Renewable energies

The energy revolution is in full swing. However, it is accompanied by a multitude of statutory provisions and rules, which seem to be amended with ever greater frequency. These create constantly shifting challenges for grid and system operators as well as for all other market participants.

Whether we are advising offshore or onshore wind farms, biogas and geothermal plants, photovoltaic parks or hydroelectric power plants – our Sector Group renewable energies will guarantee successful interdisciplinary project development and implementation.

We place a very high value on advising our clients efficiently and personally. Moreover, thanks to the size and broad composition of our practice, we are also able to provide comprehensive support on highly complex projects and transactions.

Our clients include utilities, project developers and planning companies, plant manufacturers, construction companies, investors, municipalities, grid operators and banks. We have been advising many of them for years.

Listed among the 'Firms to watch' for the energy sector
Legal 500 Germany 2024

We have acknowledged expertise in the following areas:

Offshore wind energy

We have many years' experience in the area of offshore wind energy. We support our clients throughout the whole project – from authorisation to network connection, tendering, planning and construction to warranty management.

We have concentrated our know-how in Hamburg and Düsseldorf and we can therefore provide effective advice through small teams of lawyers and, where necessary, consult colleagues from other legal fields. In doing so, we take a practice-oriented approach that offers advantages for our clients in terms of both, time and cost.

Our services include

Supporting licensing procedures
Advice on corporate law and competition law
Drafting of all relevant contracts
Advising on options for joint business arrangements and agreements
Procurement law organisations and support during procurement procedures
Tendering of operations, e.g. for CTV, helicopters etc.
Maintenance contracts and operating contracts
Project support for all trades (WTG, cable, OSS etc.)
Advising on insurance law and claims processing
Enforcement of interests with respect to network operators
Implementation and support in warranty claims
Conduct of arbitration proceedings and ADR proceedings
Assertion of claims before regional courts

Experience includes

Global Tech I
RIFFGAT
Nordsee One
Borkum West II
Merkur Offshore
alpha ventus
EWE OSS
In total 15 offshore projects for both principals and contractors

Contact partners

Prof. Dr Ralf Steding
Dr Peter Leicht
Dr Nikolas Brunstamp

Onshore wind energy

Successful wind energy projects depend on know-how from diverse legal fields. Thanks to the broad range of specialisations represented within our firm, we can provide substantiated, practice-oriented and comprehensive advice in all phases of a project. In recent years we have supported a multitude of wind energy projects throughout Germany – from conception through commissioning and into the operating phase.

Our clients include project developers and planning companies, utilities, plant manufacturers, construction companies, investors, municipalities and banks. We are actively involved in the relevant bodies of the Federal Association for Wind Energy (Bundesverband Windenergie or BWE), in particular in the legal advisory board.

Our services include

Supporting regional and urban land-use planning
Advising on approval procedures under emission control law, including all sectoral legislation (nature and species protection, aviation law, protection of historic monuments, etc., accompaniment at hearings)
Representation in opposition and complaints proceedings
Securing real estate and land register law
Construction law, especially plant construction contracts, general contractor agreements and other construction contracts
Maintenance and operating agreements, plant safety
Repowering and continued operation
Procurement law
Grid connection and EEG subsidy law, in particular support in tendering procedures
Structuring in accordance with corporate law and tax law
Project financing and strategies involving public offerings, mezzanine financing including the preparation of sales prospectuses for investment products
Purchase and sale of wind parks, due diligence
Competition law

Experience includes

ENOVA Group, Bunde: ongoing support in development of onshore wind projects; purchase and sale of project rights in wind parks, e.g. Börger and Breddenberg Wind Parks, Repowering of Windpark Düddingen (NS)
Allgäuer Überlandwerk GmbH, Kempten: comprehensive support in the acquisition of project rights and the implementation of Ohmenheim Windpark (BW), including the design of a civic participation
Wust Wind & Sonne Group; Markt Erlbach: ongoing comprehensive advice on the development of wind parks and public offering models, e.g. Langenzenn and Retzstadt Windparks (BY)
Voltgrün GmbH, Regensburg: advising on construction law in the implementation of various wind and solar parks, e.g. Windpark Feistelberg (BY)
EWS Schönau, construction law advice on Windpark Rohrenkopf (BW)
Loscon GmbH, Beeskow: comprehensive advice on the development of Windpark Hort (MV)
neoVIS Energie GmbH, Landshut: comprehensive advice on the development and implementation of several wind and photovoltaic parks, e.g. Windpark Denkendorf and Markt Taschendorf (BY)
Ingenieurbüro Sing GmbH, Landsberg a. Lech: comprehensive advice on the development and implementation of several wind and photovoltaic parks e.g. Windparks Lamerdingen, Berg and Fuchstal (BY)
Energiebauern GmbH, Aichach: comprehensive advice on the development and implementation of Windpark Aichach including prospectus preparation (BY)
Bürgerwindenergie Morbach Nord/Süd GmbH & Co. KG: Repowering of Morbacher Energielandschaft, including prospectus preparation for public offering in the form of a “citizen’s energy company“ (RP)

