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Announcing The Best Lawyers in Germany™ 2023

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

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Best Lawyers

Written by Best Lawyers

Published: June 23, 2022

For over four decades, beginning in 1981, Best Lawyers® has held the reputation as the most reliable global source for legal referrals. We highlight the extraordinary accomplishments of those in the legal profession with a list of outstanding lawyers compiled by conducting exhaustive peer review surveys.

Candidates who are nominated for consideration are voted on by currently recognized lawyers working in the same practice area and located in the same geographic region. Our awards and recognitions are based purely on the feedback we receive from these top lawyers. Those who receive high peer reviews undergo a thorough verification process to ensure they are currently still in private practice. Only then can these top lawyers be recognized by Best Lawyers.

The 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in Germany™ recognizes the professional excellence of 6,107 lawyers in 84 practice areas across 15 metropolitan areas.

We are pleased to celebrate 229 “Lawyer of the Year” recipients across Germany. "Lawyer of the Year" honors are awarded annually to only one lawyer per practice area in each region with extremely high overall feedback from their peers, making it an exceptional distinction.

For 2023, we are also excited to announce our second edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Germany™. For the 2023 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Germany™, we recognize 642 lawyers in 29 practice areas. Lawyers are listed in 155 firms across nine metropolitan areas.

2023 Germany Publication Statistics

Publication Statistics

Here are highlights from the 2023 14th edition of The Best Lawyers in Germany™:

  • 6,107 Lawyers Recognized
  • 84 Practice Areas
  • 229 “Lawyer of the Year” Awards
  • 26 “Law Firm of the Year” Awards
  • 15 Metropolitan Areas with Listed Lawyers

Top Metropolitan Area with Most Listed Lawyers:

Nordrhein-Westfalen

Top 10 Practice Areas by Number of Recognized Lawyers in The Best Lawyers in Germany™:

  1. Corporate Law
  2. Mergers and Acquisitions Law
  3. Intellectual Property Law
  4. Labor and Employment Law
  5. Real Estate Law
  6. Litigation
  7. Tax Law
  8. Restructuring and Insolvency Law
  9. Banking and Finance Law
  10. Information Technology Law

Top 10 Most Searched Practice Areas in Germany on bestlawyers.com:

  1. Labor and Employment Law
  2. Intellectual Property Law
  3. Corporate Law
  4. Restructuring and Insolvency Law
  5. Information Technology Law
  6. Mergers and Acquisitions Law
  7. Tax Law
  8. Real Estate Law
  9. Litigation
  10. Arbitration and Mediation

Top 5 Practice Areas by Number of Recognized Lawyers in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Germany™:

  1. Corporate Law
  2. Mergers and Acquisitions Law
  3. Litigation
  4. Labor and Employment Law
  5. Real Estate Law

“Law Firm of the Year”

“Law Firm of the Year” awards recognize a single top firm for its work in a specific legal practice area nationwide. Awards are determined based on a handful of factors including lawyer feedback, the number of lawyers included in Best Lawyers for that firm and practice area, the number of office locations a firm has, historical analysis of the firm’s “Lawyer of the Year” awards, materials submitted by firms, and the firm’s overall scope and areas of expertise.

We are honored to present the following 26 “Law Firm of the Year” recipients in Germany for 2023:

Interested in seeing Best Lawyers honorees? Use our Find a Lawyer in Germany tool to search by location and specialty. You can also explore our Find a Lawyer page to search for lawyers in other countries and practice areas.

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Lawyer Of The Year

Germany

Law Firm Of The Year

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Resources For Lawyers

Lawyers in Columbus, Ohio

Brandon A. Borgmann
Brandon A. Borgmann
Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP
Columbus, OH
Practice Areas
Trusts and Estates
Recognized since 2020 in
Brandon A. Borgmann
Brandon A. Borgmann

Brandon Borgmann joined Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP in September of 2008 and practices in the areas of estate planning, business succession planning, probate, special needs law and tax. Brandon represents individuals, business owners and families concerning estate planning, tax planning and business succession planning. He also represents executors and trustees with respect to administration of estates and trusts, probate litigation and taxation.

Brandon A. Borgmann
Brandon A. Borgmann
Michael T. Short
Michael T. Short
Littler
Columbus, OH
Practice Areas
Employment Law - Management
Workers' Compensation Law - Employers
Recognized since 2014 in
Michael T. Short
Michael T. Short

Michael T. Short represents management clients in a wide range of labor and employment matters. He also actively represents employers in workers’ compensation cases before the Industrial Commission of Ohio, the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation, and all levels of Ohio courts. He has extensive experience representing public sector clients in collective bargaining negotiations, arbitrations, and before the Ohio State Employment Relations Board. He regularly counsels employers on: Labor...

