Dr Bernd Götze

Dr Bernd Götze

Dr Bernd Götze

Singapore

T +65 6408 8000

Lawyer
Of Counsel
Industries Singapore

Areas of practice

Bernd Götze advises clients of mainly European origin in cross-border corporate transactions in Asia but also Japanese clients in Asia and other parts of the world. He acts as the legal advisor in a wide range of commercial matters – with key areas in construction (infrastructure and industrial plants) and shipbuilding, but also in licensing of technology. He has assisted as counsel in numerous joint ventures located in Europe and in many Asian jurisdictions. He serves as a member of the board in several European companies in their Asian subsidiaries. He is a member of, and has served in various functions in, professional organisations. Dr Götze has authored several books, is a frequent speaker on Japan-related legal issues and has contributed articles to numerous publications. He is the appointed Honorary Legal Counsel of the Swiss Embassy in Singapore.

Practices
Vita

Dr Bernd Götze studied law and Japanology at the University of Freiburg where he later received his PhD in comparative civil procedure law. He started his international practice in 1981 in a Japanese international law firm in Tokyo and continued to practise, with special focus on international construction matters, in Singapore (1986/1987 with McKenna & Co). Following years of mainly transactional and Japan-related legal practice in Germany with Baker & McKenzie Frankfurt, he returned to Asia in 1996 to establish a legal practice in Singapore for a German partnership - which he headed until joining Luther in 2013 as Of Counsel.

Honors and distinctions
  • Chambers Global Singapur 2016: Ranking in "Corporate M&A" (first ranking in 2014)
  • kanzleimonitor.de 2016/2017: Recommendation "Top Law Firms" in Southeast Asia
Clients

  • Infrastructure construction joint ventures (highway, water power plant) in Indonesia; infrastructure projects (subway, land reclamation) in Singapore
  • Construction projects (golf course, airport building, wharf extension) in Thailand and Brunei
  • Ship Engine Safety Accessories Distribution Network in Asia; Commissioning of ship buildings to several Asian shipyards
  • German-Japanese distribution joint venture in Japan for luxury leather goods
  • Entertainer engagement and arts-related contracts