Venture Capital/Start-ups

Broad-based Expertise in all Areas

Gleiss Lutz stands for the highest quality advice and for practical and creative solutions in all areas of corporate law. The firm advises venture capital funds and start-up companies through the entire lifecycle of an investment.

We assess the legal requirements and frameworks for new business models, advise on seed financing as well as on further financing rounds, develop tailored investment plans, help shape the internal arrangement of the investors and the founders including the hedging and tax-optimisation of the investment. We also advise investors and founders on strategic decisions and on the legal challenges involved in building a successful company. Finally, we support any pivots performed and any strategies adopted to ensure a successful exit.

Juve Handbuch 2022/2023

“Gleiss Lutz is one of the few major German law firms that has built a reputation with international investors as a go-to advisor for transactions with a German dimension.”

Our advisory approach

Our clients appreciate our swift, flexible, pragmatic, and cooperative approach.

When advising venture capital funds and start-up companies, we combine our full-service approach with industry know-how, entrepreneurial curiosity with a sense for practical solutions, creativity with the drive to execute, problem analysis with result orientation, speed with legal precision, lean structures with operational strength, and digital expertise with experience from the traditional corporate world.

Legal risk analysis

A focus of our Venture Capital Practice is the assessment of the legal requirements and frameworks for new business models.

Using our custom method of analysis we analyse the business models of different sectors from different perspectives – from the point of view of the founder, of the investor, and of the lawyer. Working with our clients we develop practical measures for avoiding legal hurdles and pitfalls.

Global reach

Almost all of the venture capital transactions on which Gleiss Lutz acts as an advisor are cross-border in nature. Through our international network of top-class, trusted law firms we can cover all relevant jurisdictions worldwide.

We consult our clients to ensure that we put together the best international team with respect to the legal task at hand. As an independent law firm, we can address the specific requirements of client and mandate when selecting the local lawyers. We can thereby see to it that the quality of advice remains at a uniformly high level even when crossing national borders. Our tried-and-tested global advisory approach can be summed up as: one face to the client, one engagement letter, one bill.

Gleiss Lutz Start-up-Program

Building a successful business from the scratch poses major challenges. Managing scarce financial resources, recruiting top talents as well as going head to head with competitors and investors are just some of the issues start-ups face in every phase.

But start-ups also need sound legal documentation to convince prospective investors and mitigate risk.
The Gleiss Lutz Start-up Program supports young businesses to meet these challenges, acting as a sounding board to help laying a solid groundwork for future development and growth.

> More about the Gleiss Lutz Start-up-Program

News

The Future Financing Act – additional options for structuring capital measures and governance Article
Gleiss Lutz advises Bosch Ventures as co-lead investor on an investment round in the AI startup Aleph Alpha Mandate
Gleiss Lutz advises Sandbrook Capital on multi-hundred million dollar investment in NeXtWind Mandate
Gleiss Lutz advises Pitango on investment in digital health startup Patient21 Mandate
Gleiss Lutz advises Munich Re on the acquisition of insurtech apinity Mandate
Gleiss Lutz advises shareholders of sports tech startup Gymlib on sale to eGym Mandate

All news

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