A (abbreviated "KG", ; from + ) is the German name for a

limited partnership A limited partnership (LP) is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership except that while a general partnership must have at least two general partners (GPs), a limited partnership must have at least one GP and at least one limited ...

business entity In law, a legal person is any person or 'thing' (less ambiguously, any legal entity) that can do the things a human person is usually able to do in law – such as enter into contracts, sue and be sued, own property, and so on. The reason for ...

and is used in

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, Belgian, Dutch,

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

n, and some other European

legal Law is a set of rules that are created and are law enforcement, enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. ...

systems. In Japan, it is called a '' gōshi gaisha''. Its name derives from the

commenda The commenda was a medieval contract which developed in Italy around the 10th century, and was an early form of limited partnership. The commenda was an agreement between an investing partner and a traveling partner to conduct a commercial enterpris ...

, an early Italian medieval form of

Description

Partnerships may be formed in the legal forms of

General Partnership A general partnership, the basic form of partnership under common law, is in most countries an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features: *Must be created by agreement, proof of existence and estoppel. ...

(, GbR), or specialized in trading (, OHG), or

Limited Partnership A limited partnership (LP) is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership except that while a general partnership must have at least two general partners (GPs), a limited partnership must have at least one GP and at least one limited ...

(''Kommanditgesellschaft'', KG). In the OHG, all partners are fully liable for the partnership's debts, whereas in the KG there are general partners (''Komplementär'') with unlimited liability and limited partners (''Kommanditisten'') whose liability is restricted to their fixed contributions to the partnership. Although a partnership itself is not a legal entity, it may acquire rights and incur liabilities, acquire title to real estate and sue or be sued. For example, a ''

Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung A ''Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung'' (, abbreviated GmbH and also GesmbH in Austria; ) is a type of legal entity common in Germany, Austria, Switzerland (where it is equivalent to a '' société à responsabilité limitée''), and Liec ...

& Compagnie KG'' (GmbH & Co. KG) is a limited partnership with, typically, the sole general partner being a limited liability company. It can thus combine the advantages of a partnership with those of the limited liability of a corporation. A dormant partnership (''stille Gesellschaft'') comes into existence when a person makes a contribution to an existing enterprise (company, partnership, sole proprietorship) and shares in the latter's profits. The dormant partner has no liability for the debts of the enterprise; in case of insolvency of the enterprise he is a creditor with the portion of his contribution not consumed by losses. Strictly speaking, the dormant partnership is nothing more than an 'undisclosed participation'. A Civil-Law Association is not a legal entity and cannot sue or be sued. It is often used for single joint ventures (e.g. construction projects) and comes to an end when the joint project has been completed. A Private Foundation (''Privatstiftung'') constitutes a conglomeration of property having legal personality but no shareholders; its activities involve managing its own funds and assets for the beneficiaries.

References

{{Authority control German business law Law of Austria Partnerships Types of business entity Law of Switzerland