German desk

 

Germany is one of Australia’s most important and significant trade and investment markets and is one of the top ten sources of foreign direct investment into Australia over the last ten years. Our German team has broad experience in advising German-speaking clients on legal aspects of doing business in Australia.

Expertise

Our aim is to provide excellent, cost-effective and relevant legal and tax advice. We make it our business to understand your business. Our extensive expertise and experience across all key industries and sectors as well as our many years of experience in advising German-speaking clients ensures that we provide the best commercial service and advice to our clients.

Our German speaking team

Oliver Jankowsky is a Partner at our office in Melbourne and focuses on advising German-speaking clients on all aspects of Australian business law. Mr Jankowsky is a very experienced fully qualified German lawyer and has a full local license to practise law in Australia.

Mr Jankowsky has broad experience in advising German-speaking clients on investments in Australia, acquisitions, mergers, starting a business in Australia, Distribution and Sale Agreements, Supply Agreements, Due Diligence, Shareholder Agreements, Foreign Investment Review approval advice, Deeds of Indemnity and corporate documents, IT contracts and restructures.

Mr Jankowsky is the current President of the European Business Inc. and a member of the German-Australian Chamber of Commerce, the Law Institute of Victoria and the Board of SwissCham Australia.

Dr Wolfgang Babeck has more than 20 years of experience as a corporate and commercial lawyer and is admitted as a lawyer in New South Wales, England & Wales and as a 'Rechtsanwalt' in Germany. Mr Babeck is a European Council to the firm and co-heads our European desk. Mr Babeck’s clients are in particular medium-sized enterprises and ‘hidden champions’ from a great range of industries including manufacturing and transport, infrastructure and energy, technology, FMCG and health. He has specific expertise related to tender processes, mergers & acquisitions and employment law, as well as to cross border disputes including arbitration.

Clients describe Mr Babeck as solution orientated, industry savvy and as an excellent negotiator. Mr Babeck regularly serves on boards of subsidiary companies in Australia and has served on supervisory and management boards in Europe. He is a facilitator of the Australian Institute of company directors (AICD) and the former chairman and long term director of the German-Australian Chamber of Industry and Commerce. Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Wolfgang Babeck has been an honorary adjunct professor of law at Bond University since 2010, is chairman of the International Law Section of the Law Council of Australia and authored a number of books on Australian law.

Mark Inston was born in England but completed his law studies in Germany and is a fully qualified German lawyer. He is also approved as Solicitor in England and Wales. After completing his legal degree at the University of Melbourne he is also approved to practise law in Victoria since 2003. Mr Inston has over 15 years of experience in advising in the international financial sector. He is also a member of the Law Society of England and Wales as well as the Law Institute of Victoria.

With their bi-lingual skills and German legal background Mr Jankowsky, Dr. Babeck and Mr Inston have a unique comprehensive understanding of the challenges that German-speaking clients face in their business dealings in Australia.

Anne Utecht is a fully-qualified German lawyer and in charge of coordinating the German desk. Before joining Oliver’s team, she worked as an attorney in a commercial law firm in Germany. Apart from M&A, Anne’s focus of interest lies in the fields of competition law and international alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. Anne is a member of the Association Internationale des Jeunes Avocats (AIJA), honorary member of the European Law Students’ Association (ELSA) and is fluent in German, English and Spanish.

International recognition

Key practice areas

  • Corporate and commercial law, in particular accompanying the foundation or acquisition of an Australian company.
  • Tax law, including the application of the German-Australian double taxation agreement.
  • Employment law, including immigration law.
  • Intellectual Property law (trademarks, unfair competition and copyright law).
  • Banking, Finance and Capital Market law.
  • IT law.
  • Property, Planning and Construction.
  • Environmental law and Sustainability.
  • Financial Services and Insurance.
  • Private Clients.
  • Superannuation and Pensions.
  • Conducting litigation and arbitration, particularly in the law of damages.

Key contact

Oliver Jankowsky
Partner & Head of International Practice
  • Fluent in German - Native speaker

Oliver is a corporate and commercial lawyer, with particular expertise in advising foreign clients on cross-border transactions.

More about Oliver
    Fluent in French | German | Russian | Spanish

Dr Wolfgang Babeck has over 20 years’ experience as a corporate & commercial lawyer. He co-heads our European desk.

More about Wolfgang
  • Fluent in German

Stefan Fenk has over 10 years’ experience in construction, engineering and infrastructure law.

More about Stefan

Mark has experience acting for Australian and overseas financial institutions, and leads the firm's Banking and Finance practice.

More about Mark

Featured thinking