Before accepting instructions, we identify the parties, check potential conflicts and agree the work to be undertaken. Please explain your objective and any deadlines at the outset. Sending an enquiry does not itself create a lawyer-client engagement or preserve a deadline; urgent matters should also be raised by telephone.
What we assess
Scope, responsibility and remuneration are agreed before work begins. Fees may depend on the applicable statutory framework and an agreed fee arrangement. Court, expert, translation and opposing-party costs can be relevant in disputes. We discuss the next decision point so that an initial assessment does not silently become an unrestricted litigation instruction.
Four practical examples
Illustrative scenarios, not accounts of client matters. The appropriate response depends on the documents, applicable law and procedural position.
A deadline is imminent
A business sends the complete official decision and also calls the office. We first check whether timely representation can be accepted. Merely submitting an enquiry does not protect the deadline.
A contract needs review before signature
The manager identifies the signing date, business objective and important risks. Scope is agreed accordingly. Focused review distinguishes negotiation points from missing facts instead of rewriting without understanding the transaction.
Several parties could be opponents
A project involves group companies, suppliers and insurers. Names are checked before extensive factual information is shared. This supports conflict checks and avoids premature disclosure in an unconfirmed engagement.
Costs need to remain predictable
A client initially wants an assessment of prospects only. The scope and next decision point are agreed. Further negotiations or proceedings require coordination so that the instruction and financial consequences remain clear.
Documents that help
Party names, the relevant contract or decision, service dates, a short chronology and your desired outcome. Send extensive confidential documents after the appropriate contact and process have been established.
From assessment to the next step
We first distinguish established facts from disputed allegations and identify any step needed to preserve rights. The legal route is then assessed against the commercial objective, available evidence and potential cost. Where technical or foreign-law input is required, responsibilities are coordinated before further work is commissioned. Negotiation, formal proceedings and practical implementation are considered together; a favourable legal position still needs a workable route to the intended result.
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Discuss your matter
Tell us the parties involved, your objective and any deadlines. Our main office is in Hanover, Lower Saxony. We advise on German-law matters nationwide and coordinate cross-border work with locally qualified counsel where required.
Send an enquiry — all fields optional · +49 511 3573560
We check conflicts and agree the scope and fees before accepting instructions. An enquiry alone does not create an engagement or preserve a deadline.