Law office
We have been supporting and representing our clients in national and international matters since 1992. We work as part of a proven and reliable network of globally cooperating law offices. We know the contact persons, lawyers, tax consultants and auditors personally from many years of cooperation.
You benefit from the expertise of a law office specialising in medium-sized companies as well as from the advantages of an international network: global presence and wide-ranging specialist knowledge combined with flexible and very personal support that takes your concerns especially into account.
DR. JUR. THOMAS KNAAK
Lawyer
Dr. Thomas Knaak was born in Mexico and has also lived in Guatemala. He holds German and Mexican citizenship. He completed his legal studies in Germany and Switzerland. After the second state examination he was admitted to the bar in 1992.
Professional references
Selection of professional memberships
Languages
Education
Internationality
At home in the world
The law office is part of an international network in which lawyers, tax advisors and auditors work together. One focus of our activities is the handling of assignments with an international dimension. Our extensive practical experience in dealing with diverse cultural and legal systems as well as excellent international contacts in the legal, economic and consular fields are the key to successfully asserting your interests.
We take particular account of your international concerns. We advise and represent you competently and at reasonable cost in contract negotiations, contract design, in the assertion of contractual claims, also in the context of international arbitration proceedings, through to the execution of enforcement measures abroad. You benefit in every way from out office’s global networking.
The law office is part of an international network in which lawyers, tax advisors and auditors work together. One focus of our activities is the handling of assignments with an international dimension. Our extensive practical experience in dealing with diverse cultural and legal systems as well as excellent international contacts in the legal, economic and consular fields are the key to successfully asserting your interests.
We take particular account of your international concerns. We advise and represent you competently and at reasonable cost in contract negotiations, contract design, in the assertion of contractual claims, also in the context of international arbitration proceedings, through to the execution of enforcement measures abroad. You benefit in every way from out office’s global networking.
Arbitration proceedings
National and international arbitration proceedings are a form of dispute resolution that has especially gained in importance in recent years. It takes particular account of the respective economic interests of the parties.
Our membership in various arbitration organisations gives you access to institutionalised arbitration. This especially concerns proceedings at the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris (ICC), proceedings at the German Institution of Arbitration (DIS) but also so-called ad hoc proceedings. We represent you as a party in arbitration proceedings or support you as arbitrators, in particular in commercial disputes.
Our experience ranges from the preparation, initiation, implementation and decision of arbitration proceedings to the enforcement of arbitral awards. You benefit from the law office’s many years of international experience and linguistic diversity.
National and international arbitration proceedings are a form of dispute resolution that has especially gained in importance in recent years. It takes particular account of the respective economic interests of the parties.
Our membership in various arbitration organisations gives you access to institutionalised arbitration. This especially concerns proceedings at the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris (ICC), proceedings at the German Institution of Arbitration (DIS) but also so-called ad hoc proceedings.
We represent you as a party in arbitration proceedings or support you as arbitrators, in particular in commercial disputes. Our experience ranges from the preparation, initiation, implementation and decision of arbitration proceedings to the enforcement of arbitral awards. You benefit from the law office’s many years of international experience and linguistic diversity.
Data protection and IT law
In a contemporary information society, in which both private and public sector activity is dependent on the processing of personal data, we handle the complex detailed problems of data protection for you, provide you with comprehensive consultation on data protection law and data protection training for your employees. Additionally, as an outsourced data protection office, we are able to take over your statutory data protection tasks.
This also includes acting as an external data protection officer for our clients. In case of data protection violations, we represent your interests vis-à-vis the supervisory authorities and enforce your rights to information and disclosure.
During our training for data protection officers in the context of CCI Düsseldorf certificate courses, we receive diverse impulses from the world of work, which in turn make it necessary to adapt data protection concepts, e.g. the establishment of home workplaces.
Data protection law is embedded in information technology law which forms the legal framework for the development of new software products. which forms the legal framework for the development of new software products. In this context we are involved in the drafting and negotiation of complex software development contracts. We represent our clients in the negotiations of problematic software contracts in order to avoid expensive and lengthy court proceedings.
