CEOs in the hot-seat, government help for a state-backed lender, and billion-dollar bugs are just a few of the countless hurdles facing Swiss banks this year. 

1. «Spygate» Spills Over

The most ignoble scandal of last year promises to keep Paradeplatz in its grip in 2020 as well: last month, Credit Suisse conceded that it spied on a second top executive after ostensibly putting a surveillance scandal involving star banker Iqbal Khan (pictured below) to rest in October. The Swiss bank's internal investigation and remedial measures notwithstanding, banking watchers are eager to hear what Zurich's prosecutor will make out of investigating Khan's criminal complaint. Swiss regulator Finma also wants a word.

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2. Banks and Banker in Crosshairs

Banking is keeping prosecutors busy elsewhere too: Zurich's prosecutor is expected to bring charges against ex-Raiffeisen boss Pierin Vincenz (pictured below) and former associate Beat Stocker this year, in what promises to be the year's most prominent case. The complicated web of evidence makes it unlikely either man will stand trial before 2021.

The second most spectacular court drama is between UBS and France: June marks the beginning of an appeal by the Swiss bank after it was slammed with a $5 billion fine and guilty verdict last February. By contrast, a more than decade-long dispute between the Swiss banking industry and U.S. prosecutors shows no sign of ending: so-called first category banks including Pictet and family-run Rahn+Bodmer Co. are still waiting to settle.

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3. Hot Seat: UBS and Credit Suisse

The «spygate» scandal at Credit Suisse is a threat to CEO Tidjane Thiam. Law firm Homburger «cleared» him, finding the CEO hadn't known of the surveillance scheme. The finding leaves a bitter taste with most observers and – more importantly – with Credit Suisse's rank and file, who are taking the heat from clients. Credit Suisse's board, led by Chairman Urs Rohner, may revisit the question of Thiam's future, pending further revelations.

At UBS, after nine years at the helm, CEO Sergio Ermotti's (pictured below) sway isn't as powerful as it once was – despite his plans to remain in the top spot for a decade, as finews.com reported last month. An sure-to-be hugely costly settlement in the U.S. for mortgage securities and the back and forth in a French criminal trial may hasten the Swiss banker's departure. More mundanely, Ermotti is under pressure to return UBS, the largest wealth manager in the world, to growth.

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4. Postfinance on Knife-Edge