Taylor Wessing

Alexander Köpfler

Salary Partner  Alexander Koepfler primarily advises project developers, constructors, investors and property owners. He specialises in public law in relation to real estate. Many of the projects he has coordinated range from office buildings and high-rise residential buildings to accommodation development, shopping malls, sites for clinical institutions, distribution properties and projects in the area of renewable energies. The focus of his practice is on the procurement of building permits, assuming the defence in the area of construction law against actions brought by third parties and coordinating real estate transactions (due diligence). In this context, Alexander particularly advises clients on preparing development plans, the execution of building permission and planning permission procedures, the defence of lawsuits brought by neighbours, the conclusion of contracts for urban development, as well as on any compliance issues related to real estate.

Andreas Bauer

Partner Andreas Bauer specialises in advice and litigation on intellectual property law as well as competition and advertising law. He advises on the conceptual design of advertising strategies and advertising campaigns. Andreas also regularly assists companies in the implementation and defence of individual advertising initiatives as well as when action has to be taken against the advertising of a competitor. The protection of trade secrets and know-how forms part of his practice whilst a further focus is on trademark and design law. He also is a recognized expert in the field of green advertising. For many years, his clients have included national and international brand name companies as well as companies primarily from the Internet service and consumer goods industries.

Anja Fenge, LL.M. (Edinburgh)

Partner | Hamburg Anja advises German and foreign investors, particularly regulated funds and other institutional companies, on all aspects of commercial real estate law. The long-standing focus of Anja’s legal practice is on structuring and negotiating large real estate transactions, in particular portfolio transactions and major project developments.

Axel Godron

Partner  Axel Godron heads up the Practice Group Private Client and specialises in company succession and private asset succession, in advising shareholders of family businesses, and in foundation law. His expertise in the field of succession consultation extends to international succession planning and the settlement of international estates (with a focus on the USA, the UK, and southern Europe). His clients include numerous German entrepreneurial families, their foundations and family offices, as well as internationally active artists and athletes. Axel has been providing advice to a number of entrepreneurial families on a permanent basis in the sense of a “trusted advisor”. In this capacity, he has assumed the activities of a member of the advisory board or of an executor.

Axel Frhr. von dem Bussche, LL.M. (L.S.E.), CIPP/E

Partner  Axel Freiherr von dem Bussche is a specialist lawyer for information technology law in the Technology, Media & Telecoms practice group. He advises clients on national and international digital and data protection projects and is a recognised IT law and GDPR expert. With his many years of experience and outstanding expertise, Axel von dem Bussche routinely guides clients on the provider and user side through complex, international transactions, contract drafting and regulatory issues. He advises corporations on the transformation towards digital and global business models, supports companies in the implementation of AI and data protection regulations, is a strategic advisor to management on compliance in digitalisation and conducts negotiations with the relevant supervisory authorities.

Benedikt Rohrßen

Partner & Head of Commercial Agreements  & Distributions  Benedikt Rohrßen leads the practice area Commercial Agreements & Distribution. He counsels clients on entering new markets and on the strategic (re)structuring of their distribution systems, as well as any connected competition law challenges, also in day-to-day operations (pricing specifications, territory and customer restrictions, non-competes, etc.). He has a particular penchant for digital distribution and distribution related competition law. In addition, he and his team advise national and international companies throughout the supply chain - from product compliance, market launch and distribution to product recall, always with the aim of avoiding product liability in the first place. Benedikt also serves on the editorial advisory board of the Zeitschrift für Vertriebsrecht (Journal of Distribution Law), as a lecturer on trade, distribution and distribution competition law at the Munich Business School and at the Deutsches Franchise Institut (German Franchise Institute). Numerous publications, lectures and webinars attest to his proven expertise in franchise, distribution and competition law, in English most recently for example, "VBER 2022: EU Competition Law for Vertical Agreements" (Springer).  

Bert Kimpel

Partner  Bert is both a qualified tax advisor and a specialist lawyer for tax law. He advises on the tax structuring of corporate and real estate transactions, restructurings and the establishment of national and international fund structures. Bert’s clients include private equity and venture capital funds, institutional investors, family businesses and family offices.

