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Christian Runte
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
  • Quote
    Listed as notable practitioner
    Chambers Germany, 2025
  • Quote
    "Christian Runte is a strong communicator who is very creative and pragmatic in finding solutions.", client
    Chambers Germany, 2025
  • Quote
    „Ratschläge stets auf den Punkt verwertbar, sehr gute Marktkenntnis u. bestens verfügbar“, Mandant; „sehr pragmat. u. lösungsorientiert“, Wettbewerber
    JUVE Handbuch, 2024/2025
  • Quote
    „Oft empfohlen“ für IT-Recht und Datenschutz
    JUVE Handbuch, 2024/2025
  • Quote
    Listed for IT Law
    Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2024 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
  • Quote
    Listed for Data Protection Law
    Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2024 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
  • Quote
    Listed as notable practitioner
    Chambers Europe, 2024
  • Quote
    ‘Christian Runte is very solid and reliable.‘, client
    Chambers Europe, 2024
  • Quote
    „Oft empfohlen“ für IT-Recht und Datenschutz
    JUVE Handbuch, 2023/2024
  • Quote
    Listed as notable practitioner
    Chambers Europe, 2023
  • Quote
    Listed as leading individual
    Chambers Europe, 2023
  • Quote
    Listed for IT Law
    Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2023 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
  • Quote
    Listed for Data Protection Law
    Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2023 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
  • Quote
    Listed as notable practitioner
    Chambers Europe, 2021
  • Quote
    "Recommended" for Data Protection and Information Technology
    JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2021 (GCLF)
  • Quote
    Ranked for TMT: Data Protection - Germany
    Chambers Europe, 2020
  • Quote
    Nennung als Top Anwalt für den Bereich Datenschutzrecht
    Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2020 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
  • Quote
    Listed as a leading lawyer in the category "Germany - Best Law Firms for Data Protection, IT & Outsourcing - 2020"
    Leader's League, 2020
  • Quote
    Recommended for Data
    Who's Who Legal 2020-2021
  • Quote
    Recommended for Information Technology
    Who's Who Legal 2020 – Data
  • Quote
    "Christian Runte is a well-established practitioner with notable experience in outsourcing, e-commerce and special expertise in data protection."
    Chambers Europe, 2019
  • Quote
    Nennung als Top Anwalt für den Bereich IT-Recht
    WirtschaftsWoche Top-Kanzleien 2019; In Kooperation mit: Handelsblatt Research Institute
  • Quote
    "Christian Runte is a European data protection law expert."
    The Legal 500 EMEA, 2016
  • Quote
    "Christian Runte is extremely experienced, super well connected and tactically clever.", client
    The Legal 500 EMEA, 2022
  • Quote
    "finding feasible solutions", client
    Chambers Europe, 2022
  • Quote
    "He is very direct and precise in his requirements, delivers on time and is really a trusted adviser", client
    Chambers Europe, 2022
  • Quote
    Listed as Leading Individual
    Chambers Europe, 2022
  • Quote
    Listed as notable practitioner
    Chambers Europe, 2022
  • Quote
    "very good", client
    JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2022 (GCLF)
  • Quote
    "Recommended" for Information Technology
    JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2022 (GCLF)
  • Quote
    "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
  • Quote
    Führender Anwalt Datenschutz
    Kanzleimonitor 2022/2023
  • Quote
    „sehr pragmatisch u. lösungsorientiert“, Wettbewerber
    JUVE Handbuch, 2022/2023
  • Quote
    „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