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CONTENTS

MY PROFILE

RANGE OF SERVICES

Translation English<->German, certified and non-certified

Interpreting services English<->German

Specialist areas

INTERPRETING ASSIGNMENTS (EXAMPLES)

CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

TESTIMONIALS

QUALIFICATION & MISCELLANEOUS

CONTACT DETAILS

MY PROFILE

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ABOUT ME

Melanie Nikolaus

• Accredited, sworn & certified court translator and interpreter for the

English (German) language

• Member of the BDÜ/VbDÜ, German associations of professional linguists

• My mother lives in Bristol, UK

Language combinations:

• English-German

• German-English

Freelance translator and interpreter since 1996

MY PROFILE

4

SPECIALIST AREAS:

• Business, economics and law

Translations and interpreting assignments don't always fit in a

certain box, they often relate to several subjects.

Based on

• My college education as well as

• Long years of professional experience combined with

• Continuous professional development

I have, however, developed a number of specialist areas.

RANGE OF SERVICES (in brief):

• Translating from German into English and from English into

German

• Simultaneous and consecutive interpreting services from

German into English and from English into German

MY PROFILE

5

RANGE OF SERVICES

Translations - certified or uncertified

• Arbitration, articles of association, annual reports (HGB or IFRS)

• Balance sheets, bankruptcy law, briefs, bylaws

• Commercial law, commercial documents, Commercial Register,

Companies House documentation, competition law, contract law,

contracts drawn up by civil-law notaries, copyright law, court decisions

and arbitration awards, company law, commercial law

• Due diligence documentation

• Economic law

• Financial statements for the year

• General Terms and Conditions, general business texts

• Insurance, international arbitration proceedings

• Incentive plans: stock-based compensation & option plans, schemes &

programmes, insolvency law (Chapter 11)

• Labour law, landlord and tenant law

• Marketing, market research, Memorandum and Articles of Association,

mergers & acquisitions

• Power tools, presentations

• Regulatory law

• Rules and regulations, real estate law,

• Sales documents, hare and option plans, SPA, sales, standing orders,

statement of claim

• Tax law

• Writs

• Year-end accounts & audit

TRANSLATING English<->GermanCertified or uncertified

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INTERPRETING SERVICES

Simultaneous and consecutive interpreting services, examples:

• Annual General Meetings, Board of Directors, business negotiations,

• Economics, engineering, fashion, finance, general

• International events, training, meetings, conferences and events, int.

arbitration proceedings

• Legal, market research

• Miscellaneous: evening event for journalists from the trade press, in a

schnapps distillery

• Presentations, press events, psychology

• Real estate (investments)

• Shareholder meetings, Supervisory Board meetings

• Trade fairs

• Regulatory law, banking, presentations,

Target audience

• Public authorities (e.g. health department, prison, police, public

prosecutor, registry office, tax fraud investigation bureau, customs

authoritiers)

• Expert audience

• Companies and corporations

• Courts

• Civil-law notaries

• Private individuals

• Lawyers

INTERPRETING English<->GermanSimultaneous or consecutive interpreting

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CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPEMENT

1. Legal

a) Legal general

• Legal translation at SDI Munich (contracts, certificates, food law,

differences between Anglo-American and German legislation, Public

Service Interpreters)

• Tips and tricks for translating contracts from English into German and

from German into English in Berlin

• Interpreting the Future, international BDÜ conference in Berlin (2009 and

2012)

• Legal translation seminar

• Legal translation seminar, Richard Delaney, Hanover

• Regular attendance of BDÜ group of legal translators in Munich,

specialising on various areas of expertise in law

• David Hutchins, solicitor: English Legal System

• ILEC (International Legal English Certificate) course

• PennLaw Webinar: An introduction to American Law: Week 1 (Professor

Anita Allen): tort law, Week 2 (Professor Wilkinson-Ryan): contract law,

Week 3 (Professor Balganesh): property law, Week 4

(Professor Ruger): Constitutional law, Week 5

(Professor Morse): Criminal law, Week 6

(Professor Wolff): Civil procedure

• eCPD webinar: Richard Delaney, Angela SigeeCONTINUOUS

PROFESSIONAL

DEVELOPMENT

•Legal

•Business

•Finance

•Interpreting

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b) Labour law

• David Hutchins, solicitor: Employment law

• Mmag. Franz J. Heidinger, LL.M. (Virginia), lawyer-linguist with extensive

experience in international commercial law

c) Regulatory law

• Ralf Lemster, financial course: EMIR, AQR, SSM

• Camels, JUDr. Stanislava Saria, PhD: Solvency

• Camels, Dr. Doris Wohlschlägl-Aschberger, Basle Accords (I-III)

d) Tort law

• Mmag. Franz J. Heidinger, LL.M. (Virginia)

