Focus Country Practices

Focus Country Practices

• Country Practice China

  China is the world’s largest economy alongside the USA. However, cultural peculiarities and a foreign business culture cause difficulties for many German companies. Chinese practice differs significantly from German practice, especially with regard to contract negotiations and corporate management. Knowledge of cultural differences is therefore often the key to success. The members of our Country Practice China have gained years of experience in advising Chinese companies and are very familiar with the Chinese market. They are familiar with the Chinese corporate culture and have the necessary tact to conduct even complicated negotiations for you. On site in China, we work together with our Chinese KPMG legal colleagues – so we always have the right contact person for you on site and can offer you the best possible advice for your company.

  The Country Practice China advises you in all areas of business law, be it the establishment of a company in Germany or China, the drafting of bilingual contracts or a cross-border restructuring. We accompany your project from start to finish and, thanks to our multidisciplinary approach and our close involvement in the China Country Practice at KPMG AG, we can also offer you comprehensive and solution-oriented multidisciplinary advice in business and tax matters – all from a single source.

  Gone are the days when China was seen only as the world’s workbench. According to OECD calculations, China will be the world’s largest economy in just a few years. The country is focusing on high-tech products, research and development, and the expansion of services.

  Made in China” is increasingly becoming “Designed in China”. However, market entry and further business development require precise knowledge of the market and business conditions in order to take advantage of the dynamic growth of China as an economic power in the long term.

  Our teams for the Chinese-German country corridor support you with local and international expertise to sustainably strengthen and promote your activities. The team of the China Practice in Germany supports in particular Chinese companies with investment projects in Germany. The specialists of KPMG’s German Practice in China help German and European companies in the Chinese market.

  We take care of all essential aspects concerning the development of Sino-German business projects and competently assist investors in all phases of their investment process according to their individual requirements:

  • Foundation
  • Growth
  • Expansion
  • Restructuring
  • Turnaround
  • Insolvency

  Our experience in supporting cross-border investments also draws on KPMG’s global China Practice (GCP) network spanning the globe. As one of more than 50 local China Practices, we can – together with our colleagues in the international network – offer you in-depth expertise and local consulting on the topic of China and Germany at any time.

  Contact person:
  Dr. Dr. Boris Schilmar

• Country Practice France

  Despite intensive economic relations, the cultural differences between different countries can sometimes make close cooperation a challenge. In-depth knowledge of the country and experience are required here.

  In our Country Practice France we have bundled specific country know-how for our clients. Our team consists of qualified lawyers who are fluent in French and have an in-depth knowledge of the country’s corporate world, both culturally and professionally. Thanks to our multidisciplinary approach and close cooperation with the Audit, Tax, Deal Advisory and Consulting departments of KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft, we can comprehensively analyze your Franco-German project from a legal, business management and tax perspective and develop tailor-made solution strategies for you. We can assist you with any type of cross-border project – from the drafting of bilingual contracts to the establishment of subsidiaries and cross-border restructuring.

  On site in France, we work together with our French KPMG legal colleagues – so we always have the right contact person for you on site and can offer you the best possible advice for your company.

  Contact person:
  Stefan Kimmel
  Dr. Dr. Boris Schilmar

• Country Practice Italy

  In our Country Practice Italy we have bundled specific know-how for our clients. Our team consists of qualified attorneys who are well versed in the country’s corporate world, both culturally and professionally. Thanks to our multidisciplinary approach and close cooperation with the Audit, Tax, Deal Advisory and Consulting departments of KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft, we can comprehensively analyze your German-Italian project from a legal, business management and tax perspective and develop tailor-made solution strategies for you. We support you in all cross-border projects – from the drafting of contracts to the establishment of subsidiaries and cross-border restructuring.

  On site in Italy, we work together with our Italian KPMG legal colleagues – so we always have the right local contact for you and can offer you the best possible advice for your company.

  Contact person:
  Dr. Dr. Boris Schilmar

• Country Practice Japan

  For many German companies, Japan is considered the gateway to Asia. However, cultural peculiarities and a foreign business culture cause difficulties for many German companies. Especially with regard to contract negotiations and corporate governance, Japanese practice differs significantly from German practice. Knowledge of cultural differences is therefore often the key to success. The members of our Country Practice Japan have gained years of experience in advising Japanese companies and are very familiar with the Japanese market. They are familiar with Japanese corporate culture and have the necessary tact to handle even complicated negotiations for you. The Country Practice Japan is in close contact with our Japanese KPMG colleagues and the legal colleagues of our friendly Japanese partner law firm.

