Sven is one of the co‑organizers of Hengeler Mueller's internal investigations, crisis management and compliance practice group. He advises companies and their corporate bodies worldwide

  • comprehensively on both internal investigations and investigations conducted by German and foreign, primarily Anglo-American, criminal prosecution and regulatory authorities into potential compliance violations and
  • on group-wide compliance governance programs.

He has extensive experience and expertise in dealing with the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin), the European Central Bank (ECB) and various other public authorities and agencies, specifically in compliance situations.

He also advises banks and their executive and supervisory board members on corporate and regulatory law issues, in particular on questions of corporate organization and governance, as well as in instances of crisis.

In addition, Sven is responsible for Hengeler Mueller's eDiscovery platform, as well as our IT infrastructure and inhouse translation team. 

Sven is the author of over one hundred publications on corporate and capital markets law, as well as on compliance and internal investigations. He is an executive editor of the Neue Zeitschrift für Gesellschaftsrecht, a German specialist periodical on corporate law.

The subject of sustainability is a matter of particular personal interest to Sven. Together with other partners of the firm, he is actively involved in the efforts to make our law firm ecologically sustainable. For more information please click here.

Selection of Sven's most recent rankings:

  • Chambers Europe 2023 – Compliance: "He is very diligent but also very capable at looking at very complex investigations and coming back with really tailored advice." „Er wird besonders geschätzt für seine exzellente Arbeit an grenzüberschreitenden Mandaten“ „Sehr bedachter und forensischer Ansatz“,
  • Who's Who Legal 2023
    • Thought Leaders - Germany - Investigations, WWL Ranking: Thought Leader
    • Global Leader Investigations, WWL Ranking: Recommended
    • National Leader, Germany - Investigations, WWL Ranking: Recommended
  • JUVE 2021/22– Führender Anwalt im Bank- und Bankaufsichtsrecht
  • Best Lawyers 2022 – Bank- und Finanzrecht, Corporate Governance & Compliance, Gesellschaftsrecht, M&A
  • IFLR1000 2022 – Bankrecht und Finanzielle Restrukturierung, Hoch angesehen

Career

  • Admitted to the German bar in 2003
  • Attorney-at-Law (New York)
  • Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Ruprecht-Karls-University of Heidelberg and Johannes-Gutenberg-University of Mainz (Dr. iur.)
  • Clerked at the Higher Regional Court of Hamburg
  • Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California at Berkeley (LL.M.)

Publications

A complete list of Sven's publications can be downloaded here.

Recent Work

Internal investigations and other compliance advising matters:

  • Global industrial player: internal investigation and defense regarding the alleged supply of products to the Russian defense industry prior to the invasion of Ukraine
  • Cross-border internal investigation and advising in connection with a BaFin special audit
  • BMW: preventive advising on technical product compliance/advising on the options to further develop the organization and processes for ensuring compliance with technical-regulatory requirements (homologation, non-homologation) – against the background of the technological transformation of the automotive industry and other external factors
  • Bosch: co-lead partner of the Hengeler Mueller team advising on the internal investigation into, and proceedings before public authorities and courts in Germany and abroad relating to, the alleged manipulation of control units for diesel vehicles
  • Credit institution operating worldwide: internal investigation regarding cum/ex investigations conducted by public prosecutor's offices and BaFin against the banking group's German subsidiary credit institution and its employees
  • DAX-listed company: lead partner of the Hengeler Mueller team conducting the senior management review of the potential involvement of top management in international bribes and books-and-records violations and of the failure of top management to implement adequate compliance structures
  • Leading international digital company: lead partner of the Hengeler Mueller team advising on and conducting an internal investigation regarding suspected malpractice in the cross-border infrastructure sector (possible manipulative business models)
  • Leading international listed consumer goods company: lead partner of the Hengeler Mueller team conducting an internal investigation regarding the leakage of trade and business secrets
  • International listed manufacturer based in Germany: lead partner of the Hengeler Mueller team advising on global World Bank investigations into possible corruption
  • Deutsche Bank: lead partner on the Hengeler Mueller team advising on the global internal and external investigations into alleged manipulations of reference interest rates (especially Libor and Euribor)
  • Deutsche Bank: lead partner on the Hengeler Mueller team advising on the internal and external investigations into potential violations of U.S. export control law (OFAC)
  • Credit institution operating worldwide: advising on how to deal with investigations into potential violations of German securities trading law conducted against the banking group's German subsidiary credit institution and a member of the executive board
  • Asset manager operating worldwide: advising on how to deal with investigations conducted by BaFin into potential violations of German securities trading law
  • German branch of a major foreign insurer: advising on allegations of corruption brought against a member of the executive board

For a description of our Internal Investigations, Crisis Management and Compliance practice group please here.

For a description of our services in the area of eDiscovery please click here.

Banking regulatory and corporate law:

  • German insurance and banking group: advising on aspects of regulatory law
  • German industrial group with holdings in the banking sector: advising on aspects of regulatory law
  • Major European credit institution: advising on the transformation of a German branch into a subsidiary bank.
  • WestLB/Portigon: providing comprehensive advice on the transformation and establishment of Erste Abwicklungsanstalt EAA:
    Hengeler Mueller advises WestLB on final agreement on the transformation