Career

Studied law in Hamburg. 1979 first State examination, 1982 second State examination. Research assistant at the Seminar for Actuarial Science at the University of Hamburg 1979 to 1982. Taught at two bar revision courses in Münster, Munich, Cologne, Bochum and Bonn, 1982 to 1985. 1986 doctoral degree with Prof Dr Winter, University of Hamburg.

Joined the firm in 1985.

Practice

Construction and property law, plant construction, law governing architects, engineers and project management, arbitration and mediation procedures.

Listed as leading senior partner in private building law by Juve 2021/2022, top lawyer in building law (2022/2024) and “Law Firm of the Year in Construction Law (2024)" by Wirtschaftswoche, by Handelsblatt/​Best Lawyers in “Germany's best lawyers” in construction since 2013, by Who's Who Legal in Construction Germany, and by Chambers Europe since 2018 in real estate and construction law – Germany. Featured by Legal 500 as “leading name” in construction and real estate law and recommended in construction and real estate law/​construction law–including dispute resolution. as well as (2019) in the sector focus energy. Recommended in Germany Construction by Who’s who Legal.

Awarded as “Law Firm of the Year 2022 in Construction Law” by Handelsblatt/​Best Lawyers.

From 1990 to 1993 Deputy Chairperson, 1993 to 1997 Senior Chairperson of the Deutsch‐Deutsche Juristische Vereinigung e. V. Member of the construction contract law working group of the Federal Ministry of Justice (2010‐2013). Member of the reform commission for major projects of the Federal Ministry of Transport. Member of the Advisory Council at the Federal Agency for the Settlement of Unresolved Property Issues (BADV). Member of the board of Deutscher Baugerichtstag e. V.

Teaches construction and architectural law at the professional school of Bochum.

Neurath brown coal power plant; hard coal power plant Hamm; extension of the Marie‑​Elisabeth‑​Lüders house in Berlin; opera and Schauspielhaus Cologne; Rhine bridge Leverkusen; Rastatt tunnel.

Publications

Publications: Co‐editor of Messerschmidt/​Voit, Privates Baurecht, Kommentar zu §§ 631 ff. BGB, 4th edition; co‐editor of Kapellmann/​Messerschmidt, Kommentar zur VOB Teile A und B, 8th edition 2022; co‐editor of Messerschmidt/​Niemöller/​Preussner, Honorarordnung für Architekten und Ingenieure, 2th edition 2022; co‐author of Beck'sche VOB‐Kommentare Teile A und C; co‐editor of the “Neue Zeitschrift für Baurecht und Vergaberecht” (NZBau) and the “Zeitschrift für Vermögens‐ und Immobilienrecht”; co‐editor of the Kommentar zum Vermögensgesetz (Fieberg/​Reichenbach/ Messerschmidt/​Neuhaus); co‐editor of the “Rechtshandbuch Vermögen und Investitionen in der ehemaligen DDR”; co‐editor of the “Handbuch der deutschen Rechtspraxis”, 1991.

publications