Among other matters Dieter Gericke’s assignments included advising CSL in the public take-over of Vifor Pharma (USD 12.7 bn), ChemChina in the public takeover of Syngenta (USD 43 bn), EF in the sale of its China kids business, PPF in the sale of NBE to Boehringer Ingelheim (EUR 1.18 bn), Therachon in the sale to Pfizer (USD 810 m), Meyer Burger in a proxy fight and capital increase, Bregal in the acquisition of Kunststoff Schwanden, Bühler in the acquisition of Haas Group, Givaudan in the acquisition of Induchem, Infront Sports & Media in the sale to Dalian Wanda, Nestlé in the sale of Alcon to Novartis (USD 50 bn) or SCOR in the unsolicited takeover of Converium (USD 3.1 bn). He advised on numerous IPOs, including On Shoes, Sophia Genetics, ADC Therapeutics, Zur Rose Group, AC Immune, Endosense, Kuros Biosurgery, Molecular Partners, Gategroup, Santhera or tamedia. He has long-standing experience in assisting boards of directors and managements of public and private companies in corporate governance matters and specific challenges like shareholder activism and -claims, proxy-fights, securities regulations, reorganizations and directors’ & officers’ liability. Dieter Gericke has a particularly strong foothold in the life sciences, chemicals, engineering and technology as well as insurance industries.
Dieter Gericke is a member of the Corporate and M&A Committee and the Securities Law Committee and a member of the advisory board of the Law Firm Management Committee of the International Bar Association.
Dieter Gericke has chaired or been a speaker at numerous conferences with speaking topics including negotiation tactics, M&A, shareholder activism, private equity, takeovers or joint ventures as well as the new law on corporations.
In his areas of practice Dieter Gericke authored various publications and legal opinions, including on mergers & acquisitions, securities laws, directors’ and officers’ duties and liability and corporate governance. Dieter Gericke joined Homburger as an associate in 2000 and has been partner since 2004 and head of the Corporate M&A practice team since 2014. Since 2010, he also heads the Homburger China Group and, since 2021, he co-heads the Healthcare / Life Sciences Group. For several years he also co-headed the ECM group. He studied law at the University of Zurich, where he graduated and accomplished his doctorate, both summa cum laude. In 1999, he graduated from Harvard Law School with an LL.M. In addition, Dieter Gericke studied one organization semester at Université de Paris II (Assas). Since many years he has been included in leading assignments at the University of Zurich and as the chair of a seminar on private equity.
Dieter Gericke has been a member of the boards of directors of various companies, including Syngenta, CDR-Life or BIH. Since many years, he is also on the board of Gericke Group, which produces powder processing equipment and systems for food, pharma and chemical industries. In addition, he is serving in honorary capacity as a member of the board of supervisors of Theater an der Winkelwiese, Zurich, and of the Harvard Club of Switzerland as well as a member of a philanthropic organization.
