Germany > Real estate and construction > Construction (including construction litigation) > Law firm and leading lawyer rankings

CMS draws on a wealth of expertise in advising clients in the building construction, infrastructure and plant construction sectors. Since the end of 2016, Nicolai Ritter has been advising AS+P Albert Speer & Partner on a landscape and oasis project in Saudi Arabia, which included advice on payment and default risks. As another highlight, he provided contractual law assistance to a company involved in expanding the design-outlet centre Wolfsburg. Cologne-based Martin Krause acted for new client Immofinanz Float in contractual matters pertaining to the development of the office complex FLOAT in Düsseldorf. In other significant work, Andreas Roquette continues to advise Hochtief Infrastructure on various matters; recently these included technical supplements and the renegotiating of project contracts. Frankfurt-based Johanna Hofmann, Hamburg-based Christiane Kappes and Thorsten Schätzlein in Düsseldorf were elevated to the partnership in early 2017.

Kapellmann und Partner focuses on major projects in the building construction sector, most notably the development of corporate headquarters, high-rise buildings and apartment blocks, as well as projects in the infrastructure, wind farm and health sectors. Together with Frankfurt-based Martin Havers, Düsseldorf-based Klaus Eschenbruch advises an airport operator on the expansion of a commercial airport, while Werner Langen has been assisting Frankonia Eurobau with all matters pertaining to its housing project Heimathafen Düsseldorf. Acting for the free state of Bavaria, Tobias Schneider is involved in A7 motorway project development work such as the renovation of the motorway bridge Talbrücke Rothof. In the plant engineering space, the team advises national and international industrial plant, power plant and process industry clients on various project-related matters with particular expertise in technical and construction management processes. This leads to regular instructions, with Ralf Steding in the lead, from long-term client Bayer. Claus von Rintelen represented GlobalTech I against an arbitration claim for hundreds of millions of euros brought by Hochtief. Internal changes include five partner promotions in early 2017.

Advising engineering firms and other contractors on rail projects is a primary focus of Leinemann & Partner but the construction law practice, which has offices in six German state capitals, also acts for public and private sector contracting authorities including research institutes, hospitals and insurance companies. Ralf Leinemann assisted the project company ViA6West with matters arising from the €1.3bn A6 motorway expansion to 47.2 kilometres. In different work, he provided general advice to an investor and acted for the client in an arbitration pertaining to a construction contract for a silicon metal factory in Iceland. EnBW instructed the team to assist with a consultancy framework agreement, and ARGE ABS Forchheim Süd and ARGE ABS Nürnberg-Ebensfeld received construction advice on two sections of the €200m NürnbergErfurt-Halle-Berlin route expansion. In plant engineering, Jarl-Hendrik Kues acts for Heitkamp Ingenieur und Kraftwerksbau and Ballast Nedam, which constitute the consortium for the construction of Siemens Fabrik Cuxhaven. Düsseldorf-based Oliver Schoofs is another key member of the team.

Covering a broad field of plant engineering work, Redeker Sellner Dahs’ Burkhard Messerschmidt advises a large international research institution, a new client since December 2016, on the construction of a proton accelerator and 34 research institutions amounting to more than €6bn. In the contentious space, he continues to represent RWE Power in several proceedings on the construction of a new power plant in Neurath, while, in 2016, Lars Klein acted for an international company in arbitration proceedings pertaining to a power plant and its energy supply to a paper mill. Philipp Hummel and Udo Söns represented a public sector client in litigation on the construction of a new military hospital, while Dieter Merkens has been acting for the German Federal Republic and the waterway authority in matters arising from the construction of a ship lift in Niederfinow. In building construction work, Thomas Thierau advised Ed. Züblin on the €230m construction of the university hospital Jena.