• PennLaw

e) Family law

• Pre/postmarital agreements: translating and interpreting for civil-law

notaries, Barbara M. Müller-Grant

• David Hutchins, solicitor: family law, divorce and children

• Mmag. Franz Heidinger, LL.M.(Virginia), lawyer-linguist with extensive

experience in international commercial law

CONTINUOUS

PROFESSIONAL

DEVELOPMENT

•Legal

•Business

•Finance

•Interpreting

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f) Company/commercial law, trusts, insolvency

• Aspects of German and Anglo-American company law

• Company and Commercial - Legal Principles and Translation (MA Legal

• Translation module), City University London

• Company law, Richard Delaney, Erfurt

• MMag. Franz J. Heidinger, LL.M. (Virginia)

• Trusts: MMag. Franz J. Heidinger, LL.M. (Virginia)

• Insolvencies: Munich

• Akademie für Fremdsprachen GmbH, articles of association

g) Intellectual property law

• David Hutchins, Intellectual Property Law

• MMag. Franz J. Heidinger, LL.M.(Virginia)

h) Real estate law

• Real Estate Transactions in Germany, Barbara M. Müller-Grant, Hanover

• Real estate law, SPAs, translating and interpreting for civil-law notaries,

• Barbara M. Müller-Grant

• MMag. Franz J. Heidinger, LL.M. (Virginia)

i) M&A

• Mergers and Acquisitions, Berlin & Munich

CONTINUOUS

PROFESSIONAL

DEVELOPMENT

•Legal

•Business

•Finance

•Interpreting

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j) Last will & testament

• David Hutchins, solicitor: Wills

k) Arbitration

• MMag. Franz J. Heidinger, LL.M.(Virginia)

l) Tax law

• Mmag. Franz J. Heidinger, LL.M. (Virginia)

m) Criminal law

• Criminal law

• Anglo-American and German criminal law, translating/interpreting in a

• criminal-law context (E-D/D-E), Dr. Margaret Marks, Offenbach

• David Hutchins, solicitor: Criminal procedure in England and Wales

• PennLaw

CONTINUOUS

PROFESSIONAL

DEVELOPMENT

•Legal

•Business

•Finance

•Interpreting

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n) Insurance law

• MMag. Franz J. Heidinger, LL.M.(Virginia)

• JUDr. Stanislava Saria, PhD, Solvency

o) Contract law

• Tips and tricks for translating contracts in Berlin

• Legal English: Contract Law in Esslingen and Regensburg with Stuart

• Bugg

• Beginning and end of a contract preamble and separability clause as well

as confidentiality clauses in contracts, Richard Delaney, Berlin

• Paragraph & Rider, Richard Delaney, Berlin

• Contract law, Richard Delaney, Karlsruhe

• David Hutchins, solicitor: Contracts and Contract Formation

• MMag. Franz J. Heidinger, LL.M. (Virginia)

• PennLaw

p) Civil law

• English civil law at City University London (Common Law, equity,

equitable remedies, Lord Woolf Reforms, court structure, issuing

proceedings, defence & counterclaim, judgment, confidentiality

agreement, formation of contract, consideration, terms and

representations, exemption clauses, incorporation,

construction, deeds, defects, basic principles of

company law, memorandum and articles of

association, land law, litigation, Alternative

Dispute Resolution)

CONTINUOUS

PROFESSIONAL

DEVELOPMENT

•Legal

•Business

•Finance

•Interpreting

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Civil law (continued)

• "English civil law continued" at City University London (differences in

contracts, English contract law in detail, Supreme Court, Court of Faculty,

Faculty Office, notaries in England and Wales, litigation: commencing an

action, judgment, remedies, commercial agency agreement, tort)

• MMag. Franz J. Heidinger, LL.M. (Virginia)

• PennLaw

CONTINUOUS

PROFESSIONAL

DEVELOPMENT

•Legal

•Business

•Finance

•Interpreting

2. Business, finance

• IFRS, Munich

• International Financial Reporting Standards, Fry & Bonthrone, Berlin

• German GAAP Financial Statements, Fry & Bonthrone, Berlin

• Multiple Style and Register Requirements for Annual Report

Translation, Fry & Bonthrone, Berlin

• German Annual Report Masterclass, Fry & Bonthrone,

• Leipzig

• Advertising language

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3. Interpreting

• Training for court and public service interpreters

• Note-taking techniques, Kirsty Heimerl-Moggan, Hanover &

• Aschaffenburg

• Court interpreter event in Hanover

• Interpreting for asylum seekers

• Annelie Lehnhardt, language service/German Ministry of Foreign Affairs,

everything you need to know about how to get ready for an interpreting

assignment

4. Professional development, other

Examples:

• SDL Trados Studio 2009, 20 November 2011 in Munich

• Turbo tools for translators, the internet viewed as a corpus

• Focusing on the customer

• Marketing etc.

