Thomas Matter files million-euro lawsuit against NZZ
Former Swissfirst CEO Thomas Matter is suing NZZ Verlag and two journalists from the NZZ am Sonntag over their coverage of the merger between Swissfirst Bank and Bank am Bellevue. He is seeking 10 million francs in damages.
Former Swissfirst CEO Thomas Matter is suing NZZ Verlag and two NZZ am Sonntag journalists for reporting on the merger of Bank Swissfirst with Bank am Bellevue. He is demanding compensation of 10 million Swiss francs. Matter's spokeswoman Karin Rhomberg confirmed to SDA on Thursday that the lawsuit had already been filed with the Zurich Commercial Court last year, according to a report published in advance by the business magazine Bilanz. Matter considers the sum of CHF 10 million to be a "reasonable part of the damages" that he has suffered.
The Commercial Court also confirmed receipt of the lawsuit on Thursday. However, it is not yet clear whether the action against NZZ-Verlag and the journalists can be dealt with in the same proceedings.
Matter has always vehemently defended himself against the accusations that other shareholders and in particular pension funds lost money in the merger of Swissfirst and Bank am Bellevue in 2005. The NZZ am Sonntag reported widely on the "Swissfirst affair" from mid-2006.
Rhomberg said that no legal action had been taken against other media. The newspapers Blick and Sonntagsblick had explicitly apologized to Matter for their reporting and had given the former banker the opportunity to present his views in interviews.
The Commercial Court also confirmed receipt of the lawsuit on Thursday. However, it is not yet clear whether the action against NZZ-Verlag and the journalists can be dealt with in the same proceedings.
Matter has always vehemently defended himself against the accusations that other shareholders and in particular pension funds lost money in the merger of Swissfirst and Bank am Bellevue in 2005. The NZZ am Sonntag reported widely on the "Swissfirst affair" from mid-2006.
Rhomberg said that no legal action had been taken against other media. The newspapers Blick and Sonntagsblick had explicitly apologized to Matter for their reporting and had given the former banker the opportunity to present his views in interviews.
