What Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partner does

Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partner mbB Rechtsanwälte is a full-service German commercial law firm (Wirtschaftskanzlei) organized as a Partnerschaftsgesellschaft mbB, headquartered in Freiburg with offices in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg, and Köln. The firm provides legal advisory across all economically relevant areas of commercial law including M&A, corporate law and governance, employment law, real estate and construction, banking and finance, intellectual property and competition, contract drafting, data protection, insurance, and inheritance/business succession. Approximately 135 advisors serve mid-market corporates, the German Mittelstand, and growth-stage companies, working under a partner-led, interdisciplinary mandate model documented across JUVE Top-50, Legal 500, and Leaders League rankings.

The firm's revenue model is professional services, generating income through hourly and fixed-fee mandates on case-by-case engagement; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is reputation-led, driven by legal directory rankings, partner networks, the firm's annual Konstanz Seminar connecting European partner firms, and recurring client relationships across DAX-aligned corporates (e.g., Endress+Hauser) and Mittelstand/PE-backed mid-market transactions (e.g., MBG energy, KEK, Aristech, ctrl+s, GOING PUBLIC!). Underlying technology is conventional legal-practice tooling with no proprietary technology platform, AI products, or data assets disclosed. Recent investments have emphasized managing-partner-level ownership of IT/digitalization, internal practice-area expansion through Local Partner promotions (2025), and content/event marketing (Legal Coffee webinars, seminars with IBR-Seminare and TAW) to maintain a visible pipeline of inbound corporate mandates.

Name

Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partner

Legal name

Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partner mbB Rechtsanwälte

Website

https://fgvw.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partner is a German full-service commercial law firm (Wirtschaftskanzlei) with 135 advisors across six German cities, advising mid-market corporates, the Mittelstand, and growth-stage companies on M&A, corporate, employment, real estate, IP, and regulatory matters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Legal Services (5411), Other Legal Services (54119)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

M&A Advisory (Buy-side/Sell-side) (BPAHADAC), M&A Advisory (Buy-Side & Sell-Side) (BPAHAOAA)

Keywords

• Commercial law services
• Mergers and acquisitions advisory
• Employment law counsel
• Corporate legal advisory
• Real estate and construction law

Headquarters

HQ city

Freiburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Legal Advisory Services: FGvW generates revenue through professional legal fees charged to corporate and entrepreneurial clients for advisory services in areas including M&A, employment law, corporate law, real estate, banking & finance, IP, and other commercial law matters. Fees are typically structured on an hourly rate basis or fixed fee arrangements for specific mandates.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

FGvW is a full-service German commercial law firm (Wirtschaftskanzlei) that provides partner-led legal advisory across all economically relevant areas of commercial law, including M&A, corporate law and governance, employment law, real estate and construction, banking and finance, intellectual property and competition, contract drafting (AGB), inheritance and succession, data protection, and dispute resolution. Services are delivered by approximately 135 advisors across six German offices, with mandates typically structured on an hourly or fixed-fee basis for mid-market corporates, entrepreneurs, and growth-stage companies.

Product overview

Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partner is a full-service German commercial law firm (Wirtschaftskanzlei) operating from six offices (Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Freiburg, Hamburg, Köln). The firm provides legal advisory services across all economically relevant practice areas including M&A, corporate law, employment law, real estate and construction, banking and finance, intellectual property and competition, data protection, contract drafting, and inheritance/succession planning. The portfolio includes Legal Advisory Services as the core offering, supplemented by client engagement tools such as a newsletter subscription and educational events (Legal Coffee sessions, seminars, career events). The firm serves corporate clients and entrepreneurs with tailored legal solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• M&A Advisory Counseling on mergers and acquisitions transactions, including buy-side and sell-side representation for strategic investors and financial sponsors, transaction structuring, due diligence, and deal documentation.
• Employment Law Advice on individual and collective labor law, restructurings, works council negotiations, executive compensation, and collective bargaining, including interest balancing and social plan negotiations.
• Real Estate and Construction Legal services for real estate transactions, development projects, and construction law matters for developers, investors, and corporate users of real estate.
• Intellectual Property and Competition Protection of trademarks, designs, copyrights, and unfair competition matters, including advertising law and IP-related dispute resolution.
• Banking and Finance Counsel on banking regulatory matters, financial markets law, and financing transactions for banks, financial sponsors, and borrowers.
• Corporate Law and Governance Corporate law advice including company formation, restructuring, corporate governance, joint ventures, and shareholder matters for mid-market and large corporate clients.
• Contract Drafting (AGB) Drafting and negotiation of general terms and conditions (AGB) and other commercial contracts tailored for B2B procurement, sales, and distribution arrangements.
• Inheritance and Succession Estate planning and business succession advisory for entrepreneurs, family-owned businesses, and high-net-worth individuals transferring ownership or planning continuity.
• Data Protection GDPR compliance counseling, data privacy advisory, and privacy litigation support, with particular depth in healthcare/medical devices data protection.

