(Photo credit: Pascal Frautschi)
In a sign of Rolex’s needs for immediate access to legal expertise, the 119-year-old watchmaker has decided to appoint its first ever General Counsel, hiring Alexander Troller, a partner from Switzerland-based law firm LALIVE.
Rolex, which operates in multiple jurisdictions, is facing increasingly complex regulations related to manufacturing compliance, environmental standards and intellectual property. The Swiss Supreme Court ruled against the brand earlier this year after it sued Artisans de Genève, which customizes Rolex watches.
Alexander Troller. (Credit: LALIVE)
With an in-house lawyer, Rolex will have access to immediate strategic guidance, especially during contract negotiations for sponsorships, or if the brand decides to acquire more companies besides Bucherer while keeping negotiations airtight. Coronet was first to break the news in July that Rolex would be exiting Formula 1 in 2025.
Rolex's first in-house lawyer will begin at the brand on Jan. 2025. Before joining LALIVE, Troller held various positions in the commercial and banking sector, including with Banque Paribas in Paris (1994-1997), Firmenich Inc. and Firmenich SA as legal counsel in New Jersey (1994) and in Geneva (1993). He received his law degree at the University of Geneva in 1989.