CARLSWERK Rechtsanwälte

What CARLSWERK Rechtsanwälte does

CARLSWERK Rechtsanwälte is a German boutique law firm organized as a Partnerschaft mit beschränkter Berufshaftung (mbB), founded in 2018/2019 by attorneys who previously practiced together at SGT Rechtsanwälte in Düsseldorf. The firm operates from its headquarters at Carlsplatz 24, Düsseldorf, and a branch office in Cologne (Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 71), with a roster of four equity partners (Dr. Simon-Alexander Zeidler, Michael Ben Gan, Florian Klytta, Dr. Fabian Breckheimer), one of Counsel (Dr. Günter Böttger), and an office manager. Its practice is organized into five service lines: external legal department services for small and medium-sized enterprises, banking and capital markets law, compliance/data protection/white-collar defense, private wealth and asset succession, and trade/distribution law.

The firm distinguishes itself through the prior in-house banking experience of its partners — particularly tenures at HSBC Trinkaus & Burkhardt AG — combined with senior stints at established German law firms (NOERR, BRANDI, KPMG, SGT) and recognized specialization (Fachanwalt) in banking/capital markets law and international commercial law. It markets itself as a one-stop-shop, drawing on a built network of foreign legal counsel for cross-border matters and partnering with DS Compliance GmbH to deliver outsourced compliance, data protection, and IT security officer functions. It holds no proprietary technology platform; its discovery channels are a professional website, a legal blog, and a LinkedIn presence, with no paid advertising.

The firm generates revenue through professional legal services billed on an hourly or fixed-fee basis, governed by the German Lawyers' Remuneration Act (Rechtsanwaltsvergütungsgesetz, RVG) for statutory matters and individual fee agreements otherwise. It serves as an embedded external legal department for SMEs lacking in-house counsel, provides regulatory and litigation advisory to banks and financial services providers (including BaFin licensing, MiFID/MAD/PSD/AML compliance), and supports high-net-worth clients on succession and estate matters. It is privately held, partner-owned, with no external investors, no subsidiaries, and no public revenue disclosure.

Name

CARLSWERK Rechtsanwälte

Legal name

CARLSWERK Rechtsanwälte Partnerschaft mbB

Website

https://carlswerk.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CARLSWERK Rechtsanwälte is a Düsseldorf-based German boutique law firm partnership providing external legal department services for SMEs and specialized advisory in banking/capital markets law, compliance and data protection, private wealth succession, and trade/distribution law, with a Cologne branch office.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (54111)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate & Commercial Law (BPAHAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Regulatory & Compliance Law (BPAHAAAC), Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) & Securities Law (BPAHAAAI), Financial Crime, AML/CFT & Sanctions Compliance (BPAHAFAE)

Keywords

• Legal advisory services
• Banking capital markets law
• Data protection compliance
• Commercial distribution law
• Asset succession planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Düsseldorf, Nordrhein-Westfalen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Advisory Services: Professional legal services billed on an hourly or fixed-fee basis. Services include external legal department for SMEs, banking and capital markets law, compliance and data protection, private wealth and asset succession, and trade and distribution law. Revenue is generated through legal fees for advisory, litigation, and transaction support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

CARLSWERK Rechtsanwälte is a German law firm partnership that delivers legal advisory and representation services across five practice areas: external legal department services for small and medium-sized enterprises, banking and capital markets law (including BaFin licensing and regulatory compliance), compliance/data protection/GDPR implementation and white-collar crime defense, private wealth and asset succession for family offices and high-net-worth individuals, and trade and distribution law (domestic and international). The firm functions as an outsourced legal department for SMEs lacking internal legal resources while also serving banks, financial service providers, and trading companies with specialized regulatory and commercial law needs.

