Olswang Germany is part of the leading international law firm Olswang LLP. We advise national and international clients on all questions regarding commercial law issues. Our German team in Berlin and Munich offers advisory services within Germany and beyond.

Our key areas are:

Media
Technology & Telecommunications
Real Estate
Public Infrastructure

We are first-class lawyers who know the ins and outs of our clients' businesses and their respective business environments. Excellent advisory services in every area of commercial law are a matter of course to us. Our success is mainly based on our fully integrated advisory service approach: We combine highly qualified legal expertise in the areas of corporate, financing, tax, employment and IP law with comprehensive knowledge of the respective markets.

About 350 lawyers support you in six international jurisdictions. In our Berlin, Brussels, London, Madrid, Munich, Paris, Singapore and Thames Valley offices we develop tailored solutions for you. In addition, we are part of a global network of leading law firms.

Media

We advise companies in the media and entertainment sector on matters of public media law and intellectual property rights, including copyright. We support you in all entrepreneurial processes: from production and licensing, to distribution, financing and product placement issues. Furthermore, we offer advice with respect to restructuring, transactions and insolvency proceedings in the media business. Our spectrum of clients includes internet and software companies as well as companies in the traditional film, TV and publishing industries. In 2010 we were named Media Law Firm of the Year by the German legal directory JUVE for our innovative advisory approach.

Technology & Telecommunications

We advise national and international technology, telecommunication and life science companies on all relevant legal issues. Due to our many years of industry experience, and our close co-operation with our eight offices located around the world, we know the needs of our clients in an increasingly converged world. We advise in particular on M&A projects and joint ventures, financings, employment law, outsourcing, commercial agreements on licensing, development and consumer deals, anti trust law as well as on data protection. In addition, our office in Munich is specialised in the protection and enforcement of intellectual property such as patents and trademarks. In the area of telecommunications and life science, we also support our clients in regulatory matters.

Real Estate

In the real estate sector, we combine transactional routine with comprehensive know-how for all asset classes and in every phase of the life cycle of a real estate property. Our clients include real estate investors (investment companies, pension funds and private investors), real estate developers and portfolio managers, banks and real estate financing institutions, industrial companies and public authorities. In 2011 we were awarded Real Estate Law Firm of the Year by the German legal directory JUVE for our innovative advisory approach.

Public Infrastructure

We have an in-depth experience in structuring and financing of infrastructure projects (including public-private partnerships) in the areas of traffic and transportation, health care, telecommunications, supply and network infrastructure. Our client portfolio includes national and foreign governments, public institutions, companies, investors and financing institutions. We advise on German as well as European Union law.

We provide comprehensive advice on commercial law for the Media, Technology & Telecommunications, Real Estate and Public Infrastructure sectors. In addition, we support you with full-service legal advice in the following areas:

Commercial Law and Contracts
Competition, Antitrust and European Union Law
Conflict Resolution
Corporate and M&A
Finance and Banking
Intellectual Property
Notarial Services
Public Law and Regulatory
Public Media and Telecommunications Law
Real Estate
Restructuring and Insolvency
Tax

Commercial Law and Contracts 

We advise on the entire range of commercial law, including the drafting and negotiation of commercial contracts. We provide support with the structuring and implementation of your business models, for example with respect to the production or utilisation of intellectual property, the establishment of e-commerce platforms, the introduction of distribution structures or the drafting of cooperation agreements.

Competition, Antitrust and European Union Law

We support merger control proceedings at the German Federal Cartel Office as well as at the European Commission. Furthermore, our range of advice also comprises fraud control while developing strategies for compliance with antitrust law and issues of public subsidies, such as film funding. Our clients include major as well as small- and medium-sized companies, which we support in the development of new business models and in the implementation of existing business models.

Conflict Resolution

We represent our clients and their interests in court, before arbitration tribunals and in extrajudicial proceedings of alternative conflict resolution. We have many years' experience in efficient process management and combine legal expertise with a sound understanding of the economic context. This enables us to assist in the resolution of conflicts while being aware of the interests of all parties involved.

Corporate and M&A

We offer comprehensive corporate advice with a particular emphasis on all varieties of M&A transactions. Our clients include major listed public limited companies, medium-sized companies as well as start-ups. Our advice includes the incorporation of a company and continuous legal advice regarding joint ventures, restructuring, and transactions under capital market law. Key aspects of our work are private equity and venture capital transactions.

Finance and Banking

We advise investors as well as banks on complex financing structures. Thanks to our many years of experience with respect to both the lender's and the borrower's sides, we offer pragmatic and market-oriented solutions. Our spectrum of services ranges from acquisition, project financing and refinancing, including syndication, to the sale of loans, debt buybacks, non-performing loan transactions and the restructuring of existing financing.

Intellectual Property

Our Team advises on all matters pertaining to patent, trademark and unfair competition law. We specialise in patent infringement, opposition and nullity proceedings and in the prosecution of intellectual property rights. Furthermore, we advise on the preparation and negotiation of licence, research and development agreements, on the performance of intellectual property right researches, on the preparation of expert opinions regarding infringement and/ or validity of intellectual property rights, as well as on all matters regarding employee invention law. Our expertise is complemented by the IP teams in Brussels, London and Madrid, enabling us to provide cross-border advice on all aspects of intellectual property law.

Notarial Services

We provide a complete range of notarial services, from certifications and authentications to auxiliary activities such as incorporation and support for special purpose entities. Furthermore, we provide competent and comprehensive support on share-pledge enforcements. 

Public Law and Regulatory

We advise on matters of German and European public commercial law. We have vast experience in advising and representing domestic and foreign governments, public institutions, companies, investors and financing institutions. We specialise in the planning of complex infrastructure projects and the establishment of public-private partnerships (PPP), for which we provide support in all areas of procurement law, construction, planning and environmental law, and constitutional and administrative law.

Public Media and Telecommunications law

We offer comprehensive advisory services on all regulatory issues regarding public media and telecommunications law, from day-to-day business to complex transactions, including supporting with respect to antitrust law. We possess particularly sound expertise in the fields of broadcasting law, telecommunications law and all issues relating to data protection, protection of minors and gambling law.

Real Estate

We offer comprehensive and market-oriented advice in all areas that are relevant for real estate transactions and real estate projects. Real estate investors (such as investment companies, pension funds and private investors), real estate developers, portfolio managers, banks and real estate financing institutions, industrial companies and public authorities are among our clients. Our advice ranges from all asset classes of residential, office and commercial properties, operator properties such as hotels, leisure properties, nursing homes and hospitals, to the areas of logistics, industry and infrastructure. Due to the broad range of our advisory services, we possess a thorough understanding of the real estate industry which extends beyond knowledge about individual transactions.

Restructuring and Insolvency

We recommend preventive measures during calmer periods and support with competent advice in an emergency. Our spectrum of advice ranges from restructuring of operations or financial structure, and support for lenders in the restructuring of non-performing loans and investments or the execution of collaterals, through to investments in distressed companies. We have particularly sound expertise in the media and technology sectors and in the real estate industry, all of which present legal and industry-specific particularities that require individual methods and processes.

Tax

We support and advise our clients on all issues pertaining to German and European tax law. We develop pragmatic solutions for the commercial challenges being faced and support in fiscal court proceedings. We have many years of experience in the structuring of complex and international transactions and in investment and film funds. Our technical know-how is complemented by our thorough understanding of the economic context.