Désirée A. Schreyer, LL.M.

Counsel

schreyer@ndlegal.ch
+41 44 250 45 50
DE, EN, FR
Désirée advises corporations, financial institutions and senior executives on complex, cross-border investigations and disputes. Her expertise is shaped by experience gained in leading international law firms, a global professional services environment and senior roles within highly regulated financial institutions. She combines deep knowledge of white-collar crime and regulatory frameworks with a strong command of AI-enabled investigative technologies. Désirée routinely deploys advanced data analytics, technology-assisted review and eDiscovery to lead investigations in a smart, lean and fast way thereby transforming complex and voluminous datasets into clear, defensible and actionable insights. Her practice spans internal and regulatory investigations, fraud detection and prevention, enforcement proceedings, litigations, international arbitration and strategic dispute management.

Professional Experience

  • Counsel with Nater Dallafior Rechtsanwälte AG (since 2026)

  • Senior Manager / Investigation Expert at Ernst & Young AG (2021-2025)

  • Director / Head Injunctions at the Global Litigation Department, UBS AG (2019-2021)

  • Senior Associate at Bär & Karrer AG (2013-2019)

  • Admitted to the bar (2013)

  • Law Clerk White-Collar Crime Division District Court, Zurich (2011-2013)

  • Law Clerk at Public Prosecution Office and Regional Court, Bern (2011)

  • Junior Associate at Schwegler, Fasel & Partner Law Firm, Bern (2009-2010)

Education

  • Diploma of Advanced Studies: Postgraduate studies at the Executive School of Management, University of St. Gallen (2022)

  • Postgraduate studies (LL.M.) at the University of New South Wales, Sydney (2017)

  • Bachelor and Masters in Law, University of Bern (2010)

Professional affiliation

  • Ethics & Compliance Switzerland (ECS)

  • Zurich Bar Association

Recent Cases

  • Forensic fact-finding in an international pharmaceutical / life sciences arbitration before the International Court of Arbitration of the ICC.

  • Representing a highway bridge manufacturer a concrete-producing corporation at the International Court of Arbitration (ICC).

  • Leading the eDiscovery part of a high-stake family arbitration at the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) involving four well known international law firms.

  • Analysed complex gold trading transactions and internal decision-making processes across jurisdictions, reconstructing responsibilities and transaction flows with regards to Sanctions Compliance.

  • Leading a high-profile internal investigation into serious misconduct allegations against the former CEO of a Swiss bank, including multiple criminal offences and misuse of corporate resources. The mandate involved large-scale document and email review, witness interviews, and legal assessments as well as engagement with prosecutors and ongoing interaction with FINMA.

  • Forensic investigation into repeated insider trading at a listed company, focusing on data access, system usage and information flows.

  • Leading a cross-border investigation into complex commodity trade transactions, including data analytics, payment flow mapping and identification of documentation gaps.

  • Internal investigation into undisclosed conflicts of interest, potential preferential treatment and alleged misstatements in a prior compliance review.

  • Leading various cross-border investigations representing banks and insurances before FINMA, the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and the Liechtenstein Supervisory Authority (FMA), and in courts.

  • Heading various tax evasion investigations, for example for banks pleading and negotiating in the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington D.C.

  • Leading investigations based on whistleblowings concerning behavioral topics, such as related to discrimination, harassment, inappropriate statements.

  • Leading a life insurance investigation for a world wide leading insurance company.

  • Leading expense fraud investigations for Swiss and global acting companies.

  • Leading numerous covid credit fraud investigations.

  • Leading an insider trading investigation for a global acting bank.

  • Represented a listed company in insider trading proceedings initiated by the Federal Prosecutor, coordinating with the Office of the Attorney General and preparing key submissions.

  • Defended a General Counsel in sanctions-related criminal proceedings, including dawn raids and submissions to authorities to rebut personal liability.○ Analysed complex gold trading transactions with regards to sanctions compliance and internal decision-making processes across jurisdictions, reconstructing responsibilities and transaction flows.

  • Leading a cross-border investigation into complex commodity trade transactions, including data analytics, payment flow mapping and identification of documentation gaps.

  • Advised a financial institution on potential AML and sanctions breaches, including reporting obligations, self-disclosure considerations and regulatory interface.

  • Advised a corporate group on potential criminal and employment law exposure in connection with conflicts of interest, preferential treatment and misstatements in internal control processes.

  • Represented and advised a CEO in FINMA enforcement proceedings relating to corporate valuations and transactions, focusing on interview strategy, defence positioning and potential regulatory and criminal exposure

  • Defending banks and insurances in financial crime concern matters.

  • Investigation, assessment and legal analysis of control systems and potential governance failures.

  • Advising European focused companies on whistleblowing frameworks.

  • Advising a global acting re-insurance on their fraud detection measures and compliance frameworks.

  • Advised a financial institution on potential AML and sanctions breaches, including reporting obligations, self-disclosure considerations and regulatory interface.

  • Advised a bank on potential criminal conduct at CEO level, including interaction with prosecutors and preparation of criminal filings. Focused on managing exposure and restoring regulatory trust.

  • Defending banks in FINMA enforcement proceedings regarding anti money laundering compliance and sanctions compliance.

  • Representing and advised a global acting insurance company on an insolvency dispute in Switzerland.

Publications & Speaking Engagements

  • In the Crosshairs of Sanctions: What to Expect and How to Prepare in Recht Relevant, 2/2025, p. 16 ff.

  • Artificial Intelligence in Investigations: What is possible and who sets the rules in the AI-powered fight against economic crime, in Recht relevant, 2/2024, p. 5 ff. (with Adrian Ott)

  • Greenwashing Investigations: Unmasking Deceptive ESG Practices, in Recht relevant, 4/2023, p. 5 ff. (with Dr. Michael Faske)

  • Third Party Risk Management: Prevention Instead of Regret: Considering Third-Party Compliance Risks in Mergers and Acquisitions of Companies, in Recht Relevant, 3/2022, p. 8 ff. (with Dr. Michael Faske)

  • Investigations 2.0: Technology as the Force Multiplier, Smarter, Leaner, Faster: How Smart Technology is Redefining Scale, Speed, and Modern Investigations, at Neue Zürcher Compliance Konferenz, 22 January 2026, Zurich (2026)

  • Sanctions controls and their articulation with Anti-Money-Laundering controls, 5 November 2024, Zurich (with Mita Jha)

  • Operational aspects of sanctions compliance implementation at Swiss banks, 8 November 2023, Geneva (with Mita Jha)

  • Know Your Client bank file remediation and data quality: Objectives and the methods of KYC remediation, including the special challenges following online account openings, the legal requirements and the role of data quality, 1 December 2022, Zurich (with Dr. Madan Sathe)

  • Identification of the Ultimate Beneficial Owner during the Life of a Banking Relationship: The triggering factors and the scope of verifications in the course of the relationship, 2 December 2021, Zurich (with Dr. Madan Sathe)

  • Practical requirements of the revised AMLA (art. 4): Methods and Documentation of the identification of the Ultimate Beneficial Owner, 2 December 2021, Zurich (with Dr. Michael Faske)