Outstanding Legal Services

At act legal, transactions are always managed by two partners – one lead partner will be responsible for the core element, e.g. the sale purchase agreement and transaction management, whilst the other partner will be responsible for important transaction-related steps such as due diligence, setting up the acquisition structure, financing issues etc. In this way, we can assure you of top quality and fast transaction speeds in complex matters.

We never draft agreements of economic significance using “off-the-peg solutions”, they are always precisely tailored to fit a given situation and elaborately thought out. Our top-notch, excellently drafted model documentation is the perfect basis for all standard corporate-law procedures, thus assuring you of an optimum combination of top expertise and maximum efficiency.

Many of our act legal lawyers also have additional qualifications in business administration. In this way, we always understand the economic rationale behind the transaction. For you, this ensures precise legal implementation of your commercial objectives. You also get a qualified sparring partner for many commercial decisions within the scope of your transaction.

act legal has over 20 years of experience in the international transaction business.
We are extremely competent in English language documentation and negotiations so we can assure our clients of highly professional representation in transactions with a foreign element without the cost-driven implications of duplicate work.

For more than 20 years, act legal has intensively been working for numbers renowned financial investors. Thus, we are perfectly familiar with the multi-layered transaction requirements, the complex financial structures and the predictable post-closing procedures. This is why financial investors seeking our services receive support from act legal that is particularly effective for their purposes from day one, without the need for further explanation.

act legal’s transaction division has tax expertise at its disposal. Many of act legal’s transaction lawyers are also tax advisors or certified tax law specialists. In this way, we not only ensure optimal legal implementation of solutions developed by your tax experts, but also provide an independent second opinion in your own interests.

act legal’s transaction division has excellent employment attorneys. We are therefore best able to incorporate both reorganisation features and essential employment-law procedures into our transaction structuring so, here too, we guarantee that you will receive maximum cost efficiency, budget certainty and an orderly transaction process.

act legal’s transaction lawyers always automatically keep an eye out for insolvency issues thanks to their many years of expertise in restructurings and debtor-in-possession proceedings. This enables us to structure transactions in an insolvency-proof manner and, in the interest of all parties, avoid unpleasant surprises and later disputes with an insolvency administrator or the public sector.

act legal has its own transaction notary with over 20 years of expertise. All transaction documents relevant to notarization or which need to be filed with the commercial register are subject to a detailed formal review by our notary’s office. This avoids unnecessary, unpleasant and often expensive surprises for all parties involved.

We stay on top of things and act as interface between all relevant persons, particularly in complex projects where there are many business units and external consultants involved. In this way, we ensure efficient project implementation whilst still involving all key decision-makers.

As one of the most renowned employment law practices in Germany, with more than 10 certified employment law specialists, we guarantee that we will always be able to provide the necessary “manpower” even in time-sensitive and logistically demanding projects.

On the market, act legal is known for its restructuring experience of more than 20 years, having been actively involved in a multitude of cost cutting programs, staff relocations and personnel adjustments in Germany. So, you profit not only from our comprehensive experience but also from our excellent connections to players on the opposite side.

act legal has been intensively working for several renowned financial investors and their portfolio companies for more than 20 years. So, we are familiar with their manifold demands, such as adjusting balance sheet items, tailoring measures to a possible exit or even implementating restructurings “as qietly as possible”. Financial investors receive support from act legal that is fit for purpose from day one without the need for further explanation.

act legal can also take over operative execution / project management (on site) if required. For example, we can design and manage entire corporate communications, prepare necessary employment documents, conduct respective staff appraisals and  attend works and staff meetings. This ensures stringent, fast and assertive implementation if you do not have the necessary HR personnel capacity yourself.

act legal has developed field-proven calculation tools that enable restructuring costs to be precisely calculated and monitored at the push of a button. You therefore get full cost transparency from day one and always have “leading edge” in negotiations with works councils.

Many of our employment lawyers have additional qualifications in business administration. In this way, we understand the economic questions behind restructuring. For you, this ensures precise legal implementation of your commercial objectives along with legal compliance plus you get a qualified sparring partner.

As part of act legal, we are represented in all relevant economic areas throughout Europe. We are therefore able to manage and implement cross-border employment law projects from a single source.

