Preventive advisory, evaluation and monitoring of governance, risk and compliance systems including ESG advisory:

The compliance-related requirements for companies are becoming increasingly complex as a result of the development of national and international legislation and case law. By setting up an effective compliance management system, companies and their bodies (managing directors, board members, supervisory board members and administrative board members) can obtain exemption from liability with regard to the identified legal risks. Even in ongoing investigations, the establishment of a resilient control organization can significantly reduce fines.

Schemmel Merk Schweda supports German and international companies on their path to legally secure business processes. Knowledge of national and – due to transnational implications – foreign laws, jurisdiction and other regulations is of crucial importance. Schemmel Merk Schweda advisors have supported criminal law compliance projects in more than 70 countries and are also internationally sought-after contacts, e.g. also for NGOs and auditing firms.

Schemmel Merk Schweda also has extensive expertise in the area of “Public Compliance” (public authorities, municipalities).

Schemmel Merk Schweda attaches great importance to the area of “legal tech consulting”. The safeguarding of legally compliant processes is significantly supported by the use of suitable “Digital Compliance/Regulatory Tech Tools”.

Schemmel Merk Schweda’s attorneys have led and conducted a large number of “Internal Investigations” and special investigations for German/international companies (Fortune 500, Dax, etc.) and regulatory authorities. Frequently, investigations by the SEC, DOJ or German and European investigative authorities also gave reason for the mandate. Schemmel Merk Schweda is committed to conducting internal investigations efficiently – “to the point” – and also advises insurance groups on D&O and criminal investigations related insurance issues in this context. We have been cooperating with selected national and international forensic services departments for more than 15 years by now, but we also provide own IT solutions.

Schemmel Merk Schweda represents German and international companies (Fortune 500, Dax groups and medium-sized companies) in dealing with national and international regulators, even in extensive and complex proceedings. An efficient and as noiseless resolution of the regulatory dispute is in the interest of both the investigating authorities and the companies. Establishing this connection through competent crisis management is another core competence of Schemmel Merk Schweda.

Schemmel Merk Schweda advises on all issues in the field of D&O and criminal investigations related insurance issues.

Advice on corporate law, structural and transformation projects, corporate governance & corporate compliance, national and cross-border M&A transactions including the support of committees and boards:

The tension between compliance and corporate law highlights the importance of defining, implementing and adhering to appropriate standards for good corporate governance.

In front of this background, Schemmel Merk Schweda understands the corporate law advice of a company or a group of companies, i.e. from the foundation to transformations under transformation law or organizational transformations (such as mergers, spin-offs) up to national or cross-border acquisitions or sales of companies as a holistic approach over the entire development span: Schemmel Merk Schweda advises boards and committees with regard to specific action requirements as well as in the implementation of audit-proof corporate governance.

Schemmel Merk Schweda consultants have many years of experience, gained both in consulting and through management positions in listed as well as family-run companies and groups of companies.

Mediation and conflict resolution are further core competences of Schemmel Merk Schweda. Our advisors are, among others, arbitrators at the ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) in Paris and at the CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) and have been arbitrators on behalf of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Schemmel Merk Schweda advises entrepreneurs and private clients on the tax-optimized structuring of corporate law – including inter-national structures. A particular focus is on succession planning and the cross-generational safeguarding of assets. The support of contentious tax audits and conflict situations with the tax authorities round off our activities.

Schemmel Merk Schweda represents individuals in particular in the areas of commercial, tax and environmental criminal law.

Schemmel Merk Schweda – aware of the importance of sports in society and the international community – advises professional sports on the establishment of resilient compliance management systems and takes over the monitoring of the business activities of those involved in professional sports. The focus is on corruption, tax and embezzlement risks and increasingly also the risk of money laundering. Our many years of experience and expertise bring professional athletes from various disciplines to us.

Is the global RegTech platform for compliance providing up-to-date interpretation of domestic, foreign and transnational legislative, regulatory, and integrity obligations – in clear terms.

Career:

• Law studies in Passau
• Legal clerkship in Munich
• 2004-2014: Founder and Managing Partner of an international criminal law boutique
• 2015-2020: Partner and International Lead “Business Integrity” of a Big4
• 2020-: Founder and Managing Partner at Schemmel Merk Schweda

Scope:

• Compliance Monitorship
• GRC – Counseling
• Regulatory Affairs/White Collar Crime Defense
• Investigations
• D&O

Languages:

German, English

Contact:

schemmel@schemmel-merk.de
Linkedin

Career:

• Studied law and political science at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich
• Doctorate (Dr. Juris Utriusque) at the Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg
• 1995-2003: Lord Mayor of the City of Neu-Ulm
• 2003-2013: Bavarian State Minister of Justice
• 2013-2018: Bavarian State Minister for Europe and Regional Relations
• 2008-: Member of the Bavarian State Parliament
• 2020-: Founder and Partner at Schemmel Merk Schweda

Scope:

• Business Integrity
• Compliance
• Environmental Law

Languages:
German, English

Contact:
merk@schemmel-merk.de
Linkedin

Career:

• Studied law in Munich and Salzburg
• Legal clerkship in Munich
• 2008-2014: General Counsel and Compliance Officer of a direct bank (Austria/CEE)
• 2014-2019: Head of Legal Coordination, Regulatory law and Compliance of a bank of the automotive industry
• 2019-: Director Legal for FinTech and FMCG StartUps
• 2020-: Founder and Partner at Schemmel Merk Schweda

Scope:

• Legal & Compliance Strategy
• Anti-Financial Economic Crime
• Regulatory Affairs and Arbitration
• Legal and CompTech Implementation

