GvW in motion
14 September 2023
GvW 75 – turbulent times
The German reunification, the possibility of establishing supra-local law firms and numerous mergers and spin-offs - the 1990s and the beginning of the noughties were eventful times for GvW and many other law firms as well. Our current partner council chairman Ronald Steiling, who experienced the time for GvW and played a major role in shaping it, recalls it today in our third video in the series GvW 75.
12 July 2023
GvW 75 – the first client
GoodMills Germany is one of the very special clients in our history: In 1948, it was the first company to commission our Hamburg office. Today, we still advise the traditional mill company, which has an eventful history - and is now a real high-tech industrial enterprise. We were able to see this for ourselves when we visited the Aurora mill in Hamburg.
22 June 2023
GvW 75 – the first years
On 21 June, 75 years ago to the day, the Hamburg office laid the foundation for the law firm GvW Graf von Westphalen.
On this special occasion, we would like to take a look back: we will start with our senior partner Dr Klaus Landry, who already worked with our founding partner.
On this special occasion, we would like to take a look back: we will start with our senior partner Dr Klaus Landry, who already worked with our founding partner.
26 May 2023
Exam course for legal studies with JuS and GvW
For many years now, JuS and GvW have been offering the "Probeexamen": an annual special publication with six legal tests for the first state law exam paired with workshops to help students prepare for their exams. This year, for the first time, the workshop was held at a German university. In the impressive setting of the "Löwengebäude" at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), there was not only an exam discussion but also a lot of methodical support and tips for the mental challenge of the state exam.
19 April 2023
GvW Munich
Welcome to our new Munich office NY64!
17 March 2023
GvW Hamburg
Welcome to the Alte Post, GvW's Hamburg office!
27 February 2023
Code of Conduct at Nordzucker
"Focus on people" is one of the guidelines of the new Code of Conduct at Nordzucker, in which the company has defined common rules for good cooperation that go beyond legal compliance. Responsibility and fairness in ethical, ecological and social terms define the way we work together. This also applies to supplier relationships, which are being given greater attention not least by the new LkSG.
23 February 2023
Secondment abroad - GvW's SCG Legal partner firm in Switzerland
Why are secondments a real win-win for all parties involved? We visited Senior Associate Dr Sajanee Arzner during her secondment at our Swiss SCG Legal partner firm Kellerhals Carrard. The secondment enables her to gain new experience abroad and to strengthen her international network as a lawyer in the area of hotels & hospitality. KC and GvW also benefit from this secondment as host and seconding law firms respectively.
18 January 2023
GvW Berlin
Welcome to our Berlin office at Potsdamer Platz!
22 September 2022
BuntKicktGut – Pro Bono for a project of great importance
For Richard Lungstras, a lawyer at GvW, his pro bono project was quickly decided: as an avid soccer player, he was interested in BuntKicktGut - an organization that uses street soccer to connect people from all backgrounds. He contacted Rüdiger "Rudi" Heid, the founder of BuntKicktGut. They hit it off immediately, and a short time later Richard was able to provide legal support on the first issue. In the meantime, he and other GvW attorneys advise BuntKicktGut free of charge on various local, national and international projects.
18 August 2022
What is a sustainable law firm?
Law firms want to assume social responsibility and act in accordance with ecological and social values. They want to be sustainable, operate in a value-oriented manner and live up to their role and responsibility in society. What factors do GvW employees see as the focus of sustainability and how can these goals be achieved?
23 June 2022
Legal design in a law firm
Making the law more understandable, accessible or intuitive - these are the goals of the Legal Design method, which our lawyers in the focus area of digitalisation dealt with in a workshop in Frankfurt. The workshop with This is Legal Design offered great inspiration to actively design processes and work results while solving issues from the client's perspective.
11 January 2022
Anni Carlsson: New distribution channels for fashion
Anni Carlsson is Annika Eva Schwieger. As an entrepreneur and fashion designer, she is known nationally and internationally to a large audience - recently also via the TV channel QVC and her Instagram show. Anni Carlsson has continuously adapted her sales concept and focuses on sustainable fashion out of conviction with her own seamstress and upcycling. She is supported in her sales by the law firm GvW Graf von Westphalen.
