What Vogel Heerma Waitz does

Vogel Heerma Waitz (V14) is a Berlin-based boutique law firm partnership (Partnerschaft von Rechtsanwälten mbB) founded in 2014 as a spin-off from SJ Berwin (now King & Wood Mallesons) by founding partners Dr. Frank Vogel, Dr. Jan Heerma, and Dr. Clemens Waitz. The firm specializes in venture capital and growth financing, M&A, intellectual property, IT and data protection law, AI regulation, employee participation schemes, and corporate governance, serving primarily Berlin-based start-ups, venture capital and private equity investors, and mid-to-large companies executing digital-economy transactions. V14 is consistently recognized as a Tier 1 venture capital practice by The Legal 500, JUVE Handbuch, and Handelsblatt/Best Lawyers, and was named Germany's Law Firm of the Year for Venture Capital in 2020 and 2022.

The firm operates with approximately 26 lawyers (10 of them partners, including the three founders) supported by seven assistants, organized as an integrated single practice rather than a productized platform. Core service lines span the full start-up lifecycle from seed financing and convertible loans through growth rounds, employee equity programs, licensing/SaaS agreements, joint ventures, and exits. A seven-person IP/IT/AI team — a recognized differentiator in JUVE's rankings — supports the firm's digital business model mandates in Climate Tech, Digital Health, SaaS, and AI compliance. The firm also maintains an internal Legal Tech division, jointly led by partners Samuel Aebi and Dr. Lorenz Frey, that develops proprietary legal technology applications.

V14 is a private partnership with no external investors, no parent company, and no publicly disclosed financials. Go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven: the firm depends on the personal networks of its named partners within the Berlin VC community rather than formal marketing or sales infrastructure. Revenue is generated through professional services billing, with court-related work governed by the German Attorney Fees Act (Rechtsanwaltsvergütungsgesetz) and out-of-court advisory and transaction fees freely negotiable. The firm has executed notable mandates including Kreditech's €82.5M financing, Movinga's $25M+ rounds, Raisin's €30M Thrive Capital investment, the 6Wunderkinder exit for Earlybird, and Carjump's sale to Peugeot, and continues to advise on a steady stream of 2025–2026 financings and acquisitions.

Name

Vogel Heerma Waitz

Legal name

V14 Partnerschaft von Rechtsanwälten mbB

Website

https://v14.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

V14 is a Berlin-based VC and corporate law boutique founded in 2014, advising start-ups, venture capital/private equity investors, and technology companies on financing rounds, M&A, IP/IT, and AI law across the full company lifecycle.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Advisory Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) & Securities Law (BPAHAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Risk Management (ERM), Operational Risk & Business Continuity (BPAEAPAJ)

Keywords

• Venture capital advisory
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Startup legal services
• Intellectual property law
• Corporate finance law

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Advisory Services: Professional legal services billed primarily under the German Attorney Fees Act (Rechtsanwaltsvergütungsgesetz) for court representation, with freely negotiable fees for out-of-court advisory and transaction work. Services span financing rounds, M&A, IP protection, employee participation schemes, and corporate housekeeping.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Vogel Heerma Waitz (V14) is a Berlin-based boutique law firm providing full-service legal advisory to startups, founders, and venture capital/private equity investors. Its core practice covers venture and growth capital financing rounds, convertible loans, employee participation schemes, M&A transactions, licensing and SaaS agreements, IP and know-how protection, IT and data protection law, AI regulation, research and development cooperation, joint ventures, and corporate housekeeping. The firm also operates an in-house Legal Tech division that develops its own legal technology applications.

Product overview

Vogel Heerma Waitz (V14) is a Berlin-based boutique law firm providing comprehensive legal advisory services. The firm operates as a single integrated legal services practice rather than a platform with distinct products or modules. Their core offering encompasses venture capital and growth financing advisory, M&A transactions, intellectual property protection, IT and data protection law, AI regulation compliance, employee participation schemes, and corporate governance matters. The firm is recognized as a leading VC boutique in Berlin with specialized expertise in technology, digital business models, and growth capital transactions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Venture Capital and Growth Financing Advisory
• Mergers and Acquisitions Advisory
• IP, IT, and AI Law Advisory
• Employee Participation Schemes
• Corporate Housekeeping and Joint Ventures
• Legal Technology Applications Internally developed legal technology applications produced by V14's Legal Tech division (jointly run by partners Samuel Aebi and Lorenz Frey), used to support and streamline the firm's advisory services.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple exits successfully completed including 6Wunderkinder for Earlybird and Carjump to Peugeot
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• STRATO AGminorOthersV14 uses servers from STRATO AG for website hosting, located at Pascalstraße 10, 10587 Berlin, Germany. STRATO acts as the data processor under Art. 28 GDPR.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Latham & Watkins: Global law firm with a leading German corporate practice advising on large-cap VC, growth equity and tech M&A. Comparable to V14 in serving the same Berlin/DACH VC ecosystem at the upper end of deal size, with substantially greater international reach.
• Osborne Clarke: International full-service law firm with a strong German practice and dedicated venture capital and tech advisory offering. Comparable to V14 because both advise VC-backed startups and growth-stage companies on financing rounds, M&A and tech/IP matters across DACH, though Osborne Clarke serves a broader geographic and sector footprint.
• CMS Germany: Pan-European law firm with a sizeable German VC, technology and IP practice advising startups and investors. Comparable to V14 across VC, M&A and digital/IP advisory, with materially broader international and sector coverage.
• Taylor Wessing: International law firm with a deep German VC and technology practice and a long-standing reputation in Berlin. Comparable to V14 because both serve founders, investors and growth companies on VC financings, M&A and IP; Taylor Wessing offers significantly broader international scale.
• Bird & Bird (Germany): International tech-focused law firm with a strong German practice advising startups, investors and corporates on VC, IP and digital regulation. Comparable to V14 in VC and digital/IP advisory, with broader international platform.

Direct peers

• YPOG: Berlin/Hamburg-based boutique law firm specializing in venture capital, venture debt and tech transactions. Closely comparable to V14 as a VC-focused boutique with overlapping client base in the German startup ecosystem.
• Noerr: Major German law firm with a prominent venture capital and startup practice advising on financings, M&A and digital business models. Comparable to V14 in core service offering (VC, M&A, IP) and DACH focus, though at a larger full-service scale.
• POELLATH + Partners: Berlin/Munich boutique with a leading private equity, venture capital and tax practice advising funds and growth companies. Comparable to V14 in serving VC investors and portfolio companies on fund formation, financings and M&A.
• SKW Schwarz: Berlin-based independent law firm with a strong focus on venture capital, media/tech and digital business models. Closely comparable to V14 in market positioning, geographic focus and core service mix for the Berlin startup ecosystem.
• HEUKING: German full-service firm with a recognized venture capital and startup advisory practice in Berlin and beyond. Comparable to V14 in serving founders and VC investors on financings, M&A and corporate housekeeping, with a broader full-service platform.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vogel Heerma Waitz