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 2026: 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
Lectures
Memberships
- Prof. Christian Zanner has been Chairman of Deutscher Baurechtstag e.V. since June 30, 2003.
Nina Hahnke
Associate
Essen
Prof. Dr Tobias Leidinger
Partner
Dusseldorf
Benedict Tobias Tiemann
Senior Associate
Hamburg
Volkan Top
Senior Associate
Hamburg
Dr Carsten E. Beisheim
Partner
Dusseldorf
Dr Stephan Rippert LL.M.
Partner
Munich
Elisa Röhr
Associate
Dusseldorf
Dr Frederic Tewes
Senior Associate
Dusseldorf
Iris Glönkler
Partner
Stuttgart
Annkathrin Egerer-Tratt
Senior Associate
Stuttgart
Christian Brauns
Counsel
Stuttgart
Daniel Naumann
Partner
Leipzig
Alexander F. Liebing, LL.M.
Counsel
Leipzig
Patrick Gocht
Senior Associate
Leipzig
Luca Thönes, LL.M. (Miami)
Senior Legal Consultant
Hamburg
Ekkehard Hübel
Counsel
Hamburg
Laura-Jane Williams
Counsel
Frankfurt a.M.
Elena Recklin
Counsel
Frankfurt a.M.
Stephanie Quaß
Senior Associate
Frankfurt a.M.
Oliver Köhler
Counsel
Frankfurt a.M.
Christiane Frye
Counsel
Essen
Cosima Flock
Counsel
Dusseldorf
Hannah-Laura Schütte
Senior Associate
Stuttgart, Dusseldorf
Katharina Klenk-Wernitzki, Dipl. Reg.-Wiss
Partner
Berlin, Cologne
Andy Schaal, LL.M.
Counsel
Berlin
Bernhard Burkert, LL.M. (Stellenbosch)
Counsel
Berlin
Prof. Christian Zanner
Partner
Berlin
Jutta Wittler
Partner
Cologne
Matthias Wagner
Partner
Frankfurt a.M.
Dr Andreas Vath
Partner
Munich
Dr Angelo Vallone
Partner
Dusseldorf
Dr Johannes Teichmann
Partner
Frankfurt a.M.
Dr Holger Stappert
Partner
Dusseldorf
Dr Björn Simon
Partner
Frankfurt a.M.
Ulrich Siegemund
Of Counsel
Frankfurt a.M.
Dr Markus Sengpiel
Managing Partner
Cologne
Prof Dr Florian Schulz M.B.A. (Nimbas)
Partner
Hamburg
Georg Scherpf
Partner
Hamburg
Christoph Schauenburg, LL.M. (London)
Partner
Frankfurt a.M.
Tim Rauschning
Partner
Hamburg
Henner M. Puppel
Partner
Essen
Tobias Osseforth, Mag. rer. publ.
Partner
Munich
Dianusch Nazari
Partner
Frankfurt a.M.
Dr Andreas Meyer-Landrut
Of Counsel
Dusseldorf
Ole-Jochen Melchior
Partner
Essen
Achim Meier
Partner
Essen
Dr Stefan Mager
Partner
Essen
Elisabeth Lepique
Managing Partner
Cologne
Dr Joanna Rupa-Sträßer, LL.M.
Senior Associate
Essen
Lisa Marie Siewer, LL.M.
Senior Associate
Cologne
Dr Stephen Lampert
Counsel
Munich
Michael Kunkel, LL.M.
Partner
Cologne
Christiane Kühn, LL.M. (Hong Kong)
Partner
Munich
Doreen König
Partner
Berlin
Dr Stefan Kobes
Partner
Berlin
Dr Gerd-Ulrich Kapteina
Partner
Essen
Dr Bela Jansen
Partner
Frankfurt a.M.
Dr Guido Jansen
Partner
Dusseldorf
Dr Christian Horn, LL.M. (Tulane)
Partner
Berlin
Dr Rut Herten-Koch, M.A.
