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Portrait ofChristian Scherer

Dr. Christian Scherer

Partner
Rechtsanwalt | Fachanwalt für Verwaltungsrecht (Certified lawyer for administrative law) | Fachanwalt für Vergaberecht (Certified lawyer for procurement law)

CMS Hasche Sigle
Kranhaus 1
Im Zollhafen 18
50678 Cologne
Germany
Languages German, English, French

Christian Scherer has more than 20 years experience advising on construction and planning, procurement, environmental and other public law issues with a special focus on public and private industrial procurement and infrastructure as well as construction and other projects. His clients include project developers, operators and investors as well as public sector enterprises, public authorities and financial institutions. He mainly advises on complex infrastructure and industry projects, construction and defence projects, other project developments as well as real estate and corporate transactions. In this context, he and his team also cover subsidy and municipal law issues.

Christian is widely experienced in all relevant industry sectors such as roads, rail and ports, defence and security, water supply and distribution, hospitals and care homes, communications and education, energy, logistics, mining as well as food and chemicals.

Christian was admitted as a lawyer in 1996 and became a partner in 2001. He qualified as a specialist lawyer for administrative law in 1999 and as a specialist lawyer for procurement law in 2018.

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„Oft empfohlen“ für Öffentlicher Sektor

JUVE Handbuch, 2023/2024

„Oft empfohlen“ für Öffentlicher Sektor

JUVE Handbuch, 2023/2024

Listed for Project Finance and Development

Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2023 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers

Listed for Commercial Law

Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2023 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers

"Recommended" for Public Procurement, Environmental and Planning Law

JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2022 (GCLF)

Lawyer of the Year for Project Finance and Development

Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2021 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers

"Christian Scherer [...] is a top-notch public procurement specialist with over 20 years of experience advising project developers, investors and public authorities on PPP matters and environmental planning."

Who's Who Legal 2021

"very good negotiator", competitor

JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2021 (GCLF)

"National Leader" for Government Contracts

Who's Who Legal 2021

Recommended for Public Procurement, Environmental and Planning Law

JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2021 (GCLF)

"Recommended" for Public Procurement: "excellent negotiator", competitor

JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2018 (GCLF)

"extremely competent and pleasant, even in drawn-out, complex proceedings", client

JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2018 (GCLF)

"Recommended" for Environmental and Planning Law, Public Procurement

JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2016 (GCLF)

"Christian Scherer [...] is also well regarded."

The Legal 500 EMEA, 2015

"Christian Scherer [...] advises operators, investors and public authorities on all aspects of project development, including permits, structuring and contracts. Clients praise his excellent connections."

Chambers Europe, 2015

"Christian Scherer [...] is the key lawyer at the firm for PPP projects."

Chambers Europe, 2014

"Commentators describe infrastructure and public law-focused Christian Scherer [...] as ‘very active in this field,’ adding: ‘He is one of the prominent players in the classical PPP market in Germany.’"

Chambers Europe, 2013

"quick grasp, slick performance, trustworthy", client

JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2012 (GCLF)

"reliable, obliging, preeminent expertise", client

JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2012 (GCLF)

