Germany: Corporate/Commercial Law

General Partners launching private equity or venture capital funds face significant challenges in financing their GP commitment, particularly when operating in the defense technology and dual-use sectors.

The Fiscal Court of Münster has ruled on a critical question in German reorganization tax law: when assessing whether a contribution in kind qualifies for tax-neutral treatment, should authorities examine the circumstances on the actual contribution date or the retroactive tax effective date? This decision challenges longstanding administrative guidance and could fundamentally reshape how businesses structure tax-efficient reorganizations involving partnership interests and special business assets.

Germany's financial regulator BaFin has issued comprehensive guidance consolidating its administrative practices for corporate takeovers under the WpÜG.

The European Union's new Regulation on packaging and packaging waste has fundamentally transformed compliance requirements for companies placing packaged goods on the EU market, replacing decades-old directive-based frameworks with directly applicable product-law rules. While promising regulatory harmonization across member states, the reality presents a complex dual-compliance landscape where businesses must navigate both EU-wide packaging standards and diverging national implementation approaches.

The European Parliament has tabled over 1,900 amendments to the Market Integration and Supervision Package, transforming it from a straightforward proposal into a complex negotiation between competing models for European market supervision and infrastructure. As the Commission's original December 2025 proposal becomes obsolete and multiple parliamentary drafts emerge with conflicting visions, financial firms face critical questions about which supervisory architecture will ultimately govern their licenses

Germany's implementation of the EU AI Regulation assigns BaFin as the market surveillance authority for AI systems in financial services, while new guidance clarifies investment product classifications under PRIIPs and establishes transitional rules for ESG rating providers. BaFin also provides supervisory guidance on the Payment for Order Flow ban affecting investment firms and neo-banks.

General Partners launching private equity or venture capital funds face significant challenges in financing their GP commitment, particularly when operating in the defense technology and dual-use sectors.

Germany's foreign direct investment (FDI) regime has been expanded considerably in recent years, mirroring a global trend towards increased scrutiny of cross-border investments, and particularly...

On April 9, 2025, the German Christian Democrats (CDU) and Social Democrats (SPD) finalized a coalition agreement after the snap elections in February.

The Fiscal Court of Münster has ruled on a critical question in German reorganization tax law: when assessing whether a contribution in kind qualifies for tax-neutral treatment, should authorities examine the circumstances on the actual contribution date or the retroactive tax effective date? This decision challenges longstanding administrative guidance and could fundamentally reshape how businesses structure tax-efficient reorganizations involving partnership interests and special business assets.

Die Bundesregierung plant, die Nutzung von Vorrats-SE zur Umgehung des deutschen Mitbestimmungsrechts einzuschränken. Unternehmen mit laufenden oder geplanten SE-Strukturen sollten ihre Optionen prüfen und die Entwicklung aufmerksam verfolgen. Welche rechtlichen Alternativen bestehen und was bei der Umstrukturierung zu beachten ist, bleibt vorerst offen.

Der BGH hat mit Urteil vom 14.10.2025 grundlegende Anforderungen an die Überwachungspflichten des Aufsichtsrats und die Berichtspflichten des Vorstands präzisiert. Auch bei ruhendem Geschäftsbetrieb einer Aktiengesellschaft bleiben die gesetzlichen Berichts- und Überwachungsmechanismen vollumfänglich bestehen. Die Entscheidung verdeutlicht, dass Aufsichtsratsmitglieder ihre Pflichten nicht durch informelle Gespräche erfüllen können und bei Pflichtverletzungen pers