Track Record and References

In the past years, we worked on the following, particularly outstanding mandates for our clients:

• Adversary application proceedings for a German certificate of inheritance for the estate of a decedent who was, with high probability, lacking testamentary capability at the time of drawing up his last will and testament, with adversary inheritance certificate proceedings and complaints procedure before the higher regional court
• Corporate litigation in a medium-sized limited company after the death of one of the two partners and managing director as well (unplanned company succession), among others preparation of the exclusion of minority shareholders, dismissal of managing director etc.
• Settlement of an estate of a Canadian from Ontario who had emigrated from Germany with extensive bank assets and securities, as well as a wooded land in Germany for two Canadian executors, inter alia, application for a certificate of executorship as well as coordination with the responsible German representation abroad, correspondance with the domestic bank and with the inheritance tax office etc.; pursuit of claims, disposition and transfer.
• International inheritance dispute with connections to the Middle East and assets in Germany, countries of the Middle East, Cyprus, and third countries
• German-British estate`s setting in Germany for English executors of a last will, with very valuable funds on bank and securities deposit accounts with a private bank in Germany
• Consultation of a trustee of a US-American trust on German gift tax issues following the intended dissolution of a US-American trust with one beneficiary of the trust residing in Germany
• International inheritance dispute of a decedent from the Middle East with very considerable bank assets at a domestic bank, among others gathering of information about bank assets and revocation of powers of attorney valid beyond death
• Appeal proceedings before the higher regional court of Frankfurt regarding claims against a bank which had allowed dispositions of a representative on the basis of a power of attorney which was invalid due to legal incapacity to the grantor
• Inheritance dispute before a German district court on claims according to § 2287 German Civil Code of an heir within a contract of inheritance regarding life-time dispositions (mixed donation) of a testator on real estate, contrary to inheritance contract obligations
• Repatriation of securities and bank assets at a US-American bank after the passing away of the decedent, for the beneficiaries in Germany who became such by a contract for the benefit of third parties, along with counseling about German inheritance tax issues and duties.
• Estate`s settling in Germany for a US-American acquirer upon death, among others real estate in Karlsruhe as well as bank assets in Germany, among others representation of the US-American heiress when a real estate sales contract was concluded
• Accompaniment of several estate`s settlings in the USA and Canada (province Ontario) for clients from Germany, each with considerable assets abroad; coordination with consultants from abroad and consultation of the acquirers on inheritance tax duties in Germany including German inheritance tax administrative appeal proceedings (partially with interim emergency legal protection).
• Taking over an estate litigation about a compulsory portion claim pursuant to German inheritance law, before a district court in the federal state of Hesse from a prior consultant; obtaining evaluation reports in order to improve the negotiation situation of the client (person entitled to receive a compulsory share) and extensive presentation of findings before the court, conclusion of the proceedings by means of a settlement before the district court
• Dispute on the application proceedings for a German certificate of inheritance, among others because of the presumed forgery of a foreign testament
• Representation of an heir and member of a community of heirs against the executor of a last will in a process before the district court after contestation because of error of the decedent about testamentary clauses, quarreling community of heirs
• Consultation on the donation of a foreign client to her daughter living abroad, together with the transfer of real estate in Germany, including the client`s representation at the conclusion of the transfer contract for the German real estate
• Consultation and representation of a client as widow and sole heiress of a decedent with very valuable share in a German limited company in the estate; among others consultation on the company law preliminary questions on shares to safeguard her rights and in the context of a legal inheritance dispute before the district court
• Representation of a domestic executor of a last will in dispute with the heirs regarding the manner of execution of the last will as well as the examination of the estate, among others, control by probate court and annulment of a testamentary clause about the prohibition of sale