Alexander & Partner

× Dr. Daniel Smyrek's special fields of expertise are Franco-German legal transactions, economic law of Maghreb countries and conducting complex transnational legal proceedings both in State courts and arbitral tribunals. Prior to becoming a lawyer and partner of a renowned Stuttgart commercial law firm, Daniel Smyrek worked in the international legal department of the Landesbank Baden-Württemberg and at the German-Arab Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Cairo. He is admitted to the bar as lawyer in both Germany (Rechtsanwalt) and France (Avocat à la Cour) and is one of the first Certified Lawyers for International Business Law in Germany. Until moving to Berlin, he was chairman of the examinations committee for awarding the title “Certified Lawyer for International Business Law” at the Stuttgart bar association. Since January 1, 2017, he is an Associated Partner at Alexander & Partner in Berlin. Daniel Smyrek has been an advisor for companies from Germany, Austria and Switzerland in the Maghreb region (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia) for twelve years. Furthermore, he has been working as a lawyer in the field of Franco-German legal transactions since 2004 and advises both companies from German-speaking countries in France and French clients in Germany. In addition to this, over the years Daniel Smyrek has acquired a profound expertise conducting complex transnational proceedings before State courts and arbitral tribunals in the fields of commercial litigation and international claims management including transnational enforcement of court decisions. Daniel Smyrek has studied legal sciences in Trier, Aix-en-Provence and Tuebingen and has passed both German State examinations in law plus the French examination Maîtrise en droit. In 2005, he wrote his doctoral thesis in English on aspects of international law and acquired his doctorate at the University of Tuebingen, where he also worked as research assistant at Prof. Dr. Martin Nettesheim’s chair. A German native speaker, Daniel Smyrek’s proficiency in both French and English is on a business fluent level. He furthermore has acquired basic skills in standard Arabic. On a voluntary basis, he works for the network Christ und Jurist e. V. (“Christian and legal practitioner”) and is a member of Advocates France.

× Petra Kuhn is a registered attorney in France (,,Avocat à la Cour”, Lyon). She has been advising both companies and private clients in Franco-German business law (consultative and forensic) on cross-border real estate transactions as well as German-French inheritance cases including the fiscal aspect. Petra Kuhn was born in Berlin, Germany. She graduated from the Berlin School of Economics and Law, with a diploma in judicial administration (Diplom- Rechtspflegerin FH). After her activity at the Regional Court of Berlin, Ms. Kuhn continued her legal studies in Potsdam and Nanterre in form of a double degree program, which she completed with a Master (Maîtrise en droit) and has successfully graduated with a postgraduate diploma in European Economic Law (D.E.S.S.). She then qualified as a French advocate by passing the Versailles bar exam (Certificat d´Aptitude à la Profession d`Avocat). She has worked in several law firms in Germany and France, as well as in a major German bank in Paris, where she expanded her expertise in Franco-German legal relations and in the advisory of internationally operating companies. In January 2019, Petra Kuhn joined Alexander & Partner. Previously, she managed the Lyon office of an international Paris law firm where she advised German-speaking companies in all major areas of French business law (contract law, distribution law, commercial law, corporate law and employment law) including debt collection management and litigation. She is experienced in cross-border real estate, inheritance and gift law combined with the relevant tax law expertise. She is co-author of the "Legal Tips for Exporters" and the "Law for Craftsmen" handbook published by “Germany Trade and Invest” (GTAI), a German company for foreign trade and location marketing. She has published numerous articles in the trade journal "Personalmanager - HR International" (e.g. on the following topics: "Takeover of a company in France - a review of employment law", "Exchange of executives between Germany and France" or "The employed representative"). In addition to her legal practice, she was a lecturer in German civil law and civil procedure at the University of Cergy-Pontoise and has been a lecturer in German contract and corporate law at the University of Lyon 2 since 2007 as part of a comparative law master's program. Petra Kuhn has a dual German-French citizenship, and speaks both German and French as well as fluent business English.

× Philippe de Richoufftz is a French attorney with 15 years of experience in infrastructure projects in North and West Africa. He joined Alexander & Partner in January 2018 after eleven years of practice in Paris and eight years of practice in Casablanca at French and international law firms (Adamas, Gide and Freshfields). He assists international investors in various sectors such as renewable energy production (wind and solar energies), irrigation, water distribution, port operation and tug services, rail transportation, and touristic projects. Said legal assistance includes the various legal aspects concerning international project developments such as project compliance with the local law, legal support in the bidding process, permitting procedures, negotiation of the project documents (PPA, EPC, O&M contracts, PPP contracts, public procurement, supply agreements, services agreements) and negotiation of corporate documents. He is also developing the arbitration practice in North Africa. Philippe de Richoufftz regularly contributes to legal publications including among others the International Business Law Journal (“The PPP contract in Morocco” and “The renewable energy legal regimes in Morocco and Tunisia”). He also contributes to journals and reports such as the 2017 World Bank report “Enabling the business of agriculture”. He obtained a Master’s Degree (Maîtrise) in International Business Law in 1996 and a Postgraduate Diploma (DESS) in International Trade Law in 1997 at Sorbonne University (Paris). He is listed at the Paris bar since 1999. Philippe de Richoufftz is a French citizen. He is fluent in English and has furthermore acquired good basic skills in modern standard Arabic.