Dr. Rene Voigtländer

As a partner in our Munich office, joint head of our international Energy and Utilities Sector Group and a member of our Regulatory & Administrative Practice Group, I lead an experienced team of legal experts and advisors that understand the challenges of the energy sector and of multi-utilities companies, as well as the regulatory and politically ambitious environment that challenges them in shaping their future in an increasingly digitised world.

Since 2006 I have been leading a team of experienced and highly reputable energy lawyers and regulatory experts specialising in all areas of energy and utilities. We focus on regulatory, energy, public procurement and environmental law as well as planning and construction projects and renewable energy projects in Germany and internationally.

Our clients include large corporations, public and private companies in the traditional energy and utilities sector covering gas, electricity, water, district heating, sewage and services. In renewable energy, we look after photovoltaic, wind, biomass, biogas, power to gas and geothermal projects.

My experienced team and I advise on all legal and contractual matters in power generation, transmission, distribution, storage and consumption, negotiating everything from project agreements to consumer energy supply agreements. We also advise on issues relating to state and federal administrative agencies and regulators as well as German procurement review boards and courts. Another focus of our practice is on concessions in the energy sector. We advise both the competent authorities and private companies seeking for a concession at all stages of the granting procedure.

Outside my practice, I contribute regularly to legal publications and lecture on public international, European and constitutional law at the faculty of law at The University of St. Gallen (Switzerland).

• Energy company: Comprehensive advice on energy regulation and corporate and procurement law in connection with the fusion of two distribution network operators, particularly with regard to existing or newly arising obligations to invite tenders.
• Leading software manufacturer: Contract and procurement law advice on several complex IT contract awards with contracts in the three-digit million euro range.
• Global manufacturer of machine tools: Advising on the creation of a central, global tendering and procurement platform and contract law advice in this regard.
• Federal state capital (Landeshauptstadt) in Southern Germany: Advice and management of a tendering procedure involving the implementation of a complex multi-annual framework agreement with a call-off volume in the region of a two-digit million euro sum for the procurement of hardware and software and IT services for municipal schools and further municipal facilities.
• Leading automotive supplier: Advising and representing in an investigation procedure in the field of waste law on the grounds of extensive unlawful waste disposal on premises adjacent to the client's factory site. This has involved performing a costly investigation into the amount and nature of the waste accrued, analysing the hazardous potential of the waste deposits in question, in particular with regard to groundwater, discussing the consequences under waste and regulatory law with the competent authorities, and planning disposal measures, whilst, in particular, taking into consideration regulations under waste, and environmental and biodiversity protection and immission control laws. The investigation procedure was concluded without any consequences for the client.
• Large telecommunications supplier: Advising and representing in foreign trade law authorisation procedures, in particular regarding the granting of export authorisations, analysis and optimisation of applications and provision of support in negotiations with the BAFA (Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control).
• Globally active manufacturer of coating systems for the automobile industry: Provision of advice in connection with a potentially forthcoming administrative fine proceeding under customs law due to a breach of various provisions of the German fiscal code and the foreign trade and payment ordinance in connection with the issuing of false suppliers' declarations.
• EWV Energie- und Wasser-Versorgung GmbH: Comprehensive energy regulation, corporate and procurement law advice in the context of the merger of two distribution network operators.
• Gas supply company: Drafting various agreements relating to a gas compressor station under consideration of specific issues associated with contract and energy law (general contractor agreement, contract for manufacture, purchase contracts).