Relevant experience

  • Comprehensive legal advice of the bidding consortium and the funders in connection with the PPP project B247 Mühlhausen-Bad Langensalza, including Due Diligence of the project documentation as well as preparation and negotiation of the finance and security documentation up to successful financial close
  • Comprehensive legal advice to the consortium, consisting of EIB, DekaBank, DZ Bank, Helaba, KFW IPEX-Bank, LBBW, MEAG and MUFG, with KfW IPEX-Bank as agent, regarding the financing of the PPP infrastructure project "Availability model A3 AK Biebelried – AK Fürth/Erlangen" (V-Model), the largest PPP motorway infrastructure project commissioned in Germany to date. It comprises the planning, expansion from four to six lanes, operation and maintenance of the approximately 76-kilometre-long section of the A3 federal motorway
  • Advice to a leading European armaments manufacturer on public procurement law and contract law in connection with the Franco-German programme for the development of a Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) and in connection with the invitations to tender issued by the Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and Utilisation of the German Armed Forces (BAAINBw) for seven automatic cannon systems and more than 20 mm ammunition
  • Advice to a European project developer in connection with the conversion of a former military airport into a logistics centre
  • Advising Deutsche Gesellschaft zum Bau und Betrieb von Endlagern für Abfallstoffe (DBE), an association that is responsible for planning, constructing and operating repositories for radioactive waste in Germany on behalf of the government, on awarding employee leasing contracts and complex mining works, in particular in the context of restrictive agreements between bidders
  • Advising the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs in relation to preparing, structuring and carrying out of the awarding of DBFO PPP projects on the upgrade parts of federal motorways (A-model): A8 Augsburg-Munich, A4 Hörselberge bybass road, A5 Malsch-Offenburg and A1 Hamburg-Bremen
  • Advising as Funders Legal Advisor in relation to DBFO PPP projects on the upgrade of federal motorways; A8 Ulm-Augsburg, A9 AK Hermsdorf-Schleiz and A94 Forstinning-Marktl
  • Advising bidders or lenders in relation to numerous public-private partnership social infrastructure projects, in particular the Burg prison project and the Mersch school campus project
  • Advising the operating company on the planning procedure for constructing a container terminal in the Cologne-Godorf port
  • Advising a real estate fund on acquiring Heringsdorf pier on the German island of Usedom
  • Advising the infrastructure fund BBGI on acquiring a 50% share in public-private partnership projects (schools and one military facility)
  • Advising and acting for STRABAG in relation to restructuring the public-private partnership project Westdeutsches Protonentherapiezentrum Essen
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Memberships & Roles

  • Chairman of the German Federal Public-Private Partnership Association and head of its infrastructure working group
  • European law committee and public procurement committee of the German Association for Water, Wastewater and Waste
  • Association for Environmental Law
  • Arbeitsgemeinschaft Vergaberecht im Deutschen Anwaltverein
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Publications

  • Kapitel zur Selbstreinigung im Vergaberecht, in: Schulz, Compliance Management im Unternehmen, Deutscher Fachverlag GmbH, Fachmedien Recht und Wirtschaft, 2. Auflage 2021
  • Kommentierung zu §§ 101, 104, 105, 122 - 126, 148, 151 - 154 GWB, §§ 42 - 46 VgV, §§ 1, 3, 24, 25, 33 KonzVgV, §§ 21 - 27 VSVgV, §§ 6, 6a, 23 VOB/A, §§ 6, 6a, 6e, 6f EU VOB/A, §§ 6, 6a, 6b, 6e, 6f VS VOB/A, § 5 UVgO§§ 31-33 UVgOin: Heuvels/Höß/Kuß/Wagner (Hrsg.), Vergaberecht-Praxiskommentar, Verlag W. Kohlhammer, 2021
  • Öffentlich-Private Partnerschaften, Roquette/Schweiger (Hrsg.), Vertragshandbuch Privates Baurecht, Verlag C.H. Beck 2020
  • Bodenschutzrecht, in Rehbinder/Schink (Hrsg.), Grundzüge des Umweltrechts, Erich Schmidt, 5. Auflage 2018
  • Das Wettbewerbsregister: Die bundesweite schwarze Liste für die Vergabe öffentlicher Aufträge, Compliance Berater, 2017, 261-264.
  • Anmerkung zu BVerwG, Urt. v. 15.03.2017 – BVerwG 10 C 3.16 (mit Laboranowitsch) – Kurze Verjährung subventionsrechtlicher Erstattungsansprüche, DVBI, 2017, 913.
  • Die Verjährung subventionsrechtlicher Rückforderungsansprüche (mit Laboranowitsch), NVwZ, 2017, 1837 ff.
  • Die bundesweite Blacklist für die öffentliche Auftragsvergabe – Der Entwurf eines Gesetzes zur Einführung eines Wettbewerbsregister, (Magazin) Compliance, 2017.
  • Schon wieder eine neue VOB/A!, KA Korrespondenz Abwasser, 2017, 17.
  • Leniency applicant status does not protect company from necessary self-cleaning, ILO Competition & Antitrust, 2016.
  • Beschaffungspreis ist lediglich ein Teil der Gesamtkosten, Staatsanzeiger BW, 2015, p. 28
  • Die Konzentrationswirkung bei der Zulassung raumbedeutsamer Vorhaben und umweltrelevanter Anlagen, DVBI, 2015, p. 816 ff.
  • Die eisenbahnrechtliche Planfeststellung von Umschlaghäfen in der Form trimodaler Güterverkehrsterminals, UPR, 2015, p. 161 ff
  • Getting the Deal Through: Public Private Partnerships 2015, Country Report Germany, November 2014, Law Business Research Ltd
  • Die Definition verteidigungs- und sicherheitsrelevanter Aufträge nach §§ 99 Abs. 7 bis 9 und 13 GWB - Das Tor zum Sondervergaberecht für den Bereich Verteidigung und Sicherheit (mit V. Wagner), in: forum vergabe (Hrsg.), Bundesanzeigerverlag, 2013
  • Kommentierung der §§ 8, 8 EG VOB/A (mit el-Barudi), in: VERIS-VOB/A-Online-Kommentar, Bundesanzeigerverlag, 2013
  • Kommentierung der § 98 (mit Kuß), § 99 GWB (mit Heuvels), §§ 6, 6a, 22, 22a VOB/A, §§ 6, 6 EG, 7 EG VOL/A, §§ 4, 5, 10, 11 VOF, in: Heuvels/Höß/Kuß/Wagner (Hrsg.), Vergaberecht-Praxiskommentar, Verlag W. Kohlhammer, 2013
  • Verteidigungs- und sicherheitsrelevante Aufträge - Eine neue Auftragskategorie im Vergabebereich, NZBau 2012, S 533ff., Verlag C.H.Beck, 2012
  • Bodenschutzrecht, in: Hansmann/Sellner (Hrsg.), Grundzüge des Umweltschutzrechts, Erich Schmidt Verlag, 4. Auflage, 06/2012
  • Öffentlich-private Partnerschaften (mit Roquette), in: Roquette/Otto (Hrsg.), Vertragshandbuch Privates Baurecht, Verlag C.H. Beck 2011
  • Öffentlich-Private Partnerschaften im Krankenhaussektor, in: Leber/Pfeiffer (Hrsg.), Krankenhausfinanzierung, Luchterhand 2010
  • Auftragsvergabe (mit Pols), in: BMVBS/DSGV (Hrsg.), PPP-Handbuch - Leitfaden für Öffentlich-Private-Partnerschaften, vvb Vereinigte Verlagsgesellschaften, 2. Auflage 2009
  • Bodenschutzrecht, Loseblatt, ecomed SICHERHEIT, Verlagsgruppe Hüthig Jehle Rehm GmbH 2007
  • Straßentauglich? - PPP für kommunale Straßen, CityPartner 2005, p. 22 ff
  • Zum Ordnungsrahmen für die Sanierung von Altlasten in der Wasserrahmenrichtlinie, Wasser und Abfall 2004, p. 20 ff
  • PPP on the Road: Betreibermodelle im Bundesfernstraßenbau 2004, in: Knop (Hrsg.), Jahrbuch 2004 Public Private Partnership
  • BVerwG - Hochmoselquerung und Vogelschutz, IBR - Zeitschrift für Immobilien und Baurecht 2004, p. 1067
  • Gebührenpflichtigkeit von Amtshandlungen im Zusammenhang mit der Benutzung von Verkehrswegen für Telekommunikationslinien-Ein neues Nord-Süd-Gefälle?, TKMR - Telekommunikations- und Medienrecht 2002, p. 477 ff
  • Haftungsbegrenzung bei der Zustandsverantwortlichkeit für Altlasten - Ein Musterfall zur Eigentumsgarantie des GG, Altlasten spektrum 2000, p. 225 f
  • Europäisches Abfallrecht, NVwZ 1999, p. 590 ff
  • HüTTE - Umweltschutztechnik, Grundlagen des Umweltrechts; Strahlenschutz; Kreislaufwirtschafts- und Abfallrecht, Springer Verlag Berlin/Heidelberg 1999
  • Landesrechtliche Andienungspflichten für Sonderabfälle, DVBl 1999, p. 1251 ff
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Lectures list

