CMS comprehensively advises on M&A and regulatory matters, which was recently demonstrated in advising the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection on measures to support gas companies that are significant for market stability as well as assisting Iberdrola with the development of the 476th MW Baltic Eagle offshore wind farm project. The team also advises on topics pertaining to LNG terminals, hydrogen, e-mobility and photovoltaics. Practice head Ursula Steinkemper advises national and international companies as well as public institutions on public law with a focus on environmental and planning law; Fritz von Hammerstein complements  this with expertise in the mining sector. Competition law expert Rolf Hempel is another key contact and regularly represents clients in administrative and appeal procedures.

Gleiss Lutz full-service approach offers national energy companies, investors and the public sector expertise in topics pertaining to offshore wind, PV, hydrogen, e-mobility and infrastructure. Cornelia Topf, who is well versed in M&A matters, and public law expert Jacob von Andreae jointly head the team. Most recent instructions include matters pertaining to the energy crisis, such as gas supply shortfalls and energy price caps as well as project work in the energy storage and green hydrogen sectors. Associate Lisa Kappler is experienced in public commercial law and recently assisted with M&A transactions as well as matters pertaining to the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act and ESG-related compliance as well as the implementation and enforcement of energy price caps.

Hengeler Mueller‘s energy and natural resources team routinely cooperates with its other practices and international firms from the best friends network and comprehensively covers transactions and regulatory matters. Key competencies include the assistance with large infrastructure projects and disputes as well as advising on geopolitical influences such as the war in Ukraine; these are regularly called upon by financial investors, energy companies and transmission grid operators. Key contacts in the regulatory segment include Dirk Uwer, Jörg Meinzenbach and Daniel Zimmer, who are experienced in civil and public law proceedings in the gas and power supply sectors as well as in advising on infrastructure and grid projects. In the transaction area, Nicolas Böhm, Jens Wenzel and Sebastian Schneider focus on renewable energies. Moritz Rademacher (regulatory law) joined Kümmerlein at the beginning of 2024.

Boutique Becker Büttner Held, Rechtsanwälte Wirtschaftsprüfer Steuerberater focuses on the energy and infrastructure sectors and follows an interdisciplinary approach, thus covering related construction and real estate law issues. The core focus remains on regulatory topics, including the advice on grid access and merger control issues; Christian Theobald is a key contact for the latter two. Grid operators, municipalities and ministries as well as national and international companies call upon these competencies, which are complemented by sectoral expertise in the power, heating, e-mobility and hydrogen segments. Transactions and structuring expert Christian Held is experienced in the hydrogen sector. Juliane Kaspers (heating projects) returned to the firm in early 2024; she was previously at energy boutique Aecoute, which she co-founded.

Clifford Chance's energy and infrastructure practice assists energy services providers, project developers and financial investors with regulatory issues, national and international transactions as well as project developments and financing. The sector focus is on hydrogen, with similar expertise in advising on LNG, photovoltaics, solar and offshore wind projects as well as conventional energy matters. Practice head Mathias Elspaß is well versed in public law and is supported by M&A experts Anselm Raddatz and Markus Stephanblome as well as Florian Mahler; the latter is the co-head of the global projects team and a key contact for large-volume financing matters.

Dentons' energy team offers expertise in transactions and project work, including related financing with frequent ties to ​​renewable energies, as well as advising on LNG and conventional energy projects. Among the key contacts for transactions is practice head and offshore wind expert Thomas Schubert, while Gabriele Haas and Florian-Alexander Wesche are experienced in regulatory matters, another core focus of the practice. Here, recent instructions pertain to security of supply and price caps. The client roster includes energy suppliers, energy-intensive companies, energy providers and energy customers, which the team also advises on interfacing antitrust law matters as well as on e-mobility and charging infrastructure. Transaction experts Thomas Dörmer and Tim Heitling joined Hogan Lovells International LLP in January 2024.

DLA Piper advises across practices and various sectors and recently increasingly assisted with matters in the onshore and offshore wind, e-mobility and interfacing real estate segments, whereas a traditional focus remains on the gas sector. The key competencies include transactions and (international) project work, energy contract and energy trading law as well as energy regulation, here, practice head Michael Cieslarczyk boasts with relevant expertise; interfacing financing matters are covered by Wolfram Distler. In July 2023, Christopher Ollech was appointed counsel, he is well versed in project developments and contracts and regularly advises on issues pertaining to the EEG levy.

Energy suppliers, project developers, financial investors, banks as well as states regularly call upon Linklaters' energy sector expertise in the transactions context, where Jens Hollinder Bäumer and practice head Thomas Schulz are among the key contacts. This is complemented by regulatory expertise, thereby advising on emissions trading and security of energy supply. The team also assists with transaction-related financing issues and dispute resolution and covers various sectors, including oil and gas, nuclear power, LNG, hydrogen and renewable energies as well as energy storage systems and e-mobility. Counsel Julia Sack is another key contact and is experienced in transactions and joint ventures.

Norton Rose Fulbright 's competencies cover transactions, project work and financing, which are frequently called upon by financial investors, banks and energy companies in the context of charging infrastructure for electric cars, geothermal, hydrogen and solar energy as well as offshore wind. Klaus Bader heads the firm's European energy practice and routinely assists with cross-border M&A and private equity transactions in the geothermal energy sector. Related financing topics are covered by Dirk Trautmann, who is regularly instructed by lenders, sponsors and borrowers. The arrival of M&A expert Maximilian Findeisen from Eversheds Sutherland in September 2022 strengthened the practice's expertise in the transactions space.