• Jutta Witzel: How to translate advertising & promotional texts,

how to be creative

• etc.CONTINUOUS

PROFESSIONAL

DEVELOPMENT

•Legal

•Business

•Finance

•Interpreting

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SPECIALIST AREAS

• General terms and conditions, labour law (e.g. labour contracts)

• Balance sheets

• Interpreting, due diligence

• Power tools

• Mergers & acquisitions

• Annual reports, company law,

• Commercial law

• Real estate law, bankruptcy law, international arbitration proceedings

• Financial statements for the year

• SPA, cooperation agreements

• Marketing, market research, mergers & acquisitions

• Landlord and tenant law

• Contracts drawn up by civil-law notaries

• Simultaneous interpreting, SPA, tax law

• Copyright law, documents

• Contract law, sales, insurance

• Economic law

• Certificates

SPECIALIST AREAS E<->GermanBased on experience, education and

development

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INTERPRETING ASSIGNMENTS, EXAMPLES

1. Simultaneous interpreting

a) Business, finance

• KPMG (various international events)

• German savings bank event, McKinsey

• Ordinary General Meeting: Data Modul AG, Sky, Tantalus Rare Earths

• Shareholder meetings

• Supervisory board meetings

• Sky Germany with my colleagues Mechthild Blohm,

Sabine Bausch, Karen Becker, Iris Dahlmeier, international HR

programme, annual general meeting (including squeeze-out)

b) Engineering

• International meeting of machinery rings

• Audi Production Award, 2011 and 2012

• Changing Demography: How it affects employees and work, BMW

Dingolfing, with my colleague Marion Schätzle, November 2011

• BMW plant Landshut, guided tour for foreign visitors

• Trumpf, international sales meeting (2011-2013)

SIMULTANEOUS

INTERPRETING•Business

•Engineering

•Fashion

•Finance

•General

•Legal

•Psychology

•Real estate

•Sales

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Engineering (continued)

• Festool, Protool, TTS: various international events, meetings and

conferences such as international after-sales service events, key user

conference, strategic automotive meeting, international press event, train

the trainer, partner event with my colleague Ingrid Rieger (since2001)

• SWF cranes, Munich, Hotel Eurostars Grand Central, with my colleague

Marion Schätzle, 21 + 22 June 2012

• Knauf AMF GmbH & Co. KG, Group Management Meeting, Grafenau

• Water and the climate, German Society for International Cooperation

(GIZ) with my colleague Walter Günther in November 2012 and 2013

• TÜV technical surveillance organisation, training event with S. Bausch

c) Entertainment, media & social events

• Constantin Film, "Tarzan" press conference in June 2012

• Laureus Sports for Good Award, fund-raising event in Kleine Olympiahalle

in Munich, with my colleague Iris Dahlmeier

• Sky Germany with my colleagues Mechthild Blohm, Sabine Bausch

d) Fashion

• Codello Seefeld, Fuerstenfeldbruck, presentation of new collection

(13+14 July 2011)

• Mac trousers, presentation of new collection (January 2011)

• Anita unique bodywear, international sales meeting & presentation

of new collection

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e) General, sales

• Int. caravaning event, MELVI Meeting, Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski,

• with my colleague Marion Schätzle, in May 2012

• Practice-oriented user day: exploiting resources, protecting resources

• Hansgrohe, bathroom event

• burgbad AG, Beilngries, annual meeting, with my colleague Marion

Schätzle

• Sundance Spas (international sales meeting)

f) Legal

• ICC International Court of Arbitration, Arbitration Award

• Arbitration proceedings (biomass power plant, telecommunications act)

g) Market research

• Studio Dr. Rönsberg GmbH, market research

h) Psychology

• 1st International Conference of Multigenerational Psycho-traumatology

(Symbiosis and Autonomy) with my colleagues Regina Prokopetz and Iris

Dahlmeier, 26-28 October 2012

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i) Real estate (investments)

