Insight

The Future of German Technology

How Germany's Law Firm of the Year in Information Technology is leading the way.

Isabell Conrad Schneider Schiffer Weihermulle
Best Lawyers

Best Lawyers

January 3, 2020 08:30 AM

This interview was conducted as part of the 2020 Edition of The Best Lawyers in Germany “Law Firm of the Year” award recognitions. Our partner Handelsblatt, also published these awards on June 27, 2019, online and in print in their June 2019 edition.

For Isabell Conrad of SSW Schneider Schiffer Weihermüller—Germany’s 2020 “Law Firm of the Year” in Information Technology Law—the rapidly evolving technology industries hold exciting prospects for the future. She joins Phillip Greer, CEO of Best Lawyers, to discuss how A.I., blockchain technology, and self-driving cars are just a few of the technologies people should be prepared for.

One of the appeals of blockchain technologies is the ability to conduct smart contracts, what do you think of their potential and could this be a threat to certain legal specialties?

Isabell Conrad: In my opinion, AI and blockchain could be a combination of both. For example, legal tech applications will be something widely spread and fundamentally changing our work as they are very likely to cover standard legal work. To my knowledge, most large companies are conducting big digitalization projects. I don't call it a threat, but it will definitely change the legal market. On the other hand, complex legal opinions or complex legal questions and solutions will become more and more valuable to the client and this is something that cannot be covered by any kind of legal tech and blockchain. Regarding blockchain, to my knowledge, the banking and insurance sector they're all aware of blockchain and observing the market development very, very closely.

Furthermore, there are universities in Germany and technology institutes such as Fraunhofer which are involved in the development of blockchain applications and projects. I'm not sure whether blockchain in connection with banking is the most prosperous way it is going to evolve. However, what blockchain will be used for is as a trust solution for any business relying on truthful documentation and audit-compliant archive (such as supply chain management, IP licensing, etc.). For example licenses. For ensuring that a license is valid, or for dealing with issues regarding open-source software. Has a certain license been granted for a particular use? I think that in this area, the blockchain technology will be very helpful in the future. Blockchain has its biggest potential in the virtual world and concerning digital goods/content.

In more of a broad sense, as it relates to technology, where do you see areas of growth and where might we be headed over the next decade?

A.I. and everything connected to A.I., from smart algorithms and chatbots to neuronal networks and fully autonomous decision making systems. For Germany A.I. in connection with support for the health care sector or support for doctors in diagnosis, in therapy or support for elderly people is a fundamental development.

I think the same is happening in the U.S., as people are getting older, A.I. supports them in their daily life, e.g. by recognizing when they have not taken their medication or if they have fallen and need support by a doctor. This is one big area of development and another one is, of course, any kind of self-driving car functionality. I think these will evolve very, very rapidly.

How do you advise your clients to protect themselves from numerous threats, including extortion and data?

This is indeed a huge problem because most of modern technology, in particular, A.I., is fundamentally based on systems that are deeply interconnected. So many things are connected to the internet and then it is that kind of connection that makes them vulnerable regarding malware attacks.

One solution used in high-risk areas is cutting any connection to the internet. There are black-box systems that are not connected to anything. In high-risk areas that definitely makes sense. However, most of our clients are investing in business continuity concepts, so that if there are malware threats or attacks they can disconnect the servers or any infected computers or systems and continue their business. This kind of IT security concept is evolving. Then there is also detection of malware or any kind of irregularities by A.I. and by methods like the QRadar by IBM. These are huge systems that are screening and scanning the traffic and which can very quickly detect irregularities. Of course, with this kind of I.T. security measures, there is a natural conflict between privacy and not being scanned and not being supervised all the time and having a very good I.T. security concept in place.

There is this contradiction that we have here. But we have to start somewhere.

Regarding data protection and privacy, the EU General Data Protection Regulation and German Privacy Act went into effect two years ago. What has the compliance process been like for your clients? Has it been easy, difficult?

Actually, most companiesand the public sector tooare still struggling with state-of-the-art security and data protection, in particular with the fulfillment of accountability obligations. They already spent and are still spending d a lot of time and effort in gap-analysis and updating of documentation. The changes in legislation by the GDPR, are not dramatic but in detail very relevant. For example, regarding the information obligations and regulation of special categories of data such as biometric data. This is a burden e.g. for profitable use of A.I. in Robo Recruiting etc.

