Partner

Christian Runte

Rechtsanwalt

Languages

German
English

Social media

Christian Runte specialises in technology projects, with a special focus on data protection law. He is also widely experienced in handling German and international technology transactions and IT outsourcing projects. Christian’s clients include international technology companies and service providers who particularly appreciate his negotiation skills and solution driven approach.

Christian is co-head of the CMS data protection group and chair of the privacy and data protection group of the World Law Group.

Christian has led numerous EU and international data protection and technology projects across several jurisdictions.

Christian, who has been a partner at CMS since 2008, started his legal career with a leading firm in São Paulo (Brazil) and Munich before co-founding an e-commerce business in 1998. He joined CMS in 2000 and was seconded to CMS London in 2004.

Awards & Recognitions

01 –

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Listed as notable practitioner

Chambers Germany, 2025
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"Christian Runte is a strong communicator who is very creative and pragmatic in finding solutions.", client

Chambers Germany, 2025
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„Ratschläge stets auf den Punkt verwertbar, sehr gute Marktkenntnis u. bestens verfügbar“, Mandant; „sehr pragmat. u. lösungsorientiert“, Wettbewerber

JUVE Handbuch, 2024/2025
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„Oft empfohlen“ für IT-Recht und Datenschutz

JUVE Handbuch, 2024/2025
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Listed for IT Law

Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2024 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
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Listed for Data Protection Law

Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2024 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
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Listed as notable practitioner

Chambers Europe, 2024
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‘Christian Runte is very solid and reliable.‘, client

Chambers Europe, 2024
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„Oft empfohlen“ für IT-Recht und Datenschutz

JUVE Handbuch, 2023/2024
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Listed as notable practitioner

Chambers Europe, 2023
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Listed as leading individual

Chambers Europe, 2023
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Listed for IT Law

Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2023 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
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Listed for Data Protection Law

Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2023 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
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Listed as notable practitioner

Chambers Europe, 2021
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"Recommended" for Data Protection and Information Technology

JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2021 (GCLF)
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Ranked for TMT: Data Protection - Germany

Chambers Europe, 2020
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Nennung als Top Anwalt für den Bereich Datenschutzrecht

Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2020 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
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Listed as a leading lawyer in the category "Germany - Best Law Firms for Data Protection, IT & Outsourcing - 2020"

Leader's League, 2020
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Recommended for Data

Who's Who Legal 2020-2021
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Recommended for Information Technology

Who's Who Legal 2020 – Data
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"Christian Runte is a well-established practitioner with notable experience in outsourcing, e-commerce and special expertise in data protection."

Chambers Europe, 2019
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Nennung als Top Anwalt für den Bereich IT-Recht

WirtschaftsWoche Top-Kanzleien 2019; In Kooperation mit: Handelsblatt Research Institute
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"Christian Runte is a European data protection law expert."

The Legal 500 EMEA, 2016
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"Christian Runte is extremely experienced, super well connected and tactically clever.", client

The Legal 500 EMEA, 2022
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"finding feasible solutions", client

Chambers Europe, 2022
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"He is very direct and precise in his requirements, delivers on time and is really a trusted adviser", client

Chambers Europe, 2022
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Listed as Leading Individual

Chambers Europe, 2022
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Listed as notable practitioner

Chambers Europe, 2022
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"very good", client

JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2022 (GCLF)
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"Recommended" for Information Technology

JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2022 (GCLF)
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"The team also includes the 'extremely experienced, excellently connected and tactically clever' Christian Runte and 'wonderful, intellectual sparring partner' Michael Kamps."

The Legal 500 EMEA, 2022
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Führender Anwalt Datenschutz

Kanzleimonitor 2022/2023
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„sehr pragmatisch u. lösungsorientiert“, Wettbewerber

JUVE Handbuch, 2022/2023
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„Oft empfohlen“ für Technologie und Medien

