Dr Sabrina Desens
Areas of practice
Sabrina Desens advises both the public sector and industrial enterprises on all matters pertaining to public law, in particular, environmental and fiscal law.
She especially focuses on the area of wastewater and advises the operators of industrial and municipal sewage and wastewater treatment plants and also industrial enterprises on all location-related questions of law, including fiscal issues. Her in-depth knowledge of the industry and excellent network of contacts regularly allow her to find good and sustainable solutions for her clients.
Her legal advisory services further include assisting with approval procedures under building and immission control law for industrial plants and power stations. In addition, she supports international chemicals producers when it comes to setting up locations in Germany, including advising them on related public-law issues (licensing, subsidies, etc.) and helping them deal with public authorities.
Sabrina Desens is experienced in litigating before administrative courts. She is an author and lecturer on topics related to water and fiscal law, amongst other things, and is a member of the environmental legislation committee of Deutscher Anwaltsverein e. V. (DAV), as well as of the urban development committee of Zentraler Immobilien Ausschuss e. V. (ZIA). In The Legal 500, she is now listed as “Name of the next generation” in environmental and planning law.
Vita
After spending a year in the USA, Sabrina Desens studied law in Münster (Germany) and subsequently went on to obtain her doctorate from the University of Münster. She then carried out her legal training, which included training periods at the Federal Ministry for the Environment in Berlin (Germany) and at an international business law firm in Dusseldorf (Germany). From 2009 on, she was head of the Freiherr-vom-Stein Institute, the academic research centre of the Association of North-Rhine Westphalian Districts (Landkreistag NRW), and continued to hold a teaching position at the University of Münster until 2015. Sabrina Desens has worked as a lawyer in Leipzig (Germany) since 2012; she joined Luther in November 2014.
Honors and distinctions
- JUVE Guide 2024/2025: Listed under "Frequently Recommended" in "Public Law - Administrative and Constitutional Law" and "Public Law – Planning and Environment" ("high level of expertise in environmental law, particularly in the field of wastewater", competitor)
- The Legal 500 Germany 2025: "Future Leaders" award (first award in 2020, "Sabrina Desens was able to adapt very well to the different ways of thinking and approaches of the project participants and thus achieve a structured, constructive and effective goal realisation, taking into account the respective concerns. Sabrina Desens: She managed to involve numerous participants from various technical and scientific disciplines, some with different objectives, in such a way that a broad consensus could be achieved. The objective of the assignment was always taken into account. She has enabled the client side, which has an engineering background, to be able to confidently represent legal aspects in-house."), Recommendation in the category "Public law – commercial administrative law" and mention in "City Focus Leipzig" (first mention in 2023)
- The Legal 500 Germany 2023: Recommendation in the category "Public Law - Environmental and Planning Law" (first mention in 2020)
Clients
- InfraLeuna GmbH – ongoing advice on environmental law issues
- Providing support during permit procedures for the construction, operation, modification and closure of industrial and energy plants (power stations)
- Helping international companies in the chemical industry set up operations in Germany
- Providing environmental law advice to industrial companies (in particular, waste water and waste law)
- Public sewage companies – advising on the consequences of exceeding monitoring values under waste water tax law and on the optimisation of waste water tax, providing assistance in appeal proceedings and providing representation in court proceedings
- Mitteldeutsche Braunkohlengesellschaft mbH (MIBRAG) – providing public-law advice in connection with the corporate structuring of recultivation security for future redevelopment of surface mining site
Publications
- Klimapolitik durch Bewohnerparkgebühren?, in: Neue Juristische Wochenzeitschrift-aktuell (NJW), Heft 31/2023, S. 15 (gemeinsam mit Dr. Clara Schulze Velmede)
- Hotels und Ladenlokale im Angebot, in: vhw Forum "Wohnen und Stadtentwicklung", Heft 4/2021, S. 208-210
- Arzneimittelrückstände im Abwasser: Zahlt bald die Pharmabranche?, in: Luther Blog vom 05. November 2018
- Anschluss- und Benutzungszwang an dezentrale öffentliche Wärmeversorgung, in: Versorgungswirtschaft, Heft 2/2018, S. 37
- Der NRW-Wassercent bleibt, in: Legal Tribune Online (lto) vom 20. November 2017
- Im Bestandswohnungsbau spielt die Musik, in: E&M powernews vom 19. April 2017
- Bearbeitung des Kapitels "Benutzungsgebühren: Verteilung der Kosten/Gebührenbemessung", in: Handbuch Kommunalabgabenrecht, herausgegeben von Dr. Josef Christ & Prof. Dr. Janbernd Oebbecke, C.H. Beck, 2. Auflage 2022
- Sinn und Unsinn des "Behördenprinzips" - § 78 I Nr. 2 VwGO in der Rechtspraxis, in: Neue Zeitschrift für Verwaltungsrecht (NVwZ) 2013, S. 471 ff.
