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Characteristically, given its status as one of the key pillars of Germany’s world-renowned automobile industry, BMW – and, by extension, its legal team – has had a busy past 12 months. 2018 saw an announcement made in conjunction with Daimler that the two would merge their car-sharing subsidiaries to create a joint venture worth in excess of €1bn, in an excellent example of corporate collaboration allowing two companies the ability to leverage their respective competencies. Key personalities in the team include general counsel Dr Jürgen Reul and assistant general counsel Dr Andreas Liepe. Liepe mentioned the team’s approximately $4bn-valued deal which will see the company increase its stake in China-based joint venture BMW Brilliance Automotive from 50% to 75%, signed in October 2018. He explains this is to be ‘a landmark transaction for the entire auto industry’. This deal is a strategically important one which will increase long term cooperation with its joint venture partner Brilliance China Automotive Holdings, and further secure BMW’s significant foothold in the extremely lucrative Chinese market.