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Private Clients

Our Private Clients service Portfolio

Our Private Clients practice advises high net worth individuals and business owners on all legal and tax matters related to their private affairs. We act as a trustworthy partner, assisting you with all your asset and succession planning requirements.

Our Private Clients service is also targeted at banks, asset managers and family offices. We either advise them directly on wealth management issues or work with them to develop customised solutions on behalf of our longstanding clients.

Interdisciplinary and international – our Private Clients Team

Trust-based client relationships in the private clients market depend on outstanding expertise allied with the requisite tact and sensitivity when dealing with a clientele that expects the highest standards.

Accordingly, the Private Clients team at CMS Germany is made up of experienced experts covering corporate, tax, inheritance, family and real estate law. In addition to providing comprehensive advice, they also represent private clients in court proceedings and vis-à-vis government bodies.

Our Private Clients experts also apply their wide-ranging expertise in the international arena. The CMS Private Clients Specialty Group established by the international CMS organisation offers cross-border wealth management and succession planning for global companies, business-owning families and high net worth individuals.

Our skillset for private clients – as diverse as our client base

The high net worth individuals and businesses who instruct us have many different needs in relation to asset and succession planning. Examples of the advice provided by our Private Clients experts include:

For a detailed list of services, please download the Private Clients Factsheet.

Our local Private Clients contacts will be delighted to arrange a personal meeting.

Ranked in Tier 2 for Private Clients & Nonprofits

The Legal 500 EMEA, 2024

Nennung als Top Kanzlei für den Bereich Erbrecht

WirtschaftsWoche Top-Kanzleien 2020; In Kooperation mit: Handelsblatt Research Institute

"Sources enthuse that CMS is "a powerhouse with the ability to handle complex matters" and that "they deal with some of Germany's richest clients." The firm can provide in-depth advice on all legal and tax matters for high net worth families. Its areas of expertise include family businesses and foundations, corporate succession and international wealth planning."

Chambers HNW, 2018

"The team in Stuttgart is particularly praised for its work. One legal insider reports: "They act for some very substantial high net worth clients in that region and are very good on succession law and litigation." Another wealth expert adds: "You know you can always rely on their lawyers to be precise and accurate in what they are doing.""

Chambers HNW, 2018

Choose area

Vermögensstrukturierung
Asset Structuring
Families typically have a strong interest in safeguarding family assets and keeping them intact down the generations. At the same time, alternative fa
Notfallplanung
Contingency Planning
In the middle of an active, busy (working) life, many families and business owners are reluctant to even consider the possibility of an accident or il
Unternehmesnachfolge
Corporate Succession
One of the biggest challenges currently facing family firms is maintaining the family's wealth and securing the continued existence of the business. T
Familienunternehmer
Family Business Owners
Family business owners face special responsibilities, and often feel a particularly strong sense of commitment to the company and its employees. Conti
Familienstiftung
Family Foundations
Family-owned businesses may decide to establish a foundation for a variety of reasons. The objective might be to safeguard family assets beyond the ou
Family Office
Family Offices
With a view to safeguarding the achievement of many decades and building on that success, family businesses are increasingly turning to professio
Nachfolgeplanung
Succession Planning
Unlike contingency planning, succession planning deals with the long-term transfer of assets. Families and family business owners are faced with
Core Team Private Clients
01/09/2021
Private Clients: Our Expertise
Our Private Clients Team specialises in wealth and succession planning. We provide cross-dis­cip­lin­ary advice to private clients, entrepreneurial families, their advisers and family offices on any legal...

