CMS is a highly regarded address for environmental and planning law and as such covers an impressive number of topics, with the team having particular in-depth expertise in infrastructure matters, network expansion as well as in energy, hydrogen, immission control, construction planning and waste law; with Fritz von Hammerstein, the team also fields an expert in mining law. Furthermore, the practice acts in numerous planning approval, approval and admission proceedings, such as Christiane Kappes in defending the Feste Fehmarnbeltquerung. Clara Volkert also handles various proceedings for German and international companies, for instance in relation to water production. Neele Ann Christiansen, who focuses on general planning law as well as nature and species protection law, made partner in January 2022. Christian Scherer and Ursula Steinkemper jointly head the team from Cologne and Stuttgart respectively.

Dolde Mayen & Partner's excellent expertise and decades of experience in environmental and planning is applied in numerous court proceedings, statements on planned legislation and environmental assessments; the team is led by Winfried Porsch and Markus Deutsch and primarily advises well-known companies, but also the public sector on federal, state and local level. The practice's expertise extends across all facets of environmental law, including immission control, nuclear and radiation protection law and nature conservation. Bernd Schieferdecker is a sought-after contact for water law matters, while Klaus-Peter Dolde is considered an expert in environmental law and has extensive experience in waste management issues. In addition, the team has the capacity to provide advice on transport infrastructure, line expansion and energy generation.

As one of the leading practices for German environmental and planning law, Noerr impresses with a high-profile client base and its assistance with promising and forward-looking projects: one of the team's core competencies is its advice to the federal government and federal states, for instance in the context of the coal phase-out. Furthermore, the group frequently assists cities with urban development measures, with Christian Alexander Mayer standing out in particular due to his expertise in transport matters and alternative mobility. With regards to renewable energy generation and energy infrastructure projects, the practice acts on behalf of energy suppliers, investors and project developers and advises, for example, on the realization, acquisition and financing of wind farms. In addition, the team is not only experienced in general environmental law, but also in the product-related area and advises an international automotive supplier and recycling company among others. Due to his experience in European and constitutional law, Holger Schmitz is a sought-after expert for politically relevant projects, while Christof Federwisch, who is well versed in planning, construction and environmental law, advises on approval proceedings and environmental impact assessments.

Led by Frank Fellenberg, Redeker Sellner Dahs' renowned environmental and planning law practice advises cities, ministries and federal states as well as companies in the automotive, chemical and energy sectors on immission control, (product-related) environmental law, mining law, compliance and the planning of road and rail projects, airports and waterways. The team is also well versed in procedural issues and litigation, especially for project developers and approval authorities. Highly regarded planning lawyer Olaf Reidt focuses on urban development projects including special properties, while Kathrin Dingemann, who made partner in January 2022, advises on product-related issues among other matters.

Gleiss Lutz' environmental and planning law practice is continuously expanding its involvement in large-scale planning law proceedings and not only advises German and international companies and the public sector, but is also regularly consulted by other practice groups such as corporate/M&A, antitrust, energy, compliance and real estate. Not least thanks to the experience of practice head Marc Ruttloff, the practice features further expertise in product-related environmental law and in issues concerning supply chains and related problems. Burghard Hildebrandt focuses on compliance entailing public law aspects, while Eva Koch specialises in state aid and subsidy law.

Under the leadership of Christoph Riese, GÖRG Partnerschaft von Rechtsanwälten mbB's team assists companies and the public sector with planning and realisation of industrial plants, infrastructure projects and energy management projects, such as the approval and planning of power plants and districts and the advice to federal and state ministries on energy law and energy efficiency matters. Clients also turn to the practice in issues relating to water, nature conservation and immission control law, as well as in the context of environmental litigation.

GvW Graf von Westphalen has in-depth expertise in planning approval law, but also has extensive experience in advising commercial and industrial companies and the waste management sector on immission control law and general environmental law. Furthermore, the team also assists municipalities, various ministries and airports and applies its planning approval expertise in numerous complex infrastructure projects. Dominik Greinacher joined from ADVANT Beiten in July 2021 and, in addition to environmental and planning law, also focuses on energy law issues. Ronald Steiling has longstanding litigation experience and advises both authorities and companies.

