News
Insurance11.01.2022 Newsletter
VGH Munich on the obligation of "old hands" to undergo further training
The Higher Administrative Court [Verwaltungsgerichtshof - VGH] of Munich has confirmed that so-called "old hands" are exempt from the examination of their expertise (“Sachkundeprüfung”) as insurance brokers, but not from the obligation to undergo regular further training (decision of 12 August 2021, 22 ZB 20.1840).
11.01.2022 Newsletter
Clean up your mess! German Federal Cartel Office publishes guidelines on self-cleaning
The new Competition Register is not without consequences for companies. The impact on business with the public sector is all too readily underestimated. A company’s entry in the Competition Register on grounds of a criminal or administrative offence leads to its mandatory or optional exclusion from public procurement procedures for at least three years. Does this just have to be accepted? No. The entry can be deleted prematurely through successful self-cleaning measures.
Energy and InfrastructureMergers & Acquisitions / Private Equity / Tax Law / Employment Law / Antitrust Law and Merger Control04.01.2022Cologne News
Oppenhoff has advised on the sale of the Sunovis Group to Brookfield
Oppenhoff has advised the founders and shareholders of the Sunovis Group on the sale of the enterprise to the asset manager Brookfield. The sale took place within the framework of a competitive bidding procedure set up by Lazard. Details of the transaction were not disclosed.
Public Procurement Law / European State Aid Law04.01.2022 Newsletter
Newsflash: lobby register has gone "live" on 1 January 2022
The German Lobby Register Act (Lobbyregistergesetz - LobbyRG) came into force at the beginning of 2022. Since 1 January 2022, it has been possible to register on the website of the German Bundestag, as the registration office, and to make entries in the lobby register.
Employment Law30.12.2021 News
Coalition agreement & labour law: company pension provisions
On 24 November 2021, the new coalition agreement of the forthcoming government of SPD, Bündnis90/Die Grünen and FDP was published. In the form of a short series of articles, we would like to inform you over the next few days of the statements contained in the coalition agreement on labour law topics and the concrete effects of the plans. Today’s topic: (company) pension provisions.
Employment Law28.12.2021 Newsletter
Coalition agreement & labour law: legalisation of cannabis - everything easy, man?
The coalition agreement defining the government's work envisages the legalisation of cannabis. Bob Marley would certainly have wanted this, but whether employers will all be happy about this is more than questionable. This is today’s topic in our series on the coalition agreement.
Mergers & Acquisitions / Real Estate Law / Employment Law / IT Law and Data Protection / Intellectual Property Law / Tax Law23.12.2021 News
Oppenhoff advises Storskogen on the acquisition of Hans Kämmerer
Oppenhoff has comprehensively advised Storskogen Deutschland GmbH on the acquisition of a majority stake in the industrial maintenance specialist Hans Kämmerer GmbH as part of a succession solution. The two managing directors remain as shareholders in the company and continue as its sole managing directors. The parties agreed not to disclose the details of the transaction.
Employment Law20.12.2021 News
Coalition agreement & labour law: working hours
The new coalition agreement of the forthcoming government of SPD, Bündnis90/DieGrünen and FDP has been officially approved by the signatures of the “traffic light” parties. In a series of articles over the next few days, we are informing you of the statements contained in the coalition agreement on labour law and the concrete effects of the plans. Today’s topic: innovations with respect to working hours.
17.12.2021 Newsletter
Coalition agreement & labour law: time for the family
On 24 November 2021, the new coalition agreement of the forthcoming government of SPD, Bündnis90/Die Grünen and FDP was published. In the form of a short series of articles, we would like to inform you of the statements contained in the coalition agreement on labour law and the concrete effects of the plans. Today’s topic: time for the family.
Employment Law16.12.2021 Newsletter
Coalition agreement & labour law: company co-determination
On 24 November 2021, the new coalition agreement of the forthcoming government of SPD, Bündnis90/Die Grünen and FDP was published. In the form of a short series of articles, we would like to inform you of the statements contained in the coalition agreement on labour law and the concrete effects of the plans. Today’s topic: the further development of company co-determination.
16.12.2021Hamburg / Cologne / Frankfurt am Main News
Oppenhoff appoints new partners
Oppenhoff appoints new partners from within its own ranks with effect as of 1 January 2022.
13.12.2021 Newsletter
Focus on Labor Law – 4th Quarter 2021
This new Labour Law Focus contains an overview of the most important statements on labour law in the coalition agreement, as well as the amendments to the German Company Pensions Act [Betriebsrentengesetz - BetrAVG] and the German Social Code Book IV [Sozialgesetzbuch IV - SGB IV] that are definitely entering into force on 1 January 2022 and 1 April 2022, as well as our usual overview of the most important decisions of the labour courts.