14 October 2021
Data protection in international practice - experience in a chemical company
Data protection has long been part of everyday business life, even in manufacturing, and not just since the GDPR. What the GDPR has promoted is the international acceptance of national data protection law. It has created a new awareness, also at the U.S. company Celanese. Data protection is no longer just a cost factor, but a real asset.
10 September 2021
Yoga is more than sports!
Yoga connects, creates (mental) balance and simply does you good. Although the health-promoting effect has been scientifically proven, yoga is currently still lacking legal recognition as an integral part of preventive health care and health protection in Germany. A large omission, which showed up straight in the corona crisis. The BDY would like to change this - and our lawyers support it with full conviction.
30 August 2021
Hydrogen and law
The new hydrogen economy needs a functioning legal framework. Legislators have already taken action and launched the first hydrogen-specific regulations. In addition, many legal questions can already be answered under existing regulations. Our lawyers have identified the most important legal issues for the hydrogen economy in our video.
29 July 2021
ELSA Germany and GvW select winning team of the EDMC video competition 2021
The EDCM video competition organized by ELSA Germany and GvW has entered its third round. And once again, Team Kiel, a video from the far north, has prevailed. Congratulations on this creative idea and the great implementation!
26 May 2021
Group compliance: A visit with GvW alumnus Peter
Peter has switched sides and now works as a corporate lawyer at Audi. Working as a corporate lawyer is different from the classic legal profession. Nevertheless, he regularly benefits from his experience as a lawyer at GvW.
03 May 2021
MyPlace: The market leader for external storage space in city locations
The demand for storage space in city locations is growing. The market leader in the D-A-CH region is the company MyPlace, which now has 35 locations in Germany. However, the real estate market in city locations with enormous price increases and only a few suitable properties with building rights is also a great challenge for the company with headquarters in Vienna. MyPlace receives support here from the lawyers of the law firm GvW Graf von Westphalen.
08 April 2021
In-house lawyer at the company: A visit with GvW alumnus Daniel
Daniel worked for GvW in the area of distribution law and now works in Hamburg as a lawyer/compliance manager for Olympus Europa SE & Co. KG. He continues to be closely connected with GvW through many personal contacts. One of these is Hanno, who, through Daniel's mediation, is now a member of the Hamburg IP team.
01 February 2021
Conciliation Board: The Conciliation Procedure in Works Constitution Law
Conciliation bodies are an instrument of works constitution law for resolving differences of opinion between employers and works councils. Although often unknown, this form of internal, consensual dispute resolution has long been established in the corporate world and is now a real success model.
17 November 2020
Federal Administrative Court: Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link may be built
The Federal Administrative Court has dismissed all six pending appeals against the planning decision on the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link. Construction of the tunnel may therefore now also begin in Germany. GvW advised the State of Schleswig-Holstein and was represented by a Hamburg team consisting of Dr Ronald Steiling (lead), Corinna Lindau, Dr Dietrich Drömann, Prof. Dr Christian Winterhoff, Dr Andreas Wolowski, Saskia Soravia, Dr Stefanie Ramsauer, Dr Annika Bleier, Felix Kazimierski and Niclas Langhans.
(BVerwG 9 A 6.19, 9 A 7.19, 9 A 9.19, 9 A 10.19, 9 A 11.19, 9 A 12.19 and 9 A 13.19).
(BVerwG 9 A 6.19, 9 A 7.19, 9 A 9.19, 9 A 10.19, 9 A 11.19, 9 A 12.19 and 9 A 13.19).
06 October 2020
New office in Stuttgart – GvW Graf von Westphalen expands to sixth German location
Stuttgart is the newest addition to our offices in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Munich. Following the opening of our new Stuttgart office, GvW Graf von Westphalen is now present in all major German business cities with an expanded range of services, now also including logistics.
