Counsel

Martin Krings, B.A. (Bachelor of Arts)

Rechtsanwalt | Fachanwalt für Informationstechnologierecht (Certified lawyer for IT law)

Languages

German
English

Social media

Martin Krings specialises in digital business and platform law, advising leading digital platform providers, particularly in e-commerce and online marketing, on all relevant legal aspects, including platform regulation and the Digital Services Act (DSA). He has extensive expertise in digital business, including consumer protection and unfair competition law. Furthermore, Martin advises clients on data protection and general IT law issues.

As a certified lawyer for IT law, his practice covers product and service design, drafting and negotiating complex marketing and cooperation agreements, and litigation.

Martin started his career in 2017 as legal counsel with the IT department of Deutsche Telekom before joining CBH Rechtsanwälte, specialising in IP, media and data protection. Prior to that, he was a research assistant at the University of Cologne’s Institute for Constitutional Law from 2011 to 2015. Martin joined CMS in 2019 and was appointed Counsel in 2023.

Awards & Recognitions

01 –

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Ones to watch for IT Law

Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2025 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
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Ones to watch for Data Protection Law

Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2025 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
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„Oft empfohlen“ für IT-Recht und Datenschutz

JUVE Handbuch, 2024/2025
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„fachl. stark u. sympath.“, Wettbewerber

JUVE Handbuch, 2024/2025
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„Oft empfohlen“ („fachl. stark u. sympath.“, Wettbewerber) für IT-Recht und Datenschutz

JUVE Handbuch, 2024/2025
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Lawyer of the Future for IT Law

Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2024 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
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Lawyer of the Future for Data Protection Law

Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2024 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
Quote

Lawyer of the Future for IT Law

Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2023 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
Quote

Lawyer of the Future for Data Protection Law

Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2023 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
Quote

Lawyer of the Future for IT Law

Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2022 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
Quote

Lawyer of the Future for Data Protection Law

Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2022 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
Quote

Lawyer of the Future for IT Law

Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2021 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
Quote

Lawyer of the Future for Data Protection Law

Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2021 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
Quote

Top Anwalt für den Bereich IT-Recht

WirtschaftsWoche Top-Kanzleien 2020; In Kooperation mit: Handelsblatt Research Institute

Relevant experience

Advising eBay and other international online marketplaces and online platforms
Advising an international online transport and food delivery service platform
Advising an international telecommunications and IT service provider
Advising one of the leading online payment systems
Advising an international streaming provider

Publications

"Online-Marktplätze im DSA", Gewerblicher Rechtsschutz und Urheberrecht in der Praxis (GRUR-Prax), 2024, 665
"DSA Hot Topics", Kommunikation & Recht 2024, Issue 09, Supplement, pp. 11–16, together with Dr. Arne Schmieke
Hauschka/Moosmayer/Lösler, Corporate Compliance (Beck Verlag), Section 3: Branchenspezifische Compliance-Organisation, § 54. Digitale Dienste und E-Commerce (together with mit Jörg Diitrich)
„Verschärfung der Pflichten für Online-Händler und -Marktplätze nach dem ElektroG“, Zeitschrift für Product Compliance (ZfPC), 2022, Issue 8
„Drei Jahre DSGVO-Bußgeldpraxis – eine Analyse“ in Wissensmanagement Magazin, Issue 5/2021
„Ab 2022: Elektrogesetz bringt neue Pflichten für Online-Händler und Marktplätze“, Internet World Business (June 2021)
„Umfangreiche neue Pflichten durch neues ElektroG“ in Startup Valley News (May 2021)
„BGH – Pizzafoto, Funktionelle Zuständigkeit bei Urheberrechtstreitsachen“, IP Kompakt 01/2019, p. 18
„BGH – Anschrift des Klägers, Ladungsfähigkeit unter der Geschäftsanschrift“, IP Kompakt 11/2018, p. 21 f.
„BGH – Namensangabe, Informationspflicht bei Werbeanrufen“, IP Kompakt 09/2018, p. 18 f.
„LG Nürnberg-Fürth, Gala Spa Awards, Zur Testsiegerwerbung“, IP Kompakt 08/2018, p. 15 ff.
„LG Braunschweig – Abmahnkosten, Verjährung der Umsatzsteuer von Abmahnkosten“, IP Kompakt 07/2018, p. 13 f.
„BGH – MeinPaket.de II, Pflichtangaben in Printwerbung für Online-Verkausplattform“, IP Kompakt 12/2017, p. 14
„Wie man (sich) eine Abmahnung richtig leistet, Zur Umsatzsteuerpflicht von Abmahnungen“, IP Kompakt 09/2017, p. 17 ff. (together with RA Vander)
Continuous contributions to the CMS blog

Memberships & Roles

Bitkom (industry association for the German information and telecommunications sector), including working group on competition and consumer law
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Recht und Informatik e.V. (German IT law association)
Arbeitskreis EDV und Recht Köln e.V. (IT associaton in Cologne)
Elected member of Cologne Bar Association’s committee for IT law
Cologne Bar Association

Lectures list

@kit-Kongress – „12. Forum Kommunikation & Recht”, DSA „Hot Topics“ May 16, 2024
CMS Webinar DSA "Hot Topics" November 9, 2023
Lecture Unit „Legal Tech – Legal Limits?!“ as part of the Legal Tech Module at the University of Cologne (May 2022)
„Grenzen von Legal Tech“ as part of „LTLC x CMS“ (May 2022)
Lecture Unit „Legal Tech – Legal Limits?!“ as part of the Legal Tech Module at the University of Cologne (January 2021)
„‘Digital Business‘ in der anwaltlichen Praxis“ as part of an event by the Young Professionals of the German-American Lawyers' Association (together with Dr. Arne Schmieke, January 2020)

Education

2016: Second state examination in law
2014: First state examination in law
2014 - 2016: Trainee lawyer at Cologne Higher Regional Court including placements at Osborne Clarke in Cologne (IP/IT practice), the German Embassy in Hanoi (legal and consular matters) and eBay in Berlin (classifieds and mobile.de)
2009 - 2014: Law studies at the University of Cologne
2005 - 2009: Philosophy, history and physics studies at the University of Cologne

Practice Areas

Intellectual Property Copyright Competition Law (Unfair Competition Act – UWG)

sectors

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

topics

e-Privacy

Insights

Global Reach

Karriere