Ralph Koppitz – Partner

Ralph advises German and international manufacturing and service companies on all legal aspects related to their business transactions in China. This includes the areas of foreign direct investment, M&A (share and asset deal acquisitions, mergers of foreign invested enterprises, equity transfers), restructuring and liquidation, technology transfer, and labor law. Ralph has specific experience in the manufacturing (including medical devices, pharmaceutical, chemical), and service sectors (including logistics, trading and certification services). Increasingly important becomes the advice concerning China-outbound M&A and direct Chinese investments in Germany.

Ralph studied law at the university of Munich. In 1996/1997 he studied Chinese language at BeijingNormalUniversity in China under a scholarship granted by the German Academic Exchange Service.  In 1997, Ralph was admitted to the Munich bar. From 1997 to 2002 he worked in the Beijing office of a major international law firm. In the year 2002, he joined Taylor Wessing as partner and head of the Shanghai office.

Due to his long term secondment to China, Ralph has established close contacts with relevant local and national authorities and institutions. From 2001 until 2003 he served as Chairman of the "Intellectual Property Rights Working Group" and thereafter until 2007 in the Shanghai Board of the EU Chamber of Commerce. He presently serves as member to the German Chamber of Commerce’s Shanghai branch. Besides being the author of numerous publications, Ralph is presently also holding a seminar series on foreign direct investment law for students of the TongjiUniversity in Shanghai.

Ralph, a native German speaker, is fluent in English, Mandarin Chinese and French.

Taylor Wessing Practices

• Commercial
• Corporate
• Employment & Pensions

Taylor Wessing Industries

• China

Areas of Expertise

• Alliances and profit-sharing agreements
• Chinese investment in Europe
• Corporate restructuring in China
• Distribution, commercial agency and franchising arrangements
• Due diligence in China
• Foreign investment in China
• Intellectual property in China
• Joint ventures
• Mergers & acquisitions in China
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Outsourcing
• Standard terms and conditions and sale of goods
• Trade issues
• Transport, maritime and shipping in China

Topical Issues

• Property rights go East