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Sitz der Gesellschaft

English translation: registered office (also see Margaret's arguments for "seat")

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:Sitz der Gesellschaft
English translation:registered office (also see Margaret's arguments for "seat")
Entered by: Alison Schwitzgebel

13:26 Feb 12, 2007
German to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial - Law (general) / commercial law
German term or phrase: Sitz der Gesellschaft
I am aware that this has been asked before but the answers given previously are not that helpful in this particular case...

I am currently debating with a colleague on how to translate this term accurately. The Gesellschaft in question is a multinational group based (physically domiciled AND registered) in Germany. The question is how to translate this accurately and correctly so that it would be understood (as Germans would - with all the implications the German term has with regard to jurisdiction, competent courts etc.) by an American audience. We've researched this at length and have come up with several different options such as domicile, company seat, registered office etc., but none of the sources have been conclusive.
Can anyone offer any guidance on this?
TIA
Karin
Karin Walker (X)
Germany
Local time: 17:59
registered office
Explanation:
This term is understood by both UK and US audiences:

A US source: "Registered Office - The office named in the articles of incorporation located where the registered agent is located. Note that this need not be the principle office or place of business of the corporation."

(note that the registered office is NOT NECESSARILY the company's headquarters)

and a UK source: "Registered Office Address · The registered office address is the �home� of the company to which all official documents, notices and court papers have to be sent by law. The registered office address can be anywhere in England or Wales (or Scotland if the company is registered there). "
Selected response from:

Alison Schwitzgebel
France
Local time: 17:59
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +4registered office
Alison Schwitzgebel
5 +2Corporate Headquarters
John E. Kelleher
4domicile (of the) company
lone (X)
4domicle/registed office
Ted Wozniak
4seat
Margaret Marks
Summary of reference entries provided
EIR - EuInsVO
Eberhard Nietzer

  

Answers


10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
domicile (of the) company


Explanation:
Hope this helps!


    Reference: http://www.swissnetwork.com/?page=ViewArticle&id=47
lone (X)
Canada
Local time: 11:59
Native speaker of: Danish
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11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Corporate Headquarters


Explanation:
Corporate Headquarters

(See the Key Facts info box at the bottom right of the page: http://www.bmc.com/BMC/Common/CDA/hou_Page_Generic/0,,802842...

John E. Kelleher
Ireland
Local time: 16:59
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Killian Kavanagh
31 mins
agree  KARIN ISBELL
2 hrs
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56 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +4
registered office


Explanation:
This term is understood by both UK and US audiences:

A US source: "Registered Office - The office named in the articles of incorporation located where the registered agent is located. Note that this need not be the principle office or place of business of the corporation."

(note that the registered office is NOT NECESSARILY the company's headquarters)

and a UK source: "Registered Office Address · The registered office address is the �home� of the company to which all official documents, notices and court papers have to be sent by law. The registered office address can be anywhere in England or Wales (or Scotland if the company is registered there). "


    Reference: http://www.formacompany.com/usa-company-incorporations/usa-g...
    Reference: http://https://ewf.companieshouse.gov.uk/help/en/stdwf/gloss...
Alison Schwitzgebel
France
Local time: 17:59
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 128
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Kim Metzger: http://www.burkardlaw.com/doingbusinessingermany/
1 min
agree  Daina Jauntirans: Correct - my US company's reg. office is in a diff. city than my "headquarters"
1 hr
agree  Andrea Hauer: So heißt es immer in den Texten, die ich EN-DE übersetze, ja!
1 hr
agree  Rebecca Garber
2 hrs
agree  Steffen Walter
2 hrs
disagree  Margaret Marks: A registered office is an address in the UK, whereas the German Sitz is a city
21 hrs
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57 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
domicle/registed office


Explanation:
Hi Karin,

I would generally just use domicile in English as it does convey the meaning for legal purposes. But if you really need to convey the fact that the company is physically domiciled and registered in Germany, then use both terms.

Ted Wozniak
United States
Local time: 10:59
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 67

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Alison Schwitzgebel: Hi Ted! What do you see as being the difference between a domicile and a registered office?
1 hr
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22 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
seat


Explanation:
I prefer seat, because it is understood in English and doesn't give the incorrect impression that it is a street address (unlike 'registered office'). It is unpopular with some translators because it is perceived as 'translatorese', but in legal translation you can't just take the nearest potential equivalent just because it sounds English - because, after all, we're talking about German law, not English law.
I agree that 'domicile' is a possibility, but I don't think it's so widely understood (and a German domicile is a city, but an English domicile is a jurisdiction, such as Germany or England and Wales or California). 'Corporate headquarters' seems a slightly different context to me.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 22 hrs (2007-02-13 11:55:43 GMT)
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I gave this 4 rather than 5 because a moderator once told me off for using 5!

Margaret Marks
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:59
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 272
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Reference comments


894 days
Reference: EIR - EuInsVO

Reference information:
Artticle 3 section 1 of the European Insolvency Regulation uses the term "registered office", the German version of the Regulation uses the term "Sitz". So I think that using "registered office" is a pretty safe alternative.

Eberhard Nietzer
Germany
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: German
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