1995

Foundation

Claudio Cocca, co-partner of an Accounting and Tax Consulting Firm in Switzerland, works intensively with foreign tax consultants and accountants. He is continually confronted with the task of finding high-quality partners with whom to work successfully in order to serve his clients in the best possible way.
As a result of this need, he founded the Geneva Group International AG in April 1995, as an international network for tax consultants and accountants.

In order to avoid the inefficiency of managing an association, GGI was set up as a limited company in Switzerland, registering the trademark “Geneva Group International” in the relevant classes.

1997

Multidisciplinary Network

GGI members urge the management of the network to accept law firms and consulting firms as members of GGI, in order to handle more complex joint transactions and thereby turn GGI into a truly multidisciplinary network. The fact that GGI is a Swiss company and that the contractual relationship between a member firm and GGI is based on the “cooperation agreement”, which in technical terms is a service and trademark agreement, is very helpful in terms of grouping together law firms, accounting firms and consulting firms in one organization. National legislation does not always allow accounting firms and law firms to be part of the same association; however, GGI is not an association and therefore the multidisciplinary path is open.

1999

Latin America is becoming increasingly important for GGI and is being launched as a separate GGI region. The Regional Manager of this region will be Dr. Miguel Mantelli, with the regional office opening in Buenos Aires.

2000

Following the formation of the Latin American region, an additional region will now also be established within GGI: Middle East / Asia / Africa. Peter Kaeser has been appointed Regional Manager, and his regional office will be based in Dubai.

2005

Merger with Lawspan International (LSI), an association of 28 independent law firms throughout the world

2005

The network grows continuously, and GGI establishes the first practice groups, in which experts from different countries exchange information on professional topics and work on joint projects.

2006

GGI is also keen to integrate the next generation more firmly in the network, and decides to introduce a new type of event. The first GGI EasyMeet for juniors and associates takes place in April 2006 in Berlin. The participants work on case studies and exchange ideas on current issues.

 

GGI has grown to become the world's largest multidisciplinary network, and includes law firms, accounting firms, trust firms and management consulting firms offering professional services. In 2005 and 2006 it was ranked the eighth largest network worldwide, and in 2007 and 2008 as the seventh largest including the Big Four, by Accountancy Magazine in London, the official publication of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales. Today, GGI has more than 415 offices with over 14,150 employees serving 155,000 clients and generating a cumulated fee income of USD 3.7 billion in fiscal year 2008. It is the only genuine Swiss network operating at international top-ten level.
Since GGI’s establishment, employees have been carrying out careful quality controls. Only firms providing high quality standards and excellent client services are invited to join GGI. Each member firm is admitted only after substantial due diligence on our part. We understand that successful business is based on trust and that a network can only function if all independent member firms are carefully selected and provide the same professional services.

Now and in the future, we will continue to strive to serve our members in the best possible way, providing outstanding services and innovative ideas for the benefit of the organization as a whole.