GAWEL · Life Sciences & ICT Law Firm

Complex Science. Clear Counsel.

Legal advisory for life sciences and technology across Europe and beyond

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D13 · AI-DESIGNED GLP-1 AGONIST From Sequence to Signal:
Ultra Long-Acting
GLP-1 Receptor Agonist
31 AA · 18 AI-optimized positions · Research: Wei, Ma, Cui et al. · Advanced Science (opens in new tab)
What is being visualized?

An AI-optimized long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist. In pre-clinical rodent studies (Wei et al., 2025), it showed prolonged activity, improved glucose control, and renal protection. Visualization simplified for illustration.

Senior Swiss and EU counsel for life sciences, MedTech and ICT.

Regulatory, data-protection, transactional and dispute counsel for pharma, biotech, MedTech and ICT companies operating across Switzerland and the EU.

① Life Sciences Regulatory

01 · Service

Life Sciences Regulatory Counsel

Outsourced regulatory legal function for pharma, biotech and MedTech. Monthly subscription

Scope

Ongoing regulatory advisory under HMG, AMBV, advertising and integrity-and-transparency rules (AWV, VITH). Includes Swissmedic correspondence review, promotional material legal review, and a fixed allotment of advisory hours each month. Tier II ("Fractional Head of Regulatory Legal") available for clients with deeper engagement.

Target client
Foreign biotech / MedTech with Swiss subsidiary and no in-house Swiss counsel; Swiss Series A to C biotechs without GC.
Billing
Monthly retainer

Indicative starting price

from CHF 8,000 / month

Outsourced regulatory legal function on a fixed monthly subscription with a defined scope; beyond-scope advisory at CHF 700 to 950 / hour. A Fractional Head of Regulatory Legal tier is available (see Fractional Counsel). Indicative starting prices, net and exclusive of Swiss MWST (VAT) where applicable; final fee per written engagement letter.

Discuss a regulatory retainer Full service details
02 · Service

MDR / IVDR Compliance

Structural MDR/IVDR compliance for European and Swiss medical device market access. Subscription + fixed-fee modules

Scope

Ongoing MDR/IVDR compliance support including PMS review, vigilance legal review, AR/PRRC contract maintenance and EUDAMED queries. CH-REP mandate structuring and review and Swiss market-entry counsel under the MepV for manufacturers without a Swiss presence. The firm structures and advises on the CH-REP arrangement; it does not act as the representative. Discrete workstreams (AR/PRRC agreement packages, Article 16 economic-operator structuring, labeling review) priced as fixed-fee modules.

Target client
Swiss MedTech SMEs exporting to EU; non-EU MedTech entering CH and EU markets in parallel.
Billing
Fixed-fee modules + monthly retainer

Indicative starting price

from CHF 5,500 / month

Discrete workstreams as fixed-fee modules, CHF 4,500 to 14,000. Indicative starting prices, net and exclusive of Swiss MWST (VAT) where applicable; final fee per written engagement letter.

Scope an MDR/IVDR engagement Full service details CH-REP advisory details
03 · Service

Clinical Trial Contracting

Framework agreements and per-protocol legal support for sponsors and sites. Framework subscription + per-CTA fixed fee

Scope

Clinical Trial Agreement review and negotiation for site or sponsor, regulatory queries under HFG/KlinV and EU CTR, and master CTA template development. Volume-based framework retainer with per-CTA fixed fee for predictable cost per protocol.

Target client
Cantonal and university hospitals running investigator-initiated trials; mid-size CROs in DACH; Swiss biotech sponsors of EU/UK trials.
Billing
Framework retainer + per-CTA fixed fee

Indicative starting price

from CHF 6,000 / month

Per CTA CHF 3,500 to 7,500 for a full negotiation; CHF 2,500 to 3,000 on a master-CTA template. Indicative starting prices, net and exclusive of Swiss MWST (VAT) where applicable; final fee per written engagement letter.

