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Former Chief General Counsel of ALEVO GROUP SA, starting in early 2017 

In March 2017 alevo.com described Markus Alder as:

An internationally respected corporate attorney and published legal scholar with more than two decades of experience, Markus Alder oversees all legal affairs worldwide for the Alevo Group. A long-time partner at the Swiss firm Thouvenin Rechtsanwalte, Alder has specialized in mergers and acquisitions in addition to venture capital and corporate restructuring. A keen purchase and sale negotiator, he is also considered a leading expert in matters of employment law and human resources. Alder holds Masters law degrees in both banking and finance from Boston University in addition to a Masters in law from the University of Bern in Switzerland.

In 2015 (to 15 Dec) Alevo paid CHF 157,025 in fees to Thouvenin, and in 2014 (full year) it was CHF 126,172. During that time he advised the Board and Management of their legal obligations under Swiss law. He also produced written advice to have at least two signatories to represent the company. A previous CFO had already given that written advice in January 2013 but the directors at the time chose not to follow it (and as a result Mr Eikeland was able to sign lots of very expensive and not well-thought-out agreements with third parties and friends). In 2016 the Alevo companies finally adopted the two signatory approach.

As well as representing Alevo it also seems that Mr Alder has represented Jostein Eikeland for his personal business on certain legal matters. Alevo agreed to pay Mr Alder’s law firm, Thouvenin, at least CHF 600,000 per annum starting in 2016. We have no evidence that Jostein (or Clydemont) also paid him for non-Alevo related business which he conducted.