The name Flick Gocke Schaumburg is synonymous with tax advice in Germany; the large team covers the entire spectrum of tax matters and assists both German and international corporations as well as private individuals, NPOs and the public sector. Particular strengths lie in restructuring, tax compliance, transfer pricing and succession planning as well as in criminal tax matters. Group and corporate tax expert Thomas Rödder heads the Bonn practice and focuses on advising listed companies and family businesses. Karsten Randt and Jörg Schauf are the key contacts for criminal tax issues, while Carsten Schlotter and Philipp Diffring, who made partner in January 2023, are particularly known for their advice in the sports sector. Nadia Altenburg made partner at the same time and is particularly experienced in tax issues in the energy and real estate sectors.

Linklaters is particularly well versed in transactional tax law and regularly advises market-leading companies and financial institutions across practices and countries. Thus, practice head Oliver Rosenberg, who was appointed Global Head of Tax in 2022, routinely assists with M&A projects with a focus on the energy sector as well as with complex restructurings. Here, he can also rely on the expertise of Sebastian Benz, Andreas Schaflitzl and Christian Hundeshagen, who are also adept at transfer pricing. In addition, the company has adjacent skills in ​​fund structuring and investment tax law and supplements this with relevant experience in crisis management, compliance and criminal tax matters. Jens Blumenberg is the key contact for cum-ex and cum-cum issues, while Rainer Stadler handles tax disputes as well as tax-oriented group restructuring and fund structuring. Restructuring specialist Anne Katharina Rosenow made counsel in November 2022. Counsels Julian Böhmer and Kirsten Placke focus on tax structuring advice related to corporate restructuring and transactions.

Embedded in the global network, Allen & Overy LLP assists national and international corporations, medium-sized companies, financial services and real estate companies with a similarly broad range of topics; the group focuses on corporate and transactional tax law, while tax disputes, tax risk management, VAT and compliance as well as the digitalisation and automation of tax processes represent further strengths. Practice head and Chair of Global Tax Gottfried Breuninger is known for resolving tax disputes, including tax audits and investigations; he can also rely on Magnus Müller (tax dispute resolution, including aspects of criminal tax law) and Ellen Birkemeyer (implementation of tax risk and tax compliance management systems) as well as Florian Lechner, who joined from Jones Day in February 2023 and frequently handles cum-ex- and cum-cum investigations and proceedings. Transaction-related matters are routinely handled by Heike Weber.

Gleiss Lutz primarily assists large corporations and private equity investors who routinely draw upon the team's expertise in corporate and transaction tax matters as well as in compliance investigations and succession issues. Achim Dannecker frequently handles corporate succession matters, while Johann Wagner and practice head Stefan Mayer are well versed in tax advice on M&A and PE transactions. Hendrik Marchal (M&A and real estate transactions; also VAT) and Ocka Stumm (M&A and tax due diligence) also advise on transactional matters. In addition, Stumm oversees criminal tax proceedings and tax audits; an area that is also covered by Alexander Werder (compliance, criminal tax law, cum-ex).

With a strong presence in transactional matters, tax disputes and tax proceedings as well as in advising wealthy private individuals, Hengeler Mueller assists a similarly broad client base consisting of high-profile players from the financial services, private equity and real estate industries. Stefanie Beinert advises German medium-sized and family businesses on company succession as well as restructuring and M&A. She is one of the key contacts alongside Markus Ernst, Matthias Scheifele and Gunther Wagner, who also focuses on national and international transactions, corporate tax law, tax disputes and financial taxes, as well as counsel Marius Marx and Sebastian Heinrichs (made counsel in January 2023); Marx and Heinrichs also focus on tax transaction support, corporate tax and international tax law.

Transactional tax matters are at the heart of Baker McKenzie's practice and also represent the focus of both practice heads Thomas Schänzle and Christoph Becker. The group is therefore regularly entrusted by multinational companies and strategic investors in the mid-cap and large-cap segments to advise on issues relating to M&A transactions and restructuring; however, the team also assists with corporate and international tax planning, transfer pricing, VAT and tax disputes. Jana Fischer is a key contact for the latter area, while the practice's VAT capacities were strengthened with the arrival of Philipp Klinker from Flick Gocke Schaumburg in October 2022.

POELLATH's tax practice is particularly well versed in tax advice pertaining to transactions and asset management and regularly assists medium-sized private equity companies and family businesses. Corresponding matters often relate to the design of tax-optimised private equity structures (buyouts) and the structuring of investment funds as well as to tax aspects of real estate transactions; Michael Best is also active in this context and routinely acts for private equity funds and wealthy private individuals. He jointly heads the practice with Hardy Fischer, who regularly handles large real estate transactions for funds and real estate companies.

CMS is highly skilled in advising on transaction and corporate taxes, but also has experience in group taxes and tax compliance, succession and estate planning, financial taxes and indirect taxes, as well as in tax audits and tax disputes. Its broad client base particularly consists of players in the automotive, energy, life sciences and pharmaceuticals, PE, real estate and TMC sectors. Thomas Gerdel (tax aspects of corporate and real estate transactions, criminal tax law) and Jörg Schrade (M&A transactions, financing, tax audits) jointly lead the practice. Angelika Thies focuses on real estate transactions and transfer pricing, while Björn Demuth advises on tax compliance, tax proceedings and private clients. Martin Friedberg made partner at the turn of the year 2023 and primarily focuses on tax structuring of M&A transactions.

German and international clients, including several US multinational corporations, regularly turn to Oppenhoff to seek advice on project management, transactions and restructuring. The team also assists its clients with tax matters relating to day-to-day business, as well as with tax audits and transfer pricing issues. The team is led by Axel Bödefeld in Cologne, whose expertise reflects the practice's activities and leads to regular instructions by players in the pharmaceutical industry.

Medium-sized and large companies, funds and fund managers, investors, growth companies and private individuals instruct YPOG to assist with tax matters arising in the context of transactions and investments, as well as with tax planning and tax disputes. Clients particularly benefit from the team's expertise in ​​digital assets, which is regularly incorporated into advice on blockchain-based projects and cryptocurrencies. The practice is led by Malte Bergmann in Hamburg, who primarily handles transactional tax matters; the partner appointment of the Cologne-based Florian Oppel in January 2023 underlined the importance of the group's tax succession advice.

Luther Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH advises domestic and foreign corporations, large family businesses, financial services providers, institutional real estate investors as well as wealthy private individuals and non-profit organisations on corporate taxation, M&A and real estate transactions as well as in the context of investment and fund structuring. Bela Jansen, who is experienced in asset management-related (investment) tax and regulatory matters, heads the practice.