Concept
Bordier & Cie SCmA is a Geneva private bank structured as a partnership limited by shares (société en commandite par actions): the managing partners carry unlimited personal liability for the bank's obligations. Type: one of the five remaining Swiss "private banker" houses and the only one in French-speaking Switzerland; a member of the Swiss Private Bankers Association. Wholly owned and managed by the Bordier family in its fifth generation; unlisted. Founded in 1844 — the oldest surviving Geneva house of this form. Managing partners with unlimited liability: Grégoire Bordier (Senior Partner, chairman of the ABPS), Evrard Bordier (also CEO of Bordier Singapore) and Christian Skaanild.
History and evolution
The bank was founded in 1844 by Jaques Reverdin; his son-in-law Ami Bordier joined in 1871, and the house became Bordier & Cie in 1895. The first non-family partner arrived in 1992; the fifth generation entered from 1994. International build-out: Zurich (1997), Bern (1999), London (2001, the former Berry Asset Management), Nyon (2005), Paris (2006), Montevideo (2007), Singapore (2011). In 2020 the bank converted to the SCmA form, preserving the partners' unlimited liability; in 2025 it opened a Lausanne office. There were no acquisitions in 2023–2026 — growth has been organic.
The bank does not officially disclose assets under management; press reports cite around CHF 18.2bn as of mid-2024. It employs more than 320 staff; the CET1 ratio is around 30% — roughly three times the requirement.
Regulation
- FINMA — Bordier & Cie SCmA (Geneva, Nyon, Zurich, Bern, Lausanne; supervisory category 4);
- MAS — Bordier & Cie (Singapore) Ltd, a Merchant Bank licence;
- FCA — Bordier & Cie (UK) PLC (London, FRN 114324, investment management);
- AMF — Bordier & Cie (France) SA (Paris, Brest, Rennes; a société de gestion);
- TCI FSC — Bordier Bank (TCI) Ltd (since 1986);
- Uruguay — Bordier & Cie (Uruguay) SA (Montevideo, advisory).
Source of funds and compliance
The standard Swiss file applies: passport, proof of address, documented source of funds and source of wealth, CRS/FATCA; non-residents typically need one in-person meeting. Dated episode: 17 December 2015 — a US DOJ Swiss Bank Program non-prosecution agreement with a US$7.8m penalty covering 292 US-related accounts. No MAS enforcement actions against the Singapore entity have been recorded in the past five years.
Who it serves
- HNW clients: no official minimum is published; industry estimates cite entry from CHF 500,000–1m and an average client of CHF 3–5m (unofficial);
- families with a Franco-Swiss footprint — built-in legal and tax advice via Bordier & Cie (France);
- Asian non-residents — the Singapore merchant bank serves clients across ~48 countries;
- external asset managers — dedicated custody desks in Geneva and Singapore;
- supporters of the partnership model with owner liability.
Services
Wealth management
- discretionary and advisory management; no investment banking, no proprietary trading;
- family services: family office, outsourced CIO, investment-policy governance.
Lending
- lombard loans only, secured on clients' own portfolios.
Private markets and products
- the Bordier Private Equity Club and the Moonfare partnership (first Swiss bank on the platform, 2021);
- structured products sourced as an independent buyer across 15+ counterparties;
- execution-only digital assets via Sygnum's platform (since 2021; in Singapore since 2023).
Entities and booking centres
Twelve cities in six countries on three continents.
| Jurisdiction | Legal entity | Format and supervisor | Role for the client |
|---|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | Bordier & Cie SCmA | bank, FINMA; Geneva, Nyon, Zurich, Bern, Lausanne | main booking centre |
| Singapore | Bordier & Cie (Singapore) Ltd | Merchant Bank, MAS; 50+ staff | Asia booking centre (~48 client countries) |
| UK | Bordier & Cie (UK) PLC, London | manager, FCA | asset management |
| France | Bordier & Cie (France) SA | société de gestion, AMF; Paris, Brest, Rennes | management and Franco-Swiss planning |
| Uruguay | Bordier & Cie (Uruguay) SA, Montevideo | advisory | Latin American clients |
| Turks & Caicos | Bordier Bank (TCI) Ltd | bank, TCI FSC (since 1986) | trust and banking services |
Vietnam is a partnership with the Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank (a 2020 joint venture) and not a private-client booking centre.
Strengths
- the partnership form: owners are liable with all their property — a rare accountability signal;
- 180 years of continuous history and a fifth generation at the helm;
- a strong Singapore merchant bank for Asian non-residents;
- a CET1 of around 30% and a debt-free balance sheet;
- the Franco-Swiss wealth-planning niche.
Where it does not fit
- clients needing Hong Kong, Dubai or Luxembourg — none exist;
- those who want a published threshold and disclosed assets: the bank reveals neither its minimum nor its AuM;
- portfolios requiring investment-banking services — excluded by the model;
- US persons — the 2015 US settlement closed that segment.
Bordier is the living model of the Geneva "private banker": unlimited partner liability, a compact perimeter and a strong Asian point in Singapore. The price is unpublished figures and a narrow geography.
Q/A
Entry and geography
What minimum capital does Bordier require?
There is no official minimum. Industry estimates cite entry from CHF 500,000–1m with an average client of CHF 3–5m; terms are agreed individually. Asian clients are served by the Singapore merchant bank covering ~48 countries.
What does "unlimited partner liability" mean?
Bordier is a partnership limited by shares: the managing partners are liable for the bank's obligations with all their personal assets, not just the bank's capital. It is the historic form of the Swiss private bankers, surviving at five houses; for clients it is an extra layer of owner motivation.
What does the deposit guarantee cover?
Switzerland — esisuisse up to CHF 100,000 per client; custody securities are segregated. The Singapore entity is a merchant bank outside SDIC; Turks & Caicos has no scheme; the UK and French entities take no deposits.
Model and history
How did the US DOJ matter end?
With a non-prosecution agreement on 17 December 2015 and a US$7.8m penalty covering 292 US-related accounts from 2008–2015. The case is closed; the bank no longer runs a US-client line.
Has the bank bought client books or been sold?
There were no deals in 2023–2026: growth is organic — a Lausanne office (October 2025) and Singapore hiring. The notable recent items are the majority stake in Uruguayan adviser Helvetia Advisors (2018) and the Moonfare and Sygnum partnerships for the product shelf.