Set up a clinical trial framework Full service details
04 · Service

Market Access & Reimbursement (SL / BAG)

Specialty List (SL) listing and BAG pricing procedures for reimbursed medicines. Fixed fee per listing

Scope

Legal support for Specialty-List (SL) listing applications and re-evaluations, BAG pricing and economic-evaluation procedures against the WZW criteria (efficacy, appropriateness, economy), price-review and re-examination proceedings, and reimbursement strategy under the KVV and KLV.

Target client
Pharma marketing-authorisation holders seeking Swiss reimbursement; foreign manufacturers entering the Swiss reimbursed market; companies defending SL price re-evaluations.
Billing
Phase-based fixed fee + hourly

Indicative starting price

from CHF 20,000 / listing

Reimbursement and HTA-strategy work as a capped fixed fee, CHF 12,000 to 28,000. Indicative starting prices, net and exclusive of Swiss MWST (VAT) where applicable; final fee per written engagement letter.

Discuss a reimbursement listing Full service details
05 · Service

Pharmacovigilance & Drug Safety

Pharmacovigilance obligations, safety reporting and QPPV arrangements. Subscription + fixed-fee modules

Scope

Legal support for the pharmacovigilance system under HMG and AMBV and EU GVP: safety-reporting obligations, QPPV and safety-data-exchange agreements (SDEA), signal-management and CAPA legal review, and audit and inspection readiness.

Target client
MAHs and affiliates operating Swiss/EU PV systems; companies outsourcing the QPPV interface; sponsors structuring safety-data exchange with partners.
Billing
Monthly retainer + fixed-fee modules

Indicative starting price

from CHF 5,500 / month

Modules CHF 5,000 to 18,000; per-country local-contact-person coverage from CHF 700 / month. Indicative starting prices, net and exclusive of Swiss MWST (VAT) where applicable; final fee per written engagement letter.

Discuss a pharmacovigilance mandate Full service details
06 · Service

Product Liability (PrHG)

Product-liability exposure and defence for pharma and MedTech products. Hourly advisory; capped defence retainer

Scope

Product-liability risk advisory and defence under the PrHG and the OR: liability allocation across the supply chain, recall and field-safety-corrective-action legal coordination, and defence of product-liability claims.

Target client
Pharma and MedTech manufacturers and importers managing product-liability exposure; companies coordinating recalls / FSCAs; defendants in product-liability claims.
Billing
Hourly advisory; defence quoted per matter

Indicative starting price

CHF 700 to 1,000 / hour

Defence across related claims on a capped monthly retainer, CHF 8,000 to 15,000 / month. Indicative starting prices, net and exclusive of Swiss MWST (VAT) where applicable; final fee per written engagement letter.

Discuss product-liability exposure Full service details

② Data, AI & Digital

07 · Service

Data-Protection Advisor & Operations

Outsourced data-protection advisor and ongoing privacy operations for Swiss and EU exposure. Monthly subscription

Scope

For Swiss controllers: the voluntary data-protection advisor function under Art. 10 DSG, which lets the controller consult its advisor instead of the EDÖB before high-risk processing flagged in an impact assessment. Ongoing operations throughout: DPIAs, cross-border-transfer assessments, records of processing, and breach-notification readiness. The Swiss representative role under Art. 14 DSG and EU AI Act work are separate services; see the Swiss Data-Protection Representative and EU AI Act Compliance tiles.

Target client
Swiss controllers wanting an independent data-protection advisor; companies needing ongoing DPIA, transfer, record-keeping and breach support.
Billing
Monthly retainer

Indicative starting price

from CHF 4,000 / month

An embedded senior-counsel data-protection function; the flagship tier is CHF 6,500 / month. Indicative starting prices, net and exclusive of Swiss MWST (VAT) where applicable; final fee per written engagement letter.

