20 leading lawyers in Criminal Law in Germany in 2026
Impact Lawyers’ editorial selection brings together twenty professionals with particularly significant experience in this field in Germany. Lawyers are listed alphabetically by first name; the order of the table does not establish internal positions or imply that one professional is superior to another.
| Lawyer | Firm | Main profile |
|---|---|---|
| Christian Jehke | Flick Gocke Schaumburg | White-collar crime and compliance |
| Claudia Stühler | Hengeler Mueller | Corporate offences and corporate liability |
| Constantin Lauterwein | Hengeler Mueller | Tax, financial and regulatory crime |
| Delia Palenker | Flick Gocke Schaumburg | Internal investigations and criminal defence |
| Erik Duesberg | Flick Gocke Schaumburg | Corporate offences and corporate liability |
| Esther-Nicola Vehling | Hengeler Mueller | White-collar crime and compliance |
| Friedrich Florian Steinert | Hengeler Mueller | Internal investigations and criminal defence |
| Johann-Nikolaus Karstens | Flick Gocke Schaumburg | Tax, financial and regulatory crime |
| Jörg Schauf | Flick Gocke Schaumburg | White-collar crime and compliance |
| Karsten Randt | Flick Gocke Schaumburg | Internal investigations and criminal defence |
| Marc A. Bareither | Flick Gocke Schaumburg | Corporate offences and corporate liability |
| Marc Bauer | Hengeler Mueller | Corporate offences and corporate liability |
| Marcel Marques | Flick Gocke Schaumburg | Tax, financial and regulatory crime |
| Martin Werneburg | Flick Gocke Schaumburg | White-collar crime and compliance |
| Mathias Priewer | Hengeler Mueller | Tax, financial and regulatory crime |
| Michael Schwindt | Flick Gocke Schaumburg | Internal investigations and criminal defence |
| Nadine Paschke | Flick Gocke Schaumburg | Corporate offences and corporate liability |
| Rafik Ahmad | Flick Gocke Schaumburg | Tax, financial and regulatory crime |
| Tobias Schwartz | Flick Gocke Schaumburg | White-collar crime and compliance |
| York-Philipp Gräf | Flick Gocke Schaumburg | Internal investigations and criminal defence |
How the ranking was prepared
The selection has been prepared through an independent editorial analysis and an overall assessment of the career, specialisation, experience and professional recognition of the lawyers included. Multiple sources of information have been taken into account, including the websites of the professionals themselves and their firms, news and publications appearing in the media, matters and transactions in which they have been involved, their academic and institutional activity, their national and international profile, and references within the legal and business community.
Particular attention has also been paid to the perception of clients and professionals familiar with their work, assessing factors such as the trust they inspire, responsiveness, legal judgement, effectiveness in resolving matters and the recognition achieved within their respective areas of specialisation. The result reflects a combined editorial assessment of objective and qualitative factors, designed to capture not only career track record and technical knowledge, but also the prestige and professional standing each lawyer has consolidated through legal practice.
How to interpret the selection
The ranking is an editorial snapshot of the German legal market based on information available in 2026. It does not measure fees, guarantee outcomes or claim that any included professional is the right choice for every matter. The choice of counsel should take into account the precise specialty, potential conflicts of interest, jurisdiction, availability, language, budget and relationship of trust.