- Örtliche Rechnungsprüfung in Nordrhein-Westfalen - Die Rechtsstellung der Leitungen der örtlichen Rechnungsprüfung in Nordrhein-Westfalen, in: Kommunal- und Schulverlag, 2012 (gemeinsam mit Prof. Dr. Janbernd Oebbecke)
- Bilanzrechtsmodernisierungsgesetz (BilMoG) und kommunale Rechnungslegung, in: Der Gemeindehaushalt 2012, S. 30 ff.
- Finanzierung des Emissionshandels, in: Deutsches Verwaltungsblatt 2010, S. 228 ff.
- Bearbeitung des Kapitels "Wasserpreisgestaltung nach Artikel 9 EG-Wasserrahmenrichtlinie", in: Schriften zum Umweltrecht, herausgegeben von Michael Kloepfer, Duncker & Humblot, 2008
- Umsetzung der EG-Wasserrahmenrichtlinie in die Kommunalabgabengesetze, in: Deutsches Verwaltungsblatt 2006, S. 228 ff.
Blog posts
Lectures
- 11.04.2024: Energierecht - Aktuelle Rechtsentwicklungen
- 24.10.2023: „Solar Talks"I Legal Update Solar – die baurechtliche Privilegierung von Solaranlagen im Außenbereich
- 02.06.2023: „Die VwGO-Novelle zur PIanungsbeschleunigung - ein Überblick und eine Bewertung“
- 17.03.2023: Lieferausfälle bei betriebsnotwendigen Hilfsstoffen – was nun?, Seminar Preis- und Gebührenpolitik des BDEW Mitteldeutschland, Online.
- 06.11.2020: Anforderungen bei der Umwidmung von Ladenflächen in der City, Anforderungen beim Aufstellen von Micro Hubs, Paketlockern u. a., Luther Logistik Webinar
- 30.10.2020: Der neue CO2-Preis: Vorbereitung auf den Brennstoffemissionshandel ab 2021 und Entlastungsoptionen
- 25.09.2020: Der nationale Brennstoffemissionshandel, Luther-Mandantenveranstaltung
- 21.03.2019: Verrechnung von Investitionen mit Abwasserabgabe - Chancen nutzen!, BDEW Landesfachausschuss Abwasser
- 27.02.2018: Legionellen aus Verdunstungskühlanlagen - Rechtliche Anforderungen an das Planen, Errichten und Betreiben, VDI-Fachkonferenz Legionellen aus Verdunstungskühlanlagen - Die neue 42. BImSchV
- 02.03.2017: Instrumente zur Absicherung von Bezugspflichten für Fernwärme, Jahrestagung Forum Contracting | www.energietagung.de
- 23.02.2017: Mehr Öffentlichkeit! Ausweitung der Öffentlichkeitsbeteiligung und Konsequenzen, Seminar des Verbandes der Chemischen Industrie e.V., Landesverband Nordost zur Umsetzung der Seveso III-Richtlinie
- 11.11.2016: Einführung in die Gebührenbemessung und besondere „Gebührenstrukturmodelle“, 22. Sitzung der Projektgruppe Abwassergebührenkalkulation des BDEW
- 13.10.2016: Die sog. „Altanschließerproblematik“ – aktuelle Entwicklungen, BDEW Landesfachausschuss Abwasser
Memberships
- Gesellschaft für Umweltrecht e.V.
- Leipziger Vereinigung für Umwelt- und Planungsrecht der Uni Leipzig e.V.
- Deutscher Anwaltverein e. V. (DAV) – environmental legislation committee
Partner
Ahmed Zoughbi
Associate
Dusseldorf
Prof. Christian Zanner
Partner
Berlin
Cornelia Yzer
Of Counsel
Berlin
Jonathan Wrede
Associate
Berlin
David Wölting
Senior Associate
Dusseldorf
Jutta Wittler
Partner
Cologne
Carla Witte
Counsel
Dusseldorf, Essen
Susanne Winkler, LL.M.