Discuss a data-protection mandate Full service details
08 · Service

Swiss Data-Protection Representative (Art. 14 DSG)

The in-Switzerland representative foreign controllers appoint under Art. 14 DSG. Annual fee, tiered by scale

Scope

Acting as the representative in Switzerland under Arts. 14–15 DSG for controllers domiciled abroad whose Swiss-facing processing meets the Art. 14 conditions: maintaining the record of processing and serving as the contact point for data subjects and the EDÖB. Advisory on, and coordination of, an EU Art. 27 GDPR representative where the same activity also targets the EU. The firm advises on the EU role; it does not act as the EU representative.

Target client
EU, US and other foreign controllers offering goods or services to, or monitoring, people in Switzerland and required to designate a Swiss representative.
Billing
Annual retainer

Indicative starting price

from CHF 3,000 / year

Tiered to CHF 5,500 / year (251 to 500 staff); a combined Swiss and EU mandate from CHF 7,500 / year. Indicative starting prices, net and exclusive of Swiss MWST (VAT) where applicable; final fee per written engagement letter.

Appoint a Swiss representative Full service details
09 · Service

EU AI Act Compliance

Provider and deployer obligations under the EU AI Act, ahead of the high-risk obligations taking effect. Subscription + fixed-fee modules

Scope

Role and risk classification (provider, deployer, importer), high-risk-system obligations (risk management, data governance, technical documentation, human oversight, post-market monitoring), general-purpose-AI duties, and the interplay with MDR/IVDR for AI medical devices. Conformity-assessment documentation and governance support as fixed-fee modules. The firm provides the legal documentation and coordination, not the technical conformity assessment.

Target client
Providers and deployers of AI systems with EU exposure; life-sciences and ICT companies placing AI/ML products on the EU market.
Billing
Monthly retainer + fixed-fee modules

Indicative starting price

from CHF 5,500 / month

Gap-assessment from CHF 9,000; conformity-support CHF 18,000 to 40,000. Indicative starting prices, net and exclusive of Swiss MWST (VAT) where applicable; final fee per written engagement letter.

Map AI Act obligations Full service details
10 · Service

Cyber & Digital Resilience (NIS2 / DORA / CRA)

NIS2, DORA and Cyber Resilience Act readiness for regulated and digital businesses. Fixed-fee modules + subscription

Scope

Applicability and scoping assessments, governance and incident-reporting frameworks, ICT third-party and contractual requirements under DORA, product-cybersecurity obligations under the Cyber Resilience Act, and Swiss ISG touchpoints. Per-regime assessment modules; ongoing advisory as a retainer.

Target client
EU-regulated entities and their ICT providers under NIS2 / DORA; manufacturers of products with digital elements under the CRA; Swiss entities with ISG obligations.
Billing
Fixed-fee modules + monthly retainer

Indicative starting price

from CHF 5,000 / month

Per-regime assessment CHF 9,000 to 18,000. Indicative starting prices, net and exclusive of Swiss MWST (VAT) where applicable; final fee per written engagement letter.

Scope a resilience assessment Full service details
11 · Service

ICT Commercial Contracting

Outsourced commercial legal for SaaS, cloud, IoT and ICT services. Monthly subscription

Scope

Review and negotiation of inbound or outbound commercial contracts (MSAs, DPAs, NDAs, SOWs, SaaS subscriptions); volume-based retainer with fair-use cap. Cyber and digital-resilience compliance (NIS2, DORA, CRA) is a separate service; see the Cyber & Digital Resilience tile.

Target client
Swiss SaaS scale-ups; mid-cap industrial companies digitalizing; ICT third-party service providers to financial institutions caught by DORA.
Billing
Monthly retainer

Indicative starting price

from CHF 5,000 / month

A volume-based subscription with a fair-use cap; beyond-scope advisory at CHF 700 to 950 / hour. Indicative starting prices, net and exclusive of Swiss MWST (VAT) where applicable; final fee per written engagement letter.

