STENDERS is an internationally active manufacturer of natural cosmetics with Latvian roots. As part of its expansion, the company planned to enter the German market.
Building the Company, Store Network and Team in Parallel
To enter the German market, STENDERS needed to establish a dedicated German subsidiary and build up operational business activities. At the same time, the company planned to hire personnel across all functional levels, including senior positions, which created a significant need for employment law support from the outset. This required the drafting and negotiation of employment contracts as well as ongoing support for existing employment relationsips. As operations developed, legally compliant termination structures, such as termination agreements, and representation in dismissal protection proceedings before German labor courts also became necessary. In addition, STENDERS required support in reviewing and negotiating lease agreements for its planned locations in Germany.
A key challenge was to make the specific requirements of the German legal and administrative system understandable and manageable for a foreign
Legal Support Throughout the Market Entry
Maxfeld supported STENDERS in establishing the German subsidiary and executing the operational market entry. The advice covered corporate structuring as well as ongoing employment law support, from the recruitment phase and day-to-day HR matters through to labor court proceedings. In addition, we supported the review and negotiation of lease agreements.
The support was designed as an integrated, ongoing advisory relationship and coordinated through a single point of contact. This allowed corporate, employment and lease-related issues to be efficiently aligned and implemented an a practical manner.
Several Stores Opened and a Stable Structure Established for the German Business
STENDERS was able to implement its market entry into Germany in a structured and smooth manner. Specific features of German law and administrative processes were addressed early on, and potential legal pitfalls were avoided.
Centralizing all relevant legal matters with one point of contact streamlined internal decision-making and ensured consistent implementation. The market entry was successful; STENDERS opened several stores and established sustainable business operations in Germany.
Corporate, Employment and Commercial Lease Law Working Together
The work focused on corporate law, employment law and commercial tenancy law. Combining these areas of expertise enabled comprehensive support for the market entry and subsequent operations in Germany.