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22/02/2024
Neue Chance für das Wach­stum­schan­cenge­setz
Welcome to the first 2024 podcast in the CMS To Go series "beigeSTEUERt", in which we look at the most important changes in tax legislation. Dr Martin Friedberg, Philine Lindner and Dr Hendrik Arendt present the most important new and upcoming rules around corporate tax law, including the Minimum Taxation Directive, the Financing for the Future Act (ZuFinG), the Secondary Credit Market Act (KrZwMG) and the Budget Financing Act (HFG). There is a special focus on the Growth Opportunities Act (WCG), which is aimed at making the German economy more in­vest­ment-friendly and competitive.
18/12/2023
CMS advises British service provider Serco on acquisition of social services...
Leipzig – Serco Group, which specialises in government services, has agreed to acquire European Homecare, a company focusing on social services, from the Korte Foundation. The Essen-based provider is...
01/11/2023
Steuerliche Beratung nach dem Erbfall
From succession planning to the compulsory portion, from allowances to time limits: anyone who makes the proper arrangements in advance can not only avoid unpleasant inheritance disputes between beneficiaries but also make full use of the available tax opportunities. Death and any inheritance associated with it are not only emotionally charged issues, they are also complex in legal terms. Accordingly, lawyer and tax advisor Dr Hendrik Arendt has called in reinforcements in the form of Dr Michael Heuser, an inheritance law specialist, and Benedikt Weber, who is a tax advisor. In this podcast, our experts explain the main legal and tax aspects that need to be considered before and after inheritance, and provide valuable insights into legal practice.
09/06/2023
beigeSTEUERt
In "beigeSTEUERt" we take a look at many fascinating aspects of German tax law. We will consider emerging tax issues from cryptocurrencies through non-fungible tokens to sustainable tax policies.
29/09/2022
CMS advises Milchwerk Jäger on establishment of joint dairy with Austrian...
Munich – Germany’s oldest privately-owned dairy, Milchwerk Jäger GmbH, is merging with Austrian firm Gmundner Molkerei eGen to create a joint dairy business. The two companies have been working together...
23/12/2021
CMS advises on merger of ADS-TEC Energy with European Sustainable Growth...
Stuttgart – ADS-TEC Energy GmbH, which describes itself as a world-leading provider of battery-buffered ultrafast charging technology, has completed a business combination with European Sustainable...
01/09/2021
Private Clients: Our Expertise
Our Private Clients Team specialises in wealth and succession planning. We provide cross-dis­cip­lin­ary advice to private clients, entrepreneurial families, their advisers and family offices on any legal...
19/08/2021
CMS advises ADS-TEC Energy on IPO via merger with European Sustainable...
Stuttgart – ADS-TEC Energy GmbH has announced jointly with European Sustainable Growth Acquisition Corp. (EUSG), a NASDAQ-listed special purpose acquisition vehicle, that they have concluded a binding...
29/07/2021
All entities required to register – TraFinG enters into force on 1 August...
The Transparency Register and Financial Information Act (TraFinG) entered into force on 1 August 2021. Its aim is to make further progress on combating money laundering and terrorist financing and, in addition to delivering greater transparency into legal entities and their beneficial owners, to create the basis for linking all the relevant registers throughout Europe. In particular, the TraFinG does away with the notional notifications that previously applied to listed companies and all legal entities for which information on the (notional) beneficial owners could be obtained from the commercial register, partnership register, cooperative society register, register of associations or company register. Specifically, this means that in future all these corporate bodies will also have to report their beneficial owners separately to the transparency register, even if the beneficial owners are already evident from the commercial register or other re­gisters. Spe­cial regulations only apply to registered associations (eingetragene Vereine). There are no changes with regard to foundations (Stiftungen), for which no notional registration has been possible anyway. When the Act to Modernise Partnership Law (MoPeG) comes into effect on 1 January 2024, companies under civil law (GbR) will likewise be subject to the requirement to be registered in the transparency register, if they choose to be entered in the company register. In addition, the cases in which foreign purchasers of German real estate must report information on their beneficial owners to the German transparency register have been considerably extended. Transition periods Transition periods that depend on the specific legal form apply to associations which still benefit from notional notification under section 20 (2) of the GwG on 31 July 2021. Registration in these cases must be submitted to the transparency register forAG, SE and KGaA by 31 March 2022,GmbH, eG, SCE, PartG by 30 June 2022,All other associations subject to transparency requirements (including OHG and KG) by 31 December 2022. In these cases, failure to register will also not be considered an administrative offence for one year after expiry of the applicable transition period. Companies that previously wrongly assumed notional notification in accordance with section 20 (2) of the GwG, or did not register their beneficial owners for other reasons, do not benefit from the transitional arrangements and are required to register as usual without delay. Transactions involving real estate located in Germany Foreign as­so­ci­ations/trusts that have not already submitted information on their beneficial owners to another register operated by an EU Member State will in future be obliged to report this information to the German transparency register if they acquire a property located in Germany, in the following cases:Ac­quis­i­tion by way of an asset deal,Acquisition by way of a share deal within the scope of section 1 (3) of the GrEStG, i.e. at least 90% of the shares in a company that owns a German property are merged by the foreign association or are transferred to it,Legal transaction within the meaning of section 1 (3) a of the GrEStG, i.e. the legal transaction results in the foreign association holding an ownership interest of at least 90% in a company that owns a German property. In this context, it should be noted that notaries are prohibited from notarising transactions of this type if the foreign association has not complied with its notification obligation (section 10 (9) sentence 4 of the GwG). There are no transition periods in this respect. Action needed Action is required for all new entities established or registered from 1 August 2021 onward. The information on beneficial owners must be reported to the transparency register without delay; the transition periods do not apply to newly established entities. In general, the amendment to the law provides an opportunity to submit missing reports; registrations that have already been submitted should be reviewed for accuracy and to see whether further information is required (e.g. additional nationalities). If notional notification still applies on 31 July 2021, the transition period should be used to prepare for registration in the transparency register. Registered as­so­ci­ations (ein­getra­gene Vereine) should review the automatic entries in the transparency register with regard to their accuracy. In addition, associations subject to transparency requirements must in future check and, if necessary, update their registration in the transparency register if there are any changes involving their (notional) beneficial owners (for example, change of shareholders or man­age­ment). Lastly, in the case of transactions with foreign purchasers, it is important to check in good time whether this involves a property located in Germany, with the result that the relevant information would need to be registered in the transparency register. Given that notaries are prohibited from notarising transactions if the relevant information is not registered, this point should also be clarified with the notary in advance. We would be happy to assist you in identifying beneficial owners and registering the relevant information with the transparency register. Please feel free to get in touch at any time.
01/07/2021
Relocation of residence abroad
Overview for exit taxation
19/05/2021
Dirk Schauer becomes new head of Private Clients division at CMS Germany
Stuttgart – Dr Dirk Schauer has been appointed as new head of the Private Clients division at international commercial law firm CMS Germany. He succeeds Hans Christian Blum, who made a significant contribution...
21/01/2021
Contingency planning with proxies in Germany
1. Are proxies used in contingency planning? In Germany, proxies are used for contingency planning, especially general proxies (Gen­er­al­voll­macht­en) and precautionary proxies (Vor­sorge­voll­macht­en). The...
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