Risk Management Services

Our primary focus is providing risk management services and advice to companies doing business in both Germany and the United States. Whether an entity is just considering entry into the United States or Germany or managing an ongoing company, the issues that need to be addressed can be daunting. Most companies rely on legal and accounting perspectives but risk management concerns should also be treated with a high priority. This is particularly true with acquisitions and due diligence.

We have resources in house that can bring a deep expertise and understanding regarding how liabilities and exposures to legal suits from all facets of risk should be addressed in each country. JKJ&H International has experienced employees with a specific background in insurance and risk management in both Germany and the United States. We also have technical language capabilities in both English and German.

This joint venture company was formed by Johnson, Kendall & Johnson, Inc. and Dr. Friedrich E. Hörtkorn GmbH. Both of these firms recognized a need to develop a strong background in providing solutions for managing risk in a coordinated fashion. Both firms are also key members of UNiBA-Partners, one of the largest independent international broker networks based in Brussels.  UNiBA-Partners currently has 46 members and represents more than 120 countries worldwide.

One of our key strategies to be “a value driven organization” providing consultative services and focused resources directed to reducing ultimate organizational costs in the following areas:

  • Risk management analysis of different funding mechanisms to drive the best value
  • Claims management – the key to controlling ultimate costs of risk is reducing potential and level of losses
  • Safety and risk control – Governmental regulatory compliance, analysis of exposures and strategies to mitigate impacts is a critical impact to organizational risk
  • Disaster planning and Business Continuity evaluations including supply chain analysis
  • Other solutions through valued partners addressing employee benefits design, visa issues, employment regulations and governance issues.

We focus on three primary areas for German American prospects which are; Communication, Coordination and Compliance solutions. Through our prior experiences in international transactions we find there is a significant opportunity of creating value to parent and subsidiary companies by beginning with the understanding of the differences in culture and customs of transacting business in each country. Addressing these differences with an integrated solution can be very cost effective and efficient for our clients.


  • Communication

    Typically respective Insurance Companies and Brokers located in each country do not effectively communicate with other. Sometimes if different brokers or agents are representing an international client in each country there can be a tendency to perceive each other as a potential threat and become adversaries. This is particularly frequent when there is not a global risk manager involved. Traditional solutions for multi-jurisdictional locations have been to find a broker in each respective country that can countersign the local policies and provide very basic insurance services but the international networks still focus on “dots on the map” rather than a rigorous analysis of organizational attributes of the insurance service provider.  

  • Coordination

    The result of poor communication creates misunderstandings relative to coordinating respective risk management programs in each country. This results in gaps on coverages, mistaken assumptions that terms and conditions usually provided as “best local standards” are automatically provided in both countries. This aggravated by the fact that insurance companies refuse to provide translations of local policies in both languages so there is confusion in what the intent of coverage is that a client is looking to obtain. Respective regulations and legal requirements are often misunderstood and they continue to become more complicated in this period of governmental oversight. Also there can be disconnects as a result of currency exchange rates relative to coordinating retentions and limits of coverage. 

  • Compliance

    Compliance is quickly becoming a major issue in cross border transactions. This issue is centered on tax obligations, revenue recognition and appropriate allocation of expenses. Several cases in the EU and in the USA underscore new compliance standards for both insurers and policyholders relative to allocation of premiums and payment of the correct VAT or premium taxes. There are also the accounting issues relative to payment of a claim in one country for a loss that occurred in the other country.  

    There is also a problem of duplicate insurance coverage in each country provided by the insurance program in the other country. This creates problems in arranging defense and determining which insurance program is the primary insurer. Duplicate coverage is very problematic for effective protection against risk for the international company. It also creates unnecessary expense.