HANEFELD

What HANEFELD does

HANEFELD Rechtsanwälte Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH is a Hamburg-headquartered international dispute resolution boutique founded in 2011 by Dr. Inka Hanefeld, with a branch office in Paris. The firm operates as a German limited liability company of attorneys (Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH) and is independently owned by its partner group, with no external investment or parent company. Its core offering is legal services — specifically international commercial arbitration, investment arbitration, litigation before German and French courts, alternative dispute resolution (including a proprietary Senior Expedited Assessment tool), and expert advice on German, French, Polish, and international law. The firm acts as both counsel and arbitrator under a broad range of institutional rules including ICC, ICSID, LCIA, ICDR, SCC, DIS, UNCITRAL, and WIPO.

The firm delivers these services across nine practice areas: Construction & Engineering, Commercial & Trade Law, Post-M&A & Corporate, Energy & Renewables, Antitrust Damages, Banking & Finance, International Private & Civil Procedure Law, Investment Protection, and Aerospace & Defense. Its client base consists of international corporations, financial institutions, investors, and state entities engaged in cross-border disputes, with cited dispute values ranging from USD 100 million to EUR 5 billion. The team of approximately 18 — including six partners (four of whom are listed as Thought Leaders in Germany by Who's Who Legal), one of counsel, three senior associates, four associates, and one counsel — holds long-standing institutional ties to the ICC, including a former Vice-President of the ICC Court and two former ICC Counsel.

HANEFELD's go-to-market is sales-led, relying on direct engagement with enterprise clients and reputation-driven inbound demand built through thought leadership, academic publication, conference participation, and rankings recognition by Global Arbitration Review, The Legal 500, Who's Who Legal, Best Lawyers (Handelsblatt), and JUVE. The boutique structure is positioned as a competitive advantage, enabling the firm to take on matters where larger firms have conflicts of interest. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated case-by-case under standard professional services arrangements. The firm operates globally, with documented engagement across 30+ jurisdictions spanning EMEA, Americas, Asia Pacific, and Africa.

Name

HANEFELD

Legal name

Hanefeld Rechtsanwälte Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH

Website

https://hanefeld-legal.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HANEFELD is a Hamburg- and Paris-headquartered international dispute resolution boutique law firm serving global corporations, investors, financial institutions, and state entities in cross-border commercial arbitration, investment arbitration, litigation, and ADR matters across nine practice areas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Dispute Resolution / Arbitration Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Offices of Lawyers (54111)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Litigation & Dispute Resolution (BPAHAAAB)

Keywords

• International arbitration services
• Commercial litigation
• Investment treaty disputes
• Construction arbitration
• Alternative dispute resolution

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Dispute Resolution: Revenue generated from providing legal counsel and arbitration/arbitrator services in international commercial disputes, investment protection cases, litigation, and alternative dispute resolution proceedings.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

HANEFELD is an international dispute resolution boutique law firm providing legal counsel and arbitrator services in international commercial and investment arbitrations, litigation before German and French courts, alternative dispute resolution (DAB, mediation, and its proprietary Senior Expedited Assessment tool), and expert advice on German, French, Polish, and international law. The firm acts as both counsel and arbitrator under major institutional rules (ICC, ICSID, LCIA, DIS, SCC, UNCITRAL, and others) across practice areas including Construction & Engineering, Energy & Renewables, Banking & Finance, Post-M&A, Investment Protection, and Aerospace & Defense.

Product overview

HANEFELD is a leading international dispute resolution boutique law firm with offices in Hamburg and Paris. The firm operates as a single integrated legal service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Their core offering is dispute resolution services spanning four main service modules: Arbitration (acting as counsel and arbitrators in domestic and international proceedings), Litigation (enforcing client rights before German and French courts), Alternative Dispute Resolution (DAB, mediation, and their proprietary Senior Expedited Assessment tool), and Expert Advice (legal expert assessments on German, French, Polish, and international law). These services are delivered across nine specialized practice areas: Construction & Engineering, Commercial & Trade Law, Post-M&A & Corporate Law, Energy & Renewables, Antitrust Damages, Banking & Finance, International Private & Civil Procedure Law, Investment Protection, and Aerospace & Defense. The firm serves clients globally and is recognized as Thought Leaders by Who's Who Legal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• International Arbitration

Named customers5 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

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Global network of 'best in class' dispute resolution expertscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHANEFELD cooperates with a global network of 'best in class' dispute resolution experts abroad to handle cross-border cases. This network enables the firm to provide comprehensive international dispute resolution services regardless of jurisdiction or applicable law.
• Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya DisputesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for speaking engagement on Expedited Procedures under the SCC Arbitration Institute Rules. Maria Hauser-Morel spoke at Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Disputes event in June 2026.
• ICC (International Chamber of Commerce)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHANEFELD has long-standing ties to the ICC. Partners Jan Heiner Nedden and Maria Hauser-Morel are both former ICC Counsel. Partner Dr. Inka Hanefeld served as Vice-President of the ICC Court. The firm published a practical guide on revised ICC Arbitration Rules.
• SCC Arbitration InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaria Hauser-Morel spoke on expedited procedures under the SCC Arbitration Institute Rules at an event hosted by Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Disputes.
• Patent Mediation and Arbitration Centre (PMAC) of the Unified Patent CourtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJan Heiner Nedden and Nico Gielen published an article on what the PMAC offers and what it means in practice, published in Law Journal on Industrial and Infrastructure Projects (RInPrax).

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan: Global litigation and arbitration powerhouse with one of the largest international arbitration practices. While broader than HANEFELD, it competes head-to-head for large-scale international arbitration and litigation mandates.
• Sidley Austin LLP: Global law firm with one of the largest international arbitration groups worldwide. A frequent competitor for major commercial and investment arbitration matters, particularly in energy and post-M&A disputes.
• Latham & Watkins LLP: Global firm with a leading international arbitration practice; HANEFELD's Of Counsel Dr. Seelmann-Eggebert was previously Global Chair of Arbitration at Latham. Competes directly for large-scale disputes in energy, construction, and investment arbitration.
• King & Spalding LLP: International firm with a leading international arbitration practice focused on energy, construction, and investor-state matters — directly comparable to HANEFELD's core sector expertise.
• Hogan Lovells: Global law firm with strong international arbitration, energy, and infrastructure practices, frequently competing for construction and energy disputes similar to HANEFELD's core mandates.
• WilmerHale: U.S. and international firm with a strong international arbitration and public international law practice based in major seats. Competes for sophisticated investor-state and commercial arbitration mandates.
• Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer: Magic Circle firm with one of the world's pre-eminent international arbitration practices. Many HANEFELD partners were previously at Magic Circle firms; competes for premium global arbitration mandates.

Direct peers

• Bonelli Erede: Italian-headquartered independent law firm with a leading international arbitration practice and offices across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Comparable on boutique-style delivery and complex cross-border mandates.
• Three Crowns LLP: Elite international arbitration specialist firm founded by former Freshfields partners, with offices in London, Paris, Washington D.C., Singapore, and the Gulf. Competes directly with HANEFELD for high-value international arbitration mandates.
• Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Disputes: Paris-based international arbitration boutique with a comparable senior-partner-driven model and similar premium dispute resolution practice. HANEFELD partners Hauser-Morel and Gielen have collaborated with GBS on speaking engagements, evidencing direct peer overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hanefeld

Compliance2 records

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 HANEFELD