Partner

Martin Wodraschke

CEE German Practice, Head of CMS Automotive & Mobility IFG

Languages

German
English
Hungarian
Italian

Social media

Martin is a partner at CMS based in Budapest. He is the Global Co-Head of CMS Automotive & Mobility and a leading adviser to international investors in the automotive, manufacturing, and defence sectors, with more than 25 years’ experience advising on complex cross-border matters in Hungary and throughout the wider CEE region.

He has extensive hands-on experience supporting DACH investors throughout the full investment lifecycle – from market entry and acquisitions to operational set-up, production ramp-up and ongoing business operations. He regularly assists clients in managing complex stakeholder relationships and restructuring existing businesses.

Martin focuses on commercial, HR and M&A matters, including joint ventures and post-merger integration, with particular expertise in manufacturing-driven industries. He is known for structuring and negotiating sophisticated contractual frameworks for OEMs and major industrial investors, including projects involving AI-driven manufacturing, iFactory solutions and autonomous driving technologies.

Martin is a member of the Munich and Budapest Bar Associations. He also teaches German civil law at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest and conducts doctoral research in Law & Economics on liability regimes for autonomous vehicles.

Awards & Recognitions

01 –

Quote

"One of the big assets that we see in CMS – the project steering and the relationship partner who supports us greatly in making our requests efficient and the replies efficient."

Client feedback

Relevant experience

A major OEM on its transition from selective distribution to a direct sales model: general contractual, data protection and consumer protection advice.
Manufacturers with sales networks in CEE on the roll-out of their companywide policies: localisation and amendment according to mandatory local law in various CEE markets.
A major German OEM on day-to-day and strategic commercial, employment and corporate law matters throughout the CEE/EU region, including data protection and compliance advice.
Various international firms on supplier bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings.
The financial services unit of a German OEM on the compliance due diligence of local financing structures for fleets, used, and demonstration vehicles.
US TIER 1 automotive suppliers on sanctions and compliance, and support in an investigation procedure.
A DACH supplier on a local manufacturing accident, and ad-hoc support in local investigations.
DACH investors on market entry, investments, and ongoing business in Hungary and across the CEE region, including KOSTAL on the establishment of a Shared Service Center in Hungary as a greenfield investment, including state subsidies.
A major German OEM on its more than EUR 1bn greenfield investment, including available state subsidies, site acquisition, development, construction and ongoing legal support.
A German automotive and defence manufacturer on the establishment of multiple joint venture companies for production and R&D facilities, and supporting the client throughout the entire ramping up phase.

Publications

Autonomous driving and regulatory pathways – A Brazilian approach from the U.S. experience - Chambers.com, 2026
The Road to the (Autonomous) Future - Jan 2022.
Can Consumers still trust their cars? - Budapest Business Journal, VOL. 24, 13/2016.
Various possibilities – New investment incentives in Hungary / Regional separation of subsidies (article in German), In Ost-West-Contact 5/2015.
Chapter on Hungary in Handbook of the Societas Europaea (Handbook in German) 2014

Memberships & Roles

Budapest Bar Association
Munich Bar Association

Education

2016 (Ongoing) - Ph.D. on Legal Aspects of Autonomous Cars, Andrássy University, Budapest
2005 – LL.M., Andrássy University, Budapest
2000 – Bar Exam, Landgericht München, Munich
1998 – Master Degree in Law, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich

Practice Areas

Commercial

sectors

Automotive & Mobility

Insights

Global Reach