Best Lawyers in Germany for Criminal Defense
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The founding partner Professor Dr. Christoph Knauer is responsible for the areas of corporate criminal law, commercial criminal law, tax criminal law, and medical criminal law, as well as criminal appeals and constitutional complaints. He has many years of experience in all areas of criminal law and criminal procedure law; his litigation experience in particular also covers proceedings before the German Federal Court of Justice and the German Federal Constitutional Court. Prof. Dr. Knauer adv...
André-M. Szesny is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Criminal Defense and Criminal Tax Practice. André-M., who practices law in Düsseldorf, Germany, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which André-M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Michael Nicolaus is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Criminal Defense and Criminal Tax Practice. Michael, who practices law in Hamburg, Germany, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Michael is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Criminal defense since 2007 During this time I was able to learn and experience a great deal – experiences that shaped me, sharpened my understanding of criminal law and influenced my current way of working. My path to criminal defense, however, began much earlier. Even during my studies in Konstanz, I consistently focused on criminal law. During my legal traineeship, I also deliberately chose placements with a criminal law focus – including a renowned criminal defense lawyer spec...
Thilo Pfordte is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Criminal Defense. Thilo, who practices law in Munich, Germany, has been recognized since 2009. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Thilo is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
The founding partner of Knauer& Sören Schomburg advises national and international clients in the areas of commercial criminal law and tax criminal law, international criminal law, and extradition law. He has extensive experience in complex, frequently transnational internal investigations and with respect to search and seizure, especially raids involving data confiscation. He defends clients throughout Germany, in Europe and before the European Court of Justice (ECJ), and against IN...
Elena Stelzer is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Criminal Defense and Criminal Tax Practice. Elena, who practices law in Munich, Germany, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Elena is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.