Speakers

Education

1985-1990  Studying law at the University of Hannover and the University of Bristol, England

1988-1990    Studying „European Legal Practice”, University of Hannover and University of Bristol (Magister Legum Europae, MLE.)

1990-1994    Legal clerkship („Referendariat”), Higher Regional Court („Oberlandesgericht”) Celle

1990-1994  Doctor iuris (Dr. iur.), University of Hannover, (mark: magna cum laude)

1994-2004  Postdoctoral lecture qualification („Habilitation”; Dr. iur. habil.), University of Rostock, in private law, civil procedure law, private international law, comparative law, commercial and company law.

2010           Certified Mediator, ZfH, University of Applied Science, Koblenz

Work experience

1993-2002  In-house counsel, Village Tronic Marketing GmbH and Village Tronic Computer e.K., Hannover/Sarstedt,

1994-2002  Assistant professor/senior lecturer, University of Rostock, Faculty of Law

2000-2001    Associate Professor, International Business Law, Riga Graduate School of Law, Riga, Latvia

2002-2003  Senior Lecturer, Victoria University Wellington, Faculty of Law, Wellington, New Zealand

2003-2005    Associate Professor, German Faculty of Law and Economics, Georgian Technical University, Tbilissi, Georgia.

2005-2009  Counsel, Village Tronic Computer, Milan, Italy

2005-2006  Guest professor at the University of Applied Sciences for Economics and Management, Hamburg; special advisor for the law firm Mielke, Sonntag, Bernzen, Heggemann, Hamburg

Since 2006  Extraordinary Professor, North-West University, Faculty of Law, Potchefstroom, South Africa (www.nwu.ac.za)

2007-2013  Attorney-at-Law (Rechtsanwalt) and partner at Mielke Sonntag Bernzen Heggemann (now: Bernzen Sonntag, www.msbh.de ), Hamburg

2007/2008  Professor (substitute) at the Ludwig-Maximilians- University, Munich, Faculty of Law, Institute of International Law

2008-2009  Professor (substitute) at the European University Viadrina, Faculty of Law, Frankfurt/Oder

Since 2009              Professor, Riga Graduate School of Law, Latvia (www.rgsl.edu.lv )

2010 and 2013       Guest professor at Hitotsubashi University, Faculty of Law/Graduate School of Law, Tokyo, Japan (www.hit-u.ac.jp )

Since 2010              Certified mediator and Chairman of the Institute of European Mediation and Arbitration, Germany (www.european-mediation.de )

Since 2012              Programme Director, International Business Law (LL.M.), at the Riga Graduate School of Law

Since 2013              Attorney-at-Law and partner at Brandes Rechtsanwaelte, Hamburg

Since 2015              Deputy programme director (business law/executive) at the Sino-German Legal Cooperation Programme, Beijing, PR China.

Memberships:

- European Law Institute, Brussels/Vienna

- Hanseatic Attorneys´ Association, Hamburg

- German-American Lawyers´ Association, Bonn

- Integrated Mediation, Altenkirchen

- Institute of European Mediation and Arbitration, Hamburg

- International Advisory Board (Germany), International Encyclopaedia of Laws, The Hague

- Selection Committee, Faculty of Law, HSE University, Moscow

-  Alumni, Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation, Bonn

-  Alumnus, Cusanuswerk e.V., Bonn

Publications:

International Sales and Contract Law, Private International Law, Intellectual Property Law, Procedural Law, Mediation.

Spheres of Competence:

- Project work

- International contracts

- Start-ups, companies

- Establishing business contacts worldwide

- Alternative Dispute Resolution (international/intercultural)