Felix R. Ehrat, Ph.D., has been Group General Counsel of Novartis since 2011. He is a member of the Executive Committee of Novartis. Mr. Ehrat is a leading practitioner of corporate, banking, and mergers and acquisitions law, as well as an expert in corporate governance and arbitration. He started his career as an associate at Bär & Karrer Ltd. in Zurich in 1987, became partner in 1992, and advanced to senior partner (2003 to 2011) and executive chairman of the board (2007 to 2011). Mr. Ehrat is chairman of Globalance Bank AG and a board member of Geberit AG and Avenir Suisse (a think tank for economic and social issues). He previously served as chairman and board member of several listed and non-listed companies. Mr. Ehrat was admitted to the Zurich bar in 1985 and received his doctorate in law from the University of Zurich in Switzerland in 1990. He received his Master of Laws from McGeorge School of Law in the United States in 1986. Some of his past memberships include the International Bar Association, where he was co-chair of the Corporate and M&A Law Committee from 2007 to 2008, and Association International des Jeunes Avocats, where he was president from 1998 to 1999.

 Banking, economics and law