Michael T. Short
Michael T. Short
Lawyer of the Year Badge
William A. Nolan
William A. Nolan
Barnes & Thornburg LLP
Columbus, OH
Practice Areas
Education Law
Employment Law - Management
Labor Law - Management
Specific Focus
Covenants Not to Compete
Recognized since 2006 in
William A. Nolan
William A. Nolan

Bill Nolan serves as managing partner of the firm’s Ohio office, which he opened in 2009. Bill works to bring attentiveness and clarity to bear on employment, contract and other disputes, but is most passionate about helping clients build teams, policies and processes to minimize the frequency, cost and severity of disputes. Bill's litigation and trial work includes covenant not to compete and trade secret cases in many states. He regularly represents employers in discrimination and dis...

William A. Nolan
William A. Nolan
Chris L. Connelly
Chris L. Connelly
Taft
Columbus, OH
Practice Areas
Government Relations Practice
Public Finance Law
Recognized since 2024 in
Chris L. Connelly
Chris L. Connelly

Chris L. Connelly is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Government Relations Practice and Public Finance Law. Chris L., who practices law in Columbus, Ohio, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Chris L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Chris L. Connelly
Chris L. Connelly
Thomas J. Riley
Thomas J. Riley
Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP
Columbus, OH
Practice Areas
Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
Mergers and Acquisitions Law
Recognized since 1995 in
Thomas J. Riley
Thomas J. Riley

Thomas J. Riley focuses his practice on business and corporate law as well as wealth transfer planning. He counsels small to midsize closely held manufacturing and distribution enterprises and professional practices on matters including tax planning, contract negotiations, and mergers and acquisitions. T.J. has experience handling multi-employee union plans, master and prototype plans for sponsoring organizations, and Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs). He also advises owners on successio...

Thomas J. Riley
Thomas J. Riley
Lawyer of the Year Badge
David P. Meyer
David P. Meyer
Meyer Wilson Werning
Columbus, OH
Practice Areas
Litigation - Securities
Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs
Professional Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs
Specific Focus
Class Actions
Recognized since 2011 in
David P. Meyer
David P. Meyer

David P. Meyer is the founder and managing principal of the Meyer Wilson Werning law firm. David is a financial fraud attorney with more than twenty-five years’ of experience in federal and state trial courts and arbitration cases, representing clients from all over the world. David has the honor of winning a record-breaking $261 million class action jury verdict against Prudential Securities on behalf of 200 retirees. David filed the class action lawsuit back in 1999 when he was 29 yea...

David P. Meyer
David P. Meyer
FS
Frederick A. Sewards
Arnold Todaro Welch & Foliano
Columbus, OH
Practice Areas
Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants
Recognized since 2026 in
FS
Frederick A. Sewards

Frederick A. Sewards is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants. Frederick A., who practices law in Columbus, Ohio, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Frederick A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

FS
Frederick A. Sewards
Gregory J. Dunn
Gregory J. Dunn
Taft
Columbus, OH
Practice Areas
Municipal Law
Specific Focus
Common Carrier
Recognized since 2007 in
Gregory J. Dunn
Gregory J. Dunn

Gregory J. Dunn is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Municipal Law. Gregory J., who practices law in Columbus, Ohio, has been recognized since 2007. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Gregory J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Gregory J. Dunn
Gregory J. Dunn
Carrie Dyer
Carrie Dyer
Mansell Law LLC
Columbus, OH
Practice Areas
Employment Law - Individuals
Litigation - Labor and Employment
Recognized since 2022 in
Carrie Dyer
Carrie Dyer

Carrie Dyer is Partner at Mansell Law, an employment law firm located in Columbus, Ohio. Mansell Law provides employment law services to individuals throughout the State of Ohio. Mansell Law also has an office in New York City . Mansell Law's NYC employment attorneys represent New York clients in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island, The Bronx and Long Island. Carrie's practice involves assisting individuals with all types of employment-related matters , including sexual harassment , ra...

Carrie Dyer
Carrie Dyer
Alan K. Veatch
Alan K. Veatch
Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP
Columbus, OH
Practice Areas
Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law
Trusts and Estates
Recognized since 2024 in
Alan K. Veatch
Alan K. Veatch

Pursuant to a merger with the firm in which he was a principal since 1985, Alan has been a Partner at Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP since 2015. He primarily works with closely held and family businesses of all types and the individuals and families who own those businesses. Alan’s practice areas cover a broad range of business and personal matters, including – tax-exempt nonprofits; real estate; estate planning and estate & trust administration; planning, structuring, and f...

Alan K. Veatch
Alan K. Veatch

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