Dr. Christoph Werkmeister
About
Christoph is the strategic advisor that the world’s most significant technology companies and global enterprises call to manage high-stakes matters and complex governance challenges. As Global Co-Head of our Data & Technology practice, he serves as a strategic boardroom advisor, helping clients navigate the geopolitical and regulatory shifts defining the digital economy.
He acts as a primary advisor to leading platforms and disruptive technology pioneers on digital markets and services, as well as autonomous systems, while architecting global strategies for AI and data governance. His expertise spans from privacy to sector, guiding enterprises through cybersecurity requirements and the unique complexities of the finance, telecoms, healthcare, and transportation sectors.
High-Stakes Regulatory Defense and Litigation
Christoph operates at the center of the most high-profile proceedings before national authorities and the European Commission. He is uniquely recognized for his ability to mitigate regulatory risk, vigorously defending clients in landmark enforcement matters and orchestrating some of the industry’s highest reductions of GDPR fines through proactive engagement and creative procedural avenues.
His practice is defined by its global reach and crisis-management capabilities:
- Pan-European Leadership: Coordinating complex matters across Europe, including regulatory landmark proceedings in Germany, Ireland, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, and Spain, ensuring a harmonized strategy before national regulators.
- Global Litigation: Architecