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Written by: Sandra Link, Mark Schaub KWM overseas office

What is GSCA?

GSCA requires German companies to analyze and report compliance with certain human rights and environmental standards along their supply chain.

GSCA does not intend to implement German social standards world-wide but aims to ensure compliance within the supply chain with minimum international standards (i.e. no child labor or forced labor or meeting basic environmental protection requirements).
Continue Reading German Supply Chain Act (GSCA) – Implications for Chinese companies

M&A
Many German companies are very interested in Chinese partners and investors. Often, German companies look for entries to the Chinese market and/or Chinese partners for a future co-operation. After hundreds of Chinese investments in – or acquisitions of – German companies, a market practice has developed, a standard that in certain points deviates from other markets: E.g. Chinese investors (and regulators) have come to accept that MAC-clauses (giving a party a right to withdraw in case of a material adverse change) are not market-standard in Germany.
Continue Reading Doing Business in Germany (2) – Corporate M&A – handling the process

By：King&Wood Mallesons

Investment environment in Germany

Germany is one of the world’s most attractive investment destination due to being

  • located in the center of Europe;
  • the fourth-largest economy as well as the second-largest exporter and third-largest importer in the world;
  • an increasingly close trade partner;
  • one of the most technologically advanced countries.

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Continue Reading Doing Business in Germany (1) – The big picture

According to the “2018 A.T. Kearney Foreign Direct Investment Confidence Index” (the “FDI Index”), an annual survey which tracks a country’s attractiveness for FDI, Germany is 3rd globally and tops the list of European countries. Despite tightening regulations, Germany remains appealing to foreign investors due to its increasing GDP growth rate and diverse economy.
Continue Reading Winds of change in foreign direct investment control in Europe and the Middle East (3) -Germany

In the near future, the European Union may adopt a regime for foreign investments into the EU and such future EU rules may well reach beyond last year’s proposal from the European Commission regarding the establishment of a framework for screening foreign investments in the European Union.
Continue Reading Changing Legal Environment for Foreign Investments into Germany

By Sandra Link King & Wood Mallesons’ Frankfurt group

1. German Automotive Industry

Germany is famous for its cars such as Mercedes (Daimler), BMW, Audi and Volkswagen. But not only the big names characterize the automotive industry in Germany. In the automotive supply sector, the German Mittelstand that is often characterized as the engine of the German economy, dominates the industry. The German Mittelstand is mainly composed of small and medium-sized family companies that have a special leadership style and a strong regional base (often outside the big cities) and are not seldom global hidden champion in their business field.
Continue Reading Autonomous Cars – Opportunities and Challenges in Germany