The Legal 500

Dolde Mayen & Partner’s practice is ‘indisputably top’, with figurehead Klaus-Peter Dolde widely regarded as ‘the doyen of public law in Germany’. Environmental and planning law are particular strengths, while administrative and constitutional law are also areas of expertise, where the team frequently handles contentious matters. The team is advising the City of Stuttgart and the Federal State of Baden-Württemberg regarding the Stuttgart 21 project; the Darmstadt regional administrative council in emission control matters regarding a power plant; and savings bank Sparkassenverband Westfalen-Lippe in contentious administrative law matters. The highly regarded Markus Deutsch joined from Gleiss Lutz.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is among the frontrunners in terms of knowledge of new legal developments and market trends, and is increasingly advising on regulatory matters, notably in the healthcare sector. Restructuring of public banks is an area of expertise in which the team is advising several banks on capital instruments to meet the new capital requirements. The group is advising E.ON, RWE, EnBW and Vattenfall on the government’s nuclear power plant policy, and representing KfW in a public procurement procedure. Wolf Spieth heads the group, which also includes the ‘particularly good’ Herbert Posser.

Gleiss Lutz’s ‘spotless’ public law practice has broad coverage and is ‘one of the best in Germany’. The team has increased its focus on the infrastructure sector and is acting in various ongoing disputes regarding the termination of the nuclear power programme. Other highlights included advising Schluchseewerk on approval of a hydropower plant and the City of Stuttgart on the planning for a residential development as part of the Stuttgart 21 project. Due to the firm’s healthcare sector expertise, statutory health insurance funds number among the team’s public law clients. The practice, led by Olaf Otting, operates with ‘small teams that provide first-class advice’.

CMS Hasche Sigle covers a broad range of public sector work, including procurement, environment and PPP matters. Recently it represented new client E.ON Netz in administrative court disputes regarding the validity of planning approval, advised a distribution network operator on developing a natural gas network, and has been advising the Federal State of Bavaria’s interior ministry regarding procurement law. Clients appreciate the team’s ‘flexibility regarding timelines and scope of work’, and its ‘efficient and reliable co-operation’. Fritz von Hammerstein is ‘one of the top lawyers in environmental and mining law’.

Linklaters LLP advises on public procurement and has a strong focus on regulatory matters, especially regarding energy. It advised John Laing and Alpine Bau on the contract for a PPP project to renovate 170 bridges, represented the German Federal Ministry of Transport in ad hoc arbitration proceedings regarding Toll Collect, and advised RWE Power on the erection and operation of a nuclear power plant in Romania. Jan Endler is ‘a highly regarded regulated industries expert’.

Noerr’s team operates within the firm’s pan-European Regulatory & Governmental Affairs Department, an approach that has borne fruits because of its cross-selling potential. Recent highlights include advising Minera on a copper mining project in Brandenburg and Saxony; Hochtaunus-Kliniken on a PPP project; and ADM International on sustainability requirements and certification of bio-fuels in Germany and Europe. Clients appreciate the team’s ‘quick responses’ and Olav Wagner’s ‘excellent handling of complex projects with interdisciplinary teams’. Alexander Birnstiel and Holger Schmitz jointly lead the practice.

Redeker Sellner Dahs excels at environmental and planning law, and also advises capably on constitutional and public procurement law. Notable recent highlights include representing Trianel in litigation regarding the Lünen coal-fired power plant, the Federal Ministry of the Environment regarding waste matter legislation, and Minera regarding a copper mining project. Several cities and communities seek the team’s advice on development plan procedures. Tobias Masing, Ulrich Karpenstein and Dieter Sellner are recommended.

‘Excellent in all aspects’, White & Case LLP advises expertly on environmental, planning and zoning law, as well as constitutional law and public procurement, and has particular expertise in PPP and energy matters. It represented EdW in various administrative litigation proceedings, advised the German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency on the dismantling of offshore wind farms, and acted for EDF’s Hungarian subsidiary regarding an EC decision ordering recovery of state aid. Norbert Wimmer and the ‘quick, pragmatic, and convincing’ Martin Hoffmann are recommended.

Baumeister, Rechtsanwälte specialises in waste, environmental and planning law, for which this small team attracts top clients such as E.ON and RWE. Recent highlights include advising BP Germany on expanding a refinery, and the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia on mining and environmental law matters. Martin Beckmann displays an ‘incredibly vast and broad knowledge of public law’.

Clifford Chance’s team is best known for its advice on environmental and planning law matters, and also advises on public procurement, frequently with a focus on healthcare, such as representing ratiopharm and Teva on rebate contract awards. The team also advised Amprion extensively on planning approval procedures for high voltage power lines. Horst Schlemminger heads the group.