Carsten Bartholl

Partner  Carsten Bartholl heads up Taylor Wessing’s international Energy & Infrastructure Group. He also leads the German Corporate / M&A Real Estate, Infrastructure & Energy Group. Based on his experience from over 100 national and international M&A transactions, Carsten is one of the leading experts in this area, particularly, for projects in the area of renewable energies and for investments in technologies to avoid and reduce CO2 emissions. His practice also includes providing ongoing advise and developing the respective investment projects in an innovative way, thereby always keeping his client's interests in mind. Carsten also focuses on advising clients in the areas of entertainment and sports, in which he has provided legal support with respect to M&A projects for many years. He is held in high esteem for his determined yet experienced hands-on approach to advising his clients - regardless of whether they come from the energy industry or any other sector.

Carsten Schulz

Partner  Carsten Schulz heads up the German Technology, Media & Communications Sector Group. He specialises in complex IT and technology projects, transactions and agreements. Advising at the interface of new technologies and classic industries, Carsten represents world market leaders, international companies and European medium-sized businesses. He manages projects from the initial contact through implementation to project conclusion, and also during escalations of failed contractual relationships. His approach is: understanding the challenges and finding solutions, belonging to the client team on a long-term basis and creating added value for all participants beyond the project - Carsten is a far-sighted legal adviser.

Christian Lederer

Partner  With more than 20 years of patent experience, Christian advises and represents clients on all aspects of patent law and specialises, in particular, in managing patent litigation. A focus of his practice is the management and coordination of international patent disputes. Christian acts for his clients before all relevant German and European patent courts and patent authorities. He also focuses on advising and representing Asian clients.

Christian Tenkhoff

Partner Christian advises clients on both contentious and non-contentious issues of trade mark and unfair competition law. A particular focus of his practice involves coordinating complex disputes, often related to unconventional marks (e.g. for the shape and colour of goods) and questions of consumer perception across different countries. He is also responsible for the trade mark portfolios of several renowned companies and frequently acts in opposition and cancellation proceedings before the GPTO and the German Federal Patent Court as well as the EUIPO, the Boards of Appeal and the European Courts. Christian regularly deals with IP rights in connection with Web3, Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), Blockchain Technology and the Metaverse. He is part of the editorial team of the TW Metaverse Newsletter.

Clemens Niedner

Partner Clemens Niedner heads up the Practice Group Banking & Finance. He advises international banks, investors and multinational corporations on corporate and acquisition financing and other types of syndicated loans. Another focus of his practice is advice on restructuring. Clemens is regarded as an experienced legal adviser in complex, multinational financing transactions and, with his in-depth knowledge of the European syndicated loan market, is a recognised specialist in this field. With his expertise, far-reaching network and close relationships with globally active banks, Clemens opens up a wealth of financing options and scope for action for his clients. Excellent relationships with all contractual partners - even long after the contracts have been signed - characterise his advice and positively reflect his practice-oriented approach.

Detlef Klett

Partner  Detlef  Klett specialises in legal advice in the fields of digitisation, artificial intelligence, data protection and telecommunications. The focus of his practice is complex IT projects. He also advises the public sector on large-volume IT and infrastructure projects, in particular the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community and its downstream sectors. Detlef has been the regular recipient of awards in recent years and is regarded as one of the most respected IT lawyers in Germany.

Dieter Lang, LL.M.Eur.

Partner Dieter is a specialist lawyer for administrative law with a decade-long focus on complex projects, for which he acts as one face to his clients between administrative authorities and courts. He takes great pleasure in working with cross-functional teams. Dieter focuses his practice on advising clients on all matters relating to project development of real estate and industrial facilities under public law. He provides companies with required permissions and authorisations and ensures their compliance under administrative law. He solves both regulatory problems relating to, inter alia, environmental law and product law such as REACH and resolves conflicts. In addition, Dieter also represents his clients in legal disputes before the highest German and European courts. He advises his clients on both national and cross-border transactions and is well versed with the requirements of the building industry, the property sector and the chemicals, pharmaceutical, and energy industry. His practice also includes providing high-end regulatory advice to supervisory authorities. As a passionate lawyer for European Community law, Dieter also passes on his knowledge and experience in this legal area to international students.

