Rödl & Partner Case Study
 Rödl & Partner is a multi-disciplinary professional service firm offering audit, accounting, tax, legal and business consulting services.
From their Birmingham office in Yardley, ten professionals make use of their language and cultural skills on a daily basis as they help businesses with their foreign direct investment around the world.
The firm, which is an integrated partnership, was established in southern Germany in 1977 and currently has 83 offices worldwide. Many of Rödl & Partner’s clients have overseas subsidiaries and international projects, so being able to speak and understand other languages is a valuable skill within the business.
The importance of languages at Rödl & Partner
The Birmingham office works primarily with the UK-based subsidiaries of German companies so the German language is vital to their operations.
To work effectively and to provide the best service to their clients, the company employs bilingual staff who can communicate fluently in both English and German and who often also have experience of living and working in both countries.
The office administration, for example, is organised by a German national with English skills and the tax department is run by an English national who speaks fluent German.
Being able to understand the language and the culture are not the only considerations when working in another country and dealing with overseas clients.
The legal framework and systems will often vary considerably and it is essential to understand these differences in order to work effectively. For this reason, Rödl & Partner also emphasise the importance of dual professional qualifications in both countries and languages. For example, the head of Rödl & Partner’s Birmingham office - a German national - holds both English and German accountancy qualifications.
The day-to-day role of languages at Rödl & Partner
Typically Rödl & Partner’s staff will work daily in both English and German. This may include advising clients on general business issues over the telephone, by email or at face-to-face meetings, conducting complex financial audits using both languages and giving guidance on tax planning with reference to both the English and German systems.
What the future holds
Despite the emphasis on a genuinely international approach to doing business, Rödl & Partner are not complacent about these skills. To ensure that their staff are properly equipped to deal with new challenges, language and cultural training is considered a necessity for any future project involving languages other than English and German.
Words of wisdom for other businesses dealing with international clients
“Do not underestimate the importance of the combination of foreign language skills and technical expertise in winning work from overseas clients.”
Hans-Peter Raible, Rödl & Partner.
Further information
To find out more about Rödl & Partner please visit their website www.roedl.com
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