JUVE Handbuch, 2022/2023

Publications

Datensicherheit nach Hackerangriff, PLATOW Recht, Nr. 9, 23. Januar 2019, S. 6
Perspektiven für Juristen 2011, "Medien- und IT-Recht", e-fellows.net GmbH & Co. KG, München 2010
Handbuch für den Fachanwalt Informationstechnologierecht (Mitautor), Datenschutzrecht, Wolters Kluwer 2008
et. al., Special Report: Anonymous Sarbanes Oxley Hotlines in the European Union: Practical Guidance On Compliance For Global Companies, World Securities Law Report, Volume 11, Number 9, pp. 24-30 2008
The Practitioners' Guide to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Volume II, Anonymous Sarbanes-Oxley Hotlines for Multi-National Companies: Compliance with E.U. Data Protection Laws (Chapter 9), American Bar Association 2008
Düsseldorfer Kreis: Whistleblowing Hotlines und Datenschutz, MMR, Heft 6, XXV 2007
The Practitioners' Guide to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Volume II, American Bar Association, Chicago, Anonymous Sarbanes-Oxley Hotlines for Multi-National Companies: Compliance with E.U. Data Protection Laws (Chapter 9), S.1-29 2006, p. 0
EU Richtlinie zur TK-Vorratsdatenspeicherung in Kraft getreten, Informationsdienst IT-Grundschutz, Bundesanzeiger Verlag, Bonn 2006
Neue Entwicklungen bei der Vorratsdatenspeicherung von Telekommunikationsdaten, CMS Update Technology 2006, p. 6 f
Anonymous Sarbanes Oxley Hotlines in the E.U.: Practical Compliance Guidance for Global Companies, BNA International's World Data Protection Report (www.bnai.com) 2005
Anonymous Hotlines for Whistleblowers - The U.S. Sarbanes Oxley Act and European Compliance Issues, Computer Law Review International (CRi) 2005, p. 135 ff
Anonymous Sarbanes Oxley Hotlines in the E.U., World Tax and Law Report, Issue 20, BNA International 2005
et. al., ANONYMOUS SARBANES OXLEY HOTLINES IN THE E.U.: PRACTICAL COMPLIANCE GUIDANCE FOR GLOBAL COMPANIES, THE SECURITIES REPORTER, Newsletter of the American Bar Association's Section of Business Law Committee on Federal Regulation of Securities, Volume 10 Issue 3 2005, p. 61 ff
"EU: Alternative Standardvertragsklauseln für die Übermittlung personenbezogener Daten in Drittländer", MMR (Multimedia und Recht) 2005, p. 17 ff
Software und GPSG, Computer und Recht 2004, p. 725 ff
Remote Control und Datenschutz, IT-Administrator 2004, p. 52 f
Data Mining und Datenschutz, IS-Report, Ausgabe 9 2004, p. 31
Vergütung für Softwarepflege bei laufender "Gewährleistung", ITRB (Der IT-Rechtsberater), Heft 11 2003, p. 253 ff
Schadensersatz bei Abschaltung eines Webservers (Anmerkung zu AG Charlottenburg, U. v. 11.01.2002 - 208 C 192/01), Computer und Recht, Verlag Otto Schmid, Köln 2002, p. 297 ff
Produktaktivierung - Zivilrechtliche Aspekte der "Aktivierung" von Software, Computer und Recht, Verlag Otto Schmid, Köln 2001, p. 657 f

Memberships & Roles

Chairman of the World Law Group’s Privacy & Data Protection Group
German Association for Data Protection and Data Security (GDD)
German Association of Law and Informatics (DGRI)
International Technology Law Association (ITechLaw)
German Bar Association

