In today’s globalised economy, legal boundaries should not become business barriers – yet Germany’s complex legal landscape often poses significant challenges for international clients who do not speak German. At Schlun & Elseven, we have built a fully digital, English-first practice serving private individuals and businesses worldwide. Whether you are an entrepreneur launching a startup in Berlin, a family relocating to Munich, or a multinational corporation navigating German regulations, our team combines deep knowledge of German law with fluent English communication and an understanding of international legal systems, bridging the gap between different legal traditions.
As experienced international English-speaking lawyers in Germany, our approach is not just about convenience – it is about ensuring that international clients receive the same level of excellent legal representation that German companies have always enjoyed. No German required, no compromises on quality, no matter where you’re located. Welcome to legal services designed for the international world we live in.
Why Choose Schlun & Elseven?
Flexible and sound legal advice requires comprehensive legal knowledge and two special soft skills: Digitally working and the ability to communicate internationally.
Our law firm operates with a hybrid work model, allowing us to be flexible with our working hours. We use digital infrastructures to communicate with colleagues and clients, while maintaining in-office collaboration days for effective teamwork. That way, we adapt to our clients’ needs across different time zones, ensuring maximum quality and creating a comforting working atmosphere that benefits both our clients and lawyers.
Because we serve international clients, our entire firm is equipped to provide legal advice in English. This leads to English also being a commonly used language among our colleagues at the office, ensuring that our non-German-speaking clients feel entirely at home with our services.
Practice Areas and Expertise
Schlun & Elseven provides comprehensive legal services across all major areas of German law for both private individuals and businesses.
Private Clients
In private law, the most frequent areas are:
- Residence and Immigration Law: Depending on your country of origin, you may need a visa, residence permit, or permanent residence permit. Whether you want to apply for a Blue Card, work permit, or any other authorisation required to build a successful life in Germany, our German immigration lawyers provide expert advice to help you achieve your goals.
- Traffic Law: Whether you are involved in an accident or dealing with unjust traffic fines, our German traffic law attorneys have experience with administrative offices and are prepared to help with your case. We are equipped to handle driver’s license suspensions and administrative offences requiring legal representation.
- Employment Law: Employment structures differ internationally, making understanding employment contracts and dismissal protection vital for a successful career in Germany. Since we work in both English and German, our German employment lawyers also identify and help overcome cultural misunderstandings in the workplace and handle secondment law (temporary employee transfers between companies/countries) matters.
- Family Law: Our family law team advises on binational divorces, international custody rights or adoption procedures, recognition of foreign marriages, and Hague Convention matters.
Business Clients
We are aware that international businesses often face challenges with Germany’s unique co-determination system and our strict formal requirements, such as notarisation and Handelsregister (commercial register) obligations. Many procedures require German-language documentation, so clients typically need lawyers who speak English fluently, understand common law concepts, and can bridge different legal systems.
For our business clients, the most frequent areas are:
- Corporate Law/ M&A and Business Formation: We advise on company formations, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate restructuring, and shareholder agreements, which often serve as the entry point for international businesses. Understanding German business formations can be challenging, so our German corporate lawyers guide international clients through GmbH (limited company) structures, business registration, compliance issues, and legal structuring of startups.
- Commercial Contract Law: We support clients in drafting and negotiating distribution agreements, supply contracts, service agreements, licensing deals, and AGB (general terms and conditions) that are compliant with German Law.
- Employment and Labour Law: This usually includes managing the Betriebsrat (German work councils), collective bargaining agreements, executive employment contracts, mass layoffs, and compliance with strict German termination protection laws.
- Regulatory and Compliance: GDPR/ data protection compliance, industry-specific regulations, product compliance, antitrust matters, and ESG requirements.
- Intellectual Property: When expanding your business, strengthening your intellectual property protection becomes essential. We advise on patents, trademarks, and design registrations, developing the right strategy for protection at national, EU, and international levels. Our services include IP licensing agreements, anti-counterfeiting measures, and representation in disputes before German courts and arbitration tribunals. Whether you are protecting innovations or defending against infringement, we ensure your intellectual property assets are secure and working for your business
- Energy and Environmental Law: The rapid progress in the energy industry in the areas of decarbonisation, digitalisation, renewable energies, sustainable energy and energy efficiency is constantly evolving. Staying ahead of legal developments as they happen can pose as a major challenge for companies within the industry.
Ready to Get Started?
Navigating German law as an international client requires more than just translation – it demands English-speaking lawyers in Germany who truly understand both the complexities of German regulations and the needs of global clients. At Schlun & Elseven, our combination of digital innovation, international expertise, and comprehensive English-language services ensures that language and location never stand between you and exceptional legal representation.
Whether you are a private individual dealing with residence permits or a corporation managing cross-border transactions, our team is equipped to handle your legal challenges with the same precision and professionalism we bring to all our German clients. We invite you to experience how modern German legal services should work: accessible from anywhere, communicated clearly in English, and always focused on achieving your goals. Use the contact form below to discover how we can support your success in Germany – because excellent legal advice should never be lost in translation.
An Overview: Frequently Asked Questions
No, you do not. Our entire team is fluent in English, and we handle all communication, documentation, and legal proceedings in English. From your initial consultation to court representations, language will never be a barrier to receiving our legal services.
We serve both. Whether you’re an individual dealing with a visa application, an expat family buying property, a startup founder, or a multinational corporation, we have specialised teams for both private and business client needs.
Beyond the obvious language advantage, we understand international legal systems and can bridge the gap between different legal traditions. We are experienced in explaining German legal concepts to international clients and ensuring nothing gets lost in translation – both literally and culturally.
No, the language of the court is German. However, official court translators can be appointed if requested to ensure maximum understanding of the hearing.
Yes, Schlun & Elseven is fully equipped to prepare your documents in English. However, if official documents are required, often an official translation will be necessary since the German administration offices do not accept English documents.
Our hybrid work model allows for flexible scheduling. We can arrange meetings outside traditional German business hours and use asynchronous communication tools to ensure smooth collaboration regardless of your location.
Regularly, it is enough if your legal representative is present in court. On some occasions, it might benefit your case if you appear in the hearing, too. For any out-of-court procedures, it is usually not required to be present. However, it always depends on the individual circumstances of the legal matter.
While we have physical offices in Cologne, Düsseldorf and Aachen, our digital-first approach means we can effectively represent clients anywhere in Germany. Local presence is arranged when needed for court appearances or official meetings.
Our fees are competitive with those of other major German law firms. We believe international clients should not pay a premium for accessible legal services. We offer transparent fee structures and can provide cost estimates upfront.
Yes, we frequently take over cases from other firms or work alongside German-speaking lawyers as co-counsel. We can review existing documentation, explain what’s happening in your case, and either assume full representation or provide support as needed.
Contact Schlun & Elseven Rechtsanwälte
Please use our online form to outline your request to us. After receiving your request, we will make a brief initial assessment based on the facts described and provide you with a cost offer. You can then decide whether you would like to engage our services.