  The Country Practice Japan advises you in all areas of business law, be it the establishment of a company in Germany or Japan, the drafting of bilingual contracts or a cross-border restructuring. We accompany your project from start to finish and, thanks to our multidisciplinary approach and our close integration into the Country Practice Japan existing at KPMG AG, we can also offer you comprehensive and solution-oriented multidisciplinary advice in business and tax matters – all from a single source.

  Contact person:
  Jörg Grünenberger (KPMG AG)

• Country Practice Netherlands

  Our Country Practice Netherlands consists of experts in advising German companies in the Netherlands and Dutch companies in Germany. The members of the Country Practice are not only well-positioned professionally, but also speak Dutch fluently in some cases and have an excellent knowledge of the local corporate culture as a result of their many years of successfully advising Dutch companies. In addition, we can always draw on broad local legal expertise with our Dutch legal colleagues. We advise your company in all areas of business law, be it the establishment of subsidiaries in Germany or the Netherlands, cross-border negotiations or restructuring.

  Due to our close cooperation with the members of the Country Practice Netherlands existing at KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft, we are also in a position to,
  to provide comprehensive and multidisciplinary support for your cross-border projects, not only in legal terms, but also in the areas of audit, tax, deal advisory and consulting. Thanks to its multidisciplinary approach and its networking with local colleagues, Country Practice Netherlands is therefore the ideal contact for all projects between Germany and the Netherlands.

  Contact person:
  Dr. Roland Hens

• Country Practice Nordics

  In our Country Practice Nordics, we have bundled specific know-how on the particular country characteristics in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland and Denmark for our clients. Our team consists of qualified lawyers and experts who are well connected both culturally and professionally in the corporate world of the Nordics countries.

  The Country Practice Nordics advises you in all areas of business law, be it the establishment of a company in Germany or the Nordic countries, the comprehensive support of cross-border M&A transactions, the drafting of bilingual contracts, headquarters issues (process optimization, compliance, data protection) or cross-border restructurings. In doing so, we accompany your project from the beginning to its successful completion and, thanks to our multidisciplinary approach and our close integration into KPMG’s multidisciplinary Nordics corridor, we can also offer you comprehensive, efficient and solution-oriented multidisciplinary advice at the highest level in terms of business management and taxation – all from a single source.

  Contact person:
  Dr. Ian Maywald

• Country Practice Austria

  There have been intensive business relations between Germany and Austria for decades due to the common language, the geographical location and a similar cultural and legal environment. Our Country Practice Austria has excellent knowledge of Austrian companies and the legal system there: We have been successfully assisting many Austrian clients with their projects in Germany for years. Conversely, we work closely with the legal colleagues of our partner law firm in Austria and are therefore also ideally positioned locally. We accompany German companies with investment projects in Austria and support Austrian companies with their activities in Germany. In the Country Practice Austria we have bundled our German-Austrian know-how and offer you a central contact to ensure an efficient and smooth flow of your cross-border projects in the German-Austrian Corridor.

  Contact person:
  Dr. Heiko Hoffmann

• Country Practice Switzerland

  Germany and Switzerland are linked by many economic and cultural similarities. Nevertheless, there are significant legal differences between the two countries, not least due to the fact that Switzerland is not an EU member state. Our Country Practice Switzerland is very familiar with both legal systems and has many years of experience in advising German and Swiss companies.

  Be it market entry in Germany or Switzerland, cross-border acquisitions or contract negotiations – our country practice members have the necessary professional expertise in all areas of business law. Rarely, however, do legal problems arise on their own. These are often accompanied by business or tax difficulties. Here we can draw on a broad pool of tax advisors and financial experts from KPMG in Germany and Switzerland.

  Our Swiss KPMG legal colleagues have also set up a German Tax & Legal Center specifically for the Swiss-German economic area in order to pool expertise and address specific legal and tax issues between the two countries.

  Whether you are a Swiss company operating in Germany or a German company maintaining or planning activities in Switzerland, we have excellent networks in both Switzerland and Germany and can provide you with comprehensive, multidisciplinary advice – all from a single source.

  Contact persons:
  Matthias Lüger
  Dietmar Kaupp
  

• Country Practice UK

  Our lawyers in the UK Country Practice are not only fluent in English and have many years of experience in advising German and British companies, but are also very familiar with the cultural customs in England. The latter in particular is essential in contract negotiations and often the key to a successful deal. We support British companies in Germany, lead cross-border negotiations and assist German companies with project plans in the UK. We have an excellent network with KPMG’s legal colleagues in the UK. Experts in virtually all areas of British business law are thus only a phone call away for us at any time. Due to our close cooperation with the members of the UK Country Practice at KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft, we are not only able to provide you with comprehensive support for legal issues in the Germany-UK corridor, but can also offer you multidisciplinary solutions from a single source.