Named customers7 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• IBR-SeminareminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 April 2026FGvW partner Dr. Jörn Zons presents FIDIC Red/Yellow/Silver Books seminars organized by IBR-Seminare in Mannheim. IBR-Seminare handles logistics and registration; FGvW provides expert legal content.
• TAW (Technische Akademie Würzburg)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 February 2026FGvW partner Prof. Dr. Tobias Lenz leads the 'Einkaufsrecht für Praktiker' seminar series organized in cooperation with TAW. TAW publishes and promotes the seminar; FGvW provides the expert content and lecturer.
• wvib Schwarzwald AGminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 30 July 2025FGvW co-hosted the event 'KI in der Medizintechnik' (AI in Medical Technology) with wvib Schwarzwald AG on July 30, 2025 in Freiburg. Partners Dr. Lukas Kalkbrenner and Dr. Meike Kapp-Schwoerer presented on the AI Act and new regulations. The event was organized by wvib and held at their facilities.
• The Boardroom / RundstedtminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 3 April 2025FGvW co-hosted a Networking Lounge event on 'How Artificial Intelligence is Changing the World of Work' with The Boardroom and Rundstedt on April 3, 2025 in Freiburg. Dr. Stefan Lammel served as contact. The event covered AI transformation challenges and opportunities for businesses.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Noerr Partnerschaftsgesellschaft: Independent German full-service commercial law firm with strong M&A and corporate practices and offices across Germany and Central/Eastern Europe. Comparable Wirtschaftskanzlei model and competes with FGvW for mid-market M&A and cross-border mandates into German-speaking markets.
• Hengeler Mueller: One of Germany's leading independent commercial law firms with a similar full-service Wirtschaftskanzlei model, headquartered in Frankfurt and Berlin. Directly comparable on M&A mid-cap, corporate, employment, and competition practice depth, and competes head-to-head for German mid-market and large-cap mandates.
• Gleiss Lutz: Independent German commercial law firm with offices in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, and Stuttgart. Closely comparable mid-market/full-service Wirtschaftskanzlei profile with strong M&A, corporate, employment, and competition practices, and competes with FGvW for top-tier legal directory recognition.
• Luther Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft: One of Germany's largest independent commercial law firms with full-service Wirtschaftskanzlei positioning, multiple German offices and European presence. Closely comparable mid-market full-service model with strong M&A, employment, and corporate restructuring practices.
• Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek: Independent German full-service commercial law firm with offices across major German cities and comparable mid-market positioning. Direct head-to-head competitor for M&A mid-cap, corporate, employment, and IP mandates among top 50 Wirtschaftskanzleien.

Broad incumbents

• CMS Germany (CMS Hasche Sigle): Part of the global CMS network, CMS Germany is one of the leading German full-service commercial law firms with multiple offices and broad practice coverage. Competes with FGvW across M&A, corporate, employment, real estate, and regulatory matters for mid-market clients.
• Linklaters: Global Magic Circle law firm with significant German practice, particularly in M&A, banking & finance, and corporate transactions. Competes with FGvW for large-cap German M&A mandates and offers cross-border capabilities FGvW must rely on partner firms to match.
• Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer: Global Magic Circle law firm with substantial German operations across M&A, corporate, and dispute resolution. Competes with FGvW for major German M&A mid-cap work and benefits from broader international coverage, positioning it as a larger incumbent rival in the German market.
• Taylor Wessing Germany: International law firm with substantial German practice, particularly strong in technology, venture capital, and IP. Competes with FGvW's venture capital practice (e.g., ctrl+s/HTGF engagement) and IP practice, and offers cross-border VC capability.

Emerging players

• Osborne Clarke Germany: International law firm with growing German practice, particularly focused on technology, venture capital, and digital economy matters. Competes with FGvW's startup/VC segment and emerging growth company client base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/friedrich-graf-von-westphalen-partner
• Instagraminstagram.com/fgvwestphalen

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 Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partner