Kanzlei für Strafrecht

Hohenstaufenring 62
50674 Köln

+49 (0)221 . 476 706 0
kontakt@gw-strafrecht.de

Legal fields

The lawyers of Gercke Wollschläger represent individuals and companies comprehensively in the field of the commercial law and the law regarding fiscal offenses, the supplementary areas under the criminal law, but partly also in the general criminal law and the law governing administrative offences. This includes the provision of advice in the preliminary stages and for the clarification of a criminal charge just as the defense in all instances of the criminal proceedings, from investigation proceedings via the main trial through to appeal. In addition, we file criminal charges and prepare legal opinions on criminal law issues. In case of civil, fiscal and administrative proceedings conducted in parallel, we work closely with specialized colleagues.

Commercial criminal law We provide advice and act as counsel for the defense in all areas of the commercial criminal law. Apart from the special fields becoming increasingly many in number, this particularly includes the charges of fraud (Sec 263 Criminal Code (StGB)) and embezzlement (Sec 266 StGB).
Law regarding fiscal offenses The law regarding fiscal offenses is characterized by the increasingly advanced tightening of legislation and adjudication in recent years. This is accompanied by increased investigation activities of tax offices and prosecution.
Medical criminal law A typical subject of criminal proceedings against physicians is the accusation of medical malpractice (Sec 222, 229 StGB) or the so-called submission of false claims (Sec 263 StGB).
Labor criminal law As a sub-area of the commercial law and the law regarding fiscal offenses, the labor criminal law includes those criminal and fine provisions that address the parties involved in their social role as employees and employers.
Criminal law on appeal In criminal proceedings on appeal, the decisions of the local, regional and higher regional courts are checked for the existence of errors of law (so-called reprimand due to procedural and material errors).
Corporate Criminal Law Companies can be affected by criminal proceedings in many respects. At the beginning of an investigation, they may be the target of searches, seizures and the provisional freezing of assets by the investigation authorities.
International Criminal Law Particularly in the area of the criminal procedure law, the German law is influenced, overlaid and superseded by legal acts under European Union law. Meanwhile, the European prosecution has taken up their work.
Compliance The very existence of criminal investigation proceedings against their employees can be a very serious burden to a company. Preventive criminal law advice (“compliance”) aims at not allowing suspicion justifying the initiation of criminal proceedings to develop in the first place.
Customs and foreign trade and payments criminal law Cross-border trade in goods is of considerable importance in a globalized economy. It is subject to various provisions of the criminal law and the law on administrative offenses which must be observed by players acting internationally.
Environmental criminal law The protection of the environment under criminal law is enshrined in the core criminal law of the Criminal Code (Sec 324 et sqq) as well as in various supplementary laws (e.g., Toxic Substances Control Act (ChemG), Toxic Chemicals Ordinance (GefStoffV), Plant Prottection Law (PflSchG), Federal Nature Conservation Act (BNatSchG).
Parliamentary enquiry committee The law governing parliamentary enquiry committees is closely modeled on the criminal procedure law. However, it includes some legal and, in particular, factual peculiarities that make it a special matter requiring experience and tact.
Insolvency criminal law When a company is in crisis, the persons responsible are threatened with various criminal charges and associated liability consequences. Investigation proceedings on account of delay in filing a petition in insolvency are the focus of prosecutorial activities not least because the files of insolvency proceedings are principally submitted to the prosecutor’s office for the investigation of delayed filing.
Criminal law on corruption In recent years, the prosecution of corruption offenses has acquired great importance. In addition to the creation or tightening of criminal offenses (e.g., bribery and bribing in the healthcare system), the intensity of prosecution has also increased; this was fostered by the establishment of specialized prosecutor’s offices.
Antitrust and competition criminal law In the sphere of antitrust law, the criminal offense of anticompetitive arrangement in case of tenders (Sec 298 StGB) forms part of the core criminal law. In addition, there are numerous provisions under the law on fines under which conduct in violation of antitrust law may be prosecuted as an administrative offense.
Internal Investigation Internal investigations of violations under criminal or administrative law or for the clarification of responsibilities meanwhile form part of everyday business. If it is about violations of statutory requirements, companies and institutions alike must clarify who is responsible for liability.
Cybercrime and data protection In connection with “cyberattacks” such as ransomware or DDoS attacks that have recently become publicly known more frequently, both the legal defense against cybercrime and the defense against accusations of cybercrime are gaining in importance.
Cum/ex transactions Proceedings on account of so-called cum/ex structures have kept the German prosecutions busy since several years. It is about highly complex fiscal criminal proceedings concerning tax refunds around the dividend record date that require the knowledge and understanding of the capital market.
Proceedings under professional law Criminal investigation proceedings against members of the “liberal professions” (physicians, pharmacists, lawyers, notaries, tax advisors, auditors) are often accompanied by proceedings under professional law.
Banking and Capital Market Criminal Law Proceedings in the area of banking and capital market criminal law require basic understanding of the financial markets. Anyone who does not understand the regulatory peculiarities as well as the factual peculiarities and the functioning of banks, stock exchange and financial market will hardly be able to succeed here.
Money laundering Hardly any criminal offense has been amended and sharpened since its introduction as often as money laundering pursuant to Sec 261 StGB. This is accompanied by considerable obligations under the Money Laundering Act (GwG) that are penalized with a fine.