In a contemporary information society, in which both private and public sector activity is dependent on the processing of personal data, we handle the complex detailed problems of data protection for you, provide you with comprehensive consultation on data protection law and data protection training for your employees. Additionally, as an outsourced data protection office, we are able to take over your statutory data protection tasks.
This also includes acting as an external data protection officer for our clients. In case of data protection violations, we represent your interests vis-à-vis the supervisory authorities and enforce your rights to information and disclosure.
During our training for data protection officers in the context of CCI Düsseldorf certificate courses, we receive diverse impulses from the world of work, which in turn make it necessary to adapt data protection concepts, e.g. the establishment of home workplaces.
Data protection law is embedded in information technology law which forms the legal framework for the development of new software products. which forms the legal framework for the development of new software products. In this context we are involved in the drafting and negotiation of complex software development contracts. We represent our clients in the negotiations of problematic software contracts in order to avoid expensive and lengthy court proceedings.
Commercial law
National and international sales and work contract law are just as much part of the requirements of an economically operating company as are the drafting and revision of contracts and general terms and conditions or the involvement of commercial agents.
We answer the resulting legal questions for you, which also includes the judicial or extrajudicial enforcement or defence of claims.
National and international sales and work contract law are just as much part of the requirements of an economically operating company as are the drafting and revision of contracts and general terms and conditions or the involvement of commercial agents.
We answer the resulting legal questions for you, which also includes the judicial or extrajudicial enforcement or defence of claims.
Family law
The consultation and representation of medium-sized family businesses as well as our consular activities not infrequently result in the necessity to provide comprehensive support in large scale family law disputes. Alongside national proceedings, this also applies to divorce proceedings with an international dimension, such as proprietary disputes involving assets in different countries. In this context, the implementation of mediation procedures has proven effective.
The consultation and representation of medium-sized family businesses as well as our consular activities not infrequently result in the necessity to provide comprehensive support in large scale family law disputes. Alongside national proceedings, this also applies to divorce proceedings with an international dimension, such as proprietary disputes involving assets in different countries. In this context, the implementation of mediation procedures has proven effective.
Customs and market regulation law
Globalisation has meant that almost all products of daily life increasingly reach us from different regions of the world. The import and export of goods is subject to numerous special regulations, the non-observance of which can have serious consequences. This applies, for example, to the collection of avoidable customs duties through to financial state sanctions.
The main issues here include customs tariffs, tariff quotas, preferences, remission and reimbursement of customs duties, customs procedure law, the carrying out of company audits and the associated representation before the authorities, finance and administrative courts or European courts, in which we can support you.
Globalisation has meant that almost all products of daily life increasingly reach us from different regions of the world. The import and export of goods is subject to numerous special regulations, the non-observance of which can have serious consequences. This applies, for example, to the collection of avoidable customs duties through to financial state sanctions.
The main issues here include customs tariffs, tariff quotas, preferences, remission and reimbursement of customs duties, customs procedure law, the carrying out of company audits and the associated representation before the authorities, finance and administrative courts or European courts, in which we can support you.
Cooperation
Benefit from our network
In all matters — whether national or international – you keep your contact partner in our office. We also reliably safeguard your interests in the international field through a network that has been strengthened over many years of global cooperation.
We only pass information on your case to colleagues personally known to us, taking other legal formalities into account. Contact to other colleagues can be established quickly and reliably via existing office partnerships.
In all matters — whether national or international – you keep your contact partner in our office. We also reliably safeguard your interests in the international field through a network that has been strengthened over many years of global cooperation. We only pass information on your case to colleagues personally known to us, taking other legal formalities into account. Contact to other colleagues can be established quickly and reliably via existing office partnerships.
CONSULATE
Republic of Guatemala
Following the relocation of the capital of the Federal Republic of Germany from Bonn to Berlin, we took over the consular representation for the Republic of Guatemala in North Rhine-Westphalia. The jurisdiction was later extended to include Hesse.
We are glad to answer legal, economic and cultural questions about the land of eternal spring, Guatemala.
Opening hours of the consulate
