From a single investment to succession across generations, we guide you through the civil, corporate and foreign trade law questions of your wealth.
Investments, real estate and heirs are often spread across several countries. We make sure your structures and contracts fit together across those borders.
German Companies Abroad
For German investors and families with assets beyond the border:
International Companies in Germany
For foreign investors and family offices investing in Germany:
With substantial wealth, problems rarely arise in a single question. They arise where investment, tax and succession meet.
Investment, foundation and succession interlock. With us, one partner holds the threads together instead of you coordinating three firms.
In wealth structures, the real hurdle is usually tax. We therefore work closely with your tax advisers and align every arrangement with them.
Heirs and assets often sit in different states. We coordinate with the advisers on the ground and keep your contracts consistent across legal systems.
Family office mandates demand confidentiality. We keep the circle of people involved small and document only what is truly necessary.
Whether a fund investment, an acquisition or an estate, tell us what it concerns. In a first conversation we sort through your questions and map out the way forward.
If an investor from outside the EU acquires voting rights in a German company, a notification requirement can arise under the German Foreign Trade and Payments Ordinance, depending on the sector from as little as 10 or 20 percent of the voting rights, otherwise from 25 percent. We assess whether your transaction is affected before signing and, where necessary, conduct the proceedings before the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs.
Under the EU Succession Regulation, the estate is generally governed by the law of the state in which the deceased was last habitually resident. In your will, you can instead choose the law of your home country. This choice of law creates clarity and can be tailored to your objectives with a well-designed structure.
A family foundation can pool assets, protect them from fragmentation and order the succession across generations. Whether it fits your situation depends on the type of assets, the family constellation and the tax burden. We examine the structure together with your tax advisers before you commit.
What counts are the rights in the investment agreement: information and control rights, preferences on distributions, a say in key decisions and clear exit arrangements. We review the documentation, renegotiate where needed and make sure your position holds in a crisis and on exit.
For real estate, there are hardly any restrictions on foreign buyers. For acquisitions of company shares, investment screening can apply, and holding vehicles and structure should be considered early for tax purposes. We clarify both before you invest.