Of course, we already had data protection provisions in Germany. There were some companies that had to make some effort to fulfill at least the minimum requested by the GDPR until the day of the GDPR becoming applicable. It came into effect in 2016 but the two-year period until all the companies had to fulfill the GDPR requirements was nevertheless very short. Now we have the situation that the GDPR is an abstract regulatory set of rules, in parts not very specific and not self-explanatory, and can be interpreted in many different ways. In order to be able to provide the client with some concrete advice, we require European court decisions. We are in the position to tell our clients what is forbidden by the GDPR. That is made pretty clear. But what we can’t tell them precisely is what they are actually allowed to do. In this evolving field of IT and artificial intelligence it is difficult for us to advise on legal boundaries for example in new projects that are based on the question whether data is securely, and definitely, anonymized and whether the data which is anonymized can be processed by the AI/neuronal network for other purposes.

This article has been edited length and clarity.

Related Articles

Announcing The Best Lawyers in Germany™ 2023


by Best Lawyers

The results include an elite field of top lawyers and firms from Germany.

Black, red and yellow stripes

Announcing the 2022 Best Lawyers™ in Germany


by Best Lawyers

The results include an elite field of top lawyers and firms, including our inaugural Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch recipients.

Announcing the 2022 Best Lawyers™ in Germany

The Company They Keep


by Best Lawyers

Thomas Richter discusses the idea of corporate criminal liability.

An Interview With HammPartner

Easy Being Green


by Best Lawyers

Markus Deutsch discusses the impact of climate change on the firm and its clients.

An Interview With Dolde Mayen & Partner

Impact of Climate Change on Real Estate Law


by Best Lawyers

Dr. Christian Schede discusses rent in large cities, the effect of Airbnb, and more.

An Interview With Greenberg Traurig

How to Advise Clients in International Arbitration and Mediation


by Best Lawyers

Karl Pörnbacher discusses how his firm stays at the forefront of advising clients.

An Interview With Hogan Lovells

This German Firm Protects Their Clients in the Face of Emerging Technologies


by Best Lawyers

Johannes Heselberger discusses theft of trade secrets, the pharmaceutical industry, and fake goods.

An Interview With Bardehle Pagenberg

How Russia's Global Policy Is Impacting Mergers and Acquisitions


by Best Lawyers

Alexei Zakharko and Mathieu Fabre-Magnan disscuss how they are preparing for emerging trends in the next couple of years.

An Interview With Dentons Russia

Hengeler Mueller on How German Firms Can Compete in the Global M&A Arena


by Best Lawyers

Germany's 2020 “Law Firm of the Year” honoree in Mergers and Acquisitions Law

An Interview With Hengeler Mueller

An Interview With Gleiss Lutz


by Best Lawyers

Germany's 2020 “Law Firm of the Year” in Labor and Employment Law

An Interview With Gleiss Lutz

An Interview With Latham & Watkins


by Best Lawyers

Germany's 2020 “Law Firm of the Year” honoree in Banking and Finance Law

An Interview With Latham & Watkins

An Interview With Sayenko Kharenko


by Best Lawyers

Ukraine's 2020 “Law Firm of the Year” winner in Capital Markets Law

An Interview With Sayenko Kharenko

ECIJA on Revolutions in Spanish Information Technology Law


by Best Lawyers

Alejandro Touriño looks at the policy changes impacting information technology law in Spain in this "Law Firm of the Year" interview with Phillip Greer.

ECIJA Information Technology Law Interview

Why Cariola Díez Pérez-Cotapos Developed Its Own Legal Tech


by Best Lawyers

Juan Pablo Matus of Cariola Díez Pérez-Cotapos, 2019 "Law Firm of the Year" award for Corporate and M&A Law in Chile, discusses his firm's joint venture with Cognitiva in creating Lexnova, a legal AI system.

Cariola Díez Pérez-Cotapos Interview

Technology and the Changing IP Climate in Mexico


by Best Lawyers

Roberto Arochi discusses Arochi & Lindner’s 2019 “Law Firm of the Year” award for Intellectual Property Law in Mexico in an interview with Best Lawyers.

Arochi & Lindner "Law Firm of the Year" Q&A

An Interview With Rainer Krause of Hengeler Mueller, 2019 “Law Firm of the Year” Award Recipient for Corporate Law in Germany


by Best Lawyers

Rainer Krause discusses the unique training approaches that make Hengeler Mueller one of Germany's top firms.

