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Sebastian Cording
Partner

Dr. Sebastian Cording

Rechtsanwalt | Fachanwalt für Informationstechnologierecht (Certified lawyer for IT law) | Fachanwalt für Urheber- und Medienrecht (Certified lawyer for copyright and media law)

Languages
  • German
  • English
  • French
  • Spanish
Social media

With more than 20 years of experience, Sebastian Cording advises his clients on complex IT and technology projects. He specialises in IT outsourcing and the introduction of ERP systems, drafts and negotiates IT contracts and is also a very experienced litigator. Sebastian’s clients include companies as software users as well as IT service providers, and he has special sports, media and residential property sector expertise.

Sebastian is also a highly regarded sports lawyer, advising on sports sponsorship and rights marketing. He acts for marketing agencies, sport event organisers, sports clubs and associations as well as for athletes and managers and advises his clients on contracts and, in case of conflict, also represents them in court.

He advises selected start-ups through the CMS equIP programme.

Sebastian joined CMS in 1995 and has been a partner since 1998. For more than ten years he has been heading the CMS TMC Group Germany and for more than two years he has also been head of the Sport & Media subgroup of the firm’s international TMC sector group.

Sebastian is a board member of the Hanseatic Bar Association and in this position also a member of the human rights committee of the German Federal Bar and of a working group set up by the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe that investigates state surveillance of lawyer-client communications.

Sebastian is also in charge of CMS alumni at the firm’s Hamburg office.

Awards & Recognitions
01
  • Quote
    Listed for IT Law
    Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2025 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
  • Quote
    Führender Partner für IT-Transaktionen und Outsourcing
    The Legal 500 Deutschland, 2025
  • Quote
    „Sebastian Cording ist ein Experte für Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)-Systeme.“
    The Legal 500 Deutschland, 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
    Leading Individual for IT Transaction and Outsourcing
    The Legal 500 EMEA, 2024
  • Quote
    „Oft empfohlen“ für IT-Recht und Datenschutz
    JUVE Handbuch, 2023/2024
  • Quote
    Listed for IT Law
    Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2023 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
  • Quote
    Leading Individual for IT Transactions and Outsourcing
    The Legal 500 EMEA, 2023
  • Quote
    "Recommended" for Information Technology
    JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2020-2022 (GCLF)
  • Quote
    "competent and friendly", client
    JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2021 (GCLF)
  • Quote
    Nennung als Top Anwalt für den Bereich Sportrecht
    WirtschaftsWoche Top-Kanzleien 2022; In Kooperation mit: Handelsblatt Research Institute
  • Quote
    „Sebastian Cording [...] setzt dabei einen besonderen Schwerpunkt auf Sportrecht und berät unter anderem die deutsche Fußball-Liga, die UEFA (über das Kanzlei-Netzwerk) sowie die World E-Sports Association, die unter anderem von seinen IT-Kenntnissen profitieren kann”
    The Legal 500 Deutschland, 2021
  • Quote
    Leading individual for IT transactions and outsourcing
    The Legal 500 EMEA, 2021
  • Quote
    "solid legal knowledge, pragmatic", competitor
    JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2016 (GCLF)
  • Quote
    „Die sportrechtliche Praxis um den Hamburger Partner Dr. Sebastian Cording zeichnet sich durch große Erfahrung in der Begleitung von Verträgen für Sportevents und Vermarktungen aus“
    JUVE Handbuch, 2015/2016
  • Quote
    "18-partner team led by the renowned Sebastian Cording"
    The Legal 500 EMEA, 2015
  • Quote
    Recommended in "25 top law firms for IT law"
    WirtschaftsWoche Top-Kanzleien, 2016
  • Quote
    „Oft empfohlen“ für Technologie und Medien
    JUVE Handbuch, 2022/2023
  • Quote
    Leading individual for IT transactions and outsourcing
    The Legal 500 EMEA, 2022

Relevant experience

  • Advising an international online retailer on the League Association’s invitation to tender for the acquisition of media rights starting with the 2017/2018 season
  • Advising several real estate companies on the introduction of a new ERP software
  • Advising the German Basketball League (BBL) on the sale of media rights to Deutsche Telekom
  • Advising HOCHTIEF und STREIF on a transaction with ZEPPELIN Group
  • Advising AXA Lebensversicherung on the introduction of a new IT platform
  • Representing several boxers in German courts against Universum Boxpromotion, including the Klitschko brothers and Felix Sturm
  • Advising DFL Sports Enterprises on the invitation to tender for innovative e-gaming rights packages

Publications

  • „Sportarenen als Hochsicherheitsbereiche?“ Jura-Beitrag in der Zeitschrift SPONSORs Okt./Nov. 2012
  • „Besteuerung von Sportwetten“ Jura-Beitrag in der Zeitschrift SPONSORs Juli 2012
  • "Tatort Fußball" Jura-Beitrag in der Zeitschrift SPONSORs Mai 2012
  • "Auseinandersetzung zwischen Schleswig-Holstein und den restlichen Bundesländer um das neue Glückspielgesetz – Das muss wie ein Racheakt anmuten!" Interview SPONSORs Ausgabe Februar 2012; Fachzeitschrift games & business
  • "Fakten zum Lizenzvertrag" Beitrag Werben & Verkaufen-Guide Oktober 2011
  • "Sportwetten – vom Regen in die Traufe" Jura-Beitrag in der Zeitschrift SPONSORs April 2011
  • "TV-Rechtevermarktung droht Bosman-Urteil" SPONSOR's Media Special April 2011
  • "Was tun gegen illegale Streaming-Angebote?" Jura-Beitrag in der Zeitschrift SPONSORs Januar 2011
  • "Liability of YouTube and Google for infringing user-generated content" E-Commerce Law Reports November 2010
  • "Sind Sportwetten nach den Urteil des EuGH nun erlaubt?" Jura-Beitrag in der Zeitschrift SPONSORs Oktober 2010
  • "Compliance – Ein Überblick", Beitrag für SPONSORs 8/10
  • „Managementverträge und Sittenwidrigkeit“ Jura-Beitrag in der Zeitschrift SPONSORs Januar 2010

Memberships & Roles

  • International Technology Law Association (ITechLaw)
  • German Association of Law and Informatics (DGRI)
  • Federal Association for Information Technology (Bitkom)
  • BDVW (German Digital Economy Association)
  • International Sports Lawyers Association (ISLA)

Lectures list

  • Virtual advertising (sport law, University of Münster, 21.11.2000)
  • Purchase law pursuant to the law of obligations (client event, 28.01.2002)
  • IT project agreements pursuant to the new law of obligations (client event, 22.04.2002)
  • Service level agreements (IT law, client event, 03.04.2003)

Education

  • 1993/1994: Second state examination in law
  • Trainee lawyer in Hamburg, including stints with Treuhandanstalt (government agency that privatised East German enterprises) and a law firm in San Francisco
  • PhD in Tuebingen
  • 1985/1986: Law studies and Diplôme de Maîtrise en Droit, Mention Droit International at the University of Aix-en-Provence, France
  • Law studies at the University of Tuebingen
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