Prof. Christian Zanner
Areas of practice
Prof. Zanner advises principals on the compilation of application and purchasing conditions, acts as an advisor during complex construction projects when it comes to developing performance-based tendering concepts and drafting contracts and also upon conclusion of the contract when it comes to enforcing and defending changes. Furthermore, he advises principals during the negotiation of contracts, as well as during construction on all issues arising during the implementation of the construction project. He prepares expert opinions on complex building law issues and has many years of experience in working with, and heading, legal project teams. Prof. Zanner additionally works as a conciliator and as an arbitrator.
Vita
Prof. Christian Zanner studied law at the Munich Ludwig-Maximilian University and the Berlin Free University (Germany). He was admitted to the German Bar in 1993. From 1993 to 2010, he worked for HFK Rechtsanwälte LLP, where he became head of the Berlin office and a partner in 2002. Prof. Zanner has been a visiting lecturer in construction contract awarding and construction contract drafting law according to the Rules for the Award and Contents of Construction Contracts, Part A: General Terms of Contract for the Execution of Construction Work (VOB/B) since 2002 and an honorary professor since 2011 at the Berlin Technical University. From 2010 to 2017, he was a partner at Wollmann & Partner. Prof. Zanner joined Luther in June 2017.
Prof. Zanner has been the chairman of Deutscher Baurechtstag e.V., a German construction law association, since 30 June 2003.
Honors and distinctions
- JUVE Guide 2024/2025: Listed under "Frequently Recommended" in "Construction Law" (first listed in 2018/2019, "very good", client)
- The Legal 500 Germany 2025: Mention in the category "Construction Law" (first mention in 2019)
- The Legal 500 Germany 2023: Recommended in "City Focus Berlin"
- Best Lawyers 2025: Recommended in "Construction Law" (first recommended in 2009)
- Best Lawyers 2013: Award "Lawyer of the Year" in "Construction Law"
Clients
- Inner-city tunnel construction project, including six underground stations for the municipal light rail system (with tunnelling shield and open construction): legal advice on building and planning work during the project
- Connection of the Fuhlsbüttel airport in Hamburg (Germany) to the urban-suburban commuter railway system using the tunnel method, with an airport underground station
- Construction of a new 380-KV cable line Tiergarten substation, Friedrichshain substation in Berlin (Germany): legal advice to the contractor during the project
- Legal advice during construction regarding the excavations for the Berlin Central Station
- Advice during a project regarding the construction of a brown-coal-fired power station in Lusatia (Germany)
- Advice and representation during the construction of a thermal waste disposal plant in the State of Brandenburg (Germany)
- Advice during a project regarding the construction of a pumped-storage plant in the Free State of Thuringia (Germany)
- Advice and representation during projects regarding the construction of various bridge structures
- Advice to, and representation of, the contractors in connection with the construction of various motorway sections as part of the traffic project German Unity
- Advice during a project regarding the construction of a multi-storey building housing an apartment and a hotel in central Stuttgart (Germany)
- Advice during projects regarding the construction of various shopping centres across Germany
Publications
- Herausgeber des Werkes VOB/B nach Ansprüchen, Springer Vieweg Verlag, 6. Aufl. 2017
- Herausgeber des VOB Kommentars: Bauvergaberecht, Bauvertragsrecht, Bauprozessrecht (gemeinsam mit Horst Franke, Ralf Kemper, Matthias Grünhagen & Susanne Mertens), Werner Verlag Düsseldorf, 7. Aufl. 2017
- Mitautor des Werkes Architekten- und Ingenieurrecht nach Ansprüchen, herausgeben von Peter Bräuer & Michael Christian Bschorr, Springer Vieweg Verlag, 2. Aufl. 2019
- Herausgeber des Werkes Abnahme im Bauwesen nach Ansprüchen (gemeinsam mit Jana Henning), Springer Vieweg Verlag, 2016
- Herausgeber des Werkes Rechte aus gestörtem Bauablauf nach Ansprüchen (gemeinsam mit Birthe Saalbach & Markus Viering), Springer Vieweg Verlag, 2015
- Herausgeber des Werkes Baumanagement und Bauökonomie - Aktuelle Entwicklung (gemeinsam mit Jens H. Liebchen & Markus G. Viering), Teubner Verlag, 1. Aufl. 2007
- Herausgeber des Werkes "Die Immobilie" (gemeinsam mit Horst Franke, Ralf Kemper, Bernd Knipp, Jens Laub & Ulf Laub), Werner Verlag Düsseldorf, 2004
- Herausgeber des Werkes "Die Vertragsstrafe im Bauwesen" (gemeinsam mit Michael Ch. Bschorr), Beck Verlag München, 2003
- Herausgeber des Werkes "Der sichere Bauvertrag" (gemeinsam mit Horst Franke & Ralf Kemper), Rudolf Müller Verlag Köln, 2. Aufl. 2003
Memberships
- Prof. Christian Zanner has been Chairman of Deutscher Baurechtstag e.V. since June 30, 2003.
Ahmed Zoughbi
Associate
Dusseldorf
Prof. Christian Zanner
Partner
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
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.
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
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
Martin Steuber, LL.M.
Partner
Dusseldorf
Morten Steimann
Associate
Essen
Dr Holger Stappert
Partner
Dusseldorf
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.
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
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-Matthias Puppel
Partner
Essen
Julian Pöhler
Counsel
Hamburg
Sarah Peuser
Associate
Leipzig
Frederike Peters
Senior Consultant
Berlin
Dominika Peter
Associate
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
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.
Ramona Hubracht, LL.M. Taxation
Counsel
Frankfurt a.M.
Ekkehard Hübel
Counsel
Hamburg
Isabel Hoyer
Associate
Frankfurt a.M.
Marie Hoster, LL.B.
Associate
Essen, Dusseldorf
Sarah Hossenfelder
Senior Associate
Essen
Dr Christian Horn, LL.M. (Tulane)
Partner
Berlin
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
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
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
Mathar Ahmed Bajwa, LL.M.
Associate
Cologne
Yelena Bade
Senior Associate
Dusseldorf
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