Partner
Berlin
Dr Manuel Heide
Partner
Berlin
Dr Richard Happ
Partner
Hamburg
Frank Gutsche
Partner
Stuttgart
Franz-Rudolf Groß, LL.M. (London)
Counsel
Dusseldorf
Dr jur Stephan Götze
Partner
Berlin
Dr Thomas Gohrke
Partner
Hanover, Leipzig
Dr Stefan Galla
Partner
Essen
Nicole Fröhlich
Partner
Frankfurt a.M.
Dr Martin Fleckenstein
Partner
Berlin
Ingo Erberich
Partner
Cologne
Dr Gernot-Rüdiger Engel
Partner
Hamburg
Dr Borbála Dux-Wenzel, LL.M.
Partner
Cologne
Karsten Köhler
Partner
Leipzig
Ulf-Dieter Pape
Partner
Hanover
Dr Michael Bormann
Partner
Dusseldorf
Lars Bollensen
Partner
Hamburg
Jens Bock
Partner
Berlin
Nicole Bittlingmayer
Partner
Frankfurt a.M.
Dr Arndt Begemann
Of Counsel
Essen
Dr Johannes Becker
Counsel
Cologne
Dr Stephan Bausch, D.U.
Partner
Cologne
Dr Stefan Altenschmidt, LL.M. (Nottingham)
Partner
Dusseldorf
Dr Konrad Adenauer
Partner
Cologne
Hans-Christian Ackermann
Partner
Dusseldorf
Vera Wechsler, LL.M. (Tulane)
Associate
Dusseldorf
Daniel Stracke
Associate
Berlin
Hannah Aigner
Senior Associate
Munich
Dr David von Saucken, MJur (Oxon)
Partner
Berlin, London
Philipp Dietz, LL.M. (Edinburgh)
Partner
Cologne
Marie Hoster, LL.B.
Associate
Essen, Dusseldorf
Ahmed Zoughbi
Associate
Dusseldorf
Simon Wickel
Associate
Dusseldorf
Marc Urlichs
Counsel
Dusseldorf
Jacqueline Dutz
Associate
Leipzig
Nina Klünker, LL.M. (KCL)
Associate
Berlin
David Wölting
Senior Associate
Dusseldorf
Caroline Ackermann
Counsel
Munich
Eric Doyé
Associate
Leipzig
Tarik Bilici, LL.M.
Junior Consultant
Dusseldorf
Christoph Schnoor
Senior Associate
Hamburg
Jens Kaiser
Senior Associate
Leipzig
Dr Helmut Janssen, LL.M. (King's College London)
Partner
Brussels, Dusseldorf
Morten Steimann
Associate
Essen
Christoph Kolb
Associate
Leipzig
Dr Sabrina Desens
Partner
Leipzig
Dr Zacharias-Alexis Schneider, LL.B., LL.M.
Partner
Hanover
Carla Witte
Counsel
Dusseldorf, Essen
Marx Dauth, LL.M.
Partner
Cologne
Arne Stumpe
Associate
Hamburg
Dr Jana Karras
Associate
Leipzig
Niklas Roth
Associate
Frankfurt a.M.
Lukas Erdmann
Associate
Berlin
Johannes Kugler
Associate
Munich
Yelena Bade
Senior Associate
Dusseldorf
Quirin Wedel, LL.M. (London)
Associate
Hamburg
Selin Sahin
Associate
Dusseldorf
Julian Pöhler
Counsel
Hamburg
Dr Melanie Verstege
Counsel
Essen
Paul Herter
Senior Associate
Stuttgart
Aurélien Latouche
Partner
Luxembourg
Frederike Peters
Senior Consultant
Berlin
Lisa Niesen
Senior Associate
Essen
Tillmann Kamp
Associate
Cologne
Darja Amelcenko, LL.M.
Senior Associate
Berlin
Marielle Lorraine
Associate
Munich
Julian Günniker
Essen
Jonathan Wrede
Associate
Berlin
Gerd Stuhlmacher
Partner
Munich
Martin Steuber, LL.M.
