Disputes & business risks
Business projects frequently combine legal issues that sit across practice areas. We coordinate the contractual and corporate aspects of premises, investment structures, taxation and insurance with the relevant specialists.
Scope of our advice
The review may include commercial leases, property elements of acquisitions, tax covenants, insurance cover and claims against advisers or counterparties. Responsibilities and specialist assumptions should be clear from the outset.
What needs attention
A corporate transaction can trigger lease consents, tax exposure or changes in insurance cover. Review these interfaces together rather than treating each document as a separate exercise.
Managing dependencies between the specialist workstreams
Property, tax and insurance issues can determine whether a commercial transaction delivers its intended value. The legal work starts by identifying dependencies: premises needed to operate, tax exposures linked to the structure and cover relied on for significant risks. We coordinate with the appropriate specialists and make their assumptions visible in the transaction documents. A lease, tax covenant or insurance policy should not be assessed in isolation from the business plan and the wider acquisition or financing arrangements.
How the legal work is organised
For premises, the review can include duration, permitted use, repair, consent and transfer restrictions. Tax findings are translated into price, covenants, indemnities and cooperation obligations with tax advisers. Insurance review examines the insured risk, exclusions, notification and the effect of a change in ownership or activity. The project plan should identify any consent, replacement cover or further specialist opinion needed before commitment. Where a claim arises, the response preserves coverage and contractual rights while avoiding unnecessary admissions or settlements that may prejudice recovery.
Four practical examples
Illustrative scenarios explaining typical legal issues; these are not statements about specific client mandates.
Premises dependency
An acquisition depends on a leased factory. We review duration, assignment, change-of-control and repair obligations.
Practical approach. Review the lease against the buyer’s intended use and investment horizon. A short remaining term, consent restriction or repair obligation can materially affect the value of an otherwise attractive acquisition.
Tax covenant
A buyer wants protection for pre-closing taxes. We coordinate the tax review and draft the contractual allocation and claims process.
Practical approach. The covenant should define covered periods, control of proceedings, cooperation and payment mechanics. Tax specialists should confirm the substantive exposure rather than leaving the purchase agreement to use undefined labels.
Insurance notification
A business discovers a potential insured loss. We review notification duties and avoid steps that could prejudice coverage.
Practical approach. Notify through the required channel and preserve relevant evidence. Before admitting liability or agreeing settlement, check the policy’s conditions and coordinate the defence with the insurer where required.
Property-heavy company
A share acquisition includes valuable real estate. We coordinate corporate, property and tax advice before agreeing the structure.
Practical approach. The structure review should bring property, corporate and tax advisers together before signing. A choice that appears efficient in one workstream may create cost, consent or implementation issues in another.
Preparing the first discussion
Prepare leases and property records, insurance policies, claims correspondence, tax advice and relevant transaction drafts. Identify the assumptions underlying valuations and funding. A responsibility table should make clear who confirms each specialist issue and which decision depends on it, so that a gap between advisers does not become an unnoticed commercial risk.
Related expertise
Commercial litigation · Arbitration & mediation · Restructuring & insolvency
Discuss your business matter
Tell us which parties and countries are involved, what you want to achieve and whether a deadline is approaching. We will clarify the scope, the appropriate legal team and the fee arrangements before work begins.
Reference: German legislation in translation. English translations of German legislation may lag behind the authoritative German text. Application depends on the facts and the relevant current law.