Dirk Wieddekind

Partner Dirk Wieddekind advises on all aspects of intellectual property law, both contentious and non-contentious. His clients include both start-up companies as well as leading brand owners, with a strong focus on the media, IT, and consumer goods industries. Dirk is a graduate of the Universities of Freiburg, Germany and Aberdeen, Scotland. Before joining Taylor Wessing, Dirk was a research fellow with Professor Dr Hoffmann-Riem, Justice of the German Constitutional Court, at the Centre for Law and Innovation at the University of Hamburg, where his work focused on media, telecommunications and competition law. Dirk is a member of the German Association for Intellectual Property Law and the author of several publications on media- and competition law issues.

Gregor Schmid, LL.M. (Cambridge)

Partner Gregor Schmid is a lawyer for technology and media with a focus on data protection, copyright, media, IT law and e-commerce. He regularly advises on negotiations and transactions, financing and joint ventures as well as on regulatory aspects of the digital business. Gregor´s clients include technology start-ups, ISPs, games, film and television companies as well as financial institutions and investors. Gregor is also an experienced litigator in complex business disputes. The distinguished legal expert is an award-winning and recommended lawyer in the fields of technology and data protection.

Gunbritt Kammerer-Galahn

Partner  Gunbritt Kammerer-Galahn is a specialist lawyer for insurance law. She heads up the German Insurance Practice Group and coordinates the international Financial Services & Institutions Group at Taylor Wessing. She advises insurance and reinsurance companies on complex international transactions, contract drafting and regulatory issues - her versatile advisory practice illustrates her expertise in insurance law. With her long-standing experience, Gunbritt advises corporations on their transformation to digital and global players and negotiates with the responsible German insurance supervisory authority BaFin. She represents insurers and reinsurers in arbitration proceedings as well as in D&O and reinsurance disputes. Gunbritt is also a speaker at the insurance law institutes of the Universities of Düsseldorf and Münster.

Hendrik Boss

Partner  Hendrik Boss specialises in advising banks and international financial investors in their capacity as creditors or investors in crisis situations. With extensive industry knowledge and his many years of experience, he advises national and international companies on their financial restructurings and on preparing orderly insolvency proceedings. He has been advising a number of renowned insolvency administrators, especially on questions regarding the avoidance of their own liability when selling companies and taking out debtor loans. Moreover, Hendrik has been appointed to sit on creditors’ committees on a regular basis.

Henning Moelle, LL.M.

Partner  Henning Moelle advises companies on commercial law disputes as well as on product liability and product safety law. He primarily works for companies in the consumer goods, pharmaceutical and medical technology sectors and the automotive industry. Henning represents companies before German courts and arbitration tribunals or advises them on the strategic coordination of international litigation and in connection with US lawsuits. He also advises German and foreign companies on regulatory product compliance and recall scenarios.

Jan-Patrick Vogel, LL.M. (University of Stellenbosch)

Partner  Jan-Patrick Vogel co-heads the Compliance group at Taylor Wessing. He advises national and international companies on the implementation of compliance management systems of all kinds. Jan-Patrick has particular expertise in the Whistleblower Protection Act and in HR compliance. In this context, he comprehensively advises companies in setting up and implementing HR compliance systems as well as in defending in cases of internal corporate crimes. A further focus of his work is the internal clarification and, where applicable, rectification of criminal legal violations with reference to employment law and social security law.

Jasmin Schlee

Senior Associate Jasmin Schlee is a member of the Corporate Practice Area and the Energy & Infrastructure Industry Group. Her practice includes advising companies on corporate transactions as well as on general corporate law issues, particularly in the renewable energy sector. In particular, Jasmin Schlee provides comprehensive advice on renewable energy transactions and on the drafting and negotiation of corporate power purchase agreements. Jasmin Schlee studied at the University of Münster and the University of Paris-Descartes (Paris V). She passed her first state law examination in 2015. After her legal traineeship at the Schleswig-Holstein Higher Regional Court with stations at Hogan Lovells LLP in Hamburg, the German Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva and the German Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, among others, she passed her second state law examination in 2018. Jasmin Schlee was admitted to the German Bar in 2019 and has since strengthened Taylor Wessing's team at the Hamburg office.

Jennifer Maiworm

Salary Partnerin  Jennifer Maiworm is specialised in national and international banking and finance law with a particular focus on domestic and cross-border acquisition finance, real estate finance and syndicated lending. She represents both borrowers and lenders.