For many years we have successfully – and above all else quietly – reorganized existing pension plans with corresponding benefit to companies – eliminating risks and coverage gaps in less than a year.

act legal is not just an expert in employment law; it is also a market-renowned player in the transaction business and corporate reorganisation of business structures. For you, this ensures a well-rounded and comprehensive approach.

Since we do not consider ourselves above pitching in with on-site operations, our work does not end once legally impeccable papers have been drafted and reviewed. We continue to act for you until measures have been fully implemented as per your requirements.

We know all the relevant players in the market but are virtually never conflicted.
You can rely on the fact that your projects are always our top priority.

We have advised on numerous transactions with insolvency administrators and mortgagees and are therefore perfectly familiar with the particularities of distressed M&A transactions and non-performing loans. Moreover, all of our transaction lawyers have essential additional insolvency law expertise. Rest assured that we are not only aware of their particular legal requirements but also of the specific interests of all parties involved in such transactions. We will safeguard your interests in the best possible way.

Our real estate team includes executives and business consultants with practical experience in this field. So, the necessary commercial expertise is available to you during the preparation, execution and follow-up of transactions. We can, for instance, help with reducing rent arrears or with the integration of real estate into your portfolio, thereby adding direct economic value.

act legal can also take on the management of real estate projects if required, for example, by preparing and stocking data rooms or coordinating with other project participants. This ensures stringent, quick and assertive implementation if you do not have your own legal department or the necessary personnel capacity.

Many of our foreign offices also have market-renowned real estate experts within their ranks. In addition, we have excellent connections to tax consulting practices and notaries specialising in real estate in all relevant business centres both at home and abroad. Not only will you benefit from our excellent networks, you will also be able to rely on our ability to assemble a well-rehearsed team of consultants for your needs at short notice.

We have excellent networks within the regulatory authorities who interact with us on an equal footing.

Thanks to our extensive experience and track record we are able to not only implement compliance rules and procedures but also design them in a practical and feasible way to match your individual structures and needs.

Our professionals in the area of finance have experiance as Chief Compliance Officers and/or ESG-Officers for several financial services providers and banks. We are aware of internal needs and know how different divisions and units work.

We use our preventive compliance, liability and litigation expertise as far as possible to develop contracts, handbooks, directives, rules and procedures to cover the eventuality of compliance audits and legal disputes.

Our experience in all relevant adjacent legal fields, e.g. corporate, labour, competition, TMT/IP and commercial law, enable us to factor in your needs outside the “regulatory life” of your business.

Our offices in continental Europe as well as our strong networks in the UK, the US, South America, China / Hong Kong and economic hubs like Kuala Lumpur and Singapore enable us to coordinate and handle international situations efficiently.

Almost unique in the market, act legal combines global compliance expertise with decades of experience at German blue chips (Deutsche Bank, Daimler, Evonik). This is complemented by a dependable network with foreign authorities (e.g. FMA, FINMA, FSA, DOJ, SEC, OFAC, DFS, FINCEN) making us successful in directly evaluating liability-sensitive areas and ele-gantly guiding internal and external stakeholders – both pre-emptively and in crisis situations.

We offer a compliance team of very experienced lawyers, business economists and IT specialists from a single source to advise on and implement preventive compliance and liability law along with procedural action; and mostly in an international environment.

We support numerous globally positioned banks and financial services providers in the field of banking, regulatory and compliance. We know exactly what makes institutions “tick” and take into account reputational risks and reporting, as well as banking and regulatory “core issues”. In an emergency we can form a global team overnight.

We avoid or reduce economic damage in connection with official proceedings or resolve them with strategic foresight as discreetly as possible. We always work with clear pricing agreements.

act legal has been working intensively for many well-known financial investors for more than 20 years. As a result, we are very familiar with the complex transaction requirements, the possible leeway, the complex financing structures and the foreseeable post-closing steps. Financial investors as clients therefore receive support from act legal, which acts in their best interests from day 1 without further explanation.