Heads

All heads
Rechtsanwältin Dr. Diana Hembach - Gercke Wollschläger

Lawyer
Dr. Diana Hembach

Specialized lawyer in criminal law All staff members

Lawyer
Dr. Markus Dinkelbach

Lawyer All staff members
Rechtsanwalt Dr. Sebastian Wollschläger - Gercke Wollschläger

Lawyer
Dr. Sebastian Wollschläger

Founding partner
Specialized lawyer in criminal and fiscal law All staff members

Lawyer
Patrick Günnel

Lawyer All staff members
Rechtsanwältin Dr. Kerstin Stirner - Gercke Wollschläger

Lawyer
Dr. Kerstin Stirner

Partner,
Specialized lawyer in criminal law All staff members
Rechtsanwältin Franziska Lieb - Gercke Wollschläger

Lawyer
Franziska Lieb

Partner,
Specialized lawyer in criminal law All staff members

Lawyer
Dr. Andreas Grözinger

Partner,
Specialized lawyer in criminal law All staff members
Rechtsanwalt Max Nosthoff-Horstmann - Gercke Wollschläger

Lawyer
Max Nosthoff-Horstmann

Lawyer All staff members

Lawyer
Dr. Volker Kregel

Lawyer
City director (ret.) All staff members
Prof. Dr. Mark Zöller - Gercke Wollschläger

Prof. Dr. Mark Zöller

University Professor,
Of Counsel All staff members

Lawyer
Prof. Dr. Björn Gercke

Founding partner,
Specialized lawyer in criminal law All staff members
Rechtsanwalt Dr. Ulrich Leimenstoll - Gercke Wollschläger

Lawyer
Dr. Ulrich Leimenstoll

Partner,
Specialized lawyer in criminal law All staff members

So says the press

Legal 500 2022 Once again one of the “leading law firms” in white collar criminal law Reference
Juve Handbuch 2021/22 Once again one of the leading law firms in white collar criminal law Reference
Handelsblatt/Best Lawyers All partners and also Dr. Grözinger evaluated as “Germany’s best lawyers” (commercial criminal law / criminal defense) Reference
brandeins Belongs to the “best German law firms” in commercial criminal law Reference
Legal500 One of the “leading law firms” in commercial criminal law Reference
WirtschaftsWoche 18/2020 “Top law firm in commercial criminal law” Reference
Stern 22/2020 Belongs to the “best German law firms” Reference
Kanzleimonitor 2020/2021 „Eine führende Kanzlei im Strafrecht“ Reference
Focus 2020 Since 2013 continuously “top law firm for commercial criminal law” Reference
Handelsblatt/Best Lawyers 2019 Prof. Dr. Björn Gercke and Dr. Sebastian Wollschläger evaluated as “Germany’s best lawyers” (commercial criminal law / criminal defense) Reference
Juve Handbuch 2018/2019 “Very competent, broad experience” Reference
Juve Handbuch 2017/2018 “Important proceedings cannot be imagined without them” Reference
Juve Handbuch 2016/2017 “The law firm around Gercke had one of the most remarkable success stories of recent years” Reference
LTO (2016) “Well-known Cologne criminal law boutique” Reference
Azur 1/2015 “Law firm with fame throughout Germany” Reference
Juve Handbuch 2015/2016 “Law firm of the year for commercial criminal law” Reference
Juve Handbuch 2014/2015 “Outstanding combination of clear dogmatics and an eye for the practice (…), excellent work” Reference
Nomos Kanzleien für Deutschland 2014 “Highly qualified criminal law boutique” Reference
Juve Handbuch 2012/2013 “Legally outstanding, lots of experience” Reference