09 September 2020
Oswald Elektromotoren: how a family-owned company from Germany holds its own in the world market
Oswald Elektromotoren GmbH is a fourth-generation manufacturer and distributor of main drives for industrial, energy and mobility applications. The company is based in Miltenberg in the region of Frankonia. With its quality electric motors, it is one of the German SMEs that are in high demand internationally. Such a long-established company thrives on a very special company culture and on its close and strong ties with employees. This is one of the key pillars of its company strategy, as owner Johannes Oswald explains in our video.
08 April 2020
Legal clerkship at a law firm
Getting insights into a commercial law firm and achieving excellent exam results are the two top priorities of legal training at GvW Graf von Westphalen. We want our legal trainees (Referendare) to get a full and true picture of the work of a commercial lawyer in the various areas of commercial law. At the same time, we offer them a range of support and the breathing room they need to prepare for their Second State Examination in Law.
14 February 2020
atmosfair: compensate emissions from flights and support exciting projects
Clearly, emission compensation is not a “silver bullet” solution, but reducing CO2 emissions is a must. However, there is currently no solution available in aviation that would be more climate-friendly, such as a zero-emissions plane. This is the reason why atmosfair, a non-profit organisation based in Berlin, offers passengers the ability to compensate for the climate impacts caused by their necessary air travel. This money is used to expand renewable forms of energy in countries of the southern hemisphere. We have asked them to tell us what project the funds support and how professional service firms like law firms can make an effective contribution to climate protection.
14 January 2020
The JuraCon career fair: introducing the medium-sized law firm GvW Graf von Westphalen
We have been present at legal career fairs for many years. They are a great opportunity for us to meet young lawyers and to tell them first hand about the work at our commercial law firm at the same time. JuraCon in Munich is one fair we exhibit at. More are listed at www.gvw.com/karriere/karrieremessen.
10 December 2019
VAI Trade: using FinTech for purchase financing
Our client VAI Trade is a provider of purchase financing services. Much of its business relies on the ongoing trend towards digitalisation because the main steps of VAI Trade’s loan approval process are digital and fully automated. GvW lawyers have advised this FinTech client from its inception, starting with when it created its novel business model.
08 November 2019
The Ronald McDonald House in Munich: cooking for a good cause
The Ronald McDonald House in Munich is located right next to the German Heart Centre and provides “home away from home” accommodation for families with sick children in hospital. It is run by full-time staff and volunteers like GvW’s Isabel Zilinski. There’s plenty going on for the families at the house, including the cooking event put on each week. This video gives a taste of how an amazing team of GvW cooks headed by Lena and Melina took over the kitchen on one of these evenings.
07 October 2019
Yorck Kinos: a Berlin art house cinema experience
Yorck Kinos is one of the biggest operators of contemporary art house cinemas in different districts of Berlin. They are popular and much-loved venues for film lovers to enjoy off-mainstream films. However, legal advice is needed to make sure that art house cinemas of this kind are not squeezed out of the Berlin property market by investors as demand soars. Yorck Kinos relied on the lawyers of GvW Graf von Westphalen for their legal advice.
16 September 2019
Amphitrite: learn to sail on a traditional ship
The Amphitrite is one of the world’s oldest sail training ships. Throughout her life, she has seen many youths and adults learn about maritime heritage and traditional sailing skills from her volunteer crew. However, a new ordinance could mean the end for some of these sail training ships and the volunteers that sail and maintain them. GvW Partner Professor Dr Christian Winterhoff gave a legal opinion explaining why these ships should be afforded protection against changes in law.
16 August 2019
Pickawood: international trademark protection for tailored furniture
Pickawood’s mission is to become the Internet’s leading brand of tailored furniture. It offers an online configurator tool enabling users to design their own tailored shelves, cabinets, sideboards or tables. Our lawyers advised Pickawood on the defence of its trademark rights. We also advise this startup client on its international trademark strategy. Come and join us for a visit to the Pickawood showroom at Rödingsmarkt in Hamburg.
12 June 2019
H4 Hotel Mönchengladbach at BORUSSIA-PARK: the place for that Bundesliga feeling
Football is king at H-Hotel Group’s new H4 Hotel in Mönchengladbach. Its location right next to the stadium and the theme rooms depicting the history of the Borussia Dortmund football club make this new hotel unique and a must for any football enthusiast. Our lawyers had the pleasure of advising H-Hotels Group on the creation of its first football-themed hotel and took the chance to visit this amazing place shortly after its opening.