For more than 20 years, act legal has intensively been working for numbers renowned financial investors. Thus, we are perfectly familiar with the multi-layered transaction requirements, the complex financial structures and the predictable post-closing procedures. This is why financial investors seeking our services receive support from act legal that is particularly effective for their purposes from day one, without the need for further explanation.

act legal has an extensive private equity track record for small and mid-cap transactions. This applies to both sell-side and buy-side transactions.

Experienced consulting under time and cost pressure thanks to a well-coordinated consulting team and optimal capacity management.

act legal has over 20 years of experience in the international transaction business.
We are extremely competent in English language documentation and negotiations so we can assure our clients of highly professional representation in transactions with a foreign element without the cost-driven implications of duplicate work. With our offices in continental Europe, we also cover cross-border legal aspects of the transaction from a single source. We are also well connected worldwide through our best friends law firms.

Many of our act legal lawyers also have additional qualifications in business administration. In this way, we always understand the economic rationale behind the transaction. For you, this ensures precise legal implementation of your commercial objectives. You also get a qualified sparring partner for many commercial decisions within the scope of your transaction.

We stay on top of things and act as interface between all relevant persons, particularly in complex projects where there are many business units and external consultants involved. In this way, we ensure efficient project implementation whilst still involving all key decision-makers. We also have extensive experience with W&I insurance brokers and insurers.

We understand IT – whether supporting classic IT projects or implementing innovative solutions. act legal combines broad legal expertise in the relevant areas with deep technical and commercial understanding. Our well-established teams of two ensure know-how, speed and cost efficiency.

act legal has more than 20 years of experience with IT projects and outsourcing schemes. So, we are able to safeguard complex technical projects through clear legal provisions, solve conflicts pragmatically and, if necessary,  effectively enforce interests both in Germany and abroad.

We have been working for leading outsourcing service providers and software vendors for many years. As a result, we know the mind-sets, strategies and procedures of the respective players and can take the right measures to avoid pitfalls in IT projects. act legal provides companies with the support they need to implement projects successfully.

act legal has more than 20 years of experience in securing, licensing and defending intellectual property rights and business know-how. With our combination of high professional quality and long-standing experience in the enforcement of claims in court and arbitration proceedings, we ensure your success.

act legal has been working for well-known brands for more than 20 years. We are familiar with the “key levers” and know how to implement your interests quickly and effectively.

Know-how and intellectual property are essential assets in an information-based business environment. act legal protects your company assets effectively, across interfaces and borders – whether in tech-oriented transactions, complex research and development projects or the pursuit and enforcement of intellectual property rights. Your innovations therefore remain your own in the long term.

The digitalisation of working life brings about extensive challenges – both economic and legal. act legal specializes in matters at the intersection of technology, IP, employment law and data protection. With intelligent and pragmatic solutions, we help you take advantage of technological change.

Data protection is not an end in itself, but a corporate task. We help you meet legal requirements in a pragmatic and maximally cost-efficient manner, come up with solutions to implement your business decisions in compliance with the law and minimize your liability risk.

We see data protection as part of modern business management that goes far beyond compliance with legal requirements. A well thought-out and holistic data protection concept generates synergies and represents a unique selling point. We show you ways to use digitalisation and data protection to your advantage.

Data does not stop at national borders – neither do we. By combining data protection and employment law, compliance and intellectual property rights, we ensure fast, comprehensive and high-quality implementation of complex projects both in Germany and internationally.

We are discreet and do not publicly name our restructuring clients. We ensure rapid success for our clients whilst at the same time avoiding unwanted publicity and the resulting consequential damage.

Shirking responsibility is not part of our DNA. We always have your back, especially in difficult situations, and stand for straightforwardness, drive, the courage to give clear advice and enormous strength of execution. The success of many of our projects is specially down to this closing of ranks.

We have almost 40 superbly qualified lawyers and businessmen working for us, all of them with a focus on special situations. We therefore cover the entire spectrum of assignments with our own professionals: shareholder status, supervisory bodies, management, financing, restructuring, M&A and reporting. Management consultants and restructuring experts are our natural sparring partners for analysis and monitoring procedures. This is your guarantee of maximum efficiency and cost certainty.

We have a first-class reputation and are successful in resolving problems in an uncontentious manner through reasonable cooperation. All parties can rely us constantly exercising our special position of trust in a correct, balanced and fair manner in the best interests of the company and stakeholders. We often make a significant contribution to the preservation of existing lines of financing and the granting of essential bridge loans, as well as the contributions of other stakeholders.