Outsource commercial contracting Full service details
12 · Service

Health-Data & Research-Data Law (HFG + DSG)

Secondary use of health data, biobanks and research databases under HFG and DSG. Subscription + fixed-fee modules

Scope

Legal basis for the secondary use of health data, consent and general-consent frameworks, biobank and research-database governance, anonymisation and pseudonymisation, and data-sharing arrangements (including for AI training) under the HFG, the HFV and the DSG.

Target client
Hospitals, research institutions and biobanks governing secondary use; companies sourcing health data for research or AI; sponsors structuring research-data sharing.
Billing
Monthly retainer + fixed-fee modules

Indicative starting price

from CHF 5,500 / month

Modules CHF 6,000 to 16,000. Indicative starting prices, net and exclusive of Swiss MWST (VAT) where applicable; final fee per written engagement letter.

Discuss a health-data mandate Full service details
13 · Service

Digital Health Compliance

Combined MDR, AI Act and data protection for SaMD and AI medical devices. Monthly subscription

Scope

Integrated regulatory function covering MDR/IVDR, EU AI Act and data protection across the lifecycle of software-as-a-medical-device, AI/ML diagnostic tools and cross-border telemedicine platforms: packaging the MDR/IVDR, EU AI Act and data-protection services into one mandate for digital-health products. Major filings (CE marking, AI conformity-assessment support) as fixed-fee modules.

Target client
Digital therapeutics makers; AI/ML diagnostic imaging and decision-support providers; cross-border telemedicine platforms in DACH.
Billing
Monthly retainer

Indicative starting price

from CHF 9,500 / month

One integrated mandate; major filings as fixed-fee modules. Indicative starting prices, net and exclusive of Swiss MWST (VAT) where applicable; final fee per written engagement letter.

Map the digital-health pathway Full service details

③ Transactions & Disputes

14 · Service

Pharma & MedTech Transactions

Licensing, co-development, manufacturing and distribution agreements for life sciences. Phased fixed fee; collar optional

Scope

License agreements (in-licensing or out-licensing), co-development and option deals, manufacturing supply and quality agreements, and distribution arrangements. Deal-anchored fixed fee for drafting and term-sheet work, hourly billing for active negotiation phases.

Target client
Basel biotechs doing licensing deals with big pharma; Swiss-affiliate pharma and MedTech managing supplier and distribution chains.
Billing
Deal-based fixed fee + hourly negotiation

Pricing

Quoted per transaction

A phased fixed fee across diligence, drafting and closing, with an optional collared cap; active negotiation at CHF 950 to 1,100 / hour. Indicative starting prices, net and exclusive of Swiss MWST (VAT) where applicable; final fee per written engagement letter.

Discuss a transaction Full service details
15 · Service

International Arbitration

Counsel, co-counsel or sole arbitrator for commercial and life sciences disputes. Phased fixed fees with caps

Scope

Counsel and co-counsel in commercial and investment-treaty arbitrations under Swiss Rules, ICC, DIS and other major rules, with subject-matter depth in life sciences disputes. Available for appointment as sole arbitrator, co-arbitrator or emergency arbitrator (MCIArb).

Target client
Parties to life-sciences-related disputes (distribution, licensing, supply, post-M&A); institutions seeking arbitrators with technical and linguistic range.
Billing
Hourly (counsel) or institutional schedule (arbitrator)

Indicative starting price

CHF 750 to 1,100 / hour

Phased fixed fees with a per-phase cap; an early-case assessment at CHF 12,000 to 18,000; lead counsel to CHF 1,100 / hour and hearing days at CHF 9,500 to 11,000 / day; institutional and tribunal fees are passed through transparently. Indicative starting prices, net and exclusive of Swiss MWST (VAT) where applicable; final fee per written engagement letter.

Discuss a dispute or appointment Full service details
16 · Service

Pharma Compliance & Investigations

Confidential internal investigations and compliance audits for life sciences companies. Fixed scoping + capped phases

Scope

Independent legal review of internal compliance concerns (suspected kickback, off-label promotion, VITH violations); MedTech distribution-practices compliance audits; pre-acquisition compliance due diligence. Phase-based fixed-fee structure with negotiated caps.