18 April 2019
Cube Bikes: how to save money on customs duties
Cube Bikes produces bicycles “made in Germany”. However, many of their components have to be imported from outside the EU and are therefore subject to customs duties. Our customs law specialists Dr Lothar Harings and Franziska Zegula advise this client with a particular focus on exemptions from customs rules that may apply.
14 March 2019
A medium-sized law firm in Frankfurt: introducing GvW Graf von Westphalen
Proudly presenting our office at Ulmenstrasse in the heart of Frankfurt.
28 February 2019
Vernissage in cooperation with Städelschule: GvW Frankfurt office supports young artists
Our Frankfurt office has a tradition of hosting exhibitions by young artists from the Städelschule fine art school. The current edition of our “Art on Top” series of exhibitions presents works by Viviana Abelson from Buenos Aires (Argentina). This video gives a glimpse of the festive opening reception we held in our 15th floor conference area.
22 January 2019
Transport System Bögl: new local public passenger transport system a big success in China
The Max Bögl group of companies has developed a new local public passenger transport system. The system called “Transport System Bögl” (TSB) uses magnetic levitation, or “maglev” technology and provides a clean and cost-efficient means of transport for better mobility in inner city areas. The technology is becoming increasingly popular also in other countries: Max Bögl’s most recent export order was the sale of its TSB to China. The company’s plans include building a 3.5 km test track in Chengdu and extensive marketing activities to promote the technology in China – all through a sales partnership with a Chinese company.
19 November 2018
elbgym: a Hamburg success story conquers the fitness market
Wilhelm Schröter opened his first elbgym location at Gorch-Fock-Wall in Hamburg in February 2012. Since then elbgym has opened two more five-star gyms in the heart of Hamburg and will continue its growth without diluting the brand. elbgym is all about doing real and down-to-earth workouts in a classy environment, as members of the GvW team were able to check out themselves during a workout class which they took at Gorch-Fock-Wall and which we documented on camera.
17 October 2018
What clients expect from their lawyers
Client satisfaction is our top priority. We asked our clients what matters most to them when working with a law firm. Problem solving skills, clarity, speed, punctuality, accessibility and availability, fee transparency and, most importantly, empathy were among the most common answers we received.
24 August 2018
Leading, Focused, Fair – the core of our guiding principles
In defining our guiding principles it was not our intention to define new values for GvW Graf von Westphalen. Rather, we wanted to remind and reassure ourselves of our role and responsibility as a business and employer. Our joint analysis identified three core values that are important to us and that we want to live and work by: leading, focused, fair.
26 July 2018
Tough Mudder: GvW lawyers pass exam on obstacle course and mud run
Our lawyers wanted to know: Does the scale of the challenge the Tough Mudder race presents match that of the Second State Examination? We accompanied the mixed GvW team with members from legal clerk to Partner with a camera when they put themselves to the test in the Lüneburger Heide heath. The result was this spectacular footage of obstacles and mud pits – and the realisation that we could have done better had we prepared!
In any case, we will take part in next year’s Tough Mudder race with a company team again.
www.toughmudder.de/firmenteams (firmenteams@toughmudder.de)
In any case, we will take part in next year’s Tough Mudder race with a company team again.
www.toughmudder.de/firmenteams (firmenteams@toughmudder.de)
16 July 2018
Intelligent charging station: beegy launches new e-mobility application
beegy is launching an intelligent charging controller for electric vehicles. This new e-mobility application connects a charging station with a home photovoltaic system and, ideally, a storage battery. This allows a maximum amount of self-generated solar power to be used to charge the vehicle at favourable cost.
21 June 2018
Working as a legal assistant at a commercial law firm
The job of a legal assistant at GvW Graf von Westphalen covers a wide range of tasks. An apprenticeship at our firm is no less diverse. We make it a point to ensure that apprentices rotate through different jobs during their training to enable them to get a full picture of a legal assistant’s job early on.
