People

Carl Oldenbourg Associate

Munich

He advises start-ups and scale-ups on their foundation, financing rounds and growth phases as well as on internationalization projects. He also advises VCs and corporate VCs on their investments.

Before starting his legal practice, he also worked as a trainee lawyer for a U.S. law firm in its San Francisco office.

Onur Öztürk Counsel

Munich

He regularly advises founder teams on the establishment of a two-tier U.S./German holding structures, be it in connection with their admission to a U.S. accelerator or be it for better access to early-stage financing opportunities in the richer U.S. funding ecosystem.

During his legal training, Onur had been with the M&A practice of a Big Four accounting firm and the legal department of a major German technology company in Germany and Canada. In 2022, Onur worked from our San Francisco and Menlo Park offices for three months to take a deep-dive into the Silicon Valley's start-up ecosystem.

Martina Pfaffinger Senior Associate

Munich

She has particular experience in representing Asian clients from the automotive sector in DIS arbitration proceedings. Clients benefit from her background as corporate / M&A lawyer and her experience with shareholder disputes, management liability cases, post-M&A disputes and other contentious commercial matters. As a trained business mediator, Martina also advises clients on the extrajudicial settlement of conflicts and the avoidance of disputes at an early stage when negotiating and drafting contracts.

Prior to joining Orrick, Martina worked at the Munich office of a leading U.S. law firm and the Munich / New York City offices of a renowned German law firm.

Martina currently writes her doctoral thesis on a subject relating to management liability.

Dr. Stefan Renner Partner

Düsseldorf; Munich

Stefan focuses as well on real estate transactions and corporate restructurings. 

Stefan Riedl Senior Associate

Munich

Prior to joining Orrick, Stefan worked in another international law firm in Munich as well as in Charlotte, NC.

Kevin Riehle Senior Associate

Düsseldorf

His focus is on contractual disputes in the energy, infrastructure, and technology sectors, where his clients benefit from his experience in high-volume arbitration proceedings. In addition, Kevin is well-versed in legal disputes in the supply industry, the iron and steel industry, and investment arbitration.

In the field of arbitration, he handles proceedings under all relevant arbitration rules, including DIS, ICC, LCIA, UNCITRAL, and AAA.

Before joining Orrick, Kevin deepened his specialized knowledge in litigation and conflict resolution through by working for three other leading international law firms in Germany and internationally.

Dr. Johannes Rüberg, EMBA Partner

Munich

This includes venture and growth financings in all stages and general corporate counseling. His practice further focuses on advising strategic and financial investors on mergers and acquisitions.

Germany's leading legal directory JUVE lists Johannes as frequently recommended for both corporate law and venture capital, including a competitor's testimonial "very good expertise, pleasant cooperation" (2024/2025). Legal 500 Deutschland lists Johannes as a "recommended lawyer" for venture capital (2024), including the testimonials "very supportive and a pleasure to work with", "extremely conscientious", and "quick response time" in its 2022 edition. Since 2021, he has been recognized by Germany's leading business daily Handelsblatt as a "Ones to Watch" lawyer for corporate law.

In addition to his work as a lawyer, Johannes has completed the joint Executive MBA program by U.S.-based Kellogg University and WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management, Germany’s leading startup university.

Asalia Melanie Scheibner, LL.M. (UCLA) Associate

Düsseldorf

Prior to joining Orrick, Asalia Melanie Scheibner gained experience at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), a leading global French consumer goods company, and several international law firms.

Dr. Christian Schröder Partner

Düsseldorf

Christian helps clients consider the privacy and artificial intelligence implications of new technology, supports their compliance programs, and helps them stay ahead of enforcement trends. One particular focus of his work deals with internal data transfer agreements, external data transfers with external providers, and product launches that comply with international data protection standards, as well as privacy requirements for connected cars. Furthermore, Christian provides guidance on privacy and data protection considerations for developing, acquiring, using, licensing and selling technology, data and intellectual property, including M&A transactions and IP focused joint ventures. He supports companies on the set-up of webshops, outsourcings, license agreements, in cases of trademark or unfair and deceptive trade practice issues, as well as on hard and software license and information technology (IT) project agreements.

 

Christian maintains strong working relationships with German data protection authorities and EU regulatory authorities with jurisdiction over privacy and data security matters. He effectively defends companies in cybersecurity and privacy-related investigations initiated by EU regulatory authorities. He also engages with authorities on behalf of clients and helps clients avoid proceedings and possible litigation. When litigation can't be avoided, Christian vigorously defends his clients.

 

For companies facing global cybersecurity incidents, Christian helps with crisis mitigation, including counseling on notification requirements, coordinating media strategies, and representing clients before data protection authorities in related regulatory investigations.

 

Christian regularly contributes practical thought leadership to global privacy industry publications and German privacy books and journals. Christian authors the Chapter V (international data transfers) of Germany’s leading GDPR commentary Kühling/Buchner (4th ed.) and is co-author to the Corporate Privacy Handbook (Betrieblicher Datenschutz). As an active member of the Sedona Conference, Christian drives the development and understanding of cross border privacy. He also participates in, hosts and moderates speaking programs with fellow private practitioners, EU data protection authorities, and academics focused on privacy and data security. Legal 500 Germany named Christian one of the top 15 practitioners in 2023 and noted that he is "a pioneer in the legal field, a data protection guru." They also recognized Christian and Orrick as "truly global" and how that it is "vital as they require the various leaders of each region to participate and bring issues to the table as a forum".

 

Prior to working in private practice, Christian interned with the German Federal Data Protection Commissioner and www.epic.org.

Dr. Stefan Schultes-Schnitzlein Partner

Düsseldorf

His focus is on corporate transactions and their financing, financial restructurings, as well as tax audits and tax litigation. The tax support of growth companies at all stages has become an increasingly larger part of his work in recent years. U.S. flips, management incentivization, financing rounds, and exits are just some of the areas in which Stefan has been active in the growth sector.

Stefan leads the German Orrick offices together with Christoph Brenner.

Ilona Schütz Managing Associate

Düsseldorf

When working with clients, she pays special attention to providing them with efficient and pragmatic advice that offers them appropriate support at all stages of growth.

Ilona has special experience in university spin-offs, restructurings and employee ownership programs (ESOPs, VSOPs).

She advises companies on venture capital transactions and international venture capital investors on their investments in German technology start-ups and scale-ups.

Prior to joining Orrick, Ilona worked as a research assistant and trained in mergers and acquisitions and corporate litigation at two other international law firms.

Damien Simonot Partner

Munich

He has many years of experience advising private equity investors, established companies and family offices as well as startups and scale-ups. He counsels clients on complex and often cross-border transactions, restructurings, joint ventures and buy-outs and other partnerships and investments in the tech sector and beyond.

Before joining Orrick, Damien worked for an international law firm in Munich and Frankfurt for more than eight years.