The Association
Welcome to the website of the Foreign Lawyers Association of Germany (AAV).
In a world that is globalised and growing more and more closely connected, issues of an international nature play an increasing role in our everyday lives. Cases that cross borders have long also been a part of legal practice. The legal profession must adapt to these developments and those who give advice professionally have to keep up. Solutions to cross-border, international legal problems require consistent support from professionals with an international specialisation. Successful cases and effective, transnational project work need sound, specialist knowledge of different legal systems, foreign legal practice, foreign languages and, most of all, mentalities of cultures different to one’s own.
In light of these necessities, the Foreign Lawyers Association of Germany (Ausländischer Anwaltverein Deutschland e.V., AAV) was established in Hamburg as early as 1990.
Unlike lawyers’ associations focussed on specific countries or states, the AAV is one of the few organisations that generally brings together experienced lawyers with a professional specialisation in international law.
With a successful history that now stretches back almost 30 years, the AAV today includes German lawyers, foreign lawyers, legal counsel and professional legal advisers from numerous different countries amongst its members and enjoys a distinct network of highly competent lawyers with international experience. While maintaining connections with Germany and a large number of other countries, our members advise their clients in German, English, French, Italian and Spanish, Portuguese, Greek and, if necessary, can currently also offer a total of over 30 further languages.
Our member firms advise private individuals, people from industry and commerce, companies, authorities and institutions on legal affairs that have an international component. This broad and active network also includes close partnerships with notaries, auditors, tax advisers and consultants in Germany and beyond. Furthermore, we also maintain long-standing relationships with friendly associations all across the world, building on solid and personal contacts.
Ordinary membership of the association is open to any self-employed lawyer or legal counsel who maintains his/her required base in the Federal Republic of Germany as well as to any natural person who has been legally authorised by the competent courts of any foreign countries to carry a title equivalent to lawyer and establish him/herself as a self-employed legal professional, or who can be authorised to carry the title of lawyer or a corresponding occupation name in Germany or abroad on account of his/her education, and works across borders or in the legal sector in different countries and identifies with the association’s goals. Extraordinary membership can also be open to natural persons who are engaged in professions of a similar nature and are self-employed professionals, such as chartered accountants, public auditors, management consultants or legal practitioners who do not have their own offices, including jurists, in-house counsels and corporate attorneys, and whose membership the executive committee considers to be useful for pursuing the association’s purposes and goals.
Increasing internationalisation is continually serving the association with new challenges which we time and again are happy to face up to with our experience that has grown greatly over the years.
Our members look forward to assisting you as a client.
The AAV Executive Committee