AML practice now leads the Firm.
What we do
Our expertise
Six areas of work, run from Switzerland and led by the regulatory practice.
SRO membership
Affiliation with a self-regulatory organisation for financial intermediaries that fall under anti-money-laundering rules rather than a prudential licence.
AML & compliance
AML manuals, outsourced AML-officer mandates, transaction monitoring and SRO audit readiness for financial intermediaries.
Crypto & digital assets
Token classification, VASP and crypto licensing, stablecoins and custody, and how a Swiss structure compares with authorisation under MiCA.
Substance & administration
Defensible Pillar Two substance and SPV administration for foreign-owned holdings, across three service tiers, with entity management.
Tax & structuring
Rulings, VAT, audit coordination and tax structuring built to hold up under scrutiny, alongside the corporate and fiduciary work.
About us
Who we work for
Most clients come to us in a regulated industry, or planning to enter one.
Financial intermediaries & FinTech
Asset managers, trustees, payment and FinTech firms that need a FINMA licence or SRO membership, and the compliance to keep it.
Crypto & digital-asset businesses
Exchanges, token issuers, custodians and stablecoin projects choosing between a Swiss structure and authorisation under MiCA.
Funds, PE & VC
Fund managers and investment vehicles that need a CISA licence, SPV administration or entity management for portfolio companies.
International groups & holdings
Foreign-owned holdings that need real Swiss substance under Pillar Two, plus the administration and tax that go with it.
Private clients & family offices
Foundations, succession and relocation, with one team coordinating the structure, the administration and the tax.
Law & consulting firms
White-label Swiss execution for advisers who want the work done in their clients’ name, not handed to a competitor.
Why clients choose us
The Firm, in figures
What independence, focus and recognition look like in practice.
Since 2007
Independent and owner-managed
Not part of a global network. The people who do the work make the decisions, and you stay with a partner throughout.
2014
A real regulatory focus
FINMA, SRO, crypto and AML work done in-house since we made financial regulation our main field, not subcontracted when a matter needs it.
10+ yrs
Listed by IFLR1000
Recommended across editions in Banking & Finance, Corporate / M&A and Restructuring, with ITR World Tax recognition for tax.
5 languages
English, German, French, Spanish, Italian
We work in the languages our clients use, matched to the markets they operate in.
2 offices
Zurich and Zug
With meetings on request in Geneva, Bern and Lugano. The same team acts for you across all five.
One day
A partner replies
A partner reviews every enquiry and responds within one business day, in any of our five working languages.
Recognitions
Recommended by international ratings — for Banking & Finance, Tax and Corporate / M&A across consecutive editions.
Rankings as published by IFLR1000 (Corporate / M&A) and ITR World Tax across the editions shown.
Leadership
Marcus Altenburg is Managing Partner, a lawyer and a member of the Bar. He leads the financial-regulation practice and remains the point of contact on the mandates he runs. You will find him on LinkedIn. The wider team is intentionally small and senior, with tax, audit and IP specialists brought in for the matters that need them.
Experience
Representative matters, recently handled.
A sample of recent engagements across financial regulation, crypto and private-client work. Anonymised — names are used only with client consent.
Swiss market entry for a foreign asset manager — FINMA licensing
A client running asset-management companies in the UAE and the Cayman Islands was referred to us by an international firm, intending to replicate his services in Switzerland.
OutcomeThe company was registered and the regulatory documentation submitted; a locally appointed managing director now oversees the ongoing licensing process.
Crypto financial-services company — SRO licensing and ongoing AML compliance
An early-stage crypto investor approached us to establish a regulated financial-services company in Canton Zug for crypto-related activities.
OutcomeThe company obtained SRO membership and authorisation to operate. We continue as its external AML Officer and support its ongoing regulatory audits.
From investment firm to family office — regulatory analysis and setup
A foreign client came to us planning to establish an investment company in Switzerland.
OutcomeThe client launched a fully operational family office with no unnecessary licensing, with brokerage and banking in place from day one.
Representative matters, anonymised. Specifics are illustrative and outcomes depend on the facts of each case. Client names are used only with written consent.
About the Firm
Questions about the Firm.
01Is Goldblum and Partners a law firm?
No. We are an independent Swiss corporate, regulatory and fiduciary firm. We form and run Swiss structures (company formation, FINMA and SRO licensing, substance, administration and tax) and work alongside your own counsel where court representation is needed. We do not describe our service as legal representation, and contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship.
02How long has the Firm been operating?
Since 2007. After a run of regulatory mandates, we made financial regulation (SRO and AML, then FINMA licensing) our main field in 2014. IFLR1000 first recommended the Firm in Banking & Finance in 2015 and has done so across editions since.
03What does the Firm specialise in?
Financial regulation is our main field: FINMA authorisation, SRO membership, crypto and digital-asset licensing, and AML compliance. The corporate, fiduciary and tax work (company formation, substance, SPV administration, tax structuring) is built on that regulatory base and delivered by the same team.
04Where are your offices?
We work from two offices: Stockerstrasse 45, 8002 Zurich, and Baarerstrasse 25, 6300 Zug. We also meet on request in Geneva, Bern and Lugano. The same partners act for clients across all five places.
05What languages do you work in?
Five: English, German, French, Spanish and Italian. A partner will correspond and meet with you in whichever of these you prefer.
06Do you work with foreign and non-resident clients?
Yes. Most of our clients are international: non-resident founders, foreign-owned groups and advisers abroad, setting up or licensing a business in Switzerland. We handle the Swiss-resident director, registered office and bank-account requirements that non-residents usually need.
07Who will I actually work with?
A partner reviews every enquiry and stays responsible for the engagement. There is no handover to a separate delivery team: the people who advise on a structure are the people who run it. A partner replies to new enquiries within one business day.
08How are your fees structured?
We agree scope and price in writing before any work begins: fixed-fee, capped hourly or success-based, whichever suits the matter. Because the work ranges from a simple formation to a full FINMA licence, we quote each engagement individually rather than publishing a price list.
09Is Goldblum and Partners a member of an SRO or the VQF?
No. We advise financial intermediaries on self-regulatory-organisation membership and run the affiliation process on their behalf, but the Firm is not itself an SRO and SRO membership belongs to the regulated client, not to us.
10How are you different from a company-formation agent?
A formation agent registers the company and stops there. We form the company and then license it, give it substance, administer it and keep it compliant, one firm accountable for the whole structure, not a chain of separate suppliers.
11Which industries do you work with?
Financial intermediaries and FinTech, crypto and digital-asset businesses, funds and PE/VC managers, international holding groups, private clients and family offices, and law and consulting firms that need white-label Swiss execution.
12How do I start working with you?
Send a short message through the contact page or email info@goldblum.ch. A partner reviews every enquiry personally and replies within one business day. The first conversation is free and carries no obligation.
Send us your enquiry
Describe your situation in a line or two. A partner replies within one business day, in English, German, French, Spanish or Italian. The first conversation is free and carries no obligation.