English Translations of Selected Federal German Acts Available Online

The German Federal Ministry for Justice published English translations of selected German Federal Acts.

• Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany (Grundgesetz - GG)
• Act on the Residence, Economic Activity and Integration of Foreigners in the Federal Territory Residence Act (Gesetz über den Aufenthalt, die Erwerbstätigkeit und die Integration von Ausländern im Bundesgebiet - AufenthaltG)
• Passport Act (Passgesetz - PassG)
• The Act Against Unfair Competition (Gesetz gegen unlauteren Wettbewerb - UWG)
• Act Against Restraints of Competition (Gesetz gegen Wettbewerbsbeschränkungen - GWB)
• Insurance Contract Act 2008 (Versicherungsvertragsgesetz - VVG)
• Insolvency Statute (Insolvenzordnung - InsO)
• Introductory Act to the Insolvency Statute (Einführungsgesetz zur Insolvenzordnung - EGInsO)
• The Fiscal Code of Germany (Abgabenordnung - AO)
• Code of Administrative Court Procedure (Verwaltungsgerichtsordnung - VwGO) 
• German Civil Code (Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch - BGB)
• Introductory Act to the Civil Code (IACC) (Einführungsgesetz zum Bürgerlichen Gesetzbuch - EGBGB)
• Medicinal Products Act (Gesetz über den Verkehr mit Arzneimitteln - AMG)
• Weapons Act (Waffengesetz - WaffG)
• General Ordinance on the Weapons Act (Allgemeine Waffengesetzverordnung - AWaffV)
• Act on International Family Law (Gesetz zur Aus- und Durchführung bestimmter Rechtsinstrumente auf dem Gebiet des internationalen Familienrechts - IntFamRVG)
• Courts Constitution Act (Gerichtsverfassungsgesetz - GVG)
• Youth Courts Law (Jugendgerichtsgesetz - JGG)
• German Criminal Code (Strafgesetzbuch - StGB)
• German Code of Criminal Procedure (Strafprozessordnung - StPO)
• German Judiciary Act (Deutsches Richtergesetz - DRiG)
• Act on Senior Judicial Officers (Rechtspflegergesetz - RPflG)
• Act to Prevent the Exodus of German Cultural Property (KultgSchG)
• Act implementing the UNESCO Convention of 14 November 1970 on the means of prohibiting and preventing the illicit import, export and transfer of ownership of cultural property and implementing Council Directive 93/7/EEC of 15 March 1993 on the return of cultural objects unlawfully removed from the territory of a Member State (Act on the Return of Cultural Property) (KultGüRückG)
• Act implementing the Convention of 14 May 1954 for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (KultgSchKonvAG)
• Federal Act Governing Access to Information held by the Federal Government (Freedom of Information Act) (IFG)
  
  These translations are available at:

http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/Teilliste_translations.html

They might also be quite useful for translators (German to English language). English translations of other acts will be supplemented.

European M&A: Interview published in CorporateINTL's August 2010 edition

In August 2010, the British M&A magazine CorporateINTL published an interview concerning the current climate for M&A transactions in Europe. This interview, to which international M&A experts across Europe contributed, gives a survey at the M&A situation as it is in Europe at present and can be downloaded here.

Germany M&A: Interview published in the February 2010 edition of CorporateINTL

In January 2010, the British M&A magazine CorporateINTL (http://www.corp-intl.com/) interviewed experienced German M&A advisers concerning the current climate for Mergers & Acquisitions in Germany. This interview has been published only recently in the February 2010 edition of CorporateINTL on p. 26 f.

The interview was conducted nearly one year after CorporateINTL's "Cross-border Advisory Experts" feature, which was published in the June 2009 edition on p. 42 f. All of CorporateINTL's questions and my answers - published as well as  not published by CorporateINTL - of this 2009 interview are published on my Martindale Hubbell site.

The new 2010 interview, which gives an interesting update of the M&A situation in Germany, can be downloaded on my Brainguide site as well as the former 2009 interview. The entire February 2010 edition of the CorporateINTL can be accessed online here.

Survey of European Companies' M&A plans for 2010 conducted by UBS and The Boston Consulting Group

In December 2009, UBS and The Boston Consulting Group conducted a survey of the M&A plans which the 160 biggest listed European companies have for 2010.

According to this study confidence is returning to the European M&A market, with a significant proportion of companies planning a major deal in 2010. Yet, ongoing uncertainties about the economic outlook and sustainable levels of profitablity are likely to lead to smaller, lower-risk consolidation deals than before and might deter some companies from entering the M&A market, the survey says.

While the reluctance of more cautious companies to do a deal will prevent the upswing in M&A activity from reaching its full potential, it will also create significant opportunities for companies that are willing and able to make an acquisition before the competition intensifies and prices for targets rise. Conversely, companies that sit on the sidelines risk being left behind if economic confidence rebounds and M&A lifts off in a major way.

A .pdf-file of the survey can be downloaded at:

http://209.83.147.85/publications/files/BCG_MA_Ready_for_Liftoff_Dec_2009.pdf