Gottfried Freier

Dr Werner Born studied law at Heidelberg University. After completing his doctorate in Heidelberg, he began working as a lawyer with a focus on family businesses. In 2010 he made partner at RITTERSHAUS where he is a member of the Practice Group dedicated to Entrepreneurial Families & Private Clients consisting of seventeen lawyers and three notaries. In 2017, they took second place for “Exzellenz in Mediation und Konfliktmanagement” (Excellence in Mediation and Conflict Manage...

Volker Schwarz is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law. Volker, who practices law in Stuttgart, Germany, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Volker is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Morton Douglas is a lawyer and partner at Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partner. His main focus lies on trademark and design protection, including the development of strategies for applications for registration, portfolio advice, representing clients in infringement proceedings as well as drafting licence agreements. Furthermore, he advises on the law of company designations, titles and domains, on competition, advertising medications and pharmacy and drug law. Morton is also a regular ...

Alexander Schott is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate Law. Alexander, who practices law in Stuttgart, Germany, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Alexander is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Prof. Dr. Christof Hettich is specialised in the fields of Mergers & Acquisitions, the structuring and restructuring of companies as well as general corporate law. For many years, he has chaired or held seats on a number of supervisory boards including those of listed companies in various industry sectors. Prof. Dr. Hettich is honorary professor at SRH University Heidelberg and lectured at Heidelberg University (LL.M. corporate restructuring) until 2014.

Dr. Patrick Certa chiefly advises clients on matters of corporate law as well as Mergers & Acquisitions transactions and corporate financing. In this context, he represents regionally, nationally as well as internationally active firms in Germany and abroad during the restructuring of companies and corporate groups as well as in the formulation and negotiation of contracts. Patrick Certa also acts as a litigator in court proceedings in the aforementioned areas of expertise.

Frank Büchler is a lawyer and partner at Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partner in Freiburg. He specialises in restructuring and insolvency law. He is a member of the Expert Committee on Banking and Capital Markets Law of the Freiburg Bar Association, the Working Group on Banking and Capital Markets Law in the DAV and the Bankrechtlichen Vereinigung - Wissenschaftliche Gesellschaft für Bankrecht e. V. He speaks German, English and French.

Hendrik Thies is a partner in the corporate law / M&A department of the Freiburg office. He particularly advises medical device manufacturers. His practice includes corporate law, M&A, international commercial law and regulatory advice. Hendrik Thies is the author of numerous publications and a member of the Working Group on Commercial and Corporate Law of the Freiburg Bar Association. He speaks German and English.

Wolfgang Schmid is a lawyer and of counsel at Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partner. His main focus lies on competition and cartel law, copyright, publishing and press law, trademarks and designs, as well as pharmaceuticals and food law. Wolfgang is a member of the German Association for Intellectual Property Rights (Gesellschaft für gewerblichen Rechtsschutz und Urheberrecht), the European Communities Trade Mark Association (ECTA) and the Ligue International du Droit de la Concurr...

Before he joined our law firm, Dr. Norbert Hebeis headed the EU trademark department of a large US company (pharmaceuticals, consumer products) for ten years. He has been a partner of FGvW for 16 years and specializes in trademark and design litigation and prosecution, unfair competition litigation and counselling. His international key clients are Novartis (pharma), Wilkinson Sword (razors), erima (sportswear), Gloster (furniture) and Haufe-Lexware (publishing house).