The environmental and planning law team at Hengeler Mueller advises its clients on planning approval and approval procedures as well as on complex infrastructure and construction projects, but has particularly extensive expertise in industry-related environmental law and assists companies withsoil protection, water and waste law issues as well as with dealing with pollutants; Vera Jungkind is particularly experienced in these areas. Environmental product compliance advice, where Fabian Quast is active, and increasingly ESG issues, for which Jan Bonhage is the key contact, represent further focuses for the practice.

Lenz und Johlen's sizeable team is a sought-after advisor, especially on site security and expansion matters, immission control, water law and for assisting leading wind farm operators in Germany. Planning law support for large urban residential and city districts represents another mainstay and is regularly called upon by industrial companies, project developers, retail companies, federal offices, municipalities and cities. The team is headed by construction and planning law expert Rainer Voß and Inga Schwertner, who is experienced in environmental law; the latter has special expertise in the areas of emergency operations, the Seveso III Directive and water and soil protection law.

Assistance with complex planning and approval proceedings for large energy and infrastructure projects is an important pillar of Linklaters's practice, with its team having a particular focus on network expansion matters and also representing them in court if necessary. The group further specialises in cross-practice advice on ESG, chemicals law, EU taxonomy and transactions entailing environmental and planning aspects. Practice head Markus Appel is a highly regarded environmental and planning lawyer and is primarily involved in proceedings related to the energy transition, climate protection and environmental law issues.

Baker McKenzie impresses with product-related environmental law expertise in cross-border issues and is particularly active in advising on supply chains of international corporations; the group can also rely on seamless cooperation with foreign law firms. Led by Marc Gabriel, the team also regularly assists with real estate transactions and their financing and has further experience in contaminated site and land law issues.

BBG und Partner advises on environmental and planning law aspects of numerous infrastructure projects and is thus involved in road construction and port infrastructure projects, among others; the support of energy transition is another focus, with instructions particularly often pertaining to all project phases of offshore and onshore wind farms. In addition to companies, the client base further includes authorities, municipalities, cities and ministries, which also draw upon the team's dispute resolution expertise in environmental and planning litigation. Most recently, the practice was increasingly active in assisting state and federal ministries with matters concerning new forms of mobility and the hydrogen economy. The Bremen-based team is jointly headed by Peter Schütte, Malte Kohls, Christoph Meitz and Ulrike Kohls.

In the context of environmental law, DLA Piper primarily assists with industrial accidents, environmental and groundwater contamination, immission control law and hazardous substances and was recently also instructed to advise on environmental and waste law aspects of the export of paper sludge; the practice features additional expertise in representing automobile manufacturers in climate protection litigation. Practice head Ludger Giesberts is well versed in planning law, among other matters, while Guido Kleve and counsel Thilo Streit advise on environmental law issues; Streit is particularly experienced in waste law.

Hoffmann Liebs' environmental and planning law capacities feature special expertise in soil protection and contaminated sites law, with the team advising on land recycling and the development of brownfield sites among other matters. The practice further represents industrial companies from the chemical or renewable energy sectors in approval proceedings and assists with public investigation and remediation agreements. The team is headed by Volker Hoffmann who advises extensively on the whole array of classic environmental law.

Kapellmann und Partner regularly advises on land-use planning, regional planning law, immission control approval proceedings, PPP projects and urban development contracts; the practice also possesses expertise in environmental liability issues and nature conservation law. In the field of renewable energies, the group is frequently instructed to assist with the zoning of wind farms. Hendrik Schilder acts with a focus on development plan procedures as well as immission control approval proceedings and jointly heads the practice with construction lawyer Christian Bönker, who has expertise in planning and approval law issues. Stefan Pützenbacher is well versed in construction planning, building regulations and environmental law.

Taylor Wessing impresses with its expertise in building planning advice to the retail industry as well as in airport planning, regulatory compliance issues and health and energy law. The practice further assists domestic and international clients with product-related environmental issues related to the import and marketability of goods. In addition to infrastructure projects, Norbert Kämper's consulting practice also includes immission control law, soil protection and contaminated site law as well as commercial administrative law.

Due to its integration into the global law firm network, Allen & Overy LLP's team mainly acts in cross-practice and cross-border matters: advice on environmental and planning approval aspects of M&A or private equity transactions is just as much a part of the group's expertise as emissions trading and chemicals regulation as well as water and energy law. As a specialist lawyer for public procurement, Frankfurt-based practice head Udo Herbert Olgemöller has extensive expertise across the entire spectrum of public law.

