Sara Rousselle-Ruffieux Counsel, Head of Employment, Pensions and Immigration
Attorney at Law, Certified Specialist SBA Labour Law

Sara Rousselle-Ruffieux

Counsel, Head of Employment, Pensions and Immigration
Attorney at Law, Certified Specialist SBA Labour Law
+41 58 450 70 00
sara.rousselle@lenzstaehelin.com
Geneva
Route de Chêne 30
CH-1211 Geneva
www.lenzstaehelin.com
  • Expertise

    Sara Rousselle-Ruffieux is a counsel at our Geneva and Lausanne offices, where she heads the Employment group. She is an accredited labour law expert (SBA-certified) and advises national and multinational companies, and international organisations, on employment, immigration and social security matters. Sara's expertise encompasses both individual employment relationships (contract, company regulation, participation or bonus plan, non-competition clause, termination agreement, secondment, etc.) and collective labour relations (hiring of services, mass-dismissals, social plans, or business transfers, etc.). She also regularly assists clients in administrative and judicial matters and represents them before administrations and courts. Sara shows a particular interest for cross-border cases especially the coordination of social security systems. She served for 12 years as secretary and then vice-chair of the Association of Accredited Labour Law Experts of Western Switzerland.

  • Practices

  • Professional Experience and Education

    and Education

    2023Head of Employment law
    2019Counsel at Lenz & Staehelin
    2017Associate at Lenz & Staehelin
    2013-16Managing Associate in a prominent Swiss business law firm, Co-head of Employment law
    2004-13Senior Associate in a prominent Swiss business law firm
    2004In-house Legal Attorney in an international Bank
    1998-04Associate in a prominent Swiss business law firm
    2011Certified Specialist SBA Labour Law
    1998Admission to Geneva Bar
    1995University of Fribourg (lic. iur.)
  • Specialist Areas

    Employment and Executives’ Transfers, Data Protection and Privacy, Commercial and Contracts, Litigation
  • Languages

    French, English
  • Memberships

    Ordre des Avocats de Genève (ODA), Swiss Bar Association (SBA)
  • SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

    • Oertle M., Rousselle-Ruffieux S., Employment and Labour Law Switzerland - 2023, in: The legal 500 country Comparative Guides, 2023
    • Rousselle-Ruffieux S., Restellini J., Transfers of Undertakings in Civil Aviation, in: Restellini J., Labour Relations in Aviation (book), Aerospace Law and Policy Series, Volume 23, Wolters Kluwer, 2022
    • Oertle M., Rousselle-Ruffieux S., The Corporate Immigration Review 2022 - Switzerland, in: The Law Reviews, 12th edition, May 2022, 176-185
    • Rousselle-Ruffieux S., Equal pay principle - New measures to reduce the gender pay gap - the example of Switzerland, in: European Employment Law Cases (EELC), 2019/4, 244-247
    • Rousselle-Ruffieux S., Bettex ., Protéger aussi le dénoncé lors d'une enquête interne, in: Plaidoyer, 3/2019, 6-9
    • Rousselle-Ruffieux S., La sanction des infractions à la Loi sur les travailleurs détachés (LDét); analyse de l'arrêt du Tribunal fédéral 2C_150/2016, in: Newsletter DroitDuTravail.ch, August 2017
    • Rousselle-Ruffieux S., Cumul emploi en Suisse-chômage en France, du nouveau, in: Avis d'expert - Chronique trimestrielle dans le Monde Economique, Revue des entrepreneurs, October-December 2016
    • Rousselle-Ruffieux S., Paiement des charges sociales d'un collaborateur domicilié en France, in: Avis d'expert - Chronique trimestrielle dans le Monde Economique, Revue des entrepreneurs, April-June 2016, 94
    • Rousselle-Ruffieux S., Enregistrement du temps de travail des collaborateurs, in: Avis d'expert - Chronique trimestrielle dans le Monde Economique, Revue des entrepreneurs, January-March 2016, 91
    • Rousselle-Ruffieux S., Caractère accessoire du bonus et hauts revenus, in: Avis d'expert - Chronique trimestrielle dans le Monde Economique, Revue des entrepreneurs, October-November 2015, 79
    • Rousselle-Ruffieux S., Véhicule d'entreprise pour les salariés frontaliers, in: Avis d'expert - Chronique trimestrielle dans le Monde Economique, Revue des entrepreneurs, June-August 2015, 79
    • Rousselle-Ruffieux S., Puis-je payer mes employés en Euro ?, in: Avis d'expert - Chronique trimestrielle dans le Monde Economique, Revue des entrepreneurs, March-May 2015, 90
    • Rousselle-Ruffieux S., Prime de fin d'année, in: Avis d'expert - Chronique trimestrielle dans le Monde Economique, Revue des entrepreneurs, December 2014, 82
    • Rousselle-Ruffieux S., Obligation d'information de l'employeur, in: Avis d'expert - Chronique trimestrielle dans le Monde Economique, Revue des entrepreneurs, October-November 2014, 45
    • Rousselle-Ruffieux S., Gérer les conflits entre employés : le point sur les nouveaux mécanismes, in: Acquis de droit, Market Magazine n°106, February 2013
    • Rousselle-Ruffieux S., Activité dépendante ou indépendante au regard du CO et de la LAVS ; convergences et divergences, in: Panorama II en Droit du Travail, IDAT, Stämpfli 2012
    • Rousselle-Ruffieux S., Licenciement immédiat dans la fonction publique cantonale - comparaison entre Genève et Vaud, in: Panorama II en Droit du Travail, IDAT, Stämpfli, 2012
    • Rousselle-Ruffieux S., Doing Business 2011, Swiss report on employing workers, in: Annual publication of the World Bank Group and the IFC that benchmarks regulation in 181 economies worldwide, 2010
    • Rousselle-Ruffieux S., Le licenciement pour motifs économiques peut être abusif, in: Agefi Magazine, May 2010
  • Other Activities

    • Former Vice-Chairman of the Committee of Association romande des spécialistes de droit du travail (AROSDT).

    • Trainer and Member of the Exam Jury for the judges of the Geneva Labour Courts since 2014.

  • Contact Details

  • Assistant

  • Other Activities

    • Former Vice-Chairman of the Committee of Association romande des spécialistes de droit du travail (AROSDT).

    • Trainer and Member of the Exam Jury for the judges of the Geneva Labour Courts since 2014.

  • References

    I have been working with [her] for more than 12 years and have uniformly been extremely satisfied with the technical quality of legal work done.

    Legal 500, 2021

    I am really glad she was on our side when dealing with the complex and demanding situation and cases we have had to handle.

    Legal 500, 2021

    A brilliant employment law specialist

    Who's Who Legal, 2020

    She excels at handling social plans, transfers and contracts.

    Who's Who Legal, 2020

I have been working with [her] for more than 12 years and have uniformly been extremely satisfied with the technical quality of legal work done.

Legal 500, 2021

I am really glad she was on our side when dealing with the complex and demanding situation and cases we have had to handle.

Legal 500, 2021

A brilliant employment law specialist

Who's Who Legal, 2020

She excels at handling social plans, transfers and contracts.

Who's Who Legal, 2020

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