Tax

Our tax practice has an excellent reputation when it comes to counselling clients on the tax implications of major transactions. Its lawyers work closely with our corporate and M&A teams to provide support on mergers, acquisitions, and divestments, as well as on large-scale real estate deals for foreign and domestic investors. This includes creating tax-optimised target structures (mergers), structuring acquisitions and divestments, advising on acquisition financing, and developing employee participation plans. When it comes to the restructuring of financially distressed companies, we advise clients on all tax aspects of debt consolidation and debt relief.

A major part of our work involves advising on the planning and implementation of corporate and group restructurings, such as spin-offs, split-ups, hive-downs, and mergers. Tax issues usually play a dominant role in this regard, as new structures must be tax-efficient and changes to existing ones should avoid triggering new tax obligations. We also have expertise in the specialist area of advising on complex public restructurings.
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Our tax lawyers have extensive experience in succession planning. We advise on the transfer of businesses and their assets to next-generation family members or trust funds, as well as on relocation issues and multiple domiciles. We take a structured approach to creating the most economical, legally sound, and tax-efficient hereditary- and business-succession solutions and strategies for the transfer of private assets. In doing so, we team up with colleagues from other areas, in particular from our corporate practice.  
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In difficult cases, such as complex tax audits, we represent clients in remedy proceedings before the tax authorities and courts, all the way up to the German Supreme Tax Court. Clients also increasingly seek our guidance on the tax implications of allegations of corruption and other issues relating to compliance. This requires discreet and reliable advice on the relevant tax liabilities and criminal consequences.
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The practice has a strong international focus and advises on many major international transactions and succession mandates. We have established a trusted and flexible network of tax experts across all key jurisdictions, built on close working relationships. We have a broad network of premiere law firms in the US – in New York in particular – with which we frequently work on transactional and succession-related issues.
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