Target client
Pharma affiliates responding to internal compliance concerns; MedTech companies under distribution-practices scrutiny; PE / strategic acquirers of CH or DE life sciences targets.
Billing
Phase-based fixed fee

Indicative starting price

from CHF 16,000 / scoping phase

Subsequent phases on a capped fee. Indicative starting prices, net and exclusive of Swiss MWST (VAT) where applicable; final fee per written engagement letter.

Open a confidential conversation Full service details

④ Fractional Counsel

17 · Service

Fractional Counsel

Embedded interim general counsel for companies between hires or scaling into new markets. Days-per-month retainer

Scope

A senior attorney embedded part-time as general counsel or specialised senior counsel: strategic legal oversight, contract-lifecycle management, regulatory compliance, board and executive support, and external-counsel coordination. Structured as a monthly retainer of defined days, scaling up during transactions or regulatory sprints. Distinct from tile 01's "Fractional Head of Regulatory Legal" tier, which is the regulatory-only retainer. How the model works.

Target client
Series A to C companies between general counsel, scaling into new markets, or needing Swiss / DACH legal presence without a full-time hire.
Billing
Monthly retainer; defined days per month, roll-forward

Indicative starting price

from CHF 7,500 / month

Embedded (about 2 days / month) from CHF 7,500; Integrated (about 1 day / week) CHF 12,500; Fractional Lead (about 2 days / week) CHF 22,000. A fixed-fee onboarding (Regulatory Health Check and 90-day roadmap) is CHF 9,500. Indicative starting prices, net and exclusive of Swiss MWST (VAT) where applicable; final fee per written engagement letter.

Discuss fractional counsel

Note Indicative starting prices, net and exclusive of Swiss MWST (VAT) where applicable; final fees depend on scope, complexity, time spent, economic interest, importance of the matter, and urgency. Fees are agreed as fixed, capped, retainer or phased arrangements scoped to the matter. Engagements can pair a base fee with a capped success component (Swiss law does not permit pure contingency).

View all services

Selected Experience

Across Pharma, MedTech, and Digital Health.

Research Collaboration

Advised pharmaceutical company on research collaboration agreement with academic medical center and led contract negotiations.

CRO Engagement

Negotiated master services agreement with contract research organization for Phase II clinical trial program. Structured terms for data ownership, regulatory submission support, performance milestones, and amendment protocols across multiple European sites.

Hospital Supply

Structured supply and service agreement between pharmaceutical company and university hospital network. Renegotiated equipment loan terms, training obligations, and insurance arrangements.

Patient Information & Informed Consent

Advised medical aesthetics company on Patient Information Sheet and Informed Consent Forms across multiple European jurisdictions. Refined template terms addressing responsibility allocation, DSG and GDPR compliance, and termination provisions.

Software Development and License Agreement

Drafted and negotiated development agreement including licensing terms for start-up providing AI-driven decision support software. Structured data processing terms, integration requirements, service levels, and liability allocation.

IoT Services Framework Agreement

Advised health technology start-up on contract framework for providing third-party software and cloud infrastructure solutions. Developed terms for data processing, security and sub-processor requirements, and cross-border compliance obligations.

Dr. Claus Gawel

Dr. iur. · LLM (Uppsala) · MCIArb

Attorney · Arbitrator · Fractional Counsel
EN · DE · FR · ES · SV ·

Recent Analysis

Transparent Fees

Five fee models, each matched to how the work is engaged. Every engagement begins with a written agreement on scope, fees, and terms.

Billing Methods

  • Hourly Billing for advisory and ongoing matters
  • Fixed & Capped Fees for defined-scope projects
  • Success-Based Components within Swiss limits

Engagement Types

  • Retainer Engagements for ongoing legal support
  • Fractional Counsel for embedded coverage

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