Website redesign for an international arbitration and corporate law firm in Zurich: budget, risks and credibility (2026)

The verdict in three sentences

For an international arbitration and corporate law firm in Zurich, the website is read by general counsel, boards and sometimes state representatives before the first call, and an outdated site quietly signals a firm that has not kept pace with its own partners. A redesign does not need a six-figure budget: local Zurich agencies typically quote CHF 25,000 to 80,000 for this kind of firm, while Kolonell works on a fixed grid of CHF 2,700 (Starter), CHF 4,500 (Growth) and CHF 8,200 (Premium). The real risks are elsewhere: losing search visibility through broken URLs, publishing unreviewed claims about matters, and mishandling personal data under the revised Swiss data protection act.

Is your current site costing you mandates?

Clients in arbitration rarely hire from a website alone, but they do use it to confirm what a referrer told them. A general counsel shortlisting counsel for a construction dispute seated in Zurich, or a board preparing an investment treaty claim, will check four things in under two minutes: who the partners are and what they have done, which seats and institutional rules the team works under (ICC, Swiss Rules, LCIA, SIAC, ICSID and others, described generally), the languages of the team, and sector experience.

Signals that the current site works against you:

Never invent cases, rankings or awards to fill these pages. Describe experience in general terms that the partners approve, and keep any directory citations exact.

What does a redesign cost in Zurich in 2026?

Local ranges come from typical agency quotes and public rate pages, not from a survey. Every Kolonell tier includes a project manager reachable in your time zone, native English or French copywriting, delivery in 3 to 4 weeks (Premium 4 to 6) once content is ready, and 3 months of support. Client portals, document rooms, intranet areas and integrations with practice management tools are on quote. Details are on the international offer page.

Timeline and risks, phase by phase

On data protection, the revised Federal Act on Data Protection has been in force since 1 September 2023, with the FDPIC as supervisory authority; the GDPR may also matter when you target clients in the EU. In practice that means a clear privacy notice, a minimal contact form and a documented list of tools that process visitor data. Lawyer advertising is also subject to professional rules: keep claims factual and let the firm decide what may be said about past work. This is not legal advice.

When is a local Zurich agency the better choice?

Be honest about fit. A local agency makes sense if you need repeated in-person workshops with a large partnership, a full rebrand with naming and print, a custom document portal integrated with your practice management system from day one, or a team that will attend partner meetings in German every month. If your need is a credible, well-structured site with strong copy, delivered fast, a remote studio with a fixed grid is usually enough. Kolonell has built sites for professional services firms, for example TR Signing Group in New Jersey, a signing services company.

Questions to ask any provider: who writes the partner bios and in which language, how the 301 map is produced and checked, who carries out the compliance review, what happens to rankings in the first 60 days, and what is excluded from the price.

Mini case study

Illustrative example, fictional firm. Limmat Dispute Partners, a team of 14 lawyers in Zurich focused on commercial arbitration and M&A disputes, wants a site in English and German. The managing partner compares a local quote of CHF 42,000 with Kolonell Premium, the multilingual tier, at CHF 8,200.

The firm adds professional photography of the partners at CHF 2,500 (market assumption) and a final legal translation proofread at CHF 1,800 (market assumption). Total: 8,200 + 2,500 + 1,800 = CHF 12,500, or CHF 29,500 less than the local quote. Delivery is planned over 6 weeks once the bios are signed off.

FAQ

How long does a law firm site redesign take with Kolonell?

Three to four weeks for Starter and Growth, four to six weeks for Premium, counted from the moment content and bios are ready. Partner sign-off is usually the longest step.

Will we lose our Google rankings during the redesign?

A redesign can cause a dip if URLs change without redirects. With a full URL inventory, a 301 map and Search Console resubmission, most firms keep their positions; no serious provider promises a ranking.

Can the site be in English, German and French?

Yes, through Premium, the multilingual tier at CHF 8,200, with the languages set in the quote. Legal proofreading of each language is often handled by the firm or a translator, a market assumption of CHF 1,000 to 3,000.

Can we publish our arbitration matters?

Only what the firm's confidentiality obligations and professional rules allow, and usually in anonymised, general terms. A compliance review before go-live is part of the timeline.

Is a client document portal included?

No. Portals, data rooms and integrations are on quote, since their security and hosting requirements vary widely. The fixed grid covers the public site from CHF 2,700 to CHF 8,200.

Let's scope your project. Tell us your practice areas, languages and launch date, and we will confirm the tier and a 3 to 6 week plan. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.