20 April 2018
Working as a lawyer at a commercial law firm: a day in the life of Melanie
What is it like to work as a lawyer at a commercial law firm? We followed Hamburg lawyer Melanie Eilers, a specialist in construction and architects’ law, with our camera for one day, and it was a busy one with a practice group meeting, client meetings and a court hearing. But there are also those evenings when the Associates gather at the bistro to show off their cooking skills.
05 March 2018
Allgäu Airport: conversion of a military airport into Bavaria’s third-largest civil aviation airport
Allgäu Airport, a former military airport near Memmingen, is now in its eleventh year of operating as a civil aviation airport. It is a project from entrepreneurs in the region for the region: 76 shareholders provided 26m euros of equity for the successful operation of the airport, serving over 40 destinations. In this video, Ralf Schmid, Managing Director of Allgäu Airport, looks back to the first day of operation and legal milestones in the development of the airport.
10 January 2018
Kaiser Seminars: Torsten Kaiser holds GvW crash course with tips on how to prepare for the Second State Examination
Our “Kaiser Seminars” are only one way in which GvW Graf von Westphalen supports legal clerks (Referendare) in their preparation for the Second State Examination. In these seminars legal clerks from Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Munich are put through their paces in crash courses at one GvW office to get into shape for the exams.
13 September 2017
Business Improvement Districts: a way for property owners to improve their neighbourhood
A Business Improvement District (BID) is a partnership formed by property owners in a defined area to improve, for example, the trading environment it offers for retail businesses by a combination of structural measures, services and marketing activities in cooperation with the municipality. The Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg plays a pioneering role in implementing this kind of initiatives.
12 May 2017
Transforming lighthouses into boutique hotels: Floatel GmbH expands throughout Europe
Lighthouses are the passion of Floatel co-founder Tim Wittenbecher. This passion has turned into a successful business venture. His Berlin-based company transforms lighthouses into hotels which are very popular with travellers. This kind of beautiful and unique holiday accommodation is now also available to travellers visiting Spain and Italy.
05 April 2017
Legal issues of Industry 4.0
28 February 2017
Things startups should know about law
Startups face a number of legal issues during their formative stages. Some initial advice can be found at www.startupberater.com. Meet our startup advisors in this video.
10 February 2017
Our Düsseldorf office: the GvW “startup”
Düsseldorf is the youngest GvW office. What started with two desks at the Düsseldorf Kö-Blick business centre in 2012 has grown into a fully integrated office with lawyers specialising in public procurement, construction, energy, customs and corporate law as well as M&A and IP. Art has a special place at this office.
10 February 2017
Eased sanctions against Iran continue to restrict trade with the country
The European Union has eased some trade sanctions against Iran this year. GvW embargo experts Dr Lothar Harings, Marian Niestedt and Dr Gerd Schwendinger explain to what industries the relaxation applies, in what areas the sanctions continue to apply and what effect the US sanctions against Iran have on EU business with Iran.
06 February 2017
Our Berlin office
Right in the city centre at Potsdamer Platz, our Berlin office is a place of cohesion where long-standing members and employees of our firm from Berlin and other parts of Germany work closely together. Since Berlin is Germany’s capital and political centre, this location enables our lawyers to contribute not only their legal but also their political expertise
22 November 2016
Construction and letting of accommodation for refugees
Due to the large influx of refugees last year, cities and municipalities are faced with the huge challenge of providing sufficient housing.
The response from the legislator to this has been to relax many of the requirements for the construction of accommodation for refugees. These accommodations are special-purpose properties subject to special requirements in terms of leases for them.
The response from the legislator to this has been to relax many of the requirements for the construction of accommodation for refugees. These accommodations are special-purpose properties subject to special requirements in terms of leases for them.
14 November 2016
The German energy revolution: a compromise to finance the nuclear energy phase-out
Two GvW lawyers, Dr Werner Schnappauf and Gerald Hennenhöfer, were part of the Commission to Review the Financing for the Phase-out of Nuclear Energy (Kommission zur Überprüfung der Finanzierung des Kernenergieausstiegs – KFK). In this video, they explain the findings reached by the KFK with respect to the energy revolution and the deconstruction of nuclear power plants.
