Osborne Clarke appoints five new partners in Germany

Osborne Clarke has appointed five new partners in Germany with effect from 1 January 2019. Dr Johannes Ballestrem (IP law), Dr Daniel Breuer (Energy law), Dr Sebastian Hack (Competition law), Dr Jens Schefzig (Data Protection law) and Dr Daniel Walter (Banking and Finance law) have entered into the partnership. In 2018/2019 the firm appointed eight counsels in total. Osborne Clarke in Germany now has more than 150 lawyers, including 52 partners and 16 counsels in its offices in Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne and Munich.

Managing Partner Carsten Schneider is delighted that the legal practice could promote five new partners from its own ranks. He said: "Every new partner brings specific know-how in technical industry sectors and can provide cross-industrial advice on digitalisation topics. Our interdisciplinary teams know the challenges companies face when it comes to digital change. Our new partners have contributed to our excellent reputation regarding these topics with their outstanding work. They have all taken part in the strategic implementation of digitalisation projects in their respective areas."

Dr. Johannes Graf Ballestrem advises on industrial property rights focussing on patent law and the Unfair Competition Act. Following his promotion, he will be in charge of developing the patent litigation practice. He particularly works with companies in the Transport and Automotive sector and advises on, amongst others, issues regarding autonomous and connected vehicles. He studied in Bonn, Paris and Lausanne, and has worked as a lawyer in the Cologne office of Osborne Clarke since 2013.

Dr. Daniel Breuer advises companies and energy sector associations on energy regulation, structuring, transactions and on the operative asset management of renewable projects, as well as in the electricity and control energy commercialization. He is regularly involved in regulated disputes and has special expertise in legal advice regarding the digitalisation of the energy sector, i.e. in the support of new business models and on legal issues of IT security. He has worked as a lawyer for Osborne Clarke in the Cologne office since 2013.

Dr. Sebastian Hack advises on innovative digital business and cooperation models, including the access and usage of data and the digitalisation of trade. Additionally, he particularly advices on research and development cooperations and on technology transfer agreements. He represents companies in antitrust proceedings and advises on antirust compliance, as well as on national and international merger control procedures. He studied in Pittsburgh, New York and London and joined Osborne Clarke in 2016.

Dr. Jens Schefzig supports companies on creating value from their data and on compliance with data privacy laws. He has special expertise on data analysis, data supply chains, rights in data and access to data, as well as on the development of data management systems. As a former business consultant his advice is very implementation-oriented. Furthermore, he helps his clients to realise innovative digital business models. He joined Osborne Clarke's Hamburg office in 2014.

Dr. Daniel Walter advises finance and payment institutions on banking supervisory regulations, payment transaction law and financing. He particularly provides legal advice of companies from the FinTech industry with a focus on payments. He delivers legal guidance to numerous e-commerce companies on supervisory law issues and financing on the capital market. He studied in Marburg and in Aarhus, Denmark and joined the Osborne Clarke office in Cologne in 2011.

The Partner promotions emphasise Osborne Clarke Germany's focus on providing technology-oriented advice for companies with a particular focus on digitalisation as a central part of the company's strategy and further expansion into the market. The legal practice has built a specific team to provide innovative digital solutions for legal and project related issues across different industries and businesses. The company develops and delivers these solutions under the brand “Osborne Clarke Solutions” within the Osborne Clarke Services GmbH, a subsidiary of the partnership.