Our law firm specialises in international commercial law. In doing so, we are one of the few German commercial law firms that not only employs French-speaking advisors and has a network of French correspondent law firms, but also has a team of lawyers admitted to practice in France. The team from Paris is led by our partner Phillipe de Richoufftz. We advise both German and French clients from the SME sector who want to invest in France or Germany as well as execute projects
When drafting investment contracts in Germany and France, two legal systems meet. The parties are often not familiar with the legal systems in the required depth, an expertise that is, however, absolutely necessary here.
It is therefore particularly important that you seek advice from a team that is well versed not only in the German legal system but also in the French legal system. We are highly qualified experts who will assist you in drafting and negotiating contracts and will also support you in the area of conflict resolution (arbitration and court).
We aim to identify problems at an early stage and solve them in advance. Especially with international contracts and in project management, it is important to be able to act and react quickly. Our experienced team supports you in all aspects of contract management.
Thanks to our locations in the heart of Berlin and in the centre of Paris, we are always happy to advise you on site or discuss the status of your projects via video conference. We are in constant contact with important organisations such as embassies and foreign chambers of commerce. The aim of contract management is to minimise legal risks and maximise profitability.
In addition to contract management, claim management is also one of our areas of expertise. We try to enforce our clients’ claims and defend against opposing claims. Our focus is on the best possible representation of your interests.
Careful preparation of projects and contracts cannot always prevent conflicts from arising. Here, too, we stand by your side and represent you in court or in arbitration. Before that, however, we always try to find a constructive out-of-court solution. We represent your interests vis-à-vis the other party and at the same time try to avoid a legal dispute. Should it come to that, however, we will of course represent you competently and personally before the court or arbitration tribunal in Germany or France. Our team also consists of lawyers who are admitted to the bar in France, so that we can represent you directly in court without the intervention of a third-party law firm. This saves time and money and enables us to represent your interests in the best possible way.
In the case of international arbitration, we have experience in proceedings under both international (e.g. ICC) and local arbitration rules (e.g. DIS) as well as investment disputes (ICSID).
Agency contracts have become an integral part of cross-border trade. However, clients from Germany cannot rely on the automatic validity of German laws and it German law. Therefore, comprehensive knowledge of German, French and international law is required here as well. In addition, such cross-border trade requires the drafting of agency agreements, also known as international distribution agreements. Our team of highly qualified experts will be happy to advise you fully on this matter and will work to represent your interests in the best possible way.
Project financing is a prerequisite for the realisation of any project. Our team of experienced lawyers will assist you in the evaluation, structuring and negotiation of these financing agreements, never losing sight of economic efficiency. Thanks to their in-depth knowledge of German and French law, but also of industry and economics, our lawyers always consider all legal issues from the perspective of economic viability. As each country has its own legal and financial culture, we will take this into account when drafting or analysing financing agreements.
France shares a 450km border with Germany. However, this is not the only reason why many of our clients seek to establish a company in our neighbouring country to the west of the Rhine. The German and French economies are closely linked on many levels and are therefore also an interesting location for medium-sized companies. In the case of a planned company formation in France, German legal experience can only be of limited help. Comprehensive and in-depth knowledge of French law and jurisprudence is absolutely necessary if your company formation is to be a success.
We are happy to provide comprehensive advice here. Our clients can be assured of high-quality and comprehensive advice, as we employ French lawyers or German lawyers who have worked in France for a long time and are familiar with the French legal system. In addition, our Franco-German team of lawyers has in-depth knowledge of French industry and business. We do not, as is usually the case, work with French law firms which we instruct. This means that all our clients always have the same contact person and the decision-making pathways are short and effective. In this way, unnecessary costs for you can also be avoided.
The close ties between France and Germany mean that cross-border inheritance matters have to be settled time and again. Our team has many years of experience in this field and will be happy to assist you with the necessary tact and sensitivity.
