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The partners
Dr. Horst Kessler
Lawyer and Notary, retired
Specialist lawyer for tax law
(born 1922)
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Gisela Seidemann
Lawyer and Notary retired
(born 1946)
| Professional career: |
Studied jurisprudence at the Albert Ludwigs University
in Freiburg and the Christian Albrechts University in Kiel. Lawyer
since 1977. Specialised in divorce
and family law, as well as associated legal fields; extensive experience
in this area of legal practice.
Involvement in many further training courses, various working groups
for divorce law and a lecturer in foundations of divorce law for
young lawyers. |
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Dr. Arvid Siebert
Lawyer
(born 1955)
| Professional career: |
| Studied jurisprudence at the Westphalian Wilhelms
University in Münster, with a scholarship from the Studienstiftung
des Deutschen Volkes. Research assistant for many years at the
University of Münster, where he obtained his doctorate in
law (Dr. jur.). Lawyer since October 1983. Comprehensive legal
support and representation of mainly medium-sized enterprises,
their shareholders and managers, namely in commercial and company
law, mergers & acquisitions, for start-ups, on tax-optimised
corporate structuring and legal form, business succession arrangements,
restructuring, reorganisation and crisis management in response
to looming insolvency. Various positions on supervisory boards,
author of many publications in the legal literature. |
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Dr. Holger Sudbrink
Lawyer
(born 1953)
| Professional career: |
| Studied jurisprudence at the University of Hamburg,
where he also obtained his doctorate (Dr. jur.). Legal officer
at Hapag-Lloyd for many years. Full-time lawyer since 1993. Mainly
involved in advising and representing corporate enterprises. Other
main interests include travel law and law of succession. Lecturer; author
of publications on law issues. |
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Dr. Alexander Hardt
Lawyer
(born 1968)
| Professional career: |
Studied jurisprudence at the University of Hanover
and at the Ruprecht Karls University of Heidelberg. Light athletics
champion of northern and southern Germany. Studied at San Diego
State University, USA. His doctorate thesis (1996-1999), awarded "summa
cum laude", addressed issues relating to the interface between
company and liability law; author of law publications.
Mainly involved in advising and representing companies in matters
of company, contractual and liability law. Key interest in trademark
and competition law, mainly as legal advisor to companies in a
variety of industries, such as the plant construction, mechanical
engineering and IT industries, as well as transport and trading
companies. |
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Eckhard Strohkirch
Lawyer
(born 1965)
| Professional career: |
| Studied jurisprudence at the Universities of Osnabrück
and Münster. Admitted as a lawyer in Bremen since 1993. Main
fields of activity are commercial, company and tax law, M & A,
and tax-optimisation of corporate legal forms and structures. |
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Hermann Ströver
Lawyer and notary
(born 1955)
| Professional career: |
| Studied law at the Westfälischen Wilhelms University
in Münster. During clerkship, service abroad including work in
a larger law firm in Chicago, USA. Since 1985 a practicing attorney
in Bremen and since 2001 admitted as a notary. Counsel and representation
primarily of medium-sized enterprises and their management in all
issues of commercial and corporate law as well as successor planning.
Honorary service as member of supervisory board. |
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Katrin Hundeshagen
Lawyer
(born 1976)
| Professional career: |
| Studied law at Georg-August University of Göttingen.
First state law exam (assessor) passed with honours in 2001. Several
internships during her studies, among others at the Federal Ministry
for Traffic, Department Air Safety/ Flight Safety, as well as at a
major Spanish law firm. Subsequent to this, clerkship in Bremen and
at the same time part-time job at Kessler & Partner. Second state
law exam (bar exam) also passed with honours in 2003. Since 2003 she
has been employed as a lawyer in the firm.
Her main tasks are consulting medium-sized companies and consulting
their management in commercial law, company law, contract law and
labour relations law. In addition, she works as lecturer within
the scope of courses for companies.
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Esther Schönewald
Lawyer
(born 1976)
| Professional career: |
| Studied law at Georg-August-University of Göttingen,
in 2001 she passed the first state law exam (assessor). Following
this legal clerkship in Kassel, among others internships and part-time
work in the Milan office of an international commercial law firm.
In 2003 she passed the second state law exam (bar exam), since then
she has been employed as a lawyer at Kessler & Partner.
Her main task is the support of medium-sized companies and their
management in commercial and company law, bankruptcy and labour
relations law. Last wills for private persons and entrepreneurs.
