News
Keep up to date with our News on developments in the field of Start-ups and Venture Capital.
We advise start-ups and business angels and other providers of venture capital.
In order to successfully turn their ideas into action, the first step that start-ups will often take is to conclude contracts with service providers, employees, customers and, last, but not least, investors. Yet commercial success requires a legal and tax-optimised structure from the very start. As a commercial law firm, we provide entrepreneurs and start-ups (early and later stage) with comprehensive advice for the successful start, sustainable commercial growth, attracting investors and, naturally, for the exit. A solid and well-negotiated contractual basis facilitates the operation and expansion of the business and creates mutual confidence. It is also important to us that our clients always negotiate on an equal footing with investors and all other business partners.
We develop tailored, innovative solutions, based on our experience and the needs of our venture capital clients. Our Venture Capital Team can access the know-how of our colleagues from all related areas of law at any time. Combined with our deep sector knowledge in the areas of digital business (in particular FinTech, InsureTech, MedTech, AdTech, games, media and telecoms), travel and travel technology, life science and cleantech (in particular renewable energies and energy storage), we provide efficient advice of the highest level. Our large network also offers interesting contacts for our clients for the expansion of their portfolios.
Our advice in corporate law matters extends from establishment to exit. We provide comprehensive, expert advice on the following issues:
You can find further information under Corporate.
In our experience, most entrepreneurs initially treat labour law as a Cinderella issue, and even growing start-ups view labour law as a rigid corset that they refuse or are reluctant to wear. Yet labour law need not be a necessary evil. The correct approach to labour law can contribute enormously to cost savings and to finding, employing and retaining happy – and thus more efficient – employees (such as through the use of appropriate employee participation structures). Labour law issues should also be covered by any due diligence reviews before financing rounds or the sale of a start-up: such issues must be clarified when trying to spruce up the business for sale, because subsequent due diligence will almost certainly uncover any inconsistencies in human resources. In our experience, these inconsistencies always have a negative effect on financing and on the purchase price. The impact of labour law should therefore not be underestimated.
We help our clients to minimise risks through focused planning and bring existing conflicts to their successful conclusion. Naturally, we advise on the whole bandwidth of labour law, although we see ourselves as “Employer Lawyers” and always take the company perspective. We advise start-ups especially in the following fields:
You can find further information under Labour Law
For many years, we have been the point of contact for venture capital firms and funds of all types. We represent purchasers and vendors and advise on the entire spectrum of venture capital transactions, including tax and financial issues:
Many of the experienced professionals in our Tax Law Team have dual qualifications as both lawyers and tax advisors. We advise start-ups on all relevant tax issues, in particular:
You can find further information under Tax Law.
The start-up phase of a company should lay the groundwork for the consistent protection of intellectual property, such as trademarks and other IP rights. This includes the development of a marketing strategy and corporate identity that comply with the relevant laws, and care should be taken to ensure the contractual protection of IT services, too. In many cases, omissions during the start-up phase cannot to be rectified at a later stage, or can only be remedied with significant drawbacks. Our start-up experts can demonstrate which legal measures in the IT / IP field are important and make sense in light of the individual circumstances of the start-up, and which measures are less pressing. Of course, we take into account the latest legal stipulations and consider the relevant corporate goals and economic interests of the start-up.
Often, as commercial success increases, so too does the desire to use IP rights to actively secure the market position. We assist with this later phase, too.
Practice has shown that the following topics are of most relevance to start-ups:
You can find further information under Industrial Property and Information Technology & Telecommunications law.
The first commercial agreements are normally concluded immediately after the start-up has been established. Our sound judgment is an asset to clients in these initial activities. The greater the commercial success, the stronger the negotiating position – the growth phase can therefore be used to optimise contracts. We help our clients during the start-up phase to establish processes that will allow contractual issues to be processed efficiently, even as employee numbers increase. This includes, for example, the development of guidelines for employees on contract management. We also assist with the drafting, reviewing and renegotiation of contracts at a later stage.
You can find further information under Commercial.
Keep up to date with our News on developments in the field of Start-ups and Venture Capital.
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Dr Axel Goetz Lawyer, LL.M. Partner |
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Angelika Kapfer Lawyer, Tax Advisor Partner |
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Dr Andreas Lober Lawyer Partner |
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Dr Martin Rappert Lawyer, MBA Partner |
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Roland Startz Lawyer Partner |
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Volker Szpak Lawyer, Tax Advisor Partner |
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Dr Axel von Walter Lawyer, Licensed Specialist for Copyright and Media Law, Licensed Specialist for Information Technology Law Partner |
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Dr Holger Weimann Lawyer Partner |
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Dr Christian von Wistinghausen Lawyer, LL.M. Partner |
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Inka Adam Lawyer, Licensed Specialist for Labour Law Partner |
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Simon Bauer Lawyer; Tax Advisor |
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Moritz Bocks Tax Advisor, M.Sc. Partner |
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Dr Marion Frotscher Lawyer, Tax Advisor, M.I.Tax Partner |
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Dr Axel Goetz Lawyer, LL.M. Partner |
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Christian Hipp Lawyer Partner |
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Dr Christian Philipp Kalusa Lawyer Partner |
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Angelika Kapfer Lawyer, Tax Advisor Partner |
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Tassilo Klesen Lawyer Partner |
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Laureen Lee Lawyer, LL.M. Partner |
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Dr Gerald Peter Müller-Machwirth Lawyer, Licensed Specialist for Labour Law Partner |
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Dr Lucas van Randenborgh Lawyer, Licensed Specialist for Tax Law Partner
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Dr Martin Rappert Lawyer, MBA Partner |
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Dr Guido Ruegenberg Lawyer, LL.M., Licensed Specialist for Tax Law, Dipl.-Bw. Partner |
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Angela Schilling Lawyer, Licensed Specialist for Labour Law Partner |
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Dr Michael Späthe Lawyer, LL.M. Partner |
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Roland Startz Lawyer Partner |
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André Suttorp Lawyer, Tax Advisor , Graduate Financial Economist Partner |
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Volker Szpak Lawyer, Tax Advisor Partner |
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Lukas Vienenkötter Tax Advisor, Certified Advisor in International Tax Law |
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Dr Mario Weichel Lawyer Partner |
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Dr Holger Weimann Lawyer Partner |
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Dr Sebastian Weller Lawyer Partner |
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Dr Christian von Wistinghausen Lawyer, LL.M. Partner |
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Mathias Zimmer-Goertz Lawyer Partner |
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