We see operational decisions as part of our responsibility – either by providing necessary backing for the existing management or taking over operational tasks. This ensures that expertise essential in special situations and speed of implementation are always guaranteed.

We step into the role of interim manager when personal integrity and implementation skills are sought after. We guarantee 100% transparency of figures, budget certainly and the timely implementation of defined milestones.

We are professionally adept in all relevant work streams. – be it finance, M&A, restructuring, insolvency matters, IDW S6/S11, marketing, creditor psychology, or staff sensitivities. We consider contributions by other project participants to be essential cornerstones for project’s success. If coordination lies with us, all parties involved can rely 100% on optimal project progress.

There are few who act as sustainably and efficiently in cost cutting and change management as we do. We always demonstrate a reasonable sense of proportion and implement available restructuring reports precisely in accordance with what is sensible and feasible. In this way, we ensure that measures decided upon are universally accepted and, as a result, companies experience a sustainable recovery.

We have direct access to many investors. Investors trust us because of our history in brokering many attractive opportunities. So you get to benefit from the trust they place in us and the resultant high probability of investment attraction.

We are experienced in the preparation and management of insolvency proceedings. But it’s precisely because we know how risky and burdensome this can be for the vast majority of parties involved that we do everything to respond in time. We are almost always successful.

Almost unique in the market, act legal combines global compliance expertise with decades of in-house M&A experience at German blue chips (Deutsche Bank, Daimler, Evonik). This provides you with a high level of transaction certainty in complex, liability-sensitive matters.

With our long-standing, dependable network of US authorities and public prosecutors’ offices, we assist in all US-related matters both pre-emptively and in acute crises. So, you achieve the best possible result with the least possible disruption to your business.

Our holistic team of lawyers, businessmen and IT specialists covers the entire spectrum of compliance consulting, including liability and litigation. If required, we can put together a global team for you overnight.

Having assisted numerous globally active financial investors with compliance matters at their portfolio companies, we are perfectly familiar with requirements regarding exit, reputational risks and reporting to investors. With our support you can secure the best.

We know exactly what makes mid-sized companies “tick” and focus our advice primarily on reputational risks, adequacy and sustainability of measures. So, we ensure the alignment of corporate goals and compliance programs.

With our know-how stemming from advice on employment, data protection and antitrust law, we are continuously improving business-specific compliance programs. This unique interface expertise ensures up-to-date results and maximum cost efficiency for our clients.

We are often the lifeline for our clients when facing a strong headwind. With our straightforward manner, courage, integrity and assertiveness, we avoid or reduce economic damage in connection with official proceedings or resolve them with strategic foresight as discreetly as possible. In doing so, we often achieve results that our clients and others would never have thought possible.

act legal has more than 20 years of experience in litigation and arbitration. In the very preparation of project and contract documentation we ensure that our clients are well-prepared for any dispute.

act legal represents clients in particularly undesirable situations using teams with decades of experience in providing proactive advice which will, if necessary, see disputes through to the end with a cool head and strategic action. In this way, we ensure that clients leave court as winners.

With calm strategic crisis management, we help if employees or managers have put the company in a precarious situation so that your reputation or existence is at risk. Our experienced teams are always there for you, helping you to stay on course, even in stormy seas, to quickly steer you back into calmer waters and limit the damage.

Many of our foreign offices also have market-renowned merger control experts within their ranks. Not only will you benefit from our excellent network, you can also rely on our ability to assemble a well-rehearsed team of experts in local merger control requirements at short notice.

Having assisted numerous globally active financial investors and their portfolio companies with merger control matters, we are perfectly familiar with multi-layered company structures and assessment of relevant financial thresholds. Financial investors seeking our services receive support from act legal that is particularly fit for purpose from day one, without the need for further explanation.

Innovation is the bedrock of progress. Hence, know-how and intellectual property are valuable elements of corporate success. We support our clients in protecting their know-how and enforcing or defending it from possible violations.

Whether it’s classic advertising, corporate communications, marketing campaigns on the Internet or social media strategy – we make sure that you can present your company safely and legally.