• ExpoReal International Trade Fair for Property and Investment with my

experienced colleagues Patricia Künzel, Christiane Horn, Marie-Louise

Lehmann (October 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013)

• Paramount Group Inc, Investor Update Conference, The Charles Hotel,

Munich, with my colleague Susanne Neumair, 11 +12 Sept. 2013

• Patrizia Immobilien AG, Executive Committee meeting, international

management meeting, employee event with my colleague Marion Riedel

(formerly Schätzle)

j) Regulatory law, banking

• UniCredit with Patricia Künzel and Sabine Bausch

• DAB bank with Karen Becker

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CONSECUTIVE

INTERPRETING• Presentations

• Lectures

• Civil-law notary

• Court, companies

• Public authorities

• Miscellaneous

2. Consecutive interpreting

a) Public authorities (e.g. health department, prison, police, public prosecutor,

registry office, tax fraud investigation bureau, customs authorities)

• Registration for marriage

• Prisoners getting visits during pre-trial detention, interrogation

• Weddings

• Medical-psychological tests

• Divorce

b) Court

• Custody pending deportation

• Residency registration

• Drug offences

• Hereditary diseases in a horse

• Company law

• Warrant of arrest

• Commercial law

• Bankruptcy law

• Enforcement of hospital treatment order, forensic commitment, preventive

detention

• Medical examination ordered by the court

• Rescission

• Damages• Complaint with the police

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b) Court (continued)

• Diminished criminal responsibility

• Falsification of documents

• Road traffic offence

• Medical examination as to fitness for travel (deportation)

• Right of access

• Traffic law

• Rape

• Economic law

c) Civil-law notary

• Formalities for establishing a company

• Renunciation of compulsory compensation in lieu of inheritance for

disinherited spouse/descendent

• Ante-nuptial /post-nupital agreement

• Waiver of inheritance

• Sales contract

• Sales and Purchase Agreement• Creation of a land charge

CONSECUTIVE

INTERPRETING• Presentations

• Lectures

• Civil-law notary

• Court, companies

• Public authorities

• Miscellaneous

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d) Lectures*

• Peace and security against war and occupation in Afghanistan, Malalai

Joya, Afghan politician in Salzstadl Landshut on 7 February 2012

• Afghanistan, Malalai Joya, politician visiting Landshut on 7 February 2012

• Architectural lecture: "Imagining the Centre" artists changing a town, Matt

Baker,

• Susan Christie, Inverness, in Landshut, 18 March 2009

• Architectural lecture: "Sibiu and the Culture", architect Joana Urdea,

Landshut, 22

• April 2009

e) Miscellaneous

• Evening event for journalists from the trade press: in a schnapps distillery

• Business negotiations

* For cost reasons (no technical equipment required), the organisers opted for consecutive

interpreting. For the audience it would have been better to offer simultaneous interpreting for those

who do not understand English (the audience had to listen to English first and then German).

CONSECUTIVE

INTERPRETING• Presentations

• Lectures

• Civil-law notary

• Court, companies

• Public authorities

• Miscellaneous

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Services are a matter of trust:

Testimonials…

Proven to be trustworthy…

Why not let me prove it to you, too?

1. Testimonials - legal

"Ms. Nikolaus translated a complex contract with lots of legalese and in part

technical annexes from German into English for us in next to no time. Ms.

Nikolaus proved to be very reliable and passed in an extremely satisfactory

result at precisely the time agreed. This is why I can recommend Ms.

Nikolaus' translation services without any reservations. "Dr. Robert Schwinghammer, Head of Regulatory Law - Rechtsanwalt, Telefónica Germany GmbH &

Co. OHG 27.11.2013

“I came to know Ms. Nikolaus to be an extremely competent, fast and

conscientious translator, and working with Ms. Nikolaus was uncomplicated

and a great pleasure. I was particularly impressed by how fast Ms. Nikolaus

familiarised herself with the matter and how convincing her legalese was. I

look forward to continuing our cooperation!" 27 January 2014 Antonia Gstrein, Senior Regulatory Counsel,

Telefonica Germany GmbH & Co. OHG

TESTIMONIALS

Legal

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1. Testimonials - legal - continued:

"Extremely reliable/accurate and always delivered on time - very pleasant to

work with."Martina Hofstetter, law firm GSK Stockmann + Kollegen, 28 Nov. 2013

„Ms. Nikolaus and I have been cooperating in the field of translation and

review of translations for several years now. I very much like to work with her

because I appreciate her comprehensive knowledge of the subject, the high

standards she applies to her own work, as well as her thorough work

approach. I look forward to completing more projects with her in the future!"Elke Müller, lawyer-linguist, 19 Dec. 2013

