Matthias Merz, Dpl.jur. (LL.B.)
Born in Braunschweig, Germany and educated in the law at the University of Muenster where he has taught law and related subjects, since 1997 Matthias Merz has been the Managing Director (CEO) of the well-known AWA Foreign Trade Academy training institute. Based in Muenster and known by its German title Aussen-Wirtschafts-Akademie, the AWA is a leading organizer of export-controls, customs- and tax-related seminars and compliance training in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Hungary. The AWA collaborates closely with MK Technology in these and other areas.
Matthias Merz has lectured extensively on Export Controls, Customs Law and company compliance programs in Germany, Austria, Hungary, Japan and Switzerland. MK Technology experts lead seminars with him and with the AWA.
Prior to establishing the AWA, Matthias Merz conducted research and did other academic work in Tax and Public Law at the Institute for International and European Law at the University of Muenster. While managing the AWA in 1998-2001, he also was Academic Assistant to Professor Dr. Stefan Kadelbach at the Chair for Public Law in that well-known Institute. In addition to teaching at the State of Westphalia's Administrative Academy in Bielefeld, he worked closely at the Chair for Public Law in Muenster with Professor Dr. Hans-Michael Wolffgang. Dr. Wolffgang now is co-shareholder with him in the AWA and is Editor-in-Chief of its journal, AW Prax (Aussen-Wirtschaftliche-Praxis or Foreign Trade Practice).
The AWA is co-located with AWB Tax and Foreign Trade Law Consultancy (AWB Steuer-Beratung GmbH (including Foreign Trade Law Consultancy or Aussen-Wirtschafts-Beratung). The AWB was co-founded in 2005 and is headed by Matthias Merz and Dr. Wolffgang. In addition to customs and tax matters, the AWB assists clients to establish and maintain Trade Compliance processes and operations, including training, Technology Control Plans, and related aspects of global trade controls.
Between his classical education at the Konrad Duden Gymnasium in Wesel and his legal studies at Muenster, Matthias Merz served in the Artillery Division of the Federal German Army where he received various awards. After Muenster, where he received the Diplom jura (equivalent to the LL.B.), he passed the Westphalia state legal examination in its open-entry system or "Frei Versuch".
In addition to contributions on Customs and Foreign Trade Law including Export Controls, his publications include Alpmann & Schmidt, Skriptum Grundrechte 8th Edition 1997; pp. 198 - 211 (General Description of the Law Regulating Aliens and Asylum Pertaining to the Basic Law (Constitution) - Art. 16, 16 a GG); and Police Law and General Public Order Law in North-Rhine Westphalia, co-author with Hans-Michael Wolffgang and Michael Hendricks (C.H.Beck, Munich 1998).
With his base in the AWA and AWB in Muenster, since 2000 Matthias Merz has been Managing Director of AWA SUISSE GmbH, based near Zurich, and since 2001 of AWA AUSTRIA GmbH in Linz. Since 2003 he also has been a Partner with Hannl, Nagy & Partners which manages AWA HUNGARY in Budapest.
Beyond his legal credentials, his other professional qualifications include successful completion of the training program "Quality Assurance Manager for Educational and Training Management according to ISO 9000." at CERTQUA GmbH in Bonn.
Please return to our main page for more general information concerning our services.
Matthias Merz has lectured extensively on Export Controls, Customs Law and company compliance programs in Germany, Austria, Hungary, Japan and Switzerland. MK Technology experts lead seminars with him and with the AWA.
Prior to establishing the AWA, Matthias Merz conducted research and did other academic work in Tax and Public Law at the Institute for International and European Law at the University of Muenster. While managing the AWA in 1998-2001, he also was Academic Assistant to Professor Dr. Stefan Kadelbach at the Chair for Public Law in that well-known Institute. In addition to teaching at the State of Westphalia's Administrative Academy in Bielefeld, he worked closely at the Chair for Public Law in Muenster with Professor Dr. Hans-Michael Wolffgang. Dr. Wolffgang now is co-shareholder with him in the AWA and is Editor-in-Chief of its journal, AW Prax (Aussen-Wirtschaftliche-Praxis or Foreign Trade Practice).
The AWA is co-located with AWB Tax and Foreign Trade Law Consultancy (AWB Steuer-Beratung GmbH (including Foreign Trade Law Consultancy or Aussen-Wirtschafts-Beratung). The AWB was co-founded in 2005 and is headed by Matthias Merz and Dr. Wolffgang. In addition to customs and tax matters, the AWB assists clients to establish and maintain Trade Compliance processes and operations, including training, Technology Control Plans, and related aspects of global trade controls.
Between his classical education at the Konrad Duden Gymnasium in Wesel and his legal studies at Muenster, Matthias Merz served in the Artillery Division of the Federal German Army where he received various awards. After Muenster, where he received the Diplom jura (equivalent to the LL.B.), he passed the Westphalia state legal examination in its open-entry system or "Frei Versuch".
In addition to contributions on Customs and Foreign Trade Law including Export Controls, his publications include Alpmann & Schmidt, Skriptum Grundrechte 8th Edition 1997; pp. 198 - 211 (General Description of the Law Regulating Aliens and Asylum Pertaining to the Basic Law (Constitution) - Art. 16, 16 a GG); and Police Law and General Public Order Law in North-Rhine Westphalia, co-author with Hans-Michael Wolffgang and Michael Hendricks (C.H.Beck, Munich 1998).
With his base in the AWA and AWB in Muenster, since 2000 Matthias Merz has been Managing Director of AWA SUISSE GmbH, based near Zurich, and since 2001 of AWA AUSTRIA GmbH in Linz. Since 2003 he also has been a Partner with Hannl, Nagy & Partners which manages AWA HUNGARY in Budapest.
Beyond his legal credentials, his other professional qualifications include successful completion of the training program "Quality Assurance Manager for Educational and Training Management according to ISO 9000." at CERTQUA GmbH in Bonn.
Please return to our main page for more general information concerning our services.