Large national and international companies from the energy, industrial and healthcare sectors instruct Baker McKenzie on supply chain compliance, FDI issues as well as export control and sanctions law. The team impresses with regulatory expertise in compliance systems and investigation support. Practice head Anahita Thoms is experienced in​​ compliance and regularly assists with human rights and ESG issues. The advice on cross-border matters such as American and European sanctions against Russia as well as investment control law are also among Thoms’ competencies. She is supported by associate Kimberley Fischer (trade compliance, sustainability issues, export control).

BLOMSTEIN Rechtsanwälte comprehensively advises large companies across the infrastructure, TMT and energy sectors as well as public sector clients on sanctions, investment control and ESG issues. The advisory capacities are complemented by relevant litigation experience, where the team acts in investment control proceedings as well as tax and customs disputes. Roland Stein regularly takes the lead here; he is also well versed in sanctions law, export control and customs law and focuses on the energy sector. Pascal Friton primarily focuses on investment and merger control and advises national and international financial companies on cross-border transactions. ESG expert Florian Wolf made partner in October 2022 and has expertise in supply chain due diligence. At associate level, Laura Louca impresses with experience in compliance, including external investigations and voluntary disclosures, while Leonard Freiherr von Rummel focuses on sanctions and anti-dumping law.

Clifford Chance advises international corporations on investment control, supply chain compliance (LkSG) and ESG guidelines, while public sector clients request the practice’s expertise in drafting foreign trade laws and regulations. Thanks to a cross-practice approach, the practice is experienced in international market-shaping proceedings; here, investment control and arbitration specialist Moritz Keller is the key contact. The investment control and antitrust law expert Dmitri Slobodenjuk and compliance lawyer Thomas Voland, who also covers supply chain and ESG issues, are further key contacts.

CMS‘ foreign trade law competencies include sanctions law and investment control and are frequently requested in connection with the economic consequences of the EU sanctions against Russia. Clients from the TMT, financial and energy sectors instruct the team in the context of Russia exits, criminal proceedings and investigations as well as general compliance issues. The practice also advises public sector clients on investment control pertaining to energy security matters. Sanctions and export control issues are a core focus of Hermann Müller, who jointly heads the practice with investment control expert Kai Neuhaus.

Covington & Burling LLP internationally oriented FDI practice primarily focuses on investment and merger control. In close cooperation with the firm’s American CFIUS team, of counsel and practice head Horst Henschen (antitrust law, M&A and joint ventures) regularly supports cross-border transactions and also advises on customs law and compliance. Henschen is the sole practice head since September 2023; former co-head Peter Camesasca became self-employed.

Deloitte Legal Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH comprehensively covers foreign trade law and frequently supports automotive, pharmaceutical and industrial companies. Practice head Bettina Mertgen has expertise in customs and excise tax law and advises on investment control and trade compliance matters. Mertgen is also well versed in embargoes and sanctions and supports large companies such as Mercedes in their exits from Russia. A growth area is the advice on supply chain due diligence, where senior associate Philipp Hamann is a key contact.

Dentons‘ team impresses with expertise in investment and merger control, which is regularly requested by large corporations in international M&A transactions and joint ventures. Here, FDI expert Maria Brakalova advises clients on German and international foreign trade law matters; she is also experienced in related proceedings and investigations. Other mainstays are export control and sanctions law, where Julia Pfeil is a key contact for economic relations between China, Russia, Europe and the US. Pfeil is the sole practice head, former co-head and compliance expert Andreas Haak joined Pinsent Masons Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater Solicitors Partnerschaft mbB in late 2023.

DLA Piper foreign trade team focuses on export and investment control in the life sciences sector. Compliance and ESG expert Ludger Giesberts regularly supports large-scale cross-border transactions in the pharmaceutical sector in connection with customs law and investment control. He is also well versed in export control and increasingly assists companies with sanctions law, where he frequently joins forces with counsel Thilo Streit. Thomas Gädtke heads the practice and is experienced in international arbitration proceedings.

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP advises international clients on various investment control and sanctions law issues in close cooperation with the British and US locations. The two associates Nikita Malevanny and Jan Vollkammer are experts in ​​foreign trade law: while Malevanny regularly advises on EU sanctions and export control, Vollkammer primarily assists with FDI matters. Former practice head Michael Walther (export control) retired in January 2023.

Gleiss Lutz is experienced in sanctions and investment control and, thanks to the cross-practice cooperation, covers interfacing corporate, antitrust and public law matters. Clients also benefit from the close international network in the advice on sanctions, customs law and investment control in the US. Practice head Marc Rutloff and export control and customs law expert Burghard Hildebrandt regularly advise on compliance matters pertaining to the EU-wide Russia embargo. Jacob von Andreae is a key contact for investment control in connection with large-scale transactions. Counsel Eva Koch complements this with customs law expertise.

Hengeler Mueller cooperates closely with the criminal law and compliance teams and focuses on sanctions law and investment control in the infrastructure, TMT and financ sectors. Co-head Jan Bonhage routinely advises on investment control, while co-head and export control expert Vera Jungkind increasingly assists with sanctions law issues. Thanks to the criminal law expertise of Dirk Uwer and Wolfgang Spoerr, the team also covers foreign trade law investigations and criminal proceedings.

Linklaters specialises in investment control and advises on regulatory compliance as well as approval procedures and merger control filings. Here, practice head and merger control expert Christoph Barth regularly supports transactions of Chinese investment funds. Thanks to the close cooperation with the dispute resolution practice, the team increasingly assists with sanctions law matters in supporting companies in the sale of Russian company shares.

Oppenhoff's team comprehensively advises TMT, energy and defense companies on compliance in the context of investment control as well as on European and US sanctions. This is complemented with experience in foreign trade law investigations and litigation, here, practice head Stephan Müller is a key contact.