Associate
Stuttgart
Laura-Jane Williams
Counsel
Frankfurt a.M.
Prof. Dr Herbert Willems
Partner
Essen
Simon Wickel
Associate
Dusseldorf
Magnus Wessels
Associate
Essen
Quirin Wedel, LL.M. (London)
Associate
Hamburg
Anja Wechsler
Associate
Hamburg
Vera Wechsler, LL.M. (Tulane)
Associate
Dusseldorf
Julian Wantzen, LL.M. (Wellington)
Associate
Frankfurt a.M.
Julia Walther
Associate
Leipzig
Matthias Wagner
Partner
Frankfurt a.M.
Clara von Wolffersdorff
Associate
Leipzig
Dr David von Saucken, MJur (Oxon)
Partner
Berlin, London
Dr Melanie Verstege
Counsel
Essen
Dr Andreas Vath
Partner
Munich
Dr Angelo Vallone
Partner
Dusseldorf
Marc Urlichs
Counsel
Dusseldorf
Jenny Tsynn
Senior Associate
Leipzig
Volkan Top
Senior Associate
Hamburg
Jade Timmermann, LL.M. (London)
Associate
Leipzig
Benedict Tobias Tiemann
Senior Associate
Hamburg
Luca Thönes, LL.M. (Miami)
Senior Legal Consultant
Hamburg
Ruth-Maria Thomsen
Partner
Frankfurt a.M.
Dr Frederic Tewes
Senior Associate
Dusseldorf
Dr Johannes Teichmann
Partner
Frankfurt a.M.
Arne Stumpe
Associate
Hamburg
Gerd Stuhlmacher
Partner
Munich
Daniel Stracke
Associate
Berlin
Martin Steuber, LL.M.
Partner
Dusseldorf
Morten Steimann
Associate
Essen
Dr Holger Stappert
Partner
Dusseldorf
Jan Spiering, LL.M. Taxation
Associate
Hanover
Dr Björn Simon
Partner
Frankfurt a.M.
Lisa Marie Siewer, LL.M.
Senior Associate
Cologne
Ulrich Siegemund
Of Counsel
Frankfurt a.M.
Dr Markus Sengpiel
Managing Partner
Cologne
Dr Frank Seidel
Counsel
Frankfurt a.M.
Dr Astrid Seehafer, M.Sc.
Partner
Berlin
Hannah-Laura Schütte
Senior Associate
Stuttgart, Dusseldorf
Dr Clara Schulze Velmede
Associate
Leipzig
Prof Dr Florian Schulz M.B.A. (Nimbas)
Partner
Hamburg
Sophie Schulz
Associate
Leipzig
Christoph Schnoor
Senior Associate
Hamburg
Dr Zacharias-Alexis Schneider, LL.B., LL.M.
Partner
Hanover
Leif Dustin Schneider
Counsel
Ho Chi Minh City
Lisa Jennifer Schmölz
Counsel
Munich
Dr Barbara Schmidt
Partner
Leipzig
Jenny Schindler
Senior Associate
Munich
Georg Scherpf
Partner
Hamburg
Christoph Schauenburg, LL.M. (London)
Partner
Frankfurt a.M.
Andy Schaal, LL.M.
Counsel
Berlin
Selin Sahin
Associate
Dusseldorf
Dr Joanna Rupa-Sträßer, LL.M.
Senior Associate
Essen
Isabel Dorothee Ruhnke, LL.M.
Senior Associate
Berlin
Niklas Roth
Associate
Frankfurt a.M.
Nurolhaq Rostamzada
Senior Associate
Cologne
Jens Röhrbein
Partner
Hanover
Elisa Röhr
Associate
Dusseldorf
Dr Stephan Rippert LL.M.
Partner
Munich
Anna-Sophia Riebeling
Senior Associate
Frankfurt a.M.
Elena Recklin
Counsel
Frankfurt a.M.
Benedikt Rechner
Counsel
Berlin
Tim Rauschning
Partner
Hamburg
Stephanie Quaß
Senior Associate
Frankfurt a.M.