Jens Wolf

Partner  Jens Wolf heads up the Venture-Capital Group of Taylor Wessing in Germany. He advises national and foreign companies on all matters relating to M&A, venture-capital, and private-equity transactions. In that respect, he focuses on advising private-equity funds, venture-capital investors, and technology-driven companies. He has been supporting start-ups and investors in more than 500 transactions, from business-angel investments to unicorn funding rounds with a volume of several hundred million euros. Together with his team, he routinely acts for his clients in the entire “investment life cycle” - from a company’s formation to its exit. Jens teaches corporate finance and venture capital at the HAW Hamburg and at the Bucerius Law School Hamburg.

Klaus Grossmann

Partner  Klaus Grossmann heads up the German M&A practice group and specialises in cross-border M&A transactions and joint ventures. He has many years of expert experience in advising companies and shareholders on all matters concerning corporate law as well as in advising bodies of corporations. Klaus possesses excellent know-how about the logistics sector, the chemical industry, and the automotive industry. Among his clients are German small and medium-sized enterprises as well as international group companies with their registered office in Germany and abroad.

Manja Epping

Partner Manja advises pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, medical device manufacturers, and food producers on all matters relating to intellectual property and regulatory questions for many years. A focus of her practice involves advising clients on contractual projects of a complex and cross-border nature, in particular, research and development cooperations, manufacturing agreements, distribution agreements, licencing agreements, as well as providing advice on all matters relating to transactions.

Marc André Gimmy

Partner  Marc André Gimmy is a specialist in employment law. He co-heads the international practice group Employment, Pensions & Mobility at Taylor Wessing. He specializes in advising national and international companies on collective employment law, co-determination law as well as strategies and implementation of restructuring measures. In addition, he has particular expertise in advising companies on employment law issues pertaining to New Work and on employee data protection. His clients also include Spanish companies and institutions in Germany. Marc André joined the Düsseldorf Bar in 1993 and was admitted as a specialist lawyer for employment law in 1997. Prior to this, he completed his law studies and traineeship in Constance. He joined Taylor Wessing as a partner in 2002. Marc André is a member of the Management Board of Taylor Wessing Germany. Marc André has been qouted in German media on employment law topics. He is a regular speaker at seminars. After many years of presidency, Marc André has been appointed honorary member of the German-Spanish Lawyers' Association in 2018. The Government of the Kingdom of Spain appointed him Abogado del Estado to represent the legal interests of the Kingdom of Spain before German courts. In 2020 Marc André was appointed Chairman of the Committee on Employment Law of the German Federal Bar Association.

Marco Hartmann-Rüppel, Dipl.-Volkswirt

Partner  Marco Hartmann-Rüppel  is head of the Competition, EU & Trade Practice Group at Taylor Wessing. He has well over 20 years of experience in providing advice and solutions on all areas of German and European competition law. He supports national and international clients in proceedings at the German Federal Cartel Office and the European Commission (especially in cartel and abuse cases as well as merger control proceedings) and represents them before German and European courts. He is specialized in civil competition law proceedings especially with regard to cartel damage claims. He also advises on the structuring of cooperation agreements and joint ventures as well as on distribution and licence agreements. Beyond this he is active in the implementation of compliance programs. He is also an expert for EU law in general, especially regarding the European fundamental freedoms (like free movement of goods and services) and its relationship to national laws. Marco is a member of the TW Industry Groups Automotive/Mobility, Life Science/Healthcare and Technology, Media & Communication as well as the TW Sports Group. For several years he was managing partner of the TW Brussels office. Marco studied law, business and economics at the universities of Göttingen and Leuven/Belgium. He is a visiting lecturer in cartel law at the Humboldt University in Berlin and regularly he publishes articles and lectures on topics of competition and EU law. He is a member of the cartel law expert committee of the GRUR (German Association of the Protection of IP) and of the Studienvereinigung Kartellrecht.

Marcus Hartmann

Marcus is a member of the Trademarks and Design Practice Area. He specialises in advising and managing litigation relating to intellectual property law and competition law. His practice area includes strategic advice on German, European and international trademark and design registrations as well as the implementation of opposition and complaints procedures at a national and international level. His clients include well-known national and international companies predominantly from Italy, Switzerland, the USA and China.