Lectures list

Final Countdown to GDPR – The role of data protection officers, Webinar, 20.03.2018
Datenschutz, Data Ownership, Lizenz- und Haftungsfragen, Konzerne im Wandel - Fortschritt durch Digitalisierung, München, 21.02.2018
Privacy-Tech - Möglichkeiten und Grenzen von Legal Tech bei der Bearbeitung datenschutzrechtlicher Aufgaben, BITKOM Forum Recht, Berlin, 18.05.2017
Vertiefungsworkshop zur EU-Datenschutzgrundverordnung / Einbindung des Betriebsrats, 16. CMS-Arbeitsrechtskongress, Frankfurt, 16.05.2017
Brexit and implication for Data Protection Law, World Law Group Spring Conference, Warsaw, 12.05.2017
Are you ready for the GDPR? - Time to implement your compliance programme, CMS Data Protection Conference, London, 24.02.2017
Surveillance society: Big Data, CMS TMC Conference 2016, London, 25.11.2016
EU-Datenschutzgrundverordnung 2018, BVDW-Datenschutz-Roadshow, München, 22.11.2016
EU-US Privacy Shield und neue europäische Datenschutzregeln – Was erwartet die Digitale Wirtschaft?, BVDW, München, 22.03.2016
Safe Harbor: Die Auswirkungen des Urteils des Europäischen Gerichtshofes auf Arbeitsverhältnisse – auch in nicht konzerngebundenen Unternehmen, 6. BPM Arbeitsrechtstag 2016, Frankfurt a.M., 16.03.2016
Big Data - Implications for Privacy and Data Protection Compliance in the UK and Germany", Consumer Products Conference, London, 04.06.2015
Datenschutzrechtliche Vorgaben beim Datentransfer ins Ausland, Compliance Roadshow 2014, München, 22.07.2014
IT-Sicherheit – Truth or Dare, Unternehmensjuristentage 2014, Berlin, 27.06.2014
Datenaustausch mit Drittstaaten, BITKOM Forum Recht, Berlin, 14.05.2014
Datenschutz aktuell, Corporate Governance Compliance Strategies 2014, Berlin, 05.05.2014
Data Processing Agreements under German Law – What is so special?, Privacy Laws & Business Privacy Officers Network Roundtable, München, 28.04.2014
Global Data Breaches: Strategies, Notifications and Management, AllClear ID Webinar, 28.01.2014
NSA Cyber Spying Programs – Impact on Business Clients in Germany and the EU, Privacy Matters & IP/IT Group Meeting, World Law Group Fall Conference 2013, Boston, 04.10.2013
Global Hotlines, Data Protection and FCPA Investigations, IAPP Europe Data Protection Intensive 2013, London, 24.04.2013
Whistleblowing – Good Corporate Governance - IAPP Data Protection Congress 2012, Brüssel, 14.11.2012
Update Datenschutz, Köln, 10.05.2012
Update Datenschutz, München, 09.05.2012
Internal Investigations und Datenschutz, München, 14.03.2012
E-Mobility und Datenschutz, Erlangen, 07.02.2012
Bring Your Own Device, Frankfurt/Main, 06.10.2011
Cloud Computing - Data Protection & Security, München, 04.10.2011
Datenschutz und Compliance, Stuttgart, 25.03.2011
Navigating the Privacy Sea, Convergence here and now! - Conference of the International Federation of Computer Law Associations (IFCLA), Helsinki, Finland, 10.06.2010
Data Breach Laws - EU Framework and Implementation, European Card Acquiring Forum 2010, Berlin, 25.02.2010
New Data Breach Laws - Developments, Requirements, Consequences in the EU and Germany, Privacy Matters Practice Group Meeting, World Law Group Spring Conference 2008, Athens, Greece, 09.05.2008
EU Whistleblower Hotlines - Current Trends and Best Practices, Ethicspoint Web Seminar, 01.08.2007
SOX Whistleblower Hotline Programs in the EU - Evolving best practices in France, Germany and elsewhere, Ethics & Compliance Officer Association, 21.06.2007
IT / data protection compliance, 360° Compliance, Frankfurt, 26.04.2007
Data protection requirements for global data management and data transfer", BITKOM working party Service Management and Standards, Langen, 15.02.2007
Convergence and data protection, Telecommunications and new media working party, Munich, 29.11.2006
Warranties and Liability UK/Germany, IT Forum Training Event, Munich, 15.02.2005
The Internet - a 'legal trap'?, E-Business Expo, Düsseldorf, 16.08.2000

Education

Law studies at the University of Munich

Practice Areas

Compliance & Forensic Services

sectors

TMC - Technology, Media & Communications Data Protection Law & IT Security Law IT Law Telecommunication Media Law

topics

GDPR

Insights

Global Reach

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Christian Runte

Rechtsanwalt

Languages

Social media

Publications

Memberships & Roles

Lectures list

Education

Practice Areas

sectors

topics

Insights by Christian

Data protection and cybersecurity laws in Germany

Willkommen im Metaverse | Podcast

Insights

Global Reach

Karriere

Select your region

Christian Runte

Rechtsanwalt

Languages

Social media

Publications

Memberships & Roles

Lectures list

Education

Practice Areas

sectors

topics

Insights by Christian

Record broken: GDPR fines exceed EUR 5 billion for the first time

Data protection and cybersecurity laws in Germany

Six years of GDPR: Europe-wide analysis shows increasingly dynamic sanction...

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