Henner M. Puppel
Partner
Essen
Julian Pöhler
Counsel
Hamburg
Sarah Peuser
Associate
Leipzig
Frederike Peters
Senior Consultant
Berlin
Ulf-Dieter Pape
Partner
Hanover
Tobias Osseforth, Mag. rer. publ.
Partner
Munich
Kevin Oestreich
Senior Consultant
Essen
Theresa Oesch
Senior Associate
Leipzig
David Nückel
Associate
Dusseldorf
Lisa Niesen
Senior Associate
Essen
Marco-Marcel Niebuhr
Senior Associate
Hanover
Ngoc Nhu Nguyen
Associate
Leipzig
Dianusch Nazari
Partner
Frankfurt a.M.
Daniel Naumann
Partner
Leipzig
Pauline Müller
Senior Associate
Dusseldorf
Mee Foo Moh
Of Counsel
Singapore
Dr Andreas Meyer-Landrut
Of Counsel
Dusseldorf
Annkatrin Merzig
Senior Associate
Essen
Marius Merfeld
Associate
Dusseldorf
Ole-Jochen Melchior
Partner
Essen
Vanessa Meireles Schilling, LL.M. (Geneva MIDS)
Senior Associate
Hamburg
Achim Meier
Partner
Essen
Matthias Mehlwitz, LL.M.
Senior Associate
Essen
Maria Marinez
Associate
Frankfurt a.M.
Andreas Mally
Counsel
Leipzig
Dr Mathias Mailänder
Counsel
Hamburg
Dr Stefan Mager
Partner
Essen
Dr Oliver Maaz
Partner, Principal Consultant
Cologne
Marielle Lorraine
Associate
Munich
Alexander F. Liebing, LL.M.
Counsel
Leipzig
Elisabeth Lepique
Managing Partner
Cologne
Prof. Dr Tobias Leidinger
Partner
Dusseldorf
Aurélien Latouche
Partner
Luxembourg
Dr Stephen Lampert
Counsel
Munich
Jan Lachhein
Senior Associate
Dusseldorf
Dr Piotr Kwiatkowski, LL.M.
Senior Associate
Essen
Michael Kunkel, LL.M.
Partner
Cologne
Christiane Kühn, LL.M. (Hong Kong)
Partner
Munich
Johannes Kugler
Associate
Munich
Philipp Kropatscheck Nguyen, LL.M.
Of Counsel
Singapore
Nils Kramer
Senior Associate
Essen
Doreen König
Partner
Berlin
Christoph Kolb
Associate
Leipzig
Karsten Köhler
Partner
Leipzig
Oliver Köhler
Counsel
Frankfurt a.M.
Dr Stefan Kobes
Partner
Berlin
Dr Rolf Kobabe
Partner
Hamburg
Dr.iur. Andreas Knaul, LL.M. diap (ENA)
Berlin
Nina Klünker, LL.M. (KCL)
Associate
Berlin
Katharina Klenk-Wernitzki, Dipl. Reg.-Wiss
Partner
Berlin, Cologne
Dr Franziska Klaß-Dingeldey, MLE
Senior Associate
Hanover
Philipp Kersting
Partner
Jakarta
Lena-Annika Kauer
Senior Associate
Hamburg
Dr Jana Karras
Associate
Leipzig
Dr Gerd-Ulrich Kapteina
Partner
Essen
Tillmann Kamp
Associate
Cologne
Jens Kaiser
Senior Associate
Leipzig
Charlotte Jodocy
Senior Associate
Essen
Tobias Jedermann
Associate
Leipzig
Dr Helmut Janssen, LL.M. (King's College London)
Partner
Brussels, Dusseldorf
Dr Guido Jansen
Partner
Dusseldorf
Dr Bela Jansen
Partner
Frankfurt a.M.
Dr Jan-David Jäger
Senior Associate
Leipzig
Ramona Hubracht, LL.M. Taxation
Counsel
Frankfurt a.M.
Ekkehard Hübel
Counsel
Hamburg
Marie Hoster, LL.B.
Associate
Essen, Dusseldorf
Sarah Hossenfelder
Senior Associate
Essen
Dr Christian Horn, LL.M. (Tulane)
Partner
Berlin
Dr Henning Holz, LL.M.
Counsel
Hanover
Peter Holan
Associate
Hamburg
Leonie Herwarth von Bittenfeld, LL.B., M.A.
