David Zandirad

Ph. D. in Law

David Zandirad advises and assists the firm’s clients before the courts and administrative authorities, mainly in matters of private and public labor and employment law, as well as contract law and administrative law.

Me David Zandirad graduated law from the University of Lausanne, where he obtained a Bachelor of Law (2015, magna cum laude) and a Master of Law (2017, magna cum laude), with part of his studies completed at the University of Zurich.

He then worked as a graduate assistant at the Faculty of Law of the University of Lausanne, where he gained experience as a teaching and research associate, especially in areas of labor and employment law and human rights. He wrote a Ph. D. thesis entitled “Religion in the Workplace” under the supervision of Prof. Vincent Martenet (summa cum laude, Bippert Award), which he published in 2024. In this context, he was awarded a research grant to do a study research at the University of Montreal in Canada in 2022 and has since remained active in academia, publishing numerous publications in legal journals and speaking at conferences in these fields.

While writing his PhD thesis, David Zandirad worked for several years as a law clerk at the Northern Vaud District Court in the labor court and criminal court.

He also holds a Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Law and Public Action from the Swiss Graduate School of Public Administration (2020).

He accomplished his lawyer traineeship at CBWM Avocats, where he has been working as an associate since he passed the bar exam in 2025.

David Zandirad advises clients in French and English and works in German as well.

He is a member of the Vaud Bar Association (OAV) and the Swiss Bar Association (FSA).

Activities

• Since 2025 Associate at CBWM Avocats
• 2023 – 2025 Trainee Lawyer at CBWM Avocats
• 2017 – 2022 Graduate assistant at the Faculty of Law, Criminal Justice and Public Administration of the University of Lausanne
• 2018 – 2020 Law clerk at the Northern Vaud District Court

Training

• 2025 Attorney-at-Law
• 2024 Ph. D. in Law, University of Lausanne
• 2020 CAS in Law and Public Action, Swiss Graduate School of Public Administration (IDHEAP)
• 2017 Master of Law (MLaw), University of Lausanne
• 2015 Bachelor of Law (BLaw), University of Lausanne

• French
• English
• German

• Droit du travail, de la fonction publique et des assurances
• Contrats
• Responsabilité civile
• Droit administratif général et constitutionnel

Publications

• La religion au travail, thèse Lausanne, Helbing Lichtenhahn, Bâle, 2024.
• Commentaire de l’art. 10a Cst. du Commentaire romand de la Constitution fédérale, Helbing Lichtenhahn, Bâle, 2021.
• Commentaire des art. 15 et 72 Cst. du Commentaire romand de la Constitution fédérale, Helbing Lichtenhahn, Bâle, 2021 (avec Vincent MARTENET).
• Plateformes numériques et contrat de travail, Jusletter 26 octobre 2020 (avec Rémy WYLER).
• L’initiative populaire « Oui à l’interdiction de se dissimuler le visage » – Une interprétation à l’aune du Covid-19, Jusletter 5 octobre 2020.

Conférences

• « Liberté religieuse, blasphème, discriminations : Quels enjeux et applications en Suisse ? », Centre intercantonal d’information sur les croyances (CIC) & Chaire Yves Oltramare Religion et politique dans le monde contemporain (IHEID) (Genève, 17 mars 2022)
• « Le blasphème dans une démocratie sécularisée : droit ou délit ? », Conférences doctorales (Université de Lausanne, 17 décembre 2019)
• « Rire et religion. Caricaturer, jusqu’où et comment ? », Débat avec François Boespflug et Barrigue, sous la modération du Prof. Pierre Gisel, Centre culturel des terreaux (Lausanne, 2 décembre 2019)