Contact partner

Dr. Julia Wiemer, LL.M.
Dr. Lena-Sophie Deißler
Katrin Prechtl

Photovoltaics

We provide comprehensive support to our clients in photovoltaic projects. We have supported countless projects from conception, through commissioning and into the operating phase.

Our services include:

Supporting land-use planning
Construction law approval procedures, including all sectoral legislation (nature and species protection, protection of historic monuments, etc.)
Supporting opposition and complaints proceedings
Securing real estate
Construction contract law, in particular plant construction contracts, general contractor agreements and general construction contracts
Maintenance and operating agreements
Procurement law
Grid connection and EEG subsidy law, in particular support in tendering procedures
Corporate law and tax law structuring
Project financing and strategies involving public offerings, mezzanine financing, including the preparation of sales prospectuses for investment products

Experience includes:

Voltgrün GmbH, Regensburg: advising on construction contract law in the implementation of various solar parks
neoVIS Energie GmbH, Landshut: comprehensive advice on the implementation of various freestanding PV installations
WWS Projektbau GmbH & Co. KG, Markt Erlbach: comprehensive advice on the planning and realisation of several freestanding PV installations e.g. 10 MW PV Park at Markt Dietenhofen.
Bürgerenergiegenossenschaft Freisinger Land e. G.: comprehensive advice on the implementation of several open-site PV installations

Contact partner

Dr. Julia Wiemer, LL.M.
Dr. Lena-Sophie Deißler
Katrin Prechtl

Hydropower

Hydropower was already used in pre-industrial times. Today, it helps to deliver the second largest proportion of renewable energy in the world. In the area of hydropower, our clients have been placing their trust in the expertise of our law firm for many years.

Our services include:

Approval and permit proceedings relating to water rights
Construction contract law
Grid connection and EEG subsidy law
Procurement law

Experience includes:

Wasserbau Ringler GmbH, Landsberg: advising on the implementation of the Augsburger Hochablass project and other projects
Allgäuer Überlandwerk GmbH, Kempten: Claim management for hydropower plant

Contact partner

Dr. Julia Wiemer, LL.M.
Dr. Lena-Sophie Deißler
Katrin Prechtl

Sector coupling and storage

If the energy revolution is to succeed, then the various sectors within the energy system – electricity, heat, mobility – must be coupled. We provide our clients with comprehensive support in the transformation of energy systems and advise on a wide range of future projects.

Recent experience includes

Allgäuer Überlandwerk GmbH, Kempten: advising on the design and implementation of a large-capacity battery storage facility
Gemeinde Fuchstal: advising on the design of a power-to-heat facility with battery storage

Contact partners

Dr. Julia Wiemer, LL.M.
Dr. Lena-Sophie Deißler
Katrin Prechtl

Industry clients, special contract clients, energy-intensive businesses

We advise industry clients, special contract clients and other major clients as well as energy-intensive industries on all energy law issues in the areas of electricity and gas. This includes grid connection and grid access, supply contracts, optimisation of network charges and issues surrounding EEG levies. We also support our clients on connection-related issues, such as the conversion from L-gas to H-gas.

Experience includes

Advising an industry client on issues surrounding domestic production privileges in earlier businesses
Advising an investor on issues surrounding grid connection and network charges in connection with the establishment of a data centre
Advising an energy-intensive company on the restructuring of domestic production plants
Advising an energy-intensive company on issues surrounding exemption from the EEG levy
Advising an industry client on L-H-gas conversion

Contact partner

Dr Julia Wiemer, LL.M.