Customs, foreign trade and export control: GvW Graf von Westphalen maintains its position as the top firm
"Hardly any law firm succeeds in such an impressive way in covering the entire range of foreign trade law in all its aspects and in dealing with new issues, such as e.g. digitalization in cross-border trade," writes the JUVE Handbook for Commercial Law Firms 2017/2018 about the customs and foreign trade practice with its nine members in the team in Hamburg and Brussels. GvW Graf von Westphalen continues to be the unchallenged number 1 in ranking for "foreign trade".
The JUVE editors also recognized the "increasing" practice in customs and export control compliance with a specific recommendation in the chapter on compliance. "Establishing and checking the effectiveness of compliance systems in the field of customs and export control is increasingly one of the main areas of our work. This can effectively avoid or limit the liability of a company," says Dr Lothar Harings, head of the Customs and Export Control practice group at GvW.
The JUVE editors mention the three GvW partners Dr Lothar Harings, Marian Niestedt and Dr Gerd Schwendinger as frequently recommended attorneys in the area of customs, foreign trade and export control. Dr Lothar Harings and Marian Niestedt are also among the five "leading names in foreign trade law", according to the JUVE Handbook. Competitors describe Dr Harings as "very knowledgeable and experienced" and as "having a good network", and they praise Mr Niestedt's "professional expertise in export control".
Who's Who Legal also recommends GvW for "Trade & Customs" as "the leading firm in this area" and as the only German law firm with multiple attorneys in the field. Dr Harings is considered to be an "outstanding trade and customs lawyer" with "impressive regulatory expertise". Marian Niestedt is considered to be "a well connected and highly regarded practicioner" who is hailed as "a veteran of sanctions, export control and other areas of EU and German trade law".
The Legal 500 Germany also for the first time listed the best law firms in foreign trade law in the rankings for 2018. The GvW practice is one of four law firms recommended here. In addition to Dr Harings, Dr Hartmut Henninger, a new Associate Partner in the Hamburg office, is also recognized.
The in-house laywers in the German Association of In-House Attorneys (Bundesverband der Unternehmensjuristen, "BUJ") also recognize the team with a Top 3 place in the rankings for foreign trade and export control in the Law Firm Monitor (Kanzleimonitor) 2017/2018. Dr Gerd Schwendinger and Marian Niestedt have received several recommendations.
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