Founder Dr. Bernd Rödl

The story of Rödl & Partner's success began in 1977 with the founding of a solo practice in Nuremberg. Dr. Bernd Rödl, the firm's founder and chief partner at that time, was one of Bavaria's first attorneys who earned the title of a certified public auditor and certified tax consultant. Since its inception, Rödl & Partner has focused on an interdisciplinary approach to its advisory services. “I was truly convinced that especially family-owned companies are in need of comprehensive advice”, says Bernd Rödl. “This has been at the core of our business model ever since.”

The breakthrough for the firm came with the fall of the Iron Curtain. We were the first law firm from West Germany to open an office in Saxony prior to the German reunification. Soon thereafter, namely in 1989, our first office outside of Germany opened in Prague, followed by offices in Warsaw and Budapest. “It was obvious to us that we wanted to assist our clients in their ventures in Eastern Europe. We put our heart and soul into establishing new offices abroad. Today, we can share this business experience with others”, emphasises Dr. Rödl.

In 1994, Rödl & Partner expanded its operations into China where it became the first German professional services firm to obtain a license for auditing and – later on – also for providing legal advisory services. Today, Rödl & Partner is represented in this market with 4 offices and more than 120 colleagues. Our engagement in Southeast Asia was also greatly expanded, with wholly-owned offices established in, among others, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore.

In 1999, Rödl & Partner ventured as the first German professional services firm into the American market. “America is a success story for us. I had never even dared to dream that this might work so well for us as we were aware of the challenges connected with entering this market. This was one of the best business decisions that we have ever made in the process of building up our global presence”, stresses Dr. Rödl.

We owe our success especially to our clear focus on providing advice to German companies. Dr. Rödl: “Our clients both in Germany and abroad are mainly German family-owned companies with operations worldwide. Whatever the country, we apply the same standards to all our advisory services. This is possible because Rödl & Partner is not a loose network but a professional services firm with its own offices. This allows us to ensure top quality worldwide.” Today, Rödl & Partner is present with 110 own offices in around 50 countries and has more than 5,800 colleagues.

“Our business model that is based on comprehensive interdisciplinary advisory to globally active businesses has proven worthwhile”, explains Dr. Rödl. “Our global and interdisciplinary approach as well as our personal advice 'from entrepreneur to entrepreneur' are the key factors ensuring our successful growth in the future.”

A professional services firm with strong Bavarian roots

For more than 30 years of its history, Rödl & Partner has always remained faithful to Nuremberg – the place where it was originally founded. “We have strong roots in this region. The business environment is truly unique here in Bavaria”, emphasises Dr. Rödl.

In 2005, new premises for the head office were inaugurated in Nuremberg. The Rödl Campus vividly embodies our organisational culture as a professional services firm. “In our work as accountants, auditors, lawyers, management and tax consultants we put great emphasis on communication and an open-minded attitude. Architecture is of core importance if we want to make our corporate concept of a modern and forward-looking professional services firm stand out. The building perfectly epitomises our organisational culture.”

The firm founder Dr. Rödl has always attached great importance to sharing his success with others. His social and cultural engagement brought benefits especially to the Charkiw-Nuremberg town partnership but also many other institutions and initiatives. Kanzleigründer Rödl hat immer viel Wert darauf gelegt, seinen Erfolg zu teilen.

Passing the torch to the next generation

Dr. Bernd Rödl withdrew from the operational management of the company on 31 December 2010. As the firm's founder and partner, he will always be our prominent representative and share his experience and knowledge as a member of various advisory and supervisory boards, in addition to fulfilling other honorary functions.

Dr. Bernd Rödl passed away on 9 November 2015 in Nuremberg.

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