FGvW has advised OBI on real estate law matters related to the planned acquisition of, initially, five stores operated by the home improvement retailers HELLWEG and BayWa Bau & Garten. As part of the investor process involving the two companies, OBI was awarded the locations Berlin-Tiergarten, Berlin-Yorckstraße, and Münster-Gievenbeck from HELLWEG, as well as Nördlingen...

Making it easier and faster to set up a company anywhere in Germany and, in the longer term, enabling the entire process to be completed digitally within 24 hours is the objective of the project “Schneller Gründen”, which forms part of the German Federal and States’ governments’ modernization agenda. The Federal government, the German States...

As a general rule, applicants for a job in Germany are not required to disclose a severe disability on their own initiative during the hiring process. For this reason, the Cologne Higher Labor Court held that four terminations issued without the consent of the Integration Office, as well as an attempted rescission of the employment...

FGvW has advised eps Holding GmbH in connection with the merger of the eps Event Group with NÜSSLI (Schweiz) AG. By merging with eps, an owner-managed European family-owned company, the investors of NÜSSLI (Schweiz) AG under the leadership of Helvetica Capital are implementing a long-term succession plan for NÜSSLI. FGvW is thereby supporting the merger...

FGvW has advised the Würzburg-based deep tech startup WeSort.AI on a EUR 10 million funding round. Participants in the round included the European impact investors Infinity Recycling, Green Generation Fund, and Vent.io, as well as SPRIND – Federal Agency for Breakthrough Innovations and other public funding programs. The financing was facilitated with the support of...

Vertical distribution agreements have recently gained considerable importance under competition law. This becomes clear e.g. by the latest decision of the German Federal Cartel Office dated 8 July 2026, which imposed aggregate fines of 11.9 million euro on companies active in the tire wholesale sector (Case No. B10-21/24). Previously the Federal Cartel Office has imposed fines...

Where managers are employed by one group company but perform their duties in the organization of another group company, their engagement in the receiving organization may be subject to co-determination under section 99(1) sentence 1 of the German Works Constitution Act (Betriebsverfassungsgesetz – “BetrVG”). In a decision dated January 27, 2026 (Federal Labor Court, 27.01.2026...

One hundred years is a long time. Long enough for telephones to become smartphones, filing cabinets to become cloud storage, and “Reply All” to become a recognized workplace hazard. In 2026, FGvW celebrates its 100th anniversary. Looking back over a century, one thing becomes clear: history rarely stands still. Neither do businesses. Neither do law...

As a child, I knew exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up: first a professional soccer player, then a basketball star. It became clear quite early on that neither Karl-Heinz Rummenigge nor Michael Jordan had any reason to seriously worry about losing their jobs. What remained is my passion for strategy and...

Whether Copilot, ChatGPT or industry-specific solutions – artificial intelligence (AI) has long since become part of everyday business life. Employees use AI tools to draft texts, analyze data, write code and support customer communication. Many companies, however, still lack a clear position: some actively encourage the use of AI and provide their own systems, while...