Partner
Dusseldorf
Dr Barbara Schmidt
Partner
Leipzig
Jens Röhrbein
Partner
Hanover
Dr Rolf Kobabe
Partner
Hamburg
Dr Thomas Halberkamp
Partner
Hanover
Stephan Finck
Partner
Leipzig
Dennis Gerdes
Senior Consultant
Hamburg
Jenny Schindler
Senior Associate
Munich
Jenny Tsynn
Senior Associate
Leipzig
Marco-Marcel Niebuhr
Senior Associate
Hanover
Dr Jan-Lukas Henkst
Associate
Dusseldorf
Tobias Jedermann
Associate
Leipzig
Dr Oliver Maaz
Partner, Principal Consultant
Cologne
Dr Clara Schulze Velmede
Associate
Leipzig
Max H. Becker
Associate
Essen
Pauline Müller
Senior Associate
Dusseldorf
Vanessa Meireles Schilling, LL.M. (Geneva MIDS)
Senior Associate
Hamburg
Ruth-Maria Thomsen
Partner
Frankfurt a.M.
Małgorzata Albe, LL.M.
Junior Consultant
Leipzig
Lisa Jennifer Schmölz
Counsel
Munich
Julian Wantzen, LL.M. (Wellington)
Associate
Frankfurt a.M.
Andrea Heim
Senior Associate
Stuttgart
Sarah Peuser
Associate
Leipzig
Ngoc Nhu Nguyen
Associate
Leipzig
Kati Gütschow
Associate
Dusseldorf
Katharina Stefanie Franke
Senior Associate
Essen
Sophie Schulz
Associate
Leipzig
Julia Walther
Associate
Leipzig
Henrik Fischer
Associate
Leipzig
Matthias Mehlwitz, LL.M.
Senior Associate
Essen
Jade Timmermann, LL.M. (London)
Associate
Leipzig
Annkatrin Merzig
Senior Associate
Essen
Charlotte Jodocy
Senior Associate
Essen
Nina Eckardt
Senior Associate
Dusseldorf
Benedikt Rechner
Counsel
Berlin
Dr.iur. Andreas Knaul, LL.M. diap (ENA)
Berlin
Leonie Herwarth von Bittenfeld, LL.B., M.A.
Senior Associate
Frankfurt a.M.
Prof. Dr Johannes Beermann
Of Counsel
Berlin
David Nückel
Associate
Dusseldorf
Katharina Foede
Associate
Berlin
Philipp Kersting
Partner
Jakarta
Oliver Glasen-Nitschke
Associate
Essen
Andreas Mally
Counsel
Leipzig
Sabrina Behbehani
Associate
Munich
Leif Dustin Schneider
Counsel
Ho Chi Minh City
Dr Florian Hensel, LL.M.
Associate
Munich
Dr Valerie Blettenberg
Associate
Munich
Susanne Burkert-Vavilova
Counsel
Essen
Jan Lachhein
Senior Associate
Dusseldorf
Mathar Ahmed Bajwa, LL.M.
Associate
Cologne
Susanne Winkler, LL.M.
Associate
Stuttgart
Kevin Oestreich
Senior Consultant
Essen
Christoph Grünenthal, MLE
Associate
Berlin
Prof. Dr Herbert Willems
Partner
Essen
Magnus Wessels
Associate
Essen
Dr Frank Seidel
Counsel
Frankfurt a.M.
Nurolhaq Rostamzada
Senior Associate
Cologne
Anna-Sophia Riebeling
Senior Associate
Frankfurt a.M.
Theresa Oesch
Senior Associate
Leipzig
Mee Foo Moh
Of Counsel
Singapore
Marius Merfeld
Associate
Dusseldorf
Maria Marinez
Associate
Frankfurt a.M.
Dr Mathias Mailänder
Counsel
Hamburg
Dr Piotr Kwiatkowski, LL.M.
Senior Associate
Essen
Philipp Kropatscheck Nguyen, LL.M.
Of Counsel
Singapore
Nils Kramer
Senior Associate
Essen
Lena-Annika Kauer
Senior Associate
Hamburg
Ramona Hubracht, LL.M. Taxation
Counsel
Frankfurt a.M.
Sarah Hossenfelder
Senior Associate
Essen
Jakob Gauly
Associate
Dusseldorf
Lea Franken
Associate
Dusseldorf
Dr Jürgen Bremer
Partner
Dusseldorf
Lilith Boos
Associate
Dusseldorf