Franßen & Nusser Rechtsanwälte PartGmbB's broad client base includes companies, associations and ministries and can rely on the team's relevant specialization in waste management and waste law. Here, the practice particularly focuses on immission control approval proceedings, planning proceedings for landfills as well as on recycling management law issues. The team is headed by Gregor Franßen, who assists his clients both in an advisory capacity and with litigation.

Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partner focuses on environmental, chemical and substance law as well as public building law. Olaf Konzak and his team apply their waste law expertise particularly often in matters pertaining to the Packaging Act and represent numerous companies in approval and objection proceedings. Advising national and international companies on public building and construction planning law as well as public procurement represent further mainstays of the practice.

HFK Rechtsanwälte LLP has recently been able to further expand its planning law advice on rail infrastructure projects, quarter developments as well as smart city models; here, the team cooperates across practices to assist with energy and transport transition projects as well as with the development of residential buildings and mixed quarters. Till Kemper, Wulf Clausen and Jörg Stoye jointly lead the practice.

Köchling & Krahnefeld Rechtsanwälte Partnerschaft mbB's environmental and planning law expertise is primarily applied in the context of environmentally relevant infrastructure projects, power grid expansion, the construction of industrial and waste disposal plants as well as in raw material extraction projects. The team, led by Lutz Krahnefeld, Markus Ehrmann and Claire Pröbstle, regularly handles projects from planning over approval to its realisation phase and is also very familiar with environmental litigation.

Kümmerlein's nationwide public law practice regularly advises approval authorities on large-scale energy transition projects, while the team's expertise in approval proceedings involving public participation is also called upon by companies. Particularly experienced here are Bettina Keienburg, who is also adept at large-scale mining and water law projects, and Stefan Wiesendahl, who has expertise in environmental impact assessments. Michael Neupert specializes in advising on decarbonization and Industry 4.0 projects as well as on hydrogen use regulation.

Oppenländer Rechtsanwälte's environmental and planning law practice advises not only companies but also ministries and state governments on a wide range of environmental and regional planning law issues. The extraction of raw materials plays an important role in advising industrial clients and in particular the gravel sector. The team also has experience in proceedings before administrative courts and the ECJ. Christofer Lenz and Torsten Gerhard jointly head the practice.

PAULY Rechtsanwälte covers all aspects of waste law, including product responsibility, packaging law and cross-border waste shipments. Refineries, materials manufacturers, disposal companies, but also retailers, food and other product manufacturers are among its key clients. Notably, the practice has assisted various German dual systems with numerous packaging law model proceedings. Markus Pauly leads the team from Cologne and has over 30 years of experience in environmental law.

Pohlmann & Company's international team is headed by Horst Schlemminger and Uwe Erling and has expertise in environmental crisis management, environmental compliance, climate protection and emissions trading law. The client base includes companies from the aviation, energy and chemical sectors. Furthermore, the team is well versed in environmental claim management, administrative and judicial proceedings and environmental remediation projects.

Rittershaus focuses on advising on urban planning projects, energy projects as well as securing and developing sites; here, the group is able to cover the entire value chain of a property in cooperation with the firm's real estate and construction experts. With the arrival of Wolfgang Patzelt (nature and species protection, water, soil protection, monument protection and immission control law as well as planning approvals), Daniel Pfluger (public building and environmental law), Thomas Hartl ( land use and building permit proceedings) and Ulrich Loetz (urban planning projects as well as energy, nature and species protection law, water, soil protection, monument protection and immission control law) from Arnecke Sibeth Dabelstein, the team significantly expanded both its environmental and planning law capacities. Practice head Hartmut Fischer has experience in land use matters.

Zenk Rechtsanwälte maintains long-term relationships with its clients which include companies, federal and state ministries, cities, municipalities and associations. In addition to infrastructure projects, the construction and modernization of industrial plants and residential planning and developments, the practice's expertise also includes building permit and planning approval proceedings as well as objection, claim and summary proceedings. The group is led by Ralf Hüting, Wolfgang Hopp, Martin Düwel and Kostja von Keitz.