Partner

Rudolph (Rob) Houck regularly assists clients, many from outside the US, in all aspects of establishing businesses, including buying and selling existing US companies in many industries, such as chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, fashion, publishing and precision machinery. In addition to advising on day-to-day matters, his areas of expertise include long term technology licenses, joint ventures, and internal restructurings. Prior to joining Eaton & Van Winkle, he spent over 25 years with Walter Conston Alexander and Green and its successor firm.

In his wide range of assistance to non-US clients he has also provided less typical services. For example, he has helped develop shopping centers throughout Texas and New Mexico, closed several US subsidiaries of German companies while avoiding bankruptcy, helped save a Greek art collector from US estate taxes, discovered fraud in the administration of a trust and recovered the missing assets, enforced a creditor’s rights by locating and taking possession of assets and helped market technology created by the South African Atomic Energy Corporation.

Mr. Houck is active in The American Council on Germany (Business Board Member), Atlantik-Bruecke e.V. and the Friends of the Atlantik-Bruecke (Board Member) and the American Institute for Contemporary German Culture and is past officer and director of the Deutscher Verein and German American Partnership Program.

Mr. Houck has published articles on topics such as controlling legal fees, punitive damages, rights of first refusal, M+A agreements, management buy-outs, operation of US subsidiaries, anti-discrimination laws and letters of intent in The Practical Lawyer, Andrews Mergers & Acquisitions, Executive Counsel, M&A Review (University of St. Gallen); Management Review, German American Trade and Mergers & Acquisitions (Beck-Fachdienst).

Admitted to Bar: Pennsylvania (1972), New York (1981). The University of Texas at Austin (B.A with honors, Plan II, 1969); The University of Chicago Law School (J.D., 1972); Georgetown University Law Center (LL.M. 1981); The University of Munich (1967-68); The University of Frankfurt / Kronstein Institute (1979-80).

He speaks German.

Articles