Dr Stefan Kobes

Dr Stefan Kobes

Dr Stefan Kobes

Berlin

T +49 30 52133 0

Lawyer
Certified Specialist in Administrative Law
Partner
Industries Energy

Areas of practice

Dr Stefan Kobes advises on all matters pertaining to building planning and environmental law, in particular in the context of planning approval procedures, the preparation of development plans, the enforcement of permits under building and immission control law, the removal of contaminated sites and disposal of waste, emissions trading issues and the energy transition, as well as the obligation to maintain the required distances under major-accidents law. His clients include companies from energy-intensive industries, such as the ceramics, paper, and wood materials industries. In addition, he acts as an advisor to builders, project developers, property owners, industrial associations and the public sector, in particular, corporations and institutions, federal enterprises and public utilities. Stefan Kobes is a member of the Environmental Committee of the Berlin Chamber of Commerce and Industry, of Gesellschaft für Umweltrecht (a German environmental law society), and of Ingenieurtechnischer Verband für Altlastenmanagement und Flächenrecycling (ITVA) (a German association that is concerned with contaminated sites and the recycling of land). From 2003, he was for 15 years a member of the Secretariat of the “Working Group on Emissions Trading to Combat Greenhouse Gases” of the German Federal Ministry of the Environment, which worked on the introduction of emissions trading in Germany.

Practices
Vita

Dr Stefan Kobes tudied law at the Universities of Kiel, Germany, Lausanne, Switzerland and Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany. He specialised in public law and worked for the Administrative Court, Freiburg, Germany, the German University of Administrative Sciences in Speyer, Germany, and the German Institute for Foreign Trade Taipei, Taiwan. From 1989 to 1992, he worked on his dissertation regarding administrative law and was simultaneously working as a lawyer in public economic law. From 1993 onwards, he advised the Directorate for Environmental Protection/Contaminated Sites at the Federal Institute for Special Tasks Arising from Unification (BvS) where, before leaving, he was the director of a legal department consisting of a team of 10. Dr Stefan Kobes joined Luther’s predecessor firm in 2000; he has been a partner since 2001.

Honors and distinctions
  • Chambers Europe 2010: Ranking in "Competition/European Law" 
  • JUVE Guide 2023/2024: Listed under "Frequently Recommended" in "Public Commercial Law" and "Regulated Industries - Energy Law" (first listed in 2016/2017)
  • JUVE Guide 2022/2023: Listed under "Frequently Recommended" in "Public Sector - Environmental and Planning Law" (first listed in 2010/2011, "thorough and experienced adviser")
  • The Legal 500 Germany 2024: Recommendation in "Public Law - Environmental and Planning Law" (first recommendation in 2022, first mention in 2014)
    The Legal 500 Germany 2021: Mention in "Public Law - Commercial Administrative Law"
  • Who's Who Legal 2024: Recommended as "National Leader" in "Environment" (first recommended in 2020)
  • Who's Who Legal 2023: Recommended as "Global Leader" in "Environment" (first recommended in 2013)
  • Best Lawyers 2024: Recommended in "Public Law" (first recommended in 2021)
  • PLC 2012: Recommended in "Environment" (first recommended in 2010)
Clients

  • Advising an industrial association during the revision of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Act (TEHG) for the third trading period
  • Precedent proceedings before the Federal Administrative Court concerning the approval of monitoring concepts
  • Representing numerous companies from the paper industry during the allocation procedure and the following legal proceedings pursuant to the Allocation Act 2012 (emission level per unit of product/benchmark)
  • Representing the ceramics industry at the Federal Administrative Court in precedent allocation proceedings pursuant to the Allocation Act 2007(process-related emissions)
  • Representing numerous companies during the approval of monitoring concepts
  • Advising numerous sanction procedures concerning breaching the obligation to surrender due to incorrect reporting
  • Advising companies concerning the issues of decommissioning in emissions trade law

Publications

Blog posts
Lectures