Law of foundations

In the area of the Law of Foundations, we advise and represent companies, entrepreneurs, private individuals – testator (foundation by last will) and foundations of public authorities in regard to questions relating to

  • The establishment of foundations (foundations which are dependent – fiduciary - without legal capacity – with legal capacity, family foundations, foundations of a responsible body of a company, foundations affiliated with companies, citizens’ foundations, community foundations, joint associations)
  • Tax advantages for founders (Law for Furtherance of Foundations – Stiftungsförderungsgesetz) for companies and private individuals, tax advantages (e.g. by exemption from tax on profits)
  • Cooperation with the board, the advisory board or board of trustees in accordance with the wishes of the founder
  • Planning and changes of the articles of association
  • Contact to the supervisory authorities of foundations and the finance authorities
  • Application procedure for acceptance by the supervisory authorities and the proper finance authorities
  • Changes of legal form (e.g. from a public law foundation to a private law foundation)
  • Legal consultancy of foundations, members of the board of directors and the founders
  • Contract law for foundations (limitations on liability, sponsor contracts, employment contracts, contracts for managing directors)
  • Contracts for sponsoring and support
  • Audit and reporting
  • Consulting to management of finances of foundations (reserves, estate and assets of the foundation, profits of regrouping of investments, profitable business concerns, business for special purposes)
  • Employment law for foundations (dissuasion, notice, compensation)
  • Legal and organisational consulting of foundations
  • Settlement of the estate, execution of the last will
  • Consulting relating to last wills, planning of the legal estate
  • Inheritance law for founders (legal portion, provisional heir, reversionary heir, the foundation in a planned succession)
  • Planning of the legal estate
  • Tax law for foundations
  • Negotiations and arrangement of contracts with the trustee
  • Advice on fundraising (trust-foundations, acquisition of donations, mailings, marketing of estate, sponsoring, benefits)
  • Liquidation and bankruptcy