Product overview

CARLSWERK Rechtsanwälte is a German law firm offering comprehensive legal services organized into five core service areas: External Legal Department Services (providing in-house legal department functions for SMEs), Banking and Capital Markets Law, Compliance/Data Protection/Commercial Law, Private Wealth and Asset Succession, and Trade and Distribution Law. The firm serves as a 'one-stop shop' for clients, combining expertise from law firm and corporate legal department backgrounds to deliver pragmatic solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• External Legal Department Services Comprehensive outsourced legal department services for small and medium-sized enterprises covering civil law, corporate law, commercial law, contract law, and intellectual property, from business foundation through transfer or liquidation. Designed for companies that lack in-house legal resources and need pragmatic, cost-effective coverage of all routine corporate legal matters.
• Banking and Capital Markets Law Advisory and representation services for banks, financial service providers, and payment service providers on regulatory requirements (including MiFID I/II, MAD/MAR, PSD I/II, AML), BaFin licensing procedures, terms and conditions, financing contracts, collateral documentation, employee training, and representation in complex banking disputes. Led by a Specialist Attorney for Banking and Capital Markets Law.
• Compliance, Data Protection and Commercial Criminal Law Implementation of compliance structures, GDPR and data protection support, provision of compliance officers, data protection officers, and IT security officers (in cooperation with DS Compliance GmbH), as well as defense in white collar crime proceedings. Includes ombudsperson services and a compliance hotline.
• Private Wealth and Asset Succession Legal support for family offices and their underlying clients, including estate planning, foundation establishment and administration, inheritance law advice and representation, and execution of wills. Targeted at high-net-worth individuals and family offices needing cross-generational wealth preservation.
• Trade and Distribution Law Legal support for distribution and procurement contracts, implementation of complex national and international distribution systems, warranty and product liability claims, and representation before courts and arbitral tribunals. Led by a Specialist Attorney for International Commercial Law with cross-border network access for foreign jurisdiction implementation.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• DS Compliance GmbHcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCARLSWERK works together with DS Compliance GmbH, which provides compliance officers, data protection officers, or IT security officers to support the firm's clients in implementing compliance structures and meeting GDPR requirements.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• SGT Rechtsanwälte: Düsseldorf-based commercial law firm from which three of CARLSWERK's founders (Zeidler, Ben Gan, Klytta) departed to start CARLSWERK. Closely comparable in size, regional focus (NRW), and practice mix including banking/capital markets, inheritance, and corporate/commercial work for SMEs.
• tradeo | Legal Advisors: Düsseldorf boutique founded and run by Dr. Fabian Breckheimer (2013-2023) before his move to CARLSWERK. Closely comparable in size and practice area emphasis on international commercial and distribution law for SMEs.
• Brandi Rechtsanwälte: German full-service law firm based in Gütersloh where Dr. Fabian Breckheimer worked before founding tradeo. Comparable as a mid-size German firm with strong distribution, commercial, and SME-focused practice groups.
• Peters Rechtsanwälte: Düsseldorf-based mid-size commercial law firm where two CARLSWERK partners (Zeidler, Breckheimer) previously worked. Comparable in serving SME and mid-market clients across corporate, distribution, and commercial law matters in the NRW market.

Broad incumbents

• Bird & Bird LLP: International law firm with German offices and strong technology, data protection (GDPR), and regulatory practices. Comparable to CARLSWERK in compliance/data protection and financial services regulatory advisory, but operating at international scale.
• Noerr Partnerschaftsgesellschaft mbB: One of Germany's leading mid-size commercial law firms with offices across Europe, where Dr. Simon-Alexander Zeidler previously worked. Overlaps with CARLSWERK in corporate, regulatory and compliance practices but serves a broader client base including large corporates.
• Taylor Wessing LLP: International law firm with a significant German practice in Frankfurt and other hubs. Comparable practice overlap in banking/finance, data protection/compliance, and private wealth — particularly relevant given CARLSWERK's banking law and asset succession focus.
• Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek: Major German mid-size commercial law firm with strong NRW presence in Düsseldorf and Cologne. Directly comparable to CARLSWERK in serving mid-market German corporates across banking/finance, compliance, and corporate matters, but at substantially larger scale.
• Rödl & Partner: German-headquartered international full-service firm combining legal, tax, audit, and consulting. Comparable in serving mid-market German companies (including family-owned SMEs) across compliance, corporate, and cross-border matters, but with a much broader global footprint.
• Osborne Clarke Germany: International law firm with German offices including Cologne, overlapping with CARLSWERK in serving SMEs and mid-market clients across corporate, regulatory, and commercial matters, including technology and data compliance.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carlswerk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 CARLSWERK Rechtsanwälte