Baker McKenzie's foreign trade law expertise is regularly requested in foreign trade audits and related administrative and criminal investigations, including the support in interfacing trade law and ESG compliance matters. Other mainstays are the investment control support in connection with large-scale transactions, the advice on export control as well as Russia and Iran sanctions; recent instructions increasingly pertain to foreign subsidies regulation. The team advises various international blue chip clients and is led by Anahita Thoms, who is well versed in human rights issues. Associate Kimberley Fischer primarily advises on trade compliance, export control and sustainability issues.

Bird & Bird LLP's expertise in export control is utilised by an international client roster. René Voigtländer is well versed in sanctions and heads the team, which is experienced in import law, investment control and foreign trade law compliance. In addition to approval procedures, the Trade and Customs practice also assists with export and customs law investigations.

BLOMSTEIN Rechtsanwälte impresses with comprehensive expertise in foreign trade law. The ever-growing team advises international companies on European market entry, FDI filings and other investment control matters, sanctions, including Russia-related matters, and is also well versed in export control; recent growth areas include the advice on export restrictions for software and technology as well as cross-border matters in connection with the US. The practice is experienced in litigation, where major players from the energy, finance and industrial sectors are advised on customs, energy and electricity tax disputes. Roland Stein focuses on export control, sanctions and WTO law as well as investment control and Pascal Friton regularly advises on EU sanctions, German investment control and anti-boycott matters, while Florian Wolf focuses on export control, trade compliance and ESG; the latter area is among the recent growth topics. Leonard von Rummel (investment control, customs and excise tax law and export control) and Christopher Wolters (defense sector procurement matters and export control) were appointed to counsel in January 2024 and associate Laura Louca is well versed in foreign trade compliance.

Clifford Chance's client roster includes German companies and financial institutions as well as major international players which call on the foreign trade law expertise in connection with public and antitrust law as well as dispute resolution and compliance. Dimitri Slobodenjuk and counsel Caroline Scholke advise on FDI proceedings and the Foreign Subsidies Regulation, while Thomas Voland supports clients in matters pertaining to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), CBAM and supply chain compliance.

Deloitte Legal Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH regularly covers foreign trade law matters at the interface with compliance and offers additional expertise in export and investment control, Russia sanctions and exits as well as supply chains and customs law issues; the latter area also includes the support in litigation and criminal proceedings. Practice head Bettina Mertgen is well versed in excise tax, foreign trade and customs law and is supported by counsel Philipp Hamann, who is experienced in litigation and criminal proceedings and recently increasingly advised on excise taxes.

Dentons' integrated foreign trade law practice advises on export control, including  interfacing compliance matters, investment audits as well as embargoes and sanctions; the latter area also includes the support in criminal and fine proceedings in connection with Russia sanctions. Practice head Julia Pfeil boasts longstanding expertise in the economic relations between Russia, the EU and China; Pfeil was appointed to co-head of the firm's European foreign trade practice in May 2024 with Maria Brakalova, who is experienced in export control and sanctions law. Andreas Haak, who is well versed in foreign trade, WTO and customs law, moved to Pinsent Masons Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater Solicitors Partnerschaft mbB in December 2023.

DLA Piper's foreign trade law team advises an international client roster on FDI filings, export and customs law issues, including compliance-related matters, as well as US and EU sanctions; these competencies correspond with the focus of counsel Thilo Streit. The practice is also also well versed in foreign trade litigation, where Ludger Giesberts (dispute resolution) regularly takes the lead.

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP's German team acts integrated into the International Trade practice and frequently advises on cross-border matters, including sanctions and export control issues, here, Benno Schwarz is a key contact. Clients also benefit from this expertise in connection with compliance matters and internal investigations. Investment control proceedings are a core strength of Sonja Ruttmann, who was appointed to partner in January 2024.

Industrial companies, banks and PE investors regularly instruct Hengeler Mueller's foreign trade law team in the context of investment control, Russia-related sanctions and compliance matters; here, clients benefit from the cooperation with the firm's compliance and criminal law experts.  Jan Bonhage is experienced in investment control, while Vera Jungkind is experienced in sanctions law.

Hogan Lovells International LLP boasts expertise in investment control proceedings and also increasingly advises on sanctions. Falk Schöning offers similar competencies and is also well versed in export control matters in connection with compliance and internal investigations. International companies regularly instruct Patrick Ayad on distribution, trade and foreign trade law, particularly in the context of market entry.

Hohmann Rechtsanwälte advises with a particular focus on export control and customs law in the EU and the US. The team is a popular address for companies from the mechanical and plant engineering sector as well as the electronics, food and chemicals industries. Founding partner Harald Hohmann offers longstanding expertise in embargo and sanctions law and also supports clients in white collar criminal, contract and distribution law matters; he is supported by associates German Blödorn and Brigitte Kirchner-Dönges, who are both well versed in export, sanctions and customs law.

Linklaters fields Christoph Barth, who acts as both head of the German foreign trade law practice and as co-head of the global investment control team, which contributes significantly to the German team's workload. Among the mainstays is the support in domestic and cross-border investment control proceedings, where David-Julien dos Santos Goncalves regularly takes the lead; the latter was appointed to partner in May 2024. White collar criminal lawyer Kerstin Wilhelm advises on sanctions with a particular focus on Russia-related matters, while head of the German ESG team Julia Grothaus covers supply chains and human rights issues.

Oppenhoff advises a diverse client roster and offers support in FDI and export control proceedings as well as export control compliance, where practice head Stephan Müller regularly takes the lead. He is additionally well versed in sanctions law, where he acts both in an advisory as well as forensic capacity in criminal investigations.

White & Case LLP's German foreign trade law team acts integrated into the firm's Global FDI Reviews practice and primarily advises on investment control, with a particular focus on regulated and digitised industries in addition to advising sovereign wealth funds. Thilo Wienke regularly takes the lead here and is supported by Erasmus Hoffmann, who joined the team from Hengeler Mueller in June 2024; the latter also boasts expertise in ESG.