10 November 2016
Our Munich office: new home in Lenbach Gärten
It is now about a year ago that we moved our Munich office to the Lenbach Gärten quarter. This move was another step forward for the positive development and good spirit at the office.
Its central and well-connected location between Munich Central Station, Königsplatz and the Stachus square makes the office a perfect point of contact for clients from Bavaria and for international clients with investments in Southern Germany.
Its central and well-connected location between Munich Central Station, Königsplatz and the Stachus square makes the office a perfect point of contact for clients from Bavaria and for international clients with investments in Southern Germany.
13 September 2016
Probeexamen: methodology and training as a way to achieve excellent exam results
The “Juristische Schulung” (JuS) professional legal training journal and GvW Graf von Westphalen have jointly launched the mock legal examination programme. In addition to a special issue of the journal containing six examination tasks by renowned JuS authors, the mock examination programme also includes regular exam preparation workshops full of useful tips on methodology and mental preparation for the exam situation – issues which, as experience shows, are not sufficiently covered in the preparation for the exam.
13 September 2016
Reform of avoidance rules in insolvencies: plans of Germany’s grand coalition government
Germany’s legislation governing the avoidance of post-insolvency transfers is up for reform. The second and third readings in the German Bundestag are scheduled for autumn 2016 as part of the legislative process. The aim of the new rules is to protect businesses from disproportionate burdens.
13 September 2016
Stuffle: an online classifieds marketplace
Making private sales as simple as possible is what Hamburg-based Stuffle has been trying to achieve with its online platform www.stuffle.it.
Inspired by a conversation among friends over a beer, the app was continuously developed further by the founders over the years and the startup was sold to the Scout24 Group.
Inspired by a conversation among friends over a beer, the app was continuously developed further by the founders over the years and the startup was sold to the Scout24 Group.
04 July 2016
Our Hamburg office at Alte Post: classic and contemporary all under one roof
The “Alte Post” (“old post office”) is one of Hamburg’s most famous buildings, rich in tradition and history.
We are very proud that this gem has been home to our Hamburg office – with its headcount of 130 – since 2011. The Hamburg Town Hall is just a stone’s throw away!
We are very proud that this gem has been home to our Hamburg office – with its headcount of 130 – since 2011. The Hamburg Town Hall is just a stone’s throw away!
13 June 2016
BABADADA: an online picture dictionary of 6,000 languages and 60,000 dialects
Making languages and dialects easily accessible via online picture dictionaries is what BABADADA is all about. BABADADA GmbH, the company behind this idea, is a client of the startup advisory team of GvW Graf von Westphalen (www.startupberater.com).
In this video, Ruben Bach, one of the Managing Directors of this ambitious company, tells us everything about it.
In this video, Ruben Bach, one of the Managing Directors of this ambitious company, tells us everything about it.
25 May 2016
Project “Twenty-Eight”: alternative dispute resolution in 28 days
Given the significant delays and cost overruns experienced by many major projects, the call for a fast and efficient dispute resolution method has grown louder and louder.
In the UK, adjudication has worked extremely well for many years and we think it should also become the standard practice in Germany. We – that’s Team 28, a cross-professional project run by the lawyers of GvW Graf von Westphalen and the engineers of Bringe Ingenieurgesellschaft and Hill International.
In the UK, adjudication has worked extremely well for many years and we think it should also become the standard practice in Germany. We – that’s Team 28, a cross-professional project run by the lawyers of GvW Graf von Westphalen and the engineers of Bringe Ingenieurgesellschaft and Hill International.
21 April 2016
New Union Customs Code to modernise German customs law
The Union Customs Code (UCC) will enter into force in Germany on 1 May 2016. This new European legal framework brings with it a wide range of changes in German customs law.
In this interview, GvW Partners and customs experts Dr Lothar Harings, Marian Niestedt and Dr Gerd Schwendinger discuss and assess the new provisions, and the opportunities and risks they create for the exporting sectors of the economy.
In this interview, GvW Partners and customs experts Dr Lothar Harings, Marian Niestedt and Dr Gerd Schwendinger discuss and assess the new provisions, and the opportunities and risks they create for the exporting sectors of the economy.