Senior Associate
Frankfurt a.M.
Paul Herter
Senior Associate
Stuttgart
Dr Rut Herten-Koch, M.A.
Partner
Berlin
Dr Florian Hensel, LL.M.
Associate
Munich
Dr Jan-Lukas Henkst
Associate
Dusseldorf
Andrea Heim
Senior Associate
Stuttgart
Dr Manuel Heide
Partner
Berlin
Dr Richard Happ
Partner
Hamburg
Dr Thomas Halberkamp
Partner
Hanover
Nina Hahnke
Associate
Essen
Kati Gütschow
Associate
Dusseldorf
Frank Gutsche
Partner
Stuttgart
Julian Günniker
Essen
Christoph Grünenthal, MLE
Associate
Berlin
Franz-Rudolf Groß, LL.M. (London)
Counsel
Dusseldorf
Dr jur Stephan Götze
Partner
Berlin
Dr Thomas Gohrke
Partner
Hanover, Leipzig
Patrick Gocht
Senior Associate
Leipzig
Iris Glönkler
Partner
Stuttgart
Oliver Glasen-Nitschke
Associate
Essen
Dennis Gerdes
Senior Consultant
Hamburg
Jakob Gauly
Associate
Dusseldorf
Dr Stefan Galla
Partner
Essen
Christiane Frye
Counsel
Essen
Nicole Fröhlich
Partner
Frankfurt a.M.
Lea Franken
Associate
Dusseldorf
Katharina Stefanie Franke
Senior Associate
Essen
Katharina Foede
Associate
Berlin
Cosima Flock
Counsel
Dusseldorf
Dr Martin Fleckenstein
Partner
Berlin
Henrik Fischer
Associate
Leipzig
Stephan Finck
Partner
Leipzig
Lukas Erdmann
Associate
Berlin
Ingo Erberich
Partner
Cologne
Dr Gernot-Rüdiger Engel
Partner
Hamburg
Annkathrin Egerer-Tratt
Senior Associate
Stuttgart
Dr Benjamin Effler
Associate
Berlin
Nina Eckardt
Senior Associate
Dusseldorf
Dr Borbála Dux-Wenzel, LL.M.
Partner
Cologne
Jacqueline Dutz
Associate
Leipzig
Eric Doyé
Associate
Leipzig
Philipp Dietz, LL.M. (Edinburgh)
Partner
Cologne
Dr Sabrina Desens
Partner
Leipzig
Marx Dauth, LL.M.
Partner
Cologne
Rolf Corsten
Of Counsel
Dusseldorf
Susanne Burkert-Vavilova
Counsel
Essen
Bernhard Burkert, LL.M. (Stellenbosch)
Counsel
Berlin
Dr Jürgen Bremer
Partner
Dusseldorf
Christian Brauns
Counsel
Stuttgart
Dr Michael Bormann
Partner
Dusseldorf
Lilith Boos
Associate
Dusseldorf
Lars Bollensen
Partner
Hamburg
Jens Bock
Partner
Berlin
Dr Valerie Blettenberg
Associate
Munich
Nicole Bittlingmayer
Partner
Frankfurt a.M.
Tarik Bilici, LL.M.
Junior Consultant
Dusseldorf
Dr Carsten E. Beisheim
Partner
Dusseldorf
Sabrina Behbehani
Associate
Munich
Dr Arndt Begemann
Of Counsel
Essen
Prof. Dr Johannes Beermann
Of Counsel
Berlin
Dr Johannes Becker
Counsel
Cologne
Max H. Becker
Associate
Essen
Dr Stephan Bausch, D.U.
Partner
Cologne
Dr Sandra Bausch
Senior Associate
Stuttgart
Mathar Ahmed Bajwa, LL.M.
Associate
Cologne
Yelena Bade
Senior Associate
Dusseldorf
Dr Marco Arteaga
Partner
Frankfurt a.M.
Darja Amelcenko, LL.M.
Senior Associate
Berlin
Dr Stefan Altenschmidt, LL.M. (Nottingham)
Partner
Dusseldorf
Małgorzata Albe, LL.M.
Junior Consultant
Leipzig
Hannah Aigner
Senior Associate
Munich
Dr Konrad Adenauer
Partner
Cologne
Hans-Christian Ackermann
Partner
Dusseldorf
Caroline Ackermann
Counsel
Munich