Watson Farley & Williams LLP impresses with its expertise in transactions and related regulatory issues. The advice focuses on the offshore wind sector, but also covers LNG, hydrogen, waste-to-energy and geothermal energy projects. Malte Jordan regularly takes the lead here; he advises on M&A transactions and corporate restructuring and is regularly instructed by investors, project developers and banks on financing and investment matters. Jordan jointly heads the team with Thomas Hollenhorst, who has banking and capital markets expertise and routinely advises on the financing structuring of energy and infrastructure projects. Regulatory issues are covered by Thorsten Volz (also M&A) frequently advises on regulatory matters pertaining to power plant projects and grid infrastructure as well as renewable energies, emissions trading and joint ventures.

Baker McKenzie is experienced in transactions and project support and focuses on the renewable energy sector. Recent instructions include the advice on matters pertaining to solar energy, waste-to-hydrogen as well as on- and offshore wind; other recent topics include battery storage and charging infrastructure. Practice heads Claire Dietz-Polte and Holger Engelkamp are regularly instructed by utility companies, financial and infrastructure investors as well as PE houses in the context of transactions. This is complemented by regulatory expertise, where Janet Kerstin Butler as well as Dietz-Polte are key contacts for advising on transaction and project-related matters pertaining to unbundling requirements and grid infrastructure. The practice also assists with managing supply contracts and financing issues. M&A expert Silke Gantzckow joined Eversheds Sutherland in April 2023.

Boutique Chatham Partners LLP is renowned for its regulatory expertise in the context of large project developments and recently strengthened its transaction know-how with the addition of Malte Bever in December 2022 (previously at Hogan Lovells International LLP ). The arrival of Daniel Reichert-Facilides as senior sounsel in early 2023 (previously at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer) underlines the expertise in interfacing financing matters. Among the client roster are project developers, energy companies and investment companies, which instruct the team on topics pertaining to solar, PV, wind and hydrogen energy as well as battery storage. Practice head Felix Fischer frequently advises on issues in the offshore wind sector, while he also handles renewable energy matters. He is supported by Marieke Lüdecke, who was appointed partner in April 2023 and is experienced in project-related contract design.

Dolde Mayen & Partner's regulatory expertise in matters pertaining to grid access, grid operator unbundling as well as grid access remuneration is a key strength of the team, which also advises on energy projects, including interfacing environmental and planning law matters. Another mainstay is the representation of clients, including grid operators, energy suppliers and municipalities, before the Federal Network Agency and relevant antitrust courts. Practice head Christian Stelter (public commercial law, energy and raw materials) recently took over the practice management from Winfried Porsch (environmental and planning law); Porsch remains a key contact.

Latham & Watkins LLP's transaction-related expertise is mirrored in the practice management, where Tobias Larisch routinely advises investors and project developers as well as energy and industrial companies on national and cross-border transactions in the gas, oil, nuclear power, hydrogen and renewable energy sectors as well as battery storage. This focus was further strengthened in May 2023 with the addition of M&A expert Alexander Stefan Rieger from Hogan Lovells International LLP. Related regulatory and conflict-related issues are handled across practices.

Pinsent Masons Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater Solicitors Partnerschaft mbB focuses on the sectors hydrogen, e-mobility, wind and bioenergy and advises national and international clients on energy regulatory issues, including grid access, price adjustment and emissions trading. The team also offers support in cross-border transactions and advises on market entry, including interfacing matters. This cross-practice expertise is called upon in the context of Smart City projects. Practice head Sönke Gödeke is well versed in corporate law as well as energy law. Christian Lütkehaus (project development and support) joined CTSP Legal in August 2023.

Ashurst LLP 's projects & energy practice, led by Maximilian Uibeleisen, supports national and international investors, project developers and energy companies in transactions and joint ventures and focuses on ​​renewable energies, as well regulatory matters, such as grid remuneration, the energy price cap and compliance. Other mainstays are the advice on power purchase agreements and interfacing financing matters.

With the move of former practice head Werner Brickwedde (transactions, joint ventures) to Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP in April 2023, Eversheds Sutherland‘s practice is now led by Martin Weitenberg, who is experienced in transactions, regulatory matters as well as contract-related issues, such as power supply agreements and energy price caps. The team's overall focus on transactions was further strengthened with the addition of the two corporate and M&A experts Silke Gantzckow from Baker McKenzie in May 2023 and Steffen Schniepp from PwC Legal (PricewaterhouseCoopers Legal AG Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft) at the end of 2022. The practice focuses on the renewable energy sector.

Led by Martin Hamer (environmental law) and Dieter Neumann (project development), Greenberg Traurig Germany focuses on project support, which includes contract drafting, joint venture structures as well as financing and regulatory matters. The team is regularly instructed by financial services providers and energy companies on renewable energy projects as well as issues pertaining to the oil and gas sectors. Martin Borning is another key contact and recently advised on energy and raw materials trading, charging infrastructure as well as synthetic fuels and hydrogen projects.

Boutique LEITFELD Richter Schellberg Schleifenbaum Sieberg Rechtsanwälte specialises in regulated industries and advises energy suppliers and, to a lesser extent, energy-intensive industries and public sector clients on all matters pertaining to the production, storage and distribution of power as well as regulated network operations. In addition to energy law issues, the team also covers planning and antitrust law as well as clients' representation. Thilo Richter is a key contact and focuses on interfacing regulatory, constitutional and Union law matters in the context of decarbonisation.

Redeker Sellner Dahs fields regulatory expert and practice head Stephan Gerstner and specialises in regulatory issues pertaining to renewable energies, such as hydrogen and offshore wind. Other competencies include the advice on planning procedures and litigation.

Rittershaus demonstrates expertise in the wind and photovoltaic energy sectors, where the team advises energy companies, project developers, investors and municipalities on transactions, tenancy law issues in connection with utility contracts as well as service contracts in the context of plant construction. Practice head Wolfgang Patzelt is a key contact for project-related construction law issues, including approval procedures and litigation.