EXPERTISE OF HMK-LAW
Board member
With my knowledge and experience, I can be mandated as your board member. I deal with your legal and business matters, prepare and organise and lead the General Assembly as well as the board meeting. You will benefit from my experiences in the following areas: Work in Public and Press relation, human resources. I have extended knowledge of different industries and business cultures in several countries. Through my fluent language skills in English, French and German I can supoort you directly in these languages. Currently, I serve as the President of three institutions (corporations and association).
Risk and Crisis PR-Lawyer
As a lawyer with an experience of over 30 years and as a professional in Public Relation, Risk & Crisis communication for more than a decade, I offer my expertise in checking your risk and crisis communication strategies, plans and statements from a legal perspective.
See: www.hmk-riskcrisis.com
Litigation-PR
Some judicial procedures get enormous media interest.In these cases, it is important for the parties involved (plaintiff, his/her friends and the entourage) to be assisted and guided if, when and how to communicate. Honesty and respect are my guiding principles. I experienc-ed cases of my clients, which were followed by the media in such an impacting way, that they had a an impact of the public opinion which influenced the decision of the court. The role of the Media start well before the litigation. The fact finding of journalists may create public pressure that impacts the litigation. At the end it is the judge to render the decision.
Being a lawyer and a PR-professional, I understand both worlds to the benefit of my clients. See: www.hmk-riskcrisis.com
Settlement negotiations
One of my strengths lies in the area of extra-judicial dispute resolution. I am valued for my talent of negotiation, my empathy, creativity and my diplomatic approach even in difficult, comp-lex or deadlocked situations. Settlement agreements are alternatives to costly and risky litigations. They are also more cost-effective because, as being consulted and guided by the partnership of HMK LAW, you will not be charged with the fixed costs of a large law firm. See also my online-course about the art of negotiation here.
Business law
Business law is a term which covers a great deal of different legal issues, such as but not limited to:
- incorporation of a new company
- disputes of companies
- legal compliance
- sales of shares
- mergers and acquisitions
- converting a GmbH into an Aktiengesellschaft
- converting a Aktiengesellschaft into a GmbH
- changes of statutes and ownership
- various types of business contracts
- Intellectual property and license agreements
- Capital increases or reductions
- Organizing and leading the General Assembly
Contract law
The drafting of a contract is a science as well as an art and requires a lot of experience. it is necessary to take into account the current and the evolution of the legal, political, economic and tax environnment as well as possible conflicts of interest of the previous parties or their successors. This inclusion of legal wording including circumstances, which can very well occur or even some of those which are less realistic characterizes the quality of a contract. Contracts should prevent ambiguities and future disputes and lawsuits.
Incorporation of new companies
I have a lot of experience in incorporating new companies in Switzerland, be it a GmbH, an AG, a Stiftung, an association, etc. I am helping you to find the best location (there are very high differences in the tax burden of every community and canton). I will suggest the statutes after having discussions about your business objective, philosophy etc. and I can arrange all formalities with the banks and the administrations in view of incorporating the company.
Insurance law
I have learned to deal with insurances, contracts and litigations by following courses organized by the insurance companies of Switzerland. As you can see from my courses I give on Risk and Crisis Communication (see www.hmk-riskcrisis.com), insurance is one of the solutions to deal with risks. During my experience as a lawyer I dealt with a lot of insurance cases for my clients such as health, building or life insurance to name only a few.
Copyright law
Copyright law is one of my favorite legal topics. To become an expert on this field, I studied copyright law at the New York University School of Law and was granted a master degree (LL.M.). I was corporate counsel of Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft in Hamburg, then Director of Legal and Business affairs for Bertelsmann in Munich, responsible for RCA Records and many other labels and Director of the Administration of Sony Publishing in Berlin, where we were co-owners of the Beatles catalogue with Michael Jackon.
Music and film law
In my various functions as legal and business affairs manager and Director, I met quite a few of the most recknowned classical starts such as Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, José Carreras, Montserrat Caballé, Andrea Bocelli, the Vienna and the Berlin Symphony Orchestra , Anne-Sophie Mutter, and their managers, the head of the French Symphony Orchestra Myung Wung Chung, who showed me the then new Opéra de la Bastille. I negotiated video, film and musical contract with the lawyers of Sting, Freddy Mercury, Elton John to name just a few. I am also the co-editor of a dictionary of explaining musical terms.
Labour law
As a contract lawyer I have negotiated a lot of contracts for very different industries and employees.
Swiss labour law is one of the most employer-friendly law of the world. Employees have very limited rights and can be dismissed quickly, almost without formalities and the employeur has not to give any reason if they are not asked to. The reason for dismissal given can be given in a very vague and generalistic way.
Therefore, it is even more important to negotiate contracts which give you more. With regard to a dismissal, we have to check whether the dismissal was abusive, which would give you some more monthly payments.
Real Estate and Rental law
At HMK LAW you can count on an international,extensive knowledge with regard to rental and real estate property. We have acompanied purchases and sales of houses and/or apartments and rental agreements both way. We can also deal with all administrative tasks with the administration and notaries which whom we have worked regularly.