TESTIMONIALS

Legal

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2. Testimonials - conference interpreting:

"Ms. Nikolaus was my simultaneous interpreting colleague at the Paramount

Group Inc. conference. She proved to be an extremely reliable and

professional colleague in the interpreting booth. She was extremely well

prepared and her performance in the interpreting booth was excellent. I look

forward to working with her again!"Susanne Neumair, conference interpreter, 2 December 2013

"Melanie Nikolaus is a very good conference interpreter. She came very well

prepared for this difficult topic and has gathered a lot of knowledge on this

specialist area. She was a good and pleasant colleague to work with.Maria-Louise Lehmann, conference interpreter, 29 November 2013

"To whom it may concern, I have during my years been working with several

interpreters in the world. Ms Nikolaus is by far the best of them. Especially

how she is performing the interpretation without disturbing the sales meetings

or trainings and even so when there is several interpreters in the room. She

is always updated on the topics and has a very high understanding about the

messages that should be transferred and are making sure that nothing is

missed out in a very smooth and appropriate way. I can truly recommend Ms

Nikolaus as interpreter from German to English or the opposite for any

company in the world.

Ronny Lindskog, Managing Director ressort Marketing and Sales Europe

Wiha Werkzeuge GmbH

Previous position: Manager Automotive systems, Festool GmbH

TESTIMONIALS

Simultaneous interpreting

25

3. Testimonials - general:

"I have been working with Ms. Nikolaus regularly since 1996 and over the

years I got to know here as an extremely professional, experienced and

reliable colleague who I always enjoy working with. It is a matter of course for

Ms. Nikolaus to adhere to deadlines, the quality of her work is excellent.

Especially in the fields of interpreting and law she has gathered a remarkable

degree of expertise owing to long years of experience and continuous

professional development. I can recommend Ms. Nikolaus‘ services without

the slightest reservation." 28 Nov. 2013

"I had the opportunity to complete several translation projects and

interpreting assignments together with Ms. Nikolaus and I came to know her

to be an extremely professional, diligent and reliable colleague! The quality of

her work is top notch throughout and she has a professional work approach. I

would also like to point out her pleasant and friendly character. I can warmly

recommend Ms. Nikolaus' services and look forward to our next project

together!" 26 Nov. 2013

"I have been working with Melanie Nikolaus successfully for several years

and I always enjoy working with her. I have never experienced any

communication issues with her. She has a professional work approach and

her translations from German into English and from English into German are

of first-class quality. She always adhered to deadlines. I can

recommend Nikolaus without reservations,

both as a customer and as a contractor. “

14 July 2010

TESTIMONIALS

Translating and interpreting

26

3. Testimonials - general:

We have been working with Ms Nikolaus for several years already and have

always been very pleased with the quality of her service as well as her

adherence to deadlines." 20 January 2014 Daniel Lugner, consultant, Daniel Lugner

Consulting

TESTIMONIALS

Translating and interpreting

27

QUALIFICATION AND MISCELLANEOUS

Graduating from foreign-language college in Munich

Specialist area: Business

2nd foreign language: French

Translator: 1995 Overall grade: 1.91 *

Interpreter 1996 Overall grade: 2.31

Officially appointed and sworn (Landshut Regional Court)

Translator: 1996

Interpreter: 1997

QUALIFICATION AND MISC.

1* is the best grade in Germany

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On-the-job experience

• Accountant

• Tri-lingual secretary (English, French)

• Patent attorney, Landshut

• Microsoft, Legal Department, Munich

• 2001 to 2005: Lecturing business translations from English into German

and interpreting at the college for tri-lingual secretaries

• Freelance as full-time business and legal interpreter and translator

without interruptions since 1996.

Memberships

• Member of the BDÜ, the German association of professional linguists

• Member of the VbDÜ, the German association of court and public

service translators and interpreters

• Member of the MIT team of interpreters http://www.mit-team.de/

Technical equipment

• CAT tool: Trados Studio 2011,

• Plus all Microsoft Office and other software programmes common in the

industry.

WORKING FREELANCE SINCE 1996

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CONTACT DETAILS

Melanie Nikolaus

Translation and interpreting services English-German-English

Birkenstraße 23

84032 Landshut, Germany

Tel.: 0049-871-6877514

Fax: 0049-871-6877493

Mobile: 0049-176-43169190

E-mail: info@melanie-nikolaus.de

Website: www.melanie-nikolaus.de

I look forward to hearing from you.

Melanie Nikolaus

CONTACT DETAILS