Corporate law

We advise business start-ups on the choice of legal form, whether partnership (general partnership [KollG] or limited partnership [KommG]), or incorporated company (joint stock company [AG], company partially limited by shares [KommAG] or company whose manager-owners have limited liability [GmbH]). We support our clients in selecting the firm (name), coordinating international issues (trade-marks, domain name, etc.), in commercial representation (power of attorney, commercial agency, individual assignment) and registration of the company (commercial register, UID-registration, VAT-registration etc.). For companies enjoying special tax privileges, please go to Fields of expertise» Taxation.

We handle changes to capital and stock (capital increases and reductions, nominal share price decreases, share buy-backs, IPOs), as well as restructuring (mergers, squeeze-outs, divisions, deconsolidations, spin-offs, corporate transformation, asset transfers, outsourcing, management buyouts, leveraged buyouts, private equity and joint ventures).

Other areas of expertise are advice and management of stockholder voting rights at annual meetings of public companies, as well as voting by proxy and voting agreements such as vote pooling.

Clients wishing to acquire or sell companies come to us to take care of sale and purchase, including M&As. Our expertise includes share deals, asset deals, letters of intent, due diligence, tax law, competition and anti-trust legislation, employment and labor law [OR 333], copyright law and environmental law.

For companies ceasing operations or going out of business, clients rely on our expertise in all aspects of accounting, taxation and related legal issues.

We routinely represent clients in all manner of disputes, in every aspect of company law, and, in the case of M&As, provide representation in national courts, courts of arbitration and with the competent authorities.

Rounding out our corporate law services are obtaining official permission for business domiciles, operating business centers and taking on executive functions as board members or CEOs of limited liability companies [GmbH]. For additional information please go to Legal Services and Solutions for business, Corporate Services and Company Administration.