Mareike Christine Gehrmann

Partner  Mareike Christine is a specialist lawyer for information technology law and is one of the leading data protection experts in Germany. She advises both German and global companies on complex issues relating to data protection and IT security law. She was also an early adopter of legal issues relating to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and has built up particular expertise in this area. She is highly valued by her clients as a strategic, pragmatic and solution-oriented advisor. Mareike advises manufacturers on the development of digital products in compliance with European and German digitalization requirements and always with a focus on the client's business model. At the same time, she supports the user side in the digitalization of their companies, be it the introduction of (intelligent) software, the implementation of data protection or AI regulations or the transformation to a digital business model. She conducts negotiations with the relevant supervisory authorities and handles legal defense. Mareike is regularly mentioned as a leading lawyer in leading legal publications such as JUVE or Wirtschaftswoche. She regularly gives lectures to national and international specialist audiences, publishes on legal issues relating to digitalization, is involved in various networks such as Bitkom and is a member of the "Digital Transformation" task force of the German Association of Commercial Law Firms (BWD).  Since 2015, she has been a member of Computerwoche's expert network for IT compliance, IT law and IT security.

Martin Knaup, LL.B.

Partner  Martin is Co-Head of the Compliance Practice Group at Taylor Wessing in Germany. As a certified compliance officer, he specialises in providing ongoing advice to national and international companies in the area of corporate compliance, in particular on the implementation and development of preventive compliance management systems. His legal work focuses, inter alia, on the prevention of money laundering (compliance with customer due diligence obligations under the Money Laundering Act, implementation and monitoring of KYC checks and business partner screenings (M&A), identification of beneficial owners (UBO), compliance with notification obligations to the transparency register, etc.) and advice on internal reporting systems (in particular implementation of the requirements of the Whistleblower Protection Act). As an expert in corporate compliance, Martin knows how to establish the necessary process and organisational framework within the company and is thus available to his clients as a "trusted advisor" in compliance matters. His excellent network within the firm enables him to directly involve colleagues with the necessary expertise, as required, in order to provide clients with comprehensive compliance advice. In the event of (alleged) compliance violations (especially as a result of identified compliance violations and whistleblower hints), Martin regularly manages and coordinates internal investigations. He advises on disputes between shareholders of partnerships and corporations as well as directors' and officers' liability claims/litigation. Experience gained through a secondment at a listed industrial group has shaped his understanding of economic contexts and corporate interests.

Martin Kraus

Partner  Martin Kraus advises on corporate transactions and matters which involve, in particular, issues of international concern, tax law, or the law of succession. He focuses on providing advice in relation to international and national corporate acquisitions and sales on the one hand, and the structuring of assets and anticipated succession to property and companies on the other. He also specialises in the restructuring of corporate groups and enterprises. He complemented his law studies with professional experience both in Germany and abroad, including internships with law firms and companies in Vienna, London and New York. Martin passed the two legal state exams in Munich in 1999 and 2001, respectively. Martinhas co-authored, among others, the publications "Formularbuch Umwandlungen" and "Handbuch Venture Capital", both published by C. H. Beck.

Martin Heidrich, LL.M. (FRA – School of Finance & Mgnt.)

Partner  Martin Heidrich is an expert in restructuring and insolvency law. He advises clients in connection with corporate restructuring and in the insolvency-related area. A special focus of his practice is the support of companies or shareholders in protective shield, self-administration and insolvency plan proceedings. Martin can draw on his long-standing experience as appointed insolvency administrator in the area of business continuation and restructuring. A further focus is on the support of investors and insolvency administrators in company acquisitions from insolvency or crisis. Martin regularly publishes and lectures on insolvency and restructuring topics. He is co-editor of the magazine “Der Sanierungsberater”. Martin is co-head of our practice area restructuring & insolvency.

Martin Rothermel

Partner  Martin is an expert in our Commercial Agreements & Distribution practice group. He is a true team player and passes on his knowledge to young colleagues. He advises companies – ranging from start-ups to global players - on the areas of purchasing, sales and distribution (e-commerce, commercial agent, authorised dealer and franchise systems) as well as on product liability. Martin is a highly recommended lawyer for the strategic organisation of international trade relations and modern distribution systems. He asserts the rights of his clients in litigious disputes and is active in international arbitration proceedings. Martin is a member of the Partners’ Council at Taylor Wessing Germany.