The specialised boutique firm of Gaßner, Groth, Siederer & Coll is one of the market’s most highly regarded practices with particular expertise in environmental, planning and waste law. It frequently advises local authorities on waste law matters, and energy-related instructions are growing, an area it advised ProCon on solar energy projects and GeoEnergy regarding geothermal energy projects. Name partners Hartmut Gaßner and Klaus-Martin Groth are recommended.

Graf von Westphalen’s expertise spans environmental, planning and public procurement law. Recent highlights including advising the Federal State of Bavaria’s interior ministry on IT procurement matters; Südwestsalz regarding mining and environment matters; the Federal State of Schleswig-Holstein’s ministry of economics regarding planning approval procedures for Lübeck-Blankensee airport; and Ikea on the construction of a branch in Hamburg. Ingrid Reichling is recommended for public procurement law, as is Ronald Steiling for environmental and planning law.

Hengeler Mueller has particular expertise in PPP and infrastructure matters, and also frequently advises on environmental and planning matters, and is able to staff multidisciplinary teams. It advised a provider of recycling systems (“Der Grüne Punkt”) in a guideline dispute pertaining to packaging regulations, and advised the City of Düsseldorf on its harbour area development. The firm has a focus on regulated industries such as energy, where RWE is a client. Dirk Uwer is ‘very well versed in managing complex transactions’.

Hogan Lovells International LLP frequently acts for international clients on environmental and planning law matters, often interacting with the firm’s real estate team, and clients say, ‘they give us exactly the advice we need and help us to save money in the long run’. The group advised Tank & Rast on the Trunk Road Act and implementation of the Fuel Supply 2013 project, and acted for several public utility companies to establish a distribution joint venture. The ‘very dedicated’ Thomas Dünchheim ‘always gets straight to the point’. Bernhard Kuhn heads the group.

‘Great for environmental and plant permit matters’, Avocado rechtsanwälte has significant expertise in waste law, where Remondis instructed the team on the permissibility of commercial waste collections, and the team is now also advising a client on the disposal of onboard waste in international air traffic. The team advises several power plant operators on emissions law. Markus Figgen is recommended.

Baker & McKenzie gives ‘clear and decisive’ advice and has a good reputation for public procurement law, and it has been advising Novartis in tender procedures concerning rebate contracts for pharmaceuticals. Swedish defence authorities instructed the team regarding new procedures for the awarding of contracts. Joachim Scherer and Marc Gabriel are recommended.

Becker Büttner Held, Rechtsanwälte Wirtschaftsprüfer Steuerberater is a boutique that remains one of the market leaders for advice on energy law matters. The team represents several hundred German municipalities, and local authorities instruct the team on an ongoing basis on contentious and non-contentious matters. Ines Zenke and Peter Becker are recommended.

Bird & Bird fields a leading public procurement practice, and this specialised team recently acted for several pharmaceuticals companies and public health insurers regarding various tender procedures and litigation, and advised a city on its IT procurement procedures. Jan Byok is the name to note.

DLA Piper can draw on a ‘fantastic’ European network of public law partners with the German team focusing on environmental, infrastructure and transport matters (particularly in aviation), where it has substantial regulatory expertise. The team advised BP on the duty to deliver oil products to Iranian airlines under German aviation and export controls, and advised Reverse Logistics on the regulatory regime for waste shipments. Litigation and regulatory group head Ludger Giesberts is ‘exceptionally good’.

GSK Stockmann + Kollegen is a good choice for environmental and planning law advice. The team recently advised Center Parcs Europe on developing a new holiday resort, and the Berlin office acted for a City of Berlin owned subsidiary regarding public procurement law, including representation before public review bodies. The ‘proactive and target-focused’ Mark Butt has ‘extremely high knowledge of public processes’.

Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek advises on environmental and planning law, drawing on the firm’s construction law expertise as necessary, and is also highly recommended for public procurement law, particularly in the transport sector. Recent highlights include advising Oberthur Technologies on the public procurement of euro banknotes in several countries, and providing comprehensive advice on the JadeWeserPort project, a deepwater harbour for container ships. Ute Jasper heads the practice.

Lenz and Johlen advises on contentious and non-contentious environmental and planning law matters, where this boutique firm acts for leading names such as ThyssenKrupp Real Estate. Energy law advice has been a growing field of advice, with recent instructions coming from Silag regarding a solar energy plant and from Heag regarding the planning of wind farms. Administrative law expert Heribert Johlen is recommended.

Taylor Wessing is a good choice for environmental and planning law, and is also growing its public procurement and renewables practices. The team recently advised the City of Wertheim on the approval of a photovoltaic power plant and provides ongoing advice to the Federal Interior Ministry on subsidies law, constitutional law and European law. Various international online gaming providers also instruct the team. Klaus Willenbruch has ‘fantastic knowledge of tender law’, and Walter Potthast is ‘pragmatic, strategic and diplomatic’.