AGS Legal specialises in national development and infrastructure projects, international plant engineering and contentious work. In Hamburg, Sigrid Roskosny provides several offshore industry companies with general construction law advice and litigation assistance, while infrastructure specialist Dietmar Lampe continues to advise the Waterways and Shipping Directorate-General on the development of several railway bridges in northern Germany and also represents the client in contentious proceedings against contractors. In other work, he advised Imetas Property Services on urban development projects, while Peer Feldhahn assisted the university medical centre Hamburg-Eppendorf with the construction of an internal combined heat and power plant. Wendelin Acker and Thomas Günther are best known for their expertise in construction development projects and Burkard Lotz focuses on plant engineering.

In early 2018, Arnecke Sibet merged with Dabelstein & Passehl Rechtsanwälte PartGmbB and now operates under the name Arnecke Sibeth. The team consists of 25 lawyers, who are well versed in guiding clients through the full spectrum of public and private construction law work. This includes developer, architect and engineering law as well as project management and assistance with public procurement and contentious matters. In plant engineering, the team is experienced in handling contractual issues and arbitration proceedings. Frankfurt-based Antje Boldt and Munich-based Thomas Richter are the key contacts.

In private construction law, Breyer Rechtsanwälte provides regular advice on building construction, civil engineering and plant construction matters. Alongside a number of ongoing high-profile advisory instructions, such as Michael Burdinski’s advice to ARGE Albabstieg on the Stuttgart 21 project, and Wolfgang Breyer’s assistance with the Stuttgart-based project Dorotheenquartier, the team also demonstrates contentious capabilities. Since late 2016, Daniel Junk has been representing the German Federal Republic in damage claim proceedings pertaining to a bridge renovation before the Regional Court of Karlsruhe. In other work, the team has been advising new client Studierendenwerks Tübingen-Hochheim on the €25m construction of a new student residence.

The team at Graf von Westphalen increased its bench strength by adding Maximilian Jahn from Kapellmann und Partner in October 2016, and focuses on project-related advisory work and related litigation. Recently, Hamburg-based Robert Theissen advised several Elevion subsidiaries on a number of projects, including a combined heat and power plant in Munich. In ongoing work, he also provides regular advice to Euromicron on various construction projects such as the Opernplatz and Eurotower projects in Frankfurt, the Olga hospital project in Stuttgart and the university hospital projects in Heidelberg and Bonn. The BIG Group is another long-term client. Team head Lorenz Czajka advised Deutsche Telekom on the expansion of its T-systems cloud computing centre in Biere, Sachsen-Anhalt.

With Michael T. Stoll’s elevation to the partnership in the Munich office, Lutz | Abel Rechtsanwalts GmbH is well equipped to handle an increasing number of building construction and infrastructure mandates. Since autumn 2016, he has been advising several general contractors on matters pertaining to the Ulm-Wendlingen high-speed railway line and the Meile Moosach shopping centre, including onhotel projects. Also based in the Munich office, Wolfgang Abel, Mathias Mantler and Thomas Schönfeld advised a bidding consortium on construction procurement matters arising from the procurement proceeding for the S-Bahn Munich expansion project Zweite Stammstrecke. Apart from providing advice on the tunnel project Alblandvortunnel and the motorway project Isentalautobahn A94, both ongoing since early 2016, another highlight is assisting a communal hospital association with several hospital construction projects. In the contentious space, Hubert Bauriedl and associate Katharina Bold defended Messe Augsburg ASMV against claims for additional fees brought by architects pertaining to the construction of an additional exhibition hall.

SMNG Rechtsanwälte received a number of new contentious and non-contentious instructions on construction development, renovation and plant engineering matters: recently, the team advised a Hamburg-based project developer on the renovation of an office tower, and assisted a German pharmaceutical company with the construction of a new production and office building. In plant engineering, the team represented an international steel company in a dispute over the supply of components for a gas purification plant in a steel smelter. In other work, the practice assisted a contractor with matters arising from the expansion of the Munich airport satellite terminal. Since Rainer Schilling’s retirement at the end of 2016, the remaining founding partners Christian Niemöller and Michael Griem are the key contacts alongside ten other private construction law partners.

