Legal Affairs

Legal Affairs provides expert legal support and advice to EPFL’s leadership and management, with the aim of protecting and promoting the institution’s interests. It supports EPFL’s strategic activities and projects by delivering analyses that ensure optimal integration of legal considerations. It facilitates the establishment of agreements, manages disputes, contributes to risk management, anticipates legislative changes, and engages in raising awareness of legal issues.

Legal Affairs is composed of two units. One handles institutional or cross-functional matters such as procurement contracts, public tenders, real estate, infrastructure-related questions, as well as litigation and legal proceedings. It also provides services such as the publication of laws and directives applicable to EPFL, the drafting of new directives, and the implementation of tools like electronic signatures and contract management systems.

The second unit is dedicated to education and research. This team aims to provide legal support to EPFL, in particular to the units under the Vice Presidency for Academic Affairs, for their activities related to education, research, and technology transfer. Its main role is to establish appropriate legal frameworks for collaborations with external partners (public or private), to prevent legal issues, and to offer legal advice in order to support EPFL in achieving its teaching, research, and technology transfer objectives.

The Director of Legal Affairs coordinates a Legal Network comprising all EPFL Legal Counsel, including those attached to Human Resources, as well as the Data Protection Officer.

Team

Simon Brunschwig: Director of Legal Affairs

Institutional Affairs Unit

Sonia Gander Henguely : Deputy of Director of Legal Affairs

Françoise Chardonnens : Senior Legal Counsel

Sarah Marti : Senior Legal Counsel

Géraldine Guédon : Administrative Assistant

David Gozel : Project Manager

Education and Research Affairs Unit

Melissa Magnenat: Head of Unit

Legal Counsel for the Domain of Education

Denise Flury Poffet: Senior Legal Counsel

Frédéric George: Senior Legal Counsel

Lorraine Dalang: Senior Legal Counsel

Legal Counsel for the Domain of Research and Technology Transfer

Elena Bourtchouladze: Senior Legal Counsel

Beatriz Burgos Lorenzo: Senior Legal Counsel

Agathe Chamary: Senior Legal Counsel

Valentin Conrad: Senior Legal Counsel

Tania Germond: Senior Legal Counsel

Hervé Ghellaï: Senior Legal Counsel

Maryam Meylan: Legal Counsel