Michael Brüggemann

Partner Michael Brüggemann is a member of the Practice Area Competition, EU and Trade and focuses on all aspects of European, public procurement, state aid and (EU/WTO) foreign trade law. Michael in particular advises companies re. the EU legal framework for imports, trade remedies, EU free trade agreements and the EU antidumping regime. He also focuses on advising exporting companies in terms of embargos and trade restrictions from the EU Dual Use Regulation. He carries out trade compliance reviews and trainings on a regular basis.  Michael Brüggemann studied law at the universities of Bielefeld and Münster. In 2003 and 2006, he passed two German legal state examinations. Subsequently, he joined the institute for German and European Company Law (University of Münster) where he prepared a doctoral thesis on corporate law aspects of cooperative farming with distinction. The thesis was awarded the doctoral prize of the German Society for Agricultural Law 2010. During his legal training, Michael worked in an international law firm in London. Michael Brüggemann  publishes articles in international legal journals (e.g. EStALI , Global Competition Review) on a regular basis and has recently published a highly acclaimed expert article in the magazine "Der Betrieb" (Handelsblatt Publishing Group) on the new EU framework for investment audits and its strategic implications for companies and investors. Michael Brüggemann joined Taylor Wessing as a lawyer in 2007.

Michael Stein

Partner  Michael is a proven specialist and solution-oriented negotiator for complex M&A and private equity transactions. He represents the interests of strategic and financial investors from Germany and abroad, including hospital operators, medical care centre operators, medical technology and life sciences companies, and other healthcare providers - a range that reflects his strong industry expertise. Michael´s portfolio includes advice on large corporate transactions acting either on the side of the buyer or the seller, but also on restructuring, joint ventures, minority shareholdings, management investments and general corporate law issues. Michael published a number of contributions on corporate law matters in trade journals and has given talks on Private Equity related topics on a regular basis. He is co-author of the handbook on medical and healthcare law (Beck’sches Formularbuch Medizin- und Gesundheitsrecht). He co-heads the International Life Sciences & Healthcare industry group.

Michael-Florian Ranft

Partner  Michael-Florian is a leading expert in Sino-foreign transaction business and the founder of the Shanghai and Beijing offices. Under his leadership of more than 30 years, the China practice has developed into one of the most prestigious international practice areas of our firm. Since the early 1990s, he has been advising on investments in and out of China - from project structuring (including IP), drafting and negotiating contracts to questions of subsequent business operations. His portfolio includes both nationally and provincially approved projects in China. Florian’s clients include multinational corporations and medium-sized companies as well as individual start-ups, especially technology-driven companies in the automotive and life sciences and healthcare sectors. In various functions he is committed to improving cooperation between East and West: Florian is Secretary General of the German-Chinese Lawyers’ Association and a member of the board of the German Asia Pacific Business Association.

Mike Goldammer

Partner With over 20 years of experience as a lawyer in both Germany and China and as an internationally recognised expert in the fields of compliance and corporate/M&A, Mike heads the Shanghai office and primarily advises medium-sized companies and globally-operating groups in their activities in the People’s Republic of China. He focuses his practice on advising subsidiaries or joint ventures on all phases of the development and localisation of compliance-management systems both in a preventive and investigative manner in the context of internal investigations, mainly concerning business activities between Germany/Europe and China. Mike combines legal expertise with extensive knowledge of the country with a broad intercultural understanding, which is essential in dealing with sensitive issues relating to compliance such as anti-corruption, conflicts of interest, fraud, or breach of trust.

Nikolai Voss

Partner Nikolai advises national and international companies in the legal areas of trademarks, designs and competition. His practice focuses on intellectual property rights including registration, administration and monitoring of trademarks, representing clients before the competent authorities and managing infringement litigation. In competition law he advises on advertising campaigns and illegal product imitation.

Norbert Kämper

Partner  Norbert Kämper is head of the practice group Environmental, Planning & Regulatory and has been advising companies and regulatory authorities on all questions of planning and environmental law for many years. His practice covers in particular infrastructure projects such as airports or inland ports - from the preparation of the application, the environmental impact assessment and the public participation procedure to the preparation of planning approval decisions. Norbert is also an expert in environmental law, environmental law-related corporate organisation, emission control law, soil protection and contaminated sites law as well as commercial administrative law. Furthermore, he supports authorities in selection procedures for ground handling services and is also active at all instances of the administrative courts. Norbert is the author of numerous publications on environmental and planning law and lectures on construction and planning law at the Ruhr University of Bochum.

