CORPORATE & COMMERCIAL

Global Overview


As the world’s economy becomes increasingly globalised, the business transactions that form the pillars of commerce increasingly take place across borders. Every day transactional lawyers from Multilaw member firms address the intricate issues involved in international business transactions and supply their clients with advice and assistance that is both international in scope and local in insight.

Around the globe, Multilaw member firms have the expertise to deal with all types of commerce and transactions ranging from simple transactions involving one to two countries to large deals requiring the simultaneous delivery of services in dozens of countries.

The Multilaw Advantage


Multilaw is a global network of independent law firms, with 90 member firms operating in more than 100 countries. For the sixth year in a row, it has been ranked in the “Elite” band of global networks by the 2020 Chambers Global Guide (one of only 9 international networks to have achieved Elite band recognition).

Chambers highlights the ‘hands-on support’ that Multilaw provides to its members as well as its established practice area groups.

Each Multilaw firm is well placed in its local commercial market and draws on a wealth of experience assisting multinational clients in dealing with the issues encountered in its home market – whether the client is planning to establish a permanent base in its local country or is engaging in a single commercial transaction that crosses the border into the local market of the member firm.

Our members often work with each other to deliver prompt and practical legal advice and support to clients. Using their Multilaw connections, our member firms assemble multi-jurisdictional teams on the shortest possible notice with the goal of delivering the global but local advice required to enable clients to achieve real transactional success.

What we do


Our member firms and the multijurisdictional teams that they form with other members work in all areas of commerce critical to both local and international transactions and business.

Lawyers in the Corporate & Commercial Group provide advice and assistance to clients of all sizes relating to the following areas:

  • Corporate finance, including capital funding transactions
  • Commercial transactions
  • Corporate compliance and maintenance programs
  • Joint ventures and strategic alliances
  • Venture capital and “start-up” transactions
  • Securities law and regulation
  • Insolvency and restructuring
  • Mergers and acquisitions
  • Private equity
  • Project finance and infrastructure development
  • Entity selection and establishment

Who Uses Multilaw


  • Worldwide Chemical Group Acquisition
    Advised a worldwide operating group of companies producing specialty chemicals in their acquisition of the remaining shares from the local minority (founding) shareholders of subsidiaries in Turkey and Hong Kong. This included not just the M&A process itself but also amendments of the minutes of the company and the adjustment of the corporate structure itself. German member firm Heussen Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH worked with member firms JunHe in China and Moroglu Arseven in Turkey to co-ordinate the project for the client.

  • Corporate maintenance and compliance for publicly-listed agroscience client in 20 jurisdictions
    Agroscience company AgroFresh approached US member firm Duane Morris for assistance with annual corporate maintenance and compliance processes for subsidiaries in 20 countries. Duane Morris submitted a unified global proposal to the client in less than a week covering all of the needed countries and services and each of the Multilaw firms in the proposal was retained. The speed of response to the client’s request for proposal has been matched by the assistance and responsiveness of the various Multilaw member firms being used.

  • Investments and expansion advice for Perfect Gym Solutions
    Advised the founders and initial stockholders of Perfect Gym Solutions S.A. (a producer of software for managing fitness clubs and sports facilities) on the negotiation of agreements for investments in the company by venture capital funds Innovation Nest and Daftcode (first round) and 3TS (second round). Member firm in Poland WKB Wierciński, Kwieciński, Baehr led the project and has also advised the company on certain aspects of its expansion into foreign markets, including work in collaboration with Multilaw firms Macpherson Kelley (Australia) with respect to the establishment of an Australian subsidiary and a minority shareholding in that subsidiary by a local executive, and YUST (Russian Federation) with respect to the establishment of a Russian subsidiary and “software-as-a-service” agreements between that subsidiary and fitness centres in Russia.

  • Acquisition of Trans-Tasman Manufacturer
    Advised the Australian subsidiary of a global company listed on the New York Stock Exchange on all aspects of the acquisition of an automotive accessories design and manufacturing business based in Australia and New Zealand. Australian member firm Macpherson Kelley acted on behalf of the purchaser and provided advice on competition and anti-trust issues, due diligence and the negotiation and preparation of sale documentation, with assistance by member firm Lowndes on the New Zealand aspects of the sale. This was the third or fourth acquisition by the group, and other Multilaw firms have assisted in other jurisdictions.

  • Telecoms Acquisition
    German member firm Heussen Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH advised and represented a US corporation in the telecommunication business in the acquisition of a British group of companies with subsidiaries mainly in Europe and other jurisdictions worldwide. This involved due diligence support and merger clearance in various countries which we coordinated through the Multilaw network.

  • Business structuring advice for The Marine Stewardship Council
    The Marine Stewardship Council required assistance in relation to the relative merits and criteria of creating separate entities and branch offices in a number of jurisdictions. Information was required from a total of 16 countries, ranging from Canada, Mexico, Chile, India, Eastern Europe, South Africa, Indonesia and Central Europe. The work was co-ordinated by UK member firm Penningtons Manches to a tight deadline and strict budget and the client was very satisfied with the comprehensive advice they received.

  • IPO Listing for AQ Group AB
    Assisted AQ Group AB, a global manufacturer of components and systems, on due diligence matters across five countries regarding their IPO listing on NASDAQ. Member firms assembled a team to provide the advice in Sweden, Poland, Bulgaria, Estonia and Lithuania.

  • Multi-million Pound Sterling Financing & Acquisition of a Canadian based manufacturer
    A transatlantic Multilaw team assisted the client on the financing and acquisition of a Canadian based manufacturer. UK member firm Shakespeare Martineau acted respecting the multimillion pounds sterling financing of the acquisition and was assisted by member firm Shibley Righton on the Canadian aspects whilst member firm Miller Thomson acted for the UK based bank lender on the Canadian aspects of the financing.

  • Acquisition of Australian based amenities group
    Australian member firm, Macpherson Kelley, assisted Canadian member firm Miller Thomson and their client on the purchase of an Australian based amenities group, including a rigorous due diligence process. American member firm Polsinelli assisted with due diligence into the US based operations of the amenities group, as well as with the required corporate filings.

  • Acting for Klareco Communications on its separation from Bell Pottinger 
    UK member firm Penningtons Manches corporate team advised Klareco Communications on its separation from Bell Pottinger out of administration with the assistance of Singapore member firm Donaldson & Burkinshaw.  The company is now wholly owned by its Asia-based management. Whilst Bell Pottinger’s entities went into administration, the Asia-based business had been ring-fenced and remains solvent, its teams remain intact and continue to serve clients as usual.

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Practice Group Contacts




Thomas Schmuhl
Duane Morris LLP
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA



Sven Hoffmann
Heussen Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH
Stuttgart, Germany