With offices in Hamburg and Berlin, the eight-strong team at BRL Boege Rohde Luebbehuesen predominantly advises on major building construction developments and represents clients in litigation. Team head Michael-Alexander Rojnic assisted UnibailRodamco with the development of a construction area in the southern Überseequartier in the heart of HafenCity Hamburg, amounting to approximately €970m. He also advised a client on the Star Inn Premium hotel development in Heidelberg, and, since summer 2016, he has been assisting Berufsbildungswerk Hamburg with a residence project. In Berlin, Marc Biebelheimer continues to act for MIB Immobilien und Beteiligungen in various construction and architect are law matters pertaining to the development of commercial properties.

With offices in Berlin and Frankfurt, Baker McKenzie’s team has a strong profile for infrastructure and plant engineering work. Susanne Mertens and counsel Stephan Götze continue to act for Berlin Brandenburg Airport in damage claim proceedings and contentious contract supplement matters, while also advising several regional organisations on refugee accommodation issues. In Frankfurt, Jürgen Schramke, Jörg Risse and Ragnar Harbst have been representing a technology company in a number of arbitration and litigation proceedings, including complex plant engineering and cross-border elements, amounting to several billion euros.

Focused on white-collar crime, Bornheim und Partner’s seven-strong team is dedicated to construction law. Its scope spans from private and public construction law to plant engineering, architecture and engineering law and it also covers PPP projects. This wide-ranging expertise makes for a steady flow of advisory instructions pertaining to shopping centres, office buildings, stadiums, hospitals and technical facilities: recently, the team advised the relevant project developers on construction law matters in connection with the two shopping centres Forum Duisburg and Boulevard Berlin, and assisted an overhead line construction company with the development of the Erfurt - Halle/Leipzig ICE line.

In 2016, CBH Rechtsanwälte Cornelius, Bartenbach, Haesemann & Partner received its first instruction from a German insurance association, which Markus Vogelheim continues to advise on contract law matters arising from the construction of its headquarters. In another new instruction, Nils Mrazek has been assisting a consortium consisting of Swiss planning offices with a general planner contract for the new campus of a pharmaceutical company. Together with Arnd Holzapfel, Manfred Haesemann, Stefan Hertwig and Eike Najork, Vogelheim and Mrazek also provide regular advice to Kölner Verkehrsbetriebe on matters pertaining to the underground construction project Nord-Süd Stadtbahn.

Frankfurt-based Stefan Löchner and Düsseldorf partner Michael J.R. Kremer are Clifford Chance’s key contacts for construction law matters. While Löchner has been providing advice to Logistis Luxembourg, Kremer continues to act for Bayer and Thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions. In conjunction with colleagues from the real estate team, the practice also assists a number of project developers with construction law issues, including Christian Keilich’s advice to Unibail-Radamcos on the development of certain areas within Hamburg’s HafenCity.

FPS puts significant emphasis on building construction work but also has experience in handling plant engineering mandates. Team head Stephan Jüngst advised a joint venture on private and public construction law alongside architecture law matters arising from the construction of a large retail property in Frankfurt. Other regular instructions include assisting various clients with model contracts. Berlin-based Christian Hubatsch was made salaried partner in March 2017 and advised an IT services provider on a plant engineering contract pertaining to the construction of a new logistics centre with a total value of over €21m. Klaus Schneider retired in April 2017.

GSK Stockmann’s client roster includes a number of new clients in the residence and office property sectors. This includes Oda Wedemeyer’s instruction to advise the MassMutual Financial Group, Barings and Barings Real Estate Advisers on the Budapester Straße 35 project in Berlin, including its demolition and redevelopment. In other significant work, Jan Kehrberg assisted Hendrik van Caems with the development of a city district in Berlin-Lichtenfeld consisting of 900 residential units, one school and other facilities. Munich-based Stefan Schlapka and Berlin-based Philip Huperz were made local partners in early 2017.

