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Deborah Hondius
Attorney-at-law, MLaw, MAS in Economic Crime Investigation
Deborah specializes in litigation and internal investigations. Her practice encompasses asset recovery, white-collar crime, cybercrime, compliance, and mutual assistance in criminal matters, including in cross-border contexts. She represents corporate and individual clients before Swiss courts, prosecution offices, and regulatory authorities.
Deborah is a frequent speaker and author on topics within her expertise, including negotiated sentences in criminal matters, and the Swiss blocking statute. She serves as the Secretary of the Swiss Chapter of the Women’s White Collar Defense Association (WWCDA).
Location
Geneva
Rue Jacques-Balmat 5
CH-1204 Geneva
T: +41 58 220 36 00
Zurich
St. Annagasse 9
CH-8021 Zurich
T: +41 58 220 37 00
Contact
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Assistant
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Languages
- French
- English
- German
Experience
| Since 2025 | Partner, valfor |
| 2023–2024 | Counsel, LALIVE SA, Geneva & Zurich |
| 2018–2023 | Associate, LALIVE SA, Geneva |
| 2015–2018 | Associate, PYTHON, Geneva |
| 2013–2015 | Junior Associate, PYTHON, Geneva |
| 2013 | Junior Associate, First Instance Criminal Court, Geneva |
| 2019–2020 | Master of Advanced Studies (MAS) in Economic Crime Investigation, Haute école de gestion Arc, Neuchâtel |
| 2012 | Certificate of advanced studies in legal professions, University of Geneva |
| 2010–2012 | Bilingual Master of Laws (LL.M.), University of Basel/University of Geneva |
| 2017–2010 | Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.), Université de Fribourg |
- Geneva Bar Association
- Swiss Bar Association (SAV/FSA)
- Women’s White Collar Defense Association (WWCDA)
- Business Crime Committee of the International Bar Association (IBA)
- European Criminal Bar Association (ECBA)
| 2024 | «Déboires et victoires de la profession d’avocate», Université de Genève, Cours de droit pénal spécial II (Master), Prof. Katia Villard, Geneva (UNIMAIL) |
| 2024 | «Le métier d’avocat pénaliste», conférence mensuelle, Lions Club Geneva, Geneva |
| 2024 | «Panel d’avocates : la place des femmes dans le monde juridique, les obs-tacles auxquelles elles sont confrontées et les défis à venir», Université de Ge-nève (Association des étudiant-e-s en droit), Geneva (UNIMAIL) |
| 2023 | «Attorney-Client Privilege» in internen Untersuchungen (Fachgruppe Com-mercial & Disputes), Deutsch-Schweizerische Juristenvereinigung e.V. (DSJV)-Herbstveranstaltung, Zurich |
| 2021 | «Actes exécutés sans droit par un Etat étranger – L’art. 271 CP mythe ou réali-té ?», Ordre des Avocats Genève (ODA) – Commission de formation perma-nente – Webinaire, Workshop: L’entraide internationale en matière civile et commerciale, Geneva |
| 2020 | «This House Thinks: debates on multi-jurisdictional asset tracing litigation», C5 - 14th Annual Fraud, Asset Tracing and Recovery Conference, Geneva |
| 2019 | «Round Table: Legal developments with respect to whistleblowing and corrup-tion in Switzerland», TRACE- Anti-Bribery Compliance Solutions, Trace Roundtable, Geneva |
Publications and Speeches
- Commentaire romand « Code pénal II » (CP II), Art. 111-392 CP: commentaire des articles 179 à 179quater du Code pénal, Editions Helbing Lichtenhahn Verlag
- Snapshot: civil asset recovery in Switzerland (GTDT/Lexology)
- Paroles d’avocates: récits d’affaires et témoignages (co-authored with Valentine Bagnoud), Editions Favre
- Article 271(1) of the Swiss Criminal Code: myth or reality? A summary of the practical implications of this Swiss statutory provision in the context of civil pro-ceedings pending outside of Switzerland (co-authored with Philipp Fischer), Jus-letter 4 April 2022
- Tax offences as predicate offences to money laundering - Key takeaways for practitioners, Verrechnungssteuer, zsis) 4/2021, A20
- Criminalité économique et procédures négociées : comparaison et état des lieux, La Semaine judiciaire (SJ 2021 II p. 231 ss)
- Overview of Switzerland's domestic anti-corruption legal framework, Interna-tional Bar Association, Anti-Corruption Committee - anti-bribery conventions and legislation: countries overview
- Impact of Covid-19 on criminal proceedings, LALIVE Blog
- Swiss blocking statute: update on do’s and don’ts under the threat of criminal sanctions, LALIVE Blog
- Saga des rétrocessions : les gérants de fortune s’exposent désormais à des sanctions pénales pour gestion déloyale (art. 158 CP) en cas de violation de leurs devoirs d’information et de restitution, Blog de l’Institut de lutte contre la criminalité économique (ILCE)
- Enforcement of Foreign Judgments and Arbitral Awards in Switzerland: Crack-ing One of the World’s Safe Boxes, International Law Practicum (International Section of the New York State Bar Association)