  • Numerous lectures on procurement, environmental and infrastructure law and on public and private partnerships
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Education

  • 2018: Certified lawyer for procurement law
  • 1999: Certified lawyer for administrative law
  • 1996: Admitted as a lawyer in Cologne
  • 1997: Doctor iuris
  • 1992 - 1993: Research assistant with the University of Mainz‘ public law department
  • 1992 - 1995: Trainee lawyer in Wiesbaden, Frankfurt and Geneva
  • 1985 - 1991: Studied in Mainz and Dijon (Certificat de Relations Internationales)
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Feed

15/03/2024
CMS Real Estate Data Centre Consenting in Germany
1. Do you have to enter into a form of agreement with the local au­thor­ity/mu­ni­cip­al­ity when applying for consent for a data centre in your jurisdiction? In Germany, there is no legal obligation to enter...
Comparable
14/02/2024
CMS advises automotive supplier Webasto on sale of charging business to...
Cologne – Webasto, a leading global automotive supplier headquartered in Stockdorf near Munich, has sold a majority stake in its charging solutions business. The business includes charging cables, mobile chargers and wallboxes. The German company is one of the 100 largest suppliers to the automotive sector worldwide and will remain invested in the division as a minority shareholder. It intends to focus on its core business segments going forward. In 2022, Webasto took the strategic decision to seek an investor for the charging solutions business. The buyer is private equity firm Transom Capital Group, based in Los Angeles, USA. The two companies signed a purchase agreement on 7 February 2024. Further details of the transaction were not disclosed.A CMS team headed by lead partner Klaus Jäger advised Webasto on all legal aspects of the sale. The German CMS team worked closely with CMS teams from Mexico City and Beijing, as well as US law firms Miller & Martin PLLC and Locke Lord LLP. The sales process was highly complex, partly due to the fact that prior to the sale the unit in question needed to be restructured by taking appropriate action across a number of different jurisdictions. Webasto has relied on the expertise of CMS in the past, most recently when acquiring all the shares in Luxembourg company Carlex Glass. Established in 1901, automotive supplier Webasto focuses on roof systems and on vehicle electrification in its development, manufacturing and sales operations. The product range includes openable and fixed roofs, electric high-voltage heaters and batteries and thermo management solutions. Webasto’s customers range from manufacturers of passenger cars, commercial vehicles and boats to dealers and end customers. In 2022, the group generated sales of over EUR 4 billion and employed some 16,800 people across more than 50 locations worldwide. CMS Germany Klaus Jäger, Lead Part­ner Anna-Lena Löcherbach, Counsel Philipp Knopp, Senior As­so­ci­ate Domin­ic Zimmer, Associate Nina Fink, Associate, all Corporate/M&A Dr Angela Emmert, Partner Lennard Martin Lürwer, Counsel Marcel Heinen, Senior Associate, all Labor, Employment & Pensions Dr Sebastian Cording, Partner Lars Howe, Associate Dr Markus Kaulartz, Partner Dr Reemt Matthiesen, Partner, all TMC Dr Alexandra Schluck-Amend, Partner Manuel Nann, Senior As­so­ci­ate  Fran­ziska Fuchs, Senior Associate, all Restructuring and Insolvency Lars Eckhoff, Partner Dr Philipp Rohdenburg, Counsel, both Commercial Dr Dirk Smielick, Principal Counsel, Intellectual Property Dr Christian Scherer, Partner, Real Estate & Public Barbara Bayer, Counsel, Banking, Finance & Insurance Moritz Pottek, Counsel, Antitrust, Competition & Trade Dr Arne Burmester, Principal Counsel Conrad Gräwe, Legal Coordinator Romy Rosenhahn, Legal Co­ordin­at­or Stephanie Schulz, Legal Co­ordin­at­or Steven Washington, Legal Co­ordin­at­or Tag­rid Chahrour, Senior Legal Specialist Anke Clippingdale, Senior Legal Specialist Lisa Mattmann, Senior Legal Specialist Sarah Przybylski, Senior Legal Specialist Edris Trabzadah, Senior Legal Specialist Faraz Ahmad, Legal Specialist Jule Marie Holz, Legal Specialist Sofia Schreiner, Legal Spe­cial­ist Al­ex­an­der Stadahl, Legal Specialist, all Smart Operations CMS China Dr Falk Lichtenstein, Partner, Corporate/M&A CMS Mexico Giancarlo Schievenini, Partner, Corporate/M&A MILLER & MARTIN PLLC, Attorneys at Law, Atlanta, USA Mike Marshall, Partner Joe De Lisle, Partner Locke Lord LLP, Boston, USA Jonathan Young, PartnerPress Con­tact presse@cms-hs. com   