  Contact persons:
  Dr. Andreas Wieland
  Dr. Christian Hensel

• Country Practice USA

  The USA is a key trading partner for international German companies. Conversely, Germany is an attractive base in Europe for many U.S. companies. However, U.S. corporate culture and management style sometimes differ significantly from German practice.

  The members of our Country Practice are fluent in English and have gained considerable practical experience either through studies or stays in the USA and are regularly on site in the USA. They have extensive experience in advising U.S. companies in Germany as well as vice versa and are therefore very familiar with the local customs. The Country Practice USA serves as a central point of contact for all cross-border projects, from contracts between German and American companies to complex M&A transactions and restructurings.

  In doing so, we can always draw on broad local legal expertise with the legal colleagues of our friendly US partner law firm. In companies, however, legal issues rarely arise on their own, but are often linked to business management and tax problems.

  For this reason, we work closely with the members of the Country Practice USA existing at KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft as well as the members of the German Desk existing at KPMG USA in order to be able to offer our clients multidisciplinary solutions from a single source.

  Contact person:
  Lars-Alexander Meixner

• Country Practice Canada

  The importance of cooperation between German and Canadian industry has grown in recent years, as evidenced not least by the hydrogen production cooperation agreement signed in August 2022. The CETA free trade agreement between the EU and Canada is also improving economic relations – the ratification law launched by the German government came into force on January 20, 2023. Not only the legal differences, but also the different corporate and management cultures on this side and the other side of the continent regularly present German and Canadian companies with some challenges.

  Members of our Country Practice are fluent in English and French and regularly collaborate with colleagues in the Canadian practice. They therefore have extensive experience in advising on cross-border matters. The Canada Country Practice serves as a central point of contact for all cross-border projects, from contracts between German and Canadian companies to complex M&A transactions and restructurings.

  In doing so, we can always draw on broad local legal expertise with the legal colleagues of our colleagues at KPMG Law Canada. In companies, however, legal issues rarely arise on their own, but are often linked to business management and tax problems.

  For this reason, we work closely with the members of the Country Practice Canada existing at KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft in order to offer our clients multidisciplinary solutions from a single source.

  Contact person:
  Maximiliane Prüm

• Country Practice Luxembourg

  Luxembourg is an important European hub for financial services, especially in asset management and banking. Due to the numerous European and global linkages of this business, it is important to have a common understanding of the legal and economic references in these areas.

  The members of the Country Practice Luxembourg have in-depth experience in national and international structuring and implementation projects. Especially in asset management, funds of all asset classes can be implemented for investors all over the world.
  You will also find relevant experts in our Country Practice Group when it comes to relocations and license extensions.

  The Luxembourg Country Practice Group advises on all aspects of commercial law, starting from the (regulatory) legal structuring of a regulated company or even unregulated entities, through assistance in establishment or restructuring.

  The Country Practice Luxembourg also has in-depth expertise in the structuring and implementation of capital investments such as funds (AIFs and UCITS) and bonds and also provides support in licensing procedures with the supervisory authority (CSSF). Working languages are German, English and French.

  As a one-stop store, we offer you, together with our KPMG colleagues from Tax, Audit and Consulting, comprehensive and cross-border services from a single source that are required for your project. Furthermore, the Luxembourg Country Practice is in close contact with our affiliated Luxembourg law firm.

  Contact person:
  Ulrich Keunecke

• Country Practice Spain

  Spain is one of the important economic partners for Germany within the European Union, as Spain is the fifth largest customer for German exports in the EU. The country is the fourth largest economy in the Eurozone and offers a stable political and economic environment for investors. German-Spanish economic relations are close and diverse. Conversely, Germany is the most important trading partner German companies have a strong presence in Spain and invest in various sectors such as the automotive industry, mechanical engineering, energy and tourism.

  In addition, Spain is the regional starting point for German companies wishing to export their products and services to the Latin American market.

  The Country Practice Spain offers comprehensive legal advice to German companies operating in Spain or wishing to invest in the Spanish market as well as to inbound Spanish companies wishing to invest in Germany. As a one-stop store, we offer cross-border services from a single source together with our KPMG colleagues from Tax, FS and Consulting; the Country Practice Group Spain employs several native Spanish speakers.

  The focus of the advice is on commercial and contract law, compliance, new regulatory issues (e.g. LkSG and Deforestation Ordinance) and corporate law inquiries.

  
  Contact person:
  Anne-Kathrin Gillig