GmbH A Guide to the German Limited Liability Company

The German limited liability company - the GmbH - is by far the most commonly used legal form in Germany. It is in particular of interest to those who want - apart from enjoying the benefit of limited liability - a legal form that can be flexibly structured. This book familiarizes the reader with the legal rules applicable to the GmbH. It should, however, not be considered to be a substitute for professional advice. More than a decade's scholarly interest in, and practical experience with, the GmbH inspired me to write this book. In my practice, I have predominantly been confronted with the GmbH as an entity forming part of a large group of companies. That is why I have placed the emphasis of the book on GmbHs that are held by corporate shareholders rather than by natural persons. Many structures and concepts of the German legal system do not translate into an equivalent structure or concept of the Anglo-American legal system (and vice versa). It is therefore a demanding challenge to describe German legal concepts in the English language. I am fully aware of this challenge and have tried my best to avoid shortcomings or ambiguities in this regard. I have also attempted to state the law in clear and simple terms and hope the attempt has succeeded. Many thanks go to Mr. Benjamin Letzler, Harvard Law School, who thoroughly reviewed the manuscript and offered many valuable suggestions to make it more digestible for the non-German reader.Muller, Klaus J. is the author of 'GmbH A Guide to the German Limited Liability Company', published 2006 under ISBN 9783406537998 and ISBN 3406537995.