14/02/2024
CMS advises Scannell Properties on sale of logistics property to Aviva...
Düsseldorf – US developer Scannell Properties has sold a newly developed logistics property in the Bavarian town of Kitzingen to asset management company Aviva Investors. Strategically located close to the A3 and A7 motorways, the property in ConneKT Logistics Park was completed in July of last year and offers around 12,000 sq m of warehousing. The property is leased to an online retailer for 15 years.A CMS team headed by partner Philipp Schönnenbeck and Dr Franz Maurer advised Scannell Properties on all legal aspects of the transaction. The CMS team previously advised Scannell Properties during the acquisition, development, construction and letting of the logistics property. CMS Germany Philipp Schönnenbeck, Lead Partner Dr Franz Maurer, Counsel, Co-Lead Dr Christian Scherer, Partner Dr Yves Steingrüber, Senior Associate Martin Krause, Partner Maike Füchtmann, Senior Associate, all Real Estate & Public Inhouse at Scannell Properties Marko Klemt, General CounselPress Con­tact presse@cms-hs. com
05/12/2023
CMS advises Federal State of Hesse on successful award of Frankfurt Justice...
Frankfurt/Main – The Federal State of Hesse has awarded a major contract in the mid-triple-digit millions range involving a public private partnership (PPP), via its state agency for construction and...
16/01/2023
CMS advises Pinova on acquisition of VTI Ventil Technik GmbH
Frankfurt/Main – Funds advised by independent private equity firm Pinova Capital GmbH have acquired a majority stake in VTI Ventil Technik GmbH together with NRW. BANK. The seller is the AMX-listed...
01/12/2022
Expansion of market position: International CMS team advises Kansai Helios...
Cologne – Global paint and coatings producer Kansai Helios has acquired all the shares in CWS Lackfabrik GmbH (CWS), a specialist in powder coatings and synthetic resins. The deal includes the group...
26/08/2022
Public procurement regulation in Germany
October 2018 The procurement directives 2014/23/EU, 2014/24/EU, and 2014/25/EU were transposed into German law on 18 April 2016. 1. Where can one find public procurement notifications for Germany? Besides...
27/07/2022
CMS advises Finnish process technology house Roxia on a partial acquisition...
Dusseldorf – The globally operating process technology house Roxia Oy, based in Lappeenranta, Finland, has acquired 50 percent of the shares in the German Aquachem GmbH. Roxia Oy develops technology...
08/07/2022
CMS advises AkzoNobel on acquisition of alloy wheel liquid coatings business...
Düsseldorf – AkzoNobel N.V., a global manufacturer of paints and specialty chemicals headquartered in the Netherlands, has acquired the alloy wheel liquid coatings business of Lankwitzer Lackfabrik...
10/06/2022
CMS Expert Guide on rising raw material prices in Germany
1. Have specific legislative or regulatory provisions been adopted by the Government in relation to the increase in the price of raw materials? The Federal Ministry of Building and Regional Planning...
Comparable
09/12/2021
CMS Public Procurement Forum
Public procurement on the move to ecological transition We are delighted to announce that the 7th CMS Public Procurement Forum will take place in Paris on Thursday, 9 December 2021 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30...
18/10/2021
First federal highway PPP project: CMS advises on financing of B 247 project...
Cologne – CMS has successfully advised on the financing of the B 247 PPP project in Thuringia up to the financial close on 17 September 2021. Acting on behalf of the German federal government, DEGES...