Employment Law10.12.2021 Newsletter
Coalition agreement & labour law: company integration management
On 24 November 2021, the new coalition agreement of the forthcoming government of SPD, Bündnis90/Die Grünen and FDP was published. In the form of a short series of posts over the next few days, we are presenting you with the statements contained in the coalition agreement on labour law and the concrete effects of the plans. Today’s topic: company integration management [Betriebliches Eingliederungsmanagement - BEM]
Retail and Consumer GoodsCorporate Law / Mergers & Acquisitions / Intellectual Property Law / Employment Law / IT Law and Data Protection10.12.2021 News
Oppenhoff advises SellerX on the acquisition of KW-Commerce
Oppenhoff advised SellerX, Europe’s top aggregator of e-commerce businesses, in the takeover of KW-Commerce GmbH, one of the largest private label sellers on amazon worldwide. Following the completion of the transaction the two founders of KW-Commerce will join the SellerX senior leadership team.
10.12.2021 Newsletter
The new lobby register for more transparency - who does it affect and what needs to be done?
The lobby register is coming! The German Bundestag is introducing it on 1 January 2022, after which all lobbyists vis-à-vis the Bundestag and the Federal Government will have to register without delay. What exactly is a lobby and who does it affect? Could my company also be affected?
Employment Law09.12.2021 Newsletter
Home office: claim against the statutory accident insurance
The statutory accident insurance covers the “journey” to work in the home office. This was already the case before the new version of § 8 German Social Code Book VII [Sozialgesetzbuch VII - SGB VII], according to the Federal Social Court [Bundessozialgericht - BSG] yesterday (ruling of 8 December 2021 - docket No. B 2 U 4/21 R).
Employment Law08.12.2021 Newsletter
Coalition agreement & labour law: fixed-term employment relationships:
On 24 November 2021, the new coalition agreement of the forthcoming government of SPD, Bündnis90/Die Grünen and FDP was published. In the form of a short series, we would like to inform you of the statements contained in the coalition agreement on labour law issues and the concrete effects of the plans. Today’s topic: fixed-term employment relationships.
07.12.2021 Newsletter
Coalition Agreement: soon codetermined? The “traffic light” coalition paves the way for an extension of corporate codetermination
On 7 December 2021, the SPD, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen and the FDP signed the Coalition Agreement entitled “Dare more progress – an alliance for freedom, justice and sustainability”. The 178-page programme of the future government envisages numerous amendments to cor-porate and commercial law, amongst other things a significant extension of the statutory obli-gation of enterprises to establish a supervisory board that comprises employee representatives (corporate codetermination).
Private Equity01.12.2021 Newsletter
Coalition agreement: How are start-ups and venture capital financing to be promoted?
Almost two months were spent exploring options and negotiating. On 24 November 2021, the party leaders of the SPD, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen and FDP presented their coalition agreement entitled "Dare more progress". It is going to usher in a "decade of innovations". A modern funding policy is to make Germany Europe's No. 1 start-up nation. What can we expect from the new Federal Government's "comprehensive start-up strategy"?
30.11.2021 Newsletter
Coalition negotiations: what are the plans of the new coalition?
The motto of the new coalition agreement is "Dare to make more progress - an alliance for freedom, justice and sustainability". After about five weeks, the SPD, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen and the FDP agreed on a joint coalition agreement on 24 November 2021. This paves the way for a change of government. Below, we are briefly summaris-ing important plans that are certain to have an impact on the German economy.
Retail and Consumer Goods30.11.2021 Newsletter
Not good prospects for (online) traders: tightening of competition and consumer protection law
The EU is committed to consumer protection. A fundamental change is also on the horizon in the German (online) retail sector. This is not great news for companies. In order to implement the so-called "Omnibus Directive" (EU/2019/2161), the Bundestag passed two laws to strengthen consumer protection on 10 August 2021 (German Federal Gazette [Bundesgesetzblatt - BGBl.] Part 1 No. 53).
30.11.2021 Publication
BGH hears case on Corona closures: Must renters pay full rent?
In the first lockdown, the authorities ordered the closure of some shops. For the first time, the BGH is dealing with the question of whether tenants nevertheless have to pay the full rent. Marc Alexander Häger and Marvin Rochner venture a prognosis.
Aerospace and Defence29.11.2021 Newsletter
German Federal Election 2021: What plans does the new coalition have on armaments and defence?
The SPD, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen and FDP have been negotiating for about five weeks. On 24 November 2021, the ‘traffic light’ coalition jointly published its coalition agreement. Innovations are also envisaged in the armaments and defence sector. So what can we expect from the new government? We have summarised the most important points for you.
Corporate Law / Banking and Capital Markets Law, Financing26.11.2021 News
Oppenhoff advises MRH Trowe on debt financing from Bain Capital Credit
Oppenhoff advised MRH Trowe group, a leading industrial insurance broker in Germany, on its first international third party debt financing.
Energy and InfrastructureMergers & Acquisitions / Private Equity25.11.2021 News
Oppenhoff advises Transition Evergreen on the acquisition of C4 Energie Group
Oppenhoff has advised the French investor Transition Evergreen on the acquisition of C4 Energie Group, consisting of C4 Energie AG and 16 affiliated companies, from its founders.