PUBLIC LAW.

We draft urban construction contracts for municipalities and project developers, in particular development agreements and implementation agreements for residential and commercial developments, large-scale retail, wind energy, biomass or photovoltaic plants. We support our clients in the preparation of urban land-use plans and in approval procedures in accordance with the respective state building regulations and the Federal Immission Control Act. We support developers, municipalities and neighbours in interim legal protection proceedings, actions for rescission and actions to enforce obligations as well as in judicial review proceedings.
We support project developers in the legally compliant drafting of planning documents as well as approval authorities in the preparation of planning approval decisions and planning approvals in accordance with specialist planning law (e.g. the Federal Trunk Roads Act) and in court proceedings.

In environmental law, we advise municipalities, municipal associations, special-purpose associations, water and soil associations as well as private individuals in the areas of waste law, pollution control law, soil protection and water law as well as animal and species protection law. Our tasks include supporting the implementation of infrastructure projects and advising on the siting of wind farms. We support municipalities, associations of municipalities and owners in solving legal problems that arise in connection with the restructuring of contaminated land.

We advise on all questions of subsidy and EU state aid law, including the application process, structuring of subsidy programmes, assertion of and defence against claims for repayment and the financing of municipal companies in accordance with EU treaty law.

In education and welfare law, we advise authorities and organisations, in particular on university, school, youth welfare and kindergarten law.

We support public authorities throughout Germany in matters relating to the law on public statements and advise political parties, associations, companies and citizens' movements on how to take action against statements made by public authorities in order to uphold the principle of objectivity and neutrality. The assertion of and defence against state information claims also fall within the scope of our advisory services.

In public service and disciplinary law - including that of the churches - we advise on civil service, salary and pension law and all ancillary areas of civil service law (e.g. holiday law, co-determination law, subsidy law, official appraisals). We accompany extrajudicial and judicial disciplinary proceedings and support superiors in administrative or disciplinary investigations as well as civil servants if they are affected by disciplinary proceedings.

We assert public authority liability, sacrifice, injunctive relief and claims for the removal of consequences as well as claims arising from expropriatory and quasi-expropriatory interference both for and against public authorities before and in court. We also advise in expropriation proceedings before the Expropriation Commissioner.

In municipal tax and commercial law, we advise public authorities on the drafting of tax statutes and on the collection and judicial review of district levies. We represent private individuals in objection and legal proceedings against municipal tax, contribution or fee notices and mayors, heads of local authorities, members of district and municipal councils as well as municipalities and municipal associations in disputes under municipal constitutional law.

In trade and professional law, we advise, among others, public authorities in trade licence procedures. We advise private individuals in connection with state measures under trade law. We also advise members of the liberal professions on professional and European law issues, in particular pharmacists and veterinarians.

Since the launch of the first private radio station in Germany, we have assisted private broadcasters nationwide in obtaining, amending and renewing broadcasting permits, in programme objection proceedings and other broadcasting law issues, e.g. the collection of the broadcasting levy.

Police and regulatory law, including special regulatory law such as freedom of assembly law, road traffic law and public professional law (which includes commercial, catering and passenger transport law as well as chamber law), is part of our range of advisory services. In police and regulatory law, we advise and represent public authorities and private individuals both in and out of court.

In the area of constitutional law, we are entrusted by our clients with expert opinions and the filing of constitutional appeals and interim legal protection proceedings before the Federal Constitutional Court and the state constitutional courts. Public authorities consult us on issues of state organisation law. In addition to EU state aid law, we advise our clients on European law with regard to the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, EU fundamental freedoms and compliance with secondary acts of EU law - regulations, directives and decisions. On issues of international law, such as international maritime law and the international protection of human rights, we prepare expert opinions on behalf of public authorities and represent them in court.