Daniel Donhauser

About us

We structure not only deals, but the entire venture.

Our clients

We regularly advise family offices, venture capital funds, M&A investors, founders, start-ups, medium-sized companies, private clients, employers, employees, managing directors, shareholders, board members as well as supervisory board members and bring the right consulting approach for everyone.

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Strategic &
Designing

Negotiation & Litigation

Sophisticated & Contemporary

We have made it our mission to make the kind of advice, quality and workflow from major international law firms available to a wider audience through digital and modern ways of working.

As a young, digital entity with deep expertise in business law and a modern business model, we see ourselves as a task force among law firms: fast, efficient, acting from close quarters.

Our advantage and greatest asset is our focus on individual areas of law and their overlap, the current legal situation and, of course, the needs of our clients. We do not deal with everything, but with the essentials.

Our team consists of experienced experts with backgrounds from leading law firms, so it is natural for us to always go the extra mile.

Our team

Business law consulting with digital expertise.

We not only provide effective decision-making support, but actively help shape it. With a digital approach, we provide consulting throughout Germany in the following areas and industries:

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We do not deal with everything, but only with the essentials.

Value Add in the intersection

Company law Tax law Labor law

• Incorporations
• Partnership agreements
• Shareholder agreements (vesting, tag/drag, IP transactions etc.)
• Corporate actions
• Shareholders' meetings
• Shareholder disputes
• Corporate governance
• Corporate housekeeping
• Corporate acquisitions

• Holding structures
• Venture Capital Financing
• Participation agreements
• Share transfers
• Option rights (put / call)
• Conversions
• Splitting of operations
• Contribution & spin-off of commercial operations
• Foundations

• Tax law issues regarding EStG, GewStG, KStG, UStG
• Structuring and optimization of assets and income sources
• Tax implications on inheritance law, gifts, family law
• Appeals against tax assessments

• Consulting for managing directors regarding
- liability
- rights
- Duties
• Managing director liability
• Status determination procedure

• Employee stock options such as
- Employee stock options (ESOP)
- Virtual stock options (VSOP)
- Profit participation rights
• Management intensification
• Managing director service contracts
• Equity participation of later co-founders
• Buyout
• Earnout

• Termination agreements
• Severance payments
• Bonuses

• Employer Consulting & Employee Consulting
• Dismissal Protection
• Contracts & Agreements
- Ongoing Consulting
- Liability
- Particularities
- Salary claims

Donhauser Law advises national and international clients with a focus on corporate law, employment law, tax law and litigation.

  • Corporate Law | M&A | VC
  • Tax law
  • Labor law
About lawyer Donhauser

At a glance

Venture Capital,
Mergers & Acqusitions

We advise on all transactions related to financing rounds and the acquisition of equity stakes in companies, as well as on the acquisition or sale of a company. We have in-depth industry knowledge in the areas of tech, media, health care & life sciences.

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Through our interdisciplinary approach, which every consultant has, we negotiate your deal strategically and execute the design efficiently.

We undertake legal & financial due diligence, manage the transaction, prepare a risk assessment report and assist in purchase price allocation

Startups &
Emerging Growth

With expertise in corporate law, tax law and employment law, Donhauser advises investors, founders, entrepreneurs, start-ups, managing directors and shareholders on transactions and all forms of legal structuring.

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Since we advise on company sales and investments, we know what is important for an exit. This expertise is the starting point for our start-up consulting.

Our value add is strategic and interdisciplinary consulting for start-ups, growth, financing rounds, employee ownership and exits.

To Donhauser Start-Up Consulting

Private Clients & Business Succession

In the Private Clients area, the focus is on providing comprehensive advice to high net worth individuals, in particular family entrepreneurs and their usually complex asset structures, and therefore combines the areas of corporate law, civil law and, above all, tax law in order to be able to efficiently record all individual needs and provide strategic advice.

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As we assist entrepreneurs right from the start, we always advise on pension provision and succession planning at each stage.

Our value add is strategic and interdisciplinary advice on investments, assets and the integration of companies.

Litigation & Contract Negotiations

Donhauser advises and represents your interests in and out of court before all courts, in particular in labor law, commercial & corporate law disputes, as well as in cases of infringement of intellectual property rights.

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Since we deal with negotiation theory and psychology for court cases, this experience, in addition to expertise in negotiations, is incorporated.

Our value add is the depth of expertise in selected areas of law and the overlap that we handle argumentatively in litigation.

Legal Counsel
as a Service

Donhauser Law offers an external legal counsel service for companies in the growth phase. This combined legal advice with business consulting and helps to make error-free decisions.

  • I
    Strategic legal advice with vision
  • II
    Management consulting with legal background
  • III
    Optimization and safeguarding of growth
  • IV
    Full scope of liability - like an external lawyer
  • V
    Beratung wie ein Inhouse Counsel
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Founder Mentoring

Learn everything you need to know about founding, financing, growing and exiting your company in the coaching.

Whether you are a sole proprietor, founder, startup or scaleup, each phase has its own chapter in the Venture Classroom, with many individual videos.

  • Choice of legal form
  • Tax Optimization & Holding
  • Company formation & hedges
  • Vesting & employee participation
  • Financing & Exit
  • and much more
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What our clients say

Prof. Dr. Thomas Fritz

Ich wünschte wir hätten Daniel schon früher gekannt.

Wir hätten strukturellen Schwächen der Firma gezielt aus dem Weg gehen können. Vielen Dank für die substanzielle Unterstützung auch in schwierigen Zeiten.

Prof. Dr. Thomas Fritz

Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences

Maximilian Block

Herr Donhauser überzeugt mit Strategie & Gestaltung

„Durch Daniel Donhausers Expertise und die Vorbereitung aus der Vogelperspektive fühlte ich mich in Verhandlungen stets gut vorbereitet. Er versteht es, die Bedürfnisse von Gründern umzusetzen.“

Maximilian Block

Gründer Advocado

Anastasia Barner

Sämtliche Vorurteile über Anwälte wurden beseitigt

"Ich kann eine Zusammenarbeit mit Daniel jedem (jungen) Gründer ans Herz legen, da die Beratung im Sinne des Start-ups ist und zu den besten Ergebnissen führt. Vielen Dank für die tollen Gespräche."

Anastasia Barner

CEO Fementor

Sigune Suttner

Excellent lawyer and entrepreneur

“What counts in the venture world is speed. As an excellent lawyer, Daniel deeply understands the needs of start-ups and investors. Efficiently and effectively, he is finding new ways and solutions”.

Sigune Suttner

CEO StraightWalk

Prof. Dr. Thomas Fritz

Ich wünschte wir hätten Daniel schon früher gekannt.

Wir hätten strukturellen Schwächen der Firma gezielt aus dem Weg gehen können. Vielen Dank für die substanzielle Unterstützung auch in schwierigen Zeiten.

Prof. Dr. Thomas Fritz

Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences

Current topics & blog

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About Daniel Donhauser

"I solve legal problems before they arise, ensuring optimal growth and higher company valuations! The legal system should be a support for you and secure growth instead of putting obstacles in your way. That's why, unlike many other consultants, I support by design. With a strategic and solution-oriented approach, combining relevant areas of law, as well as my experience from top-level international law firms, I can provide you with the advice you need."

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