About Antoine
Antoine F. Goetschel
J.D., Dr. h.c. · Attorney at Law
Theaterstrasse 28400 Winterthur
Switzerland
+41 (0)79 752 44 92
afg@afgoetschel.com
www.afgoetschel.com
Short profile
Four decades of practice
Antoine F. Goetschel has been practising as an attorney at law for over forty years. His focal areas lie in civil law, particularly inheritance law, foundation and association law, as well as criminal and administrative law.
He became internationally known through his pioneering work in animal welfare law, among other things as former Animal Lawyer of the Canton of Zurich and as founder of the Foundation Animal in Law (TIR) and of the Global Animal Law GAL Association.
He is a lecturer at the Faculty of Law of the University of Zurich and the author of numerous publications on the legal status of the animal in national and international law and on animal welfare and health and One Health.
In addition, he is active in various projects in the field of art and culture.
He speaks and writes German, English, and French fluently and is at ease in an international environment.
Deep dive
More about Antoine
Personal data
Key facts
- Bornon 24 August 1958.
- Bürgerof Zollikon ZH and Pleigne JU, and a French national.
- ResidenceResident and practising in Zurich, and from 1 August 2026 in Winterthur, near Zurich.
- FamilyFather of three adult children and grandfather of four.
Curriculum Vitae
Career
Education and further training
- until 1977Primary school and Rämibühl grammar school (Literargymnasium), Matura type B
- until 1983Studies of law and political science at the University of Zurich, licence magna cum laude
- 1986Zurich Bar exam
- 1989Doctorate (J.D.) at the University of Zurich, magna cum laude
- 2013–2014Further training in complementary consulting at Königswieser & Network GmbH, Vienna, and in group dynamics at the University of St. Gallen
- 2022Honorary doctorate from the Faculty of Law of the University of Bern, Dr. h.c.
Professional career
- 1983–1994Attorney at the law office of Dr Hans H. Schmid, later Dres. Schmid & Goetschel, Zurich
- 1994–2004Attorney at the firm Dres. Goetschel & Raess, Zurich
- 1995–2007Founder and managing director of the Foundation Animal in Law
- 2004–2026Attorney with own law firm, Zurich
- 2005–2013Partner at Krepper Knecht Partner, Zurich
- 2007–2010Attorney for animal welfare in criminal matters of the Canton of Zurich
Board member of the Foundation Animal in Law - 2013–2019Partner in the consulting network Höschgasse Consultants
- 2016–presentPresident and managing director of the Global Animal Law GAL Association
- from 2026Attorney with own law firm, Winterthur
Positions and memberships
Activities and engagements
- Member of the Zurich Bar Association
- Member of the Swiss Bar Association
Animal welfare and law
- Board member of Zurich Animal Welfare and managing director of the Association "Animal Welfare Is a Legal Duty" (VTR), 1986–1995
- Member of the central board of Swiss Animal Welfare STS (until 1998)
- Long-standing president of the Animal Experimentation and Genetic Engineering Commission STS (until 1998)
- Co-president of the Coordination of Cantonal Animal Welfare KKT, Zurich (until 2005)
- Board member of the Swiss Working Group on Genetic Engineering SAG (until 1999)
- Foundation board member of the Fund for Research Without Laboratory Animals FFVFF (today Animal Free Research, until 2000)
- Foundation board member of the Foundation for Homeless Cats (until 2001)
- Foundation board member of the Foundation for the Welfare of the Dog (Certodog) (until 2005)
- Member of the Legal Committee of IAHAIO International Association of Human Animal Interaction Organizations (until 2005)
- Vice-president of OceanCare (formerly Working Group for the Protection of Marine Mammals ASMS, until 2003)
- Founder, president, and managing director of the Global Animal Law GAL Association
Teaching, education, and specialist bodies
- Long-standing president of the Education Appeals Committee of the Society of Swiss Veterinarians GST (until 2021)
- Long-standing lecturer for veterinary law and the animal in law at the Faculty of Law of the University of Zurich
Further mandates and engagements
- Vice-president of the Association for Family-Complementary Institutions of Meilen (until 2007)
- Founding member and interim president (2017–2018) of the Zurich Business Club Usitawi for Sustainable Development
- Intelligence officer
- Co-president of the Association «‚Journey of Discovery to the Soul of the Company'», short form: «Verein Entdeckungsreise», Zurich
- Active member of the Herrliberg Singing Circle
Cultural engagement
For decades, Antoine F. Goetschel has also been active in the field of art and culture. Through Kunst der Stunde GmbH, he has devoted himself to the production of the play «Briefsteller – Elegie – Trio» by Mikhail Shishkin and Alexey Botvinov. He is also interested in the transposition of works by Rachmaninoff and Hesse into today's context.
Videos on the topic
In conversation
What decision in your career has shaped you most?
Show transcript
Marie Anouk: What decision in your career has shaped you most?
Antoine F. Goetschel: I chose animal welfare law — the legal position of animals — in the sense that I fell into it as if by providence, when writing my third book, my doctoral thesis on the subject, and working for an animal welfare association. Channelling that focus into the law, first in Switzerland and now globally, was a decision to advocate for minorities in society — one I do not regret, and one that has accompanied me for over 40 years.
What drives you after so many years?
Show transcript
Marie Anouk: What still drives you after so many years?
Antoine F. Goetschel: The joy of being active — the possibility of contributing, even modestly, to alleviating suffering and promoting wellbeing in the world, and of opening joy in the hearts of people and animals.
If you had to describe your work in three words — what would they be?
Show transcript
Marie Anouk: If you had to describe your work in three words — what would they be?
Antoine F. Goetschel: Trust, impact and cheerfulness.
Personal conversation
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