In addition, she lectures within the scope of courses for companies.
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Dr. Meike Schils
Lawyer
(born 1977)
| Professional career: |
| Studied jurisprudence at the university of Bielefeld. First state law exam (assessor) passed with honours. Legal clerkship at the Higher Regional Court District Hamm. Stages inter alia at the Chamber of Commerce at the Regional Court of Bielefeld and at a City law firm in Düsseldorf. Second state law examin (bar exam) in 2005, since 2006 she has been employed as a lawyer in the firm. Doctorata thesis (Dr. jur.) in the field of labour law.
Her main tasks are civil law matters, including labour law, corporate and real estate.
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Dr. Josef Sommer
Tax Consultant
(born 1963)
| Professional career: |
| Vocational training in banking, followed by a business
administration degree at the Westphalian Wilhelms University of
Münster. After graduation, employed as a research assistant
at the university’s Institute for Corporate Accounting and
Taxation, and as a lecturer in accountancy. Obtained a doctorate
(Dr. rer. pol.) with a thesis entitled "Accounting in the
Commercial and Fiscal Balance Sheet for Shares in Partnerships".
Tax consultant in the firm since November 1996. As well as supporting
and representing clients in all taxation matters, another key focus
is providing comprehensive tax consultancy services to partnerships
and corporate enterprises, especially with regard to strategic
decision-making at corporate level (e.g. changes of legal form
and structure). |
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Ronald Haupt
Tax Consultant
(born 1958)
| Professional career: |
| Trained for the higher civil service in the Bremen
fiscal authorities, followed by more than ten years’ employment
in the fiscal authorities. During the same period, studied business
sciences parallel at Hagen University (correspondence courses),
graduating as a Master of Economics. Worked for four years as a
tax consultant in an international firm of chartered accountants
and tax consultants in Berlin, most recently as manager. Mainly
involved in managing tax affairs of international corporate clients.
Engaged at Kessler & Partner as a tax consultant since January
1999, specialising in creative tax consulting for partnerships
and corporate enterprises, and particularly in respect of corporate
restructuring, international tax law and the law of fiscal procedure.
Also involved in examining clients’ bookkeeping systems,
and in the preparation of annual financial statements. |
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Corinna Hammer
Tax advisor
(born 1969)
| Professional career: |
Training as forwarding merchant; studies in the special field of
taxation at the University of Applied Sciences of Worms. Afterwards,
for several years she worked in an international accounting firm in
Hamburg. Appointment as tax advisor in April 2003.
Her Primary focuses are Support of medium-sized enterprises and partnerships
in national and international tax law, restructuring of groups of
companies and value added tax law.
Main focuses of interest are Taxation of partnerships, inheritance
and gift tax and charity law. |
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Mathias Koch
Tax advisor
(born 1969)
| Professional career: |
Degree in Business Administration with specialisation
in law at the University of Oldenburg. After the graduation as Diplom-Kaufmann,
he completed a trainee programme in finance and accounting in an industrial
affiliate of a corporate group. Since 1998 he has been working first
as assistant and then as tax advisor/ lead auditor in a nationwide
accounting and tax consulting company. Since August 2005 he has been
attending, in addition to the work as tax consultant, an accounting
course in Hamburg with the aim to take the certified auditor (chartered
accountant) exam.
His main tasks are the preparation of annual financial statements
(with plausibility assessment), participation in statutory audits
and audits of consolidated financial statements as well as providing
audit-related services (consultancy on business start-up, profitability
assessment, special audits). |
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Michael Carl
Certified auditor and tax advisor (chartered accountant)
(born 1969)
| Professional career: |
Studied business administration at the universities
of Dortmund and Hagen. Graduated with the degree Diplom-Kaufmann with
honours in 1994. Thesis title “Steuerliche Überlegungen
zur Ausschüttungspolitik internationaler Konzerne” (Tax
considerations of dividend policies in international corporate groups).
Professional practice in one of the Big Six accounting firms from
1995 to 1999. Self-employed as a tax advisor since 1999 and since
2002 as a certified auditor. Successful completion of the statutory
quality control examination for certified auditors (Peer Review) in
August 2004. Since March 2005 admitted as quality control auditor
for the Chamber of Certified Auditors. Professional specialty is rendering
of audit-related services. The focus of tax advisory is corporate
taxation of partnerships and corporations as well as attention to
the tax implications for their partners/ shareholders. |
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