Olaf Gillert, LL.M.

Partner  Olaf Gillert  is head of the German and international practice group Trademarks, Advertising and Design. The triple award “European Trade Mark Firm of the Year” (2016, 2019 and 2023) as well as "German Trade Mark Firm of the Year" (2024) for Taylor Wessing under his leadership illustrates his expertise. The protection of trademarks is Olaf's mission: in strategic advice as well as in litigation. He handles worldwide disputes and supervises trademarks and new product launches - including the related issues of design, copyright and competition law. In addition to his legal advice, Olaf is also intensively involved with the International Trademark Association (INTA), for example as co-founder of the Adjunct Professors Group and as a speaker. For 17 years, Olaf has been a lecturer at the University of Witten Herdecke, passing on his knowledge to students.

Olaf Kranz

Partner  Olaf Kranz advises on legal disputes and represents his clients both before ordinary courts and before national and international arbitration tribunals. He is particularly active in the field of corporate law, specializing in shareholders’ disputes, directors’ and officers’ liability cases, disputes arising from corporate transactions and antitrust damages litigation. Olaf is Managing Partner of Taylor Wessing Germany.

Oliver Kirschner

Partner  Oliver Kirschner is a member of the M&A and Private Equity practice groups and the Lifescience & Healthcare industry group at Taylor Wessing. His clients include private equity investors, family offices and strategic investors from Germany and abroad, whom he advises on national and cross-border transactions. His core expertise includes the structuring, negotiation and implementation of complex transactions in the highly regulated healthcare sector on both the buyer and seller side. For more than ten years now, a particular focus has been on advising on the acquisition and expansion of MVZ networks, especially in the context of buy-and-build strategies, the acquisition of hospitals and all related corporate law issues in their operation. Oliver Kirschner has regularly lectured on legal topics in the area of healthcare transactions and is co-author of the handbook on medical and healthcare law (Beck'sches Formularbuch Medizin- und Gesundheitsrecht).

Oliver Klöck

Partner

Paul Voigt, Lic. en Derecho, CIPP/E

Partner  Paul heads the German Technology, Media & Telecoms practice group. He advises his clients on national and international data protection projects and has proven expertise in IT security law and AI matters. In addition, Paul regularly negotiates complex SaaS agreements on both the provider and customer side. He regularly advises tech clients from the US on their market entry in Europe. Numerous publications and recommendations attest to Paul’s expertise.

Philipp Behrendt, LL.M. (UNSW)

Partner  Philipp Behrendt heads up the German Disputes & Investigations Group of Taylor Wessing and is joint head of the international group. He conducts complex proceedings before state courts in Germany and national and international arbitration tribunals. In addition, he advises clients on international litigation, primarily in the USA. A focus of his practice is product liability and product safety law, in which he advises on the marketability of products, recalls, defence against claims and all other related aspects. Philipp is a member of the IADC and DRI, for which he served as Chair of the International Committee and now serves as Country Chair for Germany.

Qun Huang

Partner Qun heads up the China Outbound Team at Taylor Wessing Germany. As a German lawyer, he primarily advises Chinese investors in detail on M&A transactions, Greenfield projects, and crisis situations. Qun’s expertise extends to post merger integration as well as to advising clients on matters relating to compliance in German subsidiaries of Chinese group companies. He is one of the most experienced Chinese-speaking lawyers in this field in Germany. His clients include numerous Chinese state-owned enterprises, as well as large listed companies and high-tech companies. The combination of his extensive expertise, many years of experience, linguistic competence, and extensive understanding of Chinese culture make him an extremely sought-after legal advisor.  

Robert Wethmar, LL.M. (NYU)

Partner  Robert Wethmar advises on national and cross-border M&A transactions as well as joint ventures. His clients include numerous international technology companies and he also advises a large number of family businesses on governance and succession issues. Robert is Dutch and Honorary Consul for the Netherlands in Hamburg as well as chairman of the supervisory board of OHB SE, a leading German space technology company. Robert is a member of the Management Board of Taylor Wessing Germany.

