Abstract
The paper deals with the Swiss takeover law,which is based in the European capital market law tradition, but shows some distinct features. After an overview ofthe possible forms ofM&A trans-actions and the Swiss share market,it describes the general legal framework for public tender offers, the purpose of the rules governing those offers and theirscope of application. This is fol-lowed by a detaileddescription of mandatory public tender offersand the determination of the bid price. It concludes with a brief outlook on the possible sanctions in the event of violations of the obligation to make a public tender offer.