Much of Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek’s work pertains to project development, infrastructure projects and the construction of energy-related facilities. Since 2014, Juliane Reichelt has been advising Allianz Real Estate on the Cologne-based office building project Coeur Cologne and the residential and commercial development An der Alster in Hamburg. Since late 2016, Stephan Freund has been assisting Gascade Gastransport with construction law contracts pertaining to the construction of the EUGAL pipeline, and Armin Freiherr von Grießenbeck acts for long-term client Edeka Grundstücksgesellschaft Nordbayern-Thüringen in construction matters concerning the new distribution centre Berbersdorf. In other work, he advised Niedersachsen Ports on the renewal of various port facilities. Munich-based Steffen Wilberg was made salaried partner in January 2017.

Having specialist expertise in infrastructure and energy projects, Hogan Lovells International LLP’s Christian Knütel continues to advise on the Merkur offshore wind farm project, having been instructed by the eponymous association, which, in 2016, included project contract assistance. Tobias Faber acted for an investor consortium from the energy-from-waste sector before the Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects in matters pertaining to the construction and operation of a waste-to-energy power plant. Other key clients include Meridiam Infrastructure, Enel and Strabag.

Loschelder’s seven dedicated construction lawyers, including the frequently recommended Walter Klein, who demonstrates ‘a very high service level’, are best known for advising on retail and infrastructure projects and also handle contentious work. Recent work includes advising the Nord-Süd Stadtbahn consortium on construction law matters based in Cologne and representing the client in litigation for the collapse of the city archive, as well as assisting Köln Bonn Airport with various construction and conversion planning projects including arbitration and litigation matters. The Hahn Group receives nationwide advice on the construction of retail parks, while Hochtief instructed the team to advise on the 4Elements project in Düsseldorf and MaxCologne in Cologne. Bilfinger frequently retains the team to act in construction litigation.

Praised for its ‘high service level’, Luther Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH provides clients with ‘high-quality advice and outstanding results’, leaving them ‘in good hands’ when instructing the recommended contract lawyer Ole-Jochen Melchior, who ‘implements legal analysis into goal-oriented actions’, and construction management lawyer Claudia Schoppen, who is noted for her ‘sound construction and planning law expertise’, among others. Since autumn 2016, Henner-Matthias Puppel and Björn Arndt have been advising Peakside Capital on the renovation of the listed Fernsprecheamt Schlüterstraße in Hamburg, and assisting Peakside Forum with the project development of a commercial and office property in Landsberger Allee in Berlin. In July 2016, Berlin-based Katja Schwenzfeier was elevated to the partnership.

Much of Noerr’s workload pertains to plant engineering and building renovation matters: Dirk Lentfer and Volker Bock continue to advise an international sports and music entertainment company on the construction of an entertainment district in Berlin. In new work, Bock is providing an international insurance company with a legal opinion for a failed power plant project. Stefan Weise handles various plant engineering and contractual matters for a number of building construction projects.

In 2016, Gary Klaft’s team at Orth Kluth Rechtsanwälte was particularly active in contentious construction law: he represented Implenia Spezialtiefbau in its arbitration action against the main contractor of a large infrastructure project in Norway with regards to a seven-digit closing balance. René Runte represented Strabag in its assertion of residual wage claims against Technische Betriebe Leverkusen pertaining to road repair work. In the non-contentious space, the team assisted 6B47 Real Estate Investors with the project management of its high-rise building project Cascada in Frankfurt, with completion in January 2017. Bilfinger Infrastructure, Hartmann Architekten and Paul Wurth Umwelttechnik are also among the team’s new clients.

Berlin-based Stassen LLP Rechtsanwälte und Notare has a strong profile for advising public contracting authorities, architecture and planning firms and private real estate companies. Highlights included advising a Berlin-based general planner on the renovation and revitalisation of six shopping centres including contractual matters, with Florian Diestelmann in the lead, and Anne Schönbrunn’s extrajudicial representation of Gplant Architekten + Ingenieure in fee claims. Anke Maria Bogen, who was made partner in April 2017, acted for an architecture firm in negotiations with a construction company over general planning services for the construction of approximately 370 new flats.