Languages:
German, English

Contact:
schweda@schemmel-merk.de
Linkedin

Career:

• Studied law and Protestant theology at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
• Admitted to the bar in 1984
• Lawyer in a medium-sized law firm
• 2014-2020: Of Counsel in the law firm of a Big4 auditing company
• 2020-: Founder and Partner at Schemmel Merk Schweda

Scope:

• Real Estate Law
• Conflict resolution and mediation
• Advice on the implementation of ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) issues in companies

Languages:
German, English

Contact:
dennler@schemmel-merk.de

Career:

• Ph.D. at Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Germany / University of Pavia, Italy
• German lawyer (Rechtsanwältin) – Munich Bar Association
• Italian lawyer (Avvocato) – Italian Bar Association
• 2008-2020: Lawyer and Partner in leading international law firms in Munich and Big4
• 2020-: Partner at Schemmel Merk Schweda

Scope:

• (Global) Internal Investigations / Forensic Data Analysis
• Regulatory Affairs/White-Collar Crime Defense
• Cross-Border M&A transactions

Languages:
German, Italian, English and French

Contact:
pastorelli@schemmel-merk.de

Career:

• Studies of law, doctorate and habilitation in Munich
• 1980-: Director of the Institute for the Complete Study of Criminal Law at the LMU Munich
• Admitted to the bar

Scope:

• Commercial criminal law
• Criminal procedure law
• Corporate representation, selected individual defense

Languages:
German, English

Contact:
volk@schemmel-merk.de

Career:

• Studies of law at the Johannes-Gutenberg-University Mainz
• 1992-1999: Public prosecutor at the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Regional Court in Wiesbaden and in Limburg an der Lahn in the area of white collar criminal law, criminal tax law and environmental criminal law
• 1999-2017: Attorney-at-law and partner with a focus on commercial and tax criminal law: Head of the commercial criminal law department at the international commercial law firm White & Case in Frankfurt am Main for many years
• 2017-: Founded the law firm-Klengel in Frankfurt am Main with a focus on individual and corporate representation in the area of white-collar and tax criminal law as well as compliance advice
• 2021-: Of Counsel at Schemmel Merk Schweda

Scope:

• Corporate representation (comprehensive advice and defense of companies in regulatory, criminal and administrative fine proceedings)
• Individual defense with a focus on white collar criminal law and criminal tax law
• Compliance consulting
• Consulting and maintenance of compliance management systems
• Monitorships of companies
• Carrying out internal company fact-finding investigations
• Criminal due diligence audits and risk assessment
• Legal tech support

Languages:
German, English

Contact:
klengel@schemmel-merk.de

Career:

• Studies at the Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg
• Postgraduate studies (LL.M.) “Mergers & Acquisitions
• Admission to the bar
• 2005-: extensive experience as “Trusted Advisor” due to relevant activities in leading positions in the logistics industry, in listed companies of the energy industry as well as in the field of private equity
• 2022-: Of Counsel at Schemmel Merk Schweda

Practice Areas:

• Corporate law advice to companies and groups of companies
• Transformation projects, restructurings and transformation law issues
• Corporate governance, board support (management/management board, supervisory board) as well as liability of corporate bodies
• Organization, conduct and follow-up of general meetings and shareholders’ meetings
• National and cross-border M&A transactions

Publications:

• Co-author Handbook of the European Company Jannott/Frodermann
• Co-author Handbook Logistics Outsourcing in Practice

Languages:
German, English, Italian

Contact:
becker@schemmel-merk.de

Career:

• Law studies and doctorate in Kiel
• Legal clerkship in Lübeck, Kiel and Hamburg
• Postgraduate studies in tax law in Münster
• 2005-2019: Lawyer/partner in medium-sized law firm with focus on tax law and criminal tax law
• 2020-: Schöler Tax+Law

Scope:

• Individual and corporate defense in criminal tax proceedings
• Tax-centered structuring advice in corporate restructurings
• Tax structuring for succession solutions
• Foundation structures
• International tax law
• Tax court proceedings and contentious tax audits
• Practical activity in advisory boards and supervisory boards of family-owned companies

Languages:
German, English

Contact:
schoeler@schemmel-merk.de

Career:

• Studied business administration in Mannheim
• Until 2012: Risk & Compliance Consultant at a bank based in the UK
• 2012-2018: (Outsourcing) Risk & Compliance Manager at an international bank (responsible for the branches in Germany, Austria and Czech Republic)
• 2020-: Head of Compliance and Enrolments for a UK StartUp in the EdTech sector
• 2021-: Consultant at Schemmel Merk Schweda

Scope:

• Advising on governance, risk and compliance systems and strategies.
• Anti-Financial Economic Crime
• Process analysis and design
• CompTech and (Outsourcing) Risk Implementation

Languages:
German, English

Contact:
jutzi@schemmel-merk.de
LinkedIn

Theatinerstr. 32
80333 Munich
Germany

Phone: +49 (0)89 95 45 918 00
Fax: +49 (0)89 95 45 918 11

E-Mail: muenchen@schemmel-merk.de

Kurfürstendamm 31
10719 Berlin
Germany

Telefon: +49 (0)30 346 558 310
Fax: +49 (0)30 346 558 319

E-Mail: berlin@schemmel-merk.de

Westhafen Tower, 10. OG
Westhafenplatz 1
60327 Frankfurt am Main
Germany

Phone: +49 (69) 153 228 690
Fax: +49 (69) 153 228 609

E-Mail: frankfurt@schemmel-merk.de

Graben 19
1010 Vienna
Austria

Phone: +43 (1) 35 35 320

E-Mail: wien@schemmel-merk.de