Sebastian Fischoeder

Partner Sebastian is a passionate brand lawyer with more than 20 years of experience in trade mark, design, unfair competition and copyright law. He protects and defends all features of his client’s brands – in a broad sense – and their market position. His practice stretches from short-notice, pragmatic advice over strategic brand advice, contractual negotiations and preliminary court actions to complex high-profile litigation. Sebastian Fischoeder gained particular expertise for unconventional trade marks, such as colour marks, shape marks or slogans, and in the field of legal consumer surveys. A further focus of his practice is design law.

Sebastian Beyer, LL.M. (Auckland)

Partner  Sebastian Beyer is a specialist in company law and capital market law. His clients primarily include listed companies and capital market-oriented corporations, investment banks, and other capital market participants. The focus of his consulting practice is on capital markets transactions, in particular, on share placings, admissions to listings on the stock market, as well as on official takeovers. Sebastian also advises executive boards and supervisory boards of listed companies on all legal and strategic matters.

Stephan Manuel Nagel, LL.M. (Florence)

Partner  With comprehensive expertise, Manuel advises clients on German and European competition law. His practice includes cross-border mergers, proceedings by competition authorities, competition litigation (in particular cartel damages), competition compliance, internal audits, distribution systems and agreements, as well as co-operations between companies. He represents clients in proceedings before the Federal Cartel Office, the European Commission and in court. His successful management of large-scale projects and his consulting activities in Europe and Asia are part of his professional competence and portfolio. Manuel is a renowned expert when it comes to questions of competition law relating to the digital economy. A further focus of his expertise is in consumer goods and retail, energy, innovative industries, advertising and media. Manuel Nagel studied law at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms University in Bonn. He passed his first state examination in 2004. In 2005, he was awarded an LL.M. in Comparative, European and International Law by the European University Institute, Florence. During his legal clerkship, he worked for the German Federal Cartel Office and the First Cartel Senate of the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court. After his second state examination, he worked as a lawyer in the antitrust department of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in Cologne from 2009 to 2015. Since 2015, he has been a partner leading the competition practice of Taylor Wessing in Düsseldorf. Manuel Nagel regularly publishes articles and gives lectures on competition law. He is co-author of the Münchener Kommentar zum Europäischen und Deutschen Wettbewerbsrecht. He runs the first German podcast on competition law “Competition Cast”.

Thomas Raab

Partner  Thomas Raab has been advising trademark owners for decades on the development of trademark strategies, the prosecution of infringements and on licensing matters. In this context, he devises and implements strategies and programmes for the long-term protection of trademark rights. A number of court proceedings in which Thomas has been actively involved have led to ground-breaking decisions in the field of European trademark law, such as the CJEU decisions “Diesel”, “Flugbörse” or “NAI”.  

Thomas Pattloch

Partner Thomas heads the IP department of the China Group at Taylor Wessing and assists European and American companies in all aspects of intellectual property rights in China. Licensing law, technology and data transfer and R&D are as much a part of his practice as the dialogue with political decision makers. Furthermore, Thomas advises Chinese companies on market entry and litigation in Germany and the EU. These services and the strategically experienced representation in arbitration proceedings in and outside China illustrate the breadth of his expertise in IP and IT law.

Thorsten Troge

Partner Thorsten advises on all aspects of intellectual property and competition law. His activities include advice and representation in court in the field of trademark law, copyright law and unfair competition law as well as the protection of trade secrets. His main areas of practice include supervising advertising campaigns and new products, advising online shops and Internet service providers and dealing with licences and R&D contracts.

Tobias Schelinski

Partner  Tobias Schelinski is a specialist lawyer for information technology law and heads up the industry group Logistics & Transport. He is highly experienced in IT projects, including digitisation, outsourcing, e-commerce and data protection and Tobias supports his clients with strong negotiating skills in national and international technology projects. His clients praise his distinctive commercial and technical understanding and his extensive international network. In the games industry, Tobias is regarded as one of the leading lawyers in Europe.

Wiebke Baars

Wiebke is a trademark lawyer specialising in advice and litigation in the fields of intellectual property law and competition law. With over 20 years of professional experience during which she has handled a multitude of well-known, primarily international client matters, Wiebke has earned herself an excellent reputation winning a number of awards in trademark and design law. Her work focuses on German, European and international trademark applications as well as on opposition and appeal proceedings before the DPMA and the EUIPO. Another focus is the drafting and negotiation of licence agreements. Her clients – ranging from SMEs to global players - include companies in the media, fashion, toy and food industries.