The current Legal 500 Ranking 2025 has been published. The law firm is recommended in a total of 13 practice areas. SKW Schwarz's inclusion in the Private Clients and Non-Profits category is particularly pleasing. We are also pleased about the firm's renewed top-tier rankings in the areas of media/entertainment, media/digital content and media/gaming.
We congratulate all lawyers recommended in the ranking:
IT-Transactions and Outsourcing:
Dr. Daniel Meßmer, Dr. Matthias Orthwein
“Daniel Meßmer acts as practice group head and is particularly in demand for IT law issues relating to contract drafting and negotiation. Data protection in the context of innovative business models is one of Matthias Orthwein's core areas.”
Trademark law:
Dr. Oliver Stöckel, Sandra Sophia Redeker
“The team is headed by Oliver Stöckel, who is primarily active in the life sciences and healthcare sectors and advises on the entire spectrum of soft IP. In addition to disputes, Sandra Sophia Redeker's core areas of expertise include the development of brand and design portfolios and acts at the interface with competition law.”
Competition law:
Dr. Markus Brock, Dr. Magnus Hirsch, Dr. Oliver Stöckel
“Oliver Stöckel is particularly active in the life sciences sector and heads the practice group, in which IP lawyers Markus Brock and Magnus Hirsch are among the other core contacts.”
Media – Entertainment:
Dr. Johann Heyde, Moritz Mehner, Dr. Andreas Peschel-Mehner
“Practice head Johann Heyde primarily advises film and television clients on the financing of their productions, copyright and personality rights issues and the distribution of their media. He also advises clients on publishing and music law. Andreas Peschel-Mehner offers further expertise in the area of film financing and is also frequently mandated by video-on-demand platforms and other digital clients on issues relating to usage concepts, the protection of minors and age verification, while Moritz Mehner, partner since January 2024, is an expert in e-sports law.”
Media – press & publishing law:
Dr. Johann Heyde, Dr. Konstantin Wegner
“Konstantin Wegner focuses on advising publishers on the risk of legal challenges to upcoming publications and represents clients in court when lawsuits are filed. He heads the group together with Johann Heyde, a specialist in the film and television sector.”
Public law – public procurement law:
René M. Kieselmann, Dr. Karin Deichmann, Dr. Mathias Pajunk
“The expertise in the latter area was recently demonstrated in a successful case before the Higher Regional Court of Thuringia, which concerned a sector exception in the awarding of rescue services; here, practice group head René Kieselmann often acts as lead counsel.”
Client reference:
“The strength of the team around René Kieselmann, Mathias Pajunk and Karin Deichmann lies in their willingness and ability to penetrate and analyze the client's interests as well as the particular characteristics of the respective business model.”
Private clients and non-profits:
Dr Gerd Seeliger, Dr Christoph Philipp
“SKW Schwarz complements its advisory capacities in strategic succession planning, which routinely consists of corporate, inheritance, tax and foundation law matters as well as contentious issues, with family law expertise. Wealthy private individuals, foundations and family companies rely on these interface competences in both national and cross-border contexts. Gerd Seeliger (inheritance and inheritance tax law, reorganisations and transformations, succession planning) heads the team. In November 2024, a three-person team led by Christoph Philipp (asset structuring as well as national and international succession planning) joined POELLATH.”
Commercial Litigation:
Martin Himme, Franziska Ladiges, Dr. Ulrich Reber, Arndt Tetzlaff
“Practice group head Arndt Tetzlaff is the central point of contact, in particular for companies, banks and insurance companies in directors' and officers' liability and product liability cases in international commercial law as well as in the area of post-M&A litigation. Other practice areas include civil law and insolvency-related disputes, which are the focus of Ulrich Reber, who is experienced in international commercial law. Franziska Ladiges focuses on disputes in IT and data protection law, while counsel Martin Himme has expertise in contract law disputes, product liability proceedings and damages litigation.”
Special congratulations go to Dr Daniel Meßmer and Moritz Mehner for being nominated in the ‘Next Generation Partner’ category.
The Legal 500 Germany provides a comprehensive overview of around 400 commercial law firms and 2,700 lawyers in Germany. The evaluation is based on extensive research, law firm interviews and client surveys.
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