Hengeler Mueller “Law Firm of the Year” Q&A

Trending Articles

2025 Best Lawyers Awards Announced: Honoring Outstanding Legal Professionals Across the U.S.


by Jennifer Verta

Introducing the 31st edition of The Best Lawyers in America and the fifth edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America.

Digital map of the United States illuminated by numerous bright lights

Unveiling the 2025 Best Lawyers Awards Canada: Celebrating Legal Excellence


by Jennifer Verta

Presenting the 19th edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada and the 4th edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Canada.

Digital map of Canadathis on illuminated by numerous bright lights

Legal Distinction on Display: 15th Edition of The Best Lawyers in France™


by Best Lawyers

The industry’s best lawyers and firms working in France are revealed in the newly released, comprehensive the 15th Edition of The Best Lawyers in France™.

French flag in front of country's outline

Announcing the 13th Edition of Best Lawyers Rankings in the United Kingdom


by Best Lawyers

Best Lawyers is proud to announce the newest edition of legal rankings in the United Kingdom, marking the 13th consecutive edition of awards in the country.

British flag in front of country's outline

Announcing the 16th Edition of the Best Lawyers in Germany Rankings


by Best Lawyers

Best Lawyers announces the 16th edition of The Best Lawyers in Germany™, featuring a unique set of rankings that highlights Germany's top legal talent.

German flag in front of country's outline

Celebrating Excellence in Law: 11th Edition of Best Lawyers in Italy™


by Best Lawyers

Best Lawyers announces the 11th edition of The Best Lawyers in Italy™, which features an elite list of awards showcasing Italy's current legal talent.

Italian flag in front of country's outline

Combating Nuclear Verdicts: Empirically Supported Strategies to Deflate the Effects of Anchoring Bias


by Sloan L. Abernathy

Sometimes a verdict can be the difference between amicability and nuclear level developments. But what is anchoring bias and how can strategy combat this?

Lawyer speaking in courtroom with crowd and judge in the foreground

Things to Do Before a Car Accident Happens to You


by Ellie Shaffer

In a car accident, certain things are beyond the point of no return, while some are well within an individual's control. Here's how to stay legally prepared.

Car dashcam recording street ahead

The Push and Pitfalls of New York’s Attempt to Expand Wrongful Death Recovery


by Elizabeth M. Midgley and V. Christopher Potenza

The New York State Legislature recently went about updating certain wrongful death provisions and how they can be carried out in the future. Here's the latest.

Red tape blocking off a section of street

Find the Best Lawyers for Your Needs


by Jennifer Verta

Discover how Best Lawyers simplifies the attorney search process.

A focused woman with dark hair wearing a green top and beige blazer, working on a tablet in a dimly

Key Developments and Trends in U.S. Commercial Litigation


by Justin Smulison

Whether it's multibillion-dollar water cleanliness verdicts or college athletes vying for the right to compensation, the state of litigation remains strong.

Basketball sits in front of stacks of money

Prop 36 California 2024: California’s Path to Stricter Sentencing and Criminal Justice Reform


by Jennifer Verta

Explore how Prop 36 could shape California's sentencing laws and justice reform.

Illustrated Hands Breaking Chains Against a Bright Red Background

Is Premises Liability the Same as Negligence?


by Jeremy Wilson and Taylor Rodney Marks

In today's age, we are always on the move, often inhabiting spaces we don't own. But what happens when someone else's property injures you or someone you know?

A pair of silhouetted legs falling down a hole with yellow background

Woman on a Mission


by Rebecca Blackwell

Baker Botts partner and intellectual property chair Christa Brown-Sanford discusses how she juggles work, personal life, being a mentor and leadership duties.

Woman in green dress crossing her arms and posing for headshot

Why Backlinks Matter for Law Firm SEO


by Nancy Lippincott

The key ingredient to a law firm's online search visibility could lie within backlinks, a driving factor in the industry's efforts to build an SEO-based future.

Collection of search bars, menus and posts in front of gray background

Best Lawyers Celebrates Women in the Law: Ninth Edition


by Alliccia Odeyemi

Released in both print and digital form, Best Lawyers Ninth Edition of Women in the Law features stories of inspiring leadership and timely legal issues.

Lawyer in green dress stands with hands on table and cityscape in background