News

In March 2026, the Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection (BMJV) and the Federal Ministry of Finance jointly unveiled a framework concept for a new type of business entity: the Special Purpose Entity (Gesellschaft mit gebundenem Vermögen, GmgV). But what exactly is behind this initiative — and what does it mean in practice? The...

We continue to expand our practice in the areas of estate planning and business succession, as well as foundation and tax law, with the addition of Dr Georg Tolksdorf as a partner, and Vanessa Siemer as an associate. Both are joining from ADVANT Beiten to FGvW’s Hamburg office. Dr Tolksdorf provides comprehensive advice to private...

The participation of external managing directors as partners in the companies they manage is a common structuring tool to align shareholder and management interests and to retain the management team. Often, the corporate position as partner is functionally tied to the office of managing director, so that the end of the management mandate also leads...

If a company wishes to place its trade secrets under the protection of the Trade Secrets Act (GeschGehG), it must take appropriate measures to protect those secrets. The higher the value of the trade secret, the more effective the protective measures must be. This was decided by the Baden-Württemberg Regional Labor Court in its ruling...

FGvW advised Schwarzwaldmilch GmbH Freiburg on the acquisition of all shares of Martin Bauhofer Käserei GmbH in the Allgäu region in Germany. The Schwarzwaldmilch Group is one of the leading dairies with 430 employees in Baden-Württemberg, Southern Germany. In 2025, the group collected and processed approximately 260 million kg of milk at its locations in...

Digital platform work involving delivery drivers does not automatically mean that a separate works council can be elected in every delivery area: The Federal Labor Court clarifies the requirements for organizational units eligible for a works council in app-based work models (BAG January 28, 2026 – 7 ABR 23/24). Facts of the case The ruling...

We are delighted to have been recommended in the latest ranking by The Legal 500 Germany 2026 in 16 practice areas: Construction Law (including Dispute Resolution), Corporate Law, Employment Law, Environmental and Planning Law, Competition Law, Health, Information Technology & Digitization, Insurance Law (Dispute Resolution), M&A (mid-sized deals), Medical Law, Plant Construction, Private Clients and...

Since December 6, 2025, the European NIS2 Directive has been implemented in Germany in the Act on the Federal Office for Information Security (BSIG). The so-called BSIG introduces binding obligations in the area of IT and cybersecurity for many companies in affected sectors for the first time. A key point here is the reporting obligations...

Construction workers who are employed on construction sites to perform simple tasks, receive an hourly wage, and do not appear to be entrepreneurs on the market are generally classified as dependent employees. This was decided by the Hesse Regional Social Court (LSG). Facts of the case In its ruling of February 20, 2025 (L 8...

This article focuses on two recent Federal Court of Justice rulings on the effect of individual contracts on uninvolved third parties and their significance for the B2B sector, particularly in (international) mechanical and plant engineering. In November 2025, the Federal Court of Justice issued two rulings on the effect of individually negotiated clauses on third...