With a focus on plant engineering, the team at Taylor Wessing received a boost when Carsten Schulz and Timo Stellpflug moved across from the firm’s TMT department; they frequently advise on the construction of technical facilities alongside network and infrastructure development issues, which includes several instructions by Nordex. Michael Baumhauer advises Becker Marine Systems on contractual matters concerning the development of mobile LNG power generators for ships. In the contentious arena, Janina Pochhammer represented Senvion against claims for compensation and damage payments brought by Mammoet, which arose from an offshore wind project in Australia, and Martin Launer defended the engineering company W. v. d. Heyde against claims stemming from the supply of a Spectro tester for the automotive industry. Schottel and long-term client Blohm + Voss are also part of the team’s roster.

With particular expertise in the health, retail and hotel industries, Zirngibl advises a broad range of clients, including private companies, architecture and engineering firms as well as public sector players. Lars Adler advises a private hospital operator on a general transfer contract for the construction of a new hospital, and, in a separate matter, he acted for a hospital in Nordrhein-Westfalen on various construction law matters. Andreas Dingler assists an investment company specialising in residential real estate and micro-living with a renovation and new building project, and provides regular and long-term advice to a communal housing construction company. In the Munich office, Patrick Gasch was made partner, while Alexandra Feiner was elevated to pre-partner level. Gasch defends a public sector body against fee and damage claims brought by a general planner.

Gleiss Lutz is particularly active in project development and contentious work. Christoph Moench continues to advise CG Gröner on the renovation of the Postbank tower in Berlin, while Bernhard Busch provides regular advice to Hornbach Immobilien on the development of DIY and garden centres. As a new highlight, the team has been assisting WerkBundStadt with its major housing development Am Spreebord in Berlin. With the passing away of Hans Schlarmann in January 2017, the firm lost a renowned construction law partner.

Ulrich Werner heads the team at Hecker, Werner, Himmelreich, which puts significant focus on real estate development work. Recently, the practice handled various construction, renovation and procurement matters for the University of Cologne. As well as public sector clients, the team also receives regular instructions from engineering and architecture firms alongside developers.

The team at Koeble Donus Fuhrmann Locher Schotten Zahn Rechtsanwälte consists of seven dedicated construction lawyers, who handle a broad range of contentious and non-contentious private and public construction law work including architecture and engineering law as well as project development mandates. Key contact Wolfgang Koeble is noted for his litigation expertise.

The team at Munich-based firm Kraus, Sienz & Partner consists of six dedicated construction and architect lawyers, who handle a broad range of private construction law, architect and engineering law matters alongside project management work. Apart from its advisory capabilities, the team also includes a number of arbitrators and mediators, who act for clients in claim enforcement and defence proceedings. In October 2016, associate Julian Stahl moved to Lutz | Abel Rechtsanwalts GmbH.

Building construction mandates constitute a key portion of Lenz und Johlen’s workload along with instructions for the construction of production facilities. Team head Thomas Elsner advised Goodmills Deutschland on the development of a new site for a mill constituting of a number of mill, storage and administration buildings as well as a grain and flour silo. Philipp Libert continues to assist the corporation Moderne Stadt with the development of the harbour district Deutzer Hafen in Cologne, while Alexander Beutling advised the Bernd Reiter Group on the conception of the residential area Rheintal Quartier. In other work, he advised Neuss-Düsseldorfer Häfen on the development of a mixed residential area and various business locations in the industrial harbour.

Götz Mezger, Andreas Helm and Benjamin Gartz are the key contacts for construction law matters at Wagensonner. The team is particularly active in handling project development and renovation matters as part of its building construction work but it also deals with technical facilities. Recently, Helm advised a business group from the automotive sector on general planning and general contractor contracts for several projects in major German cities, and acted for Mezger Daldrup und Söhne in contract negotiations. Berlin-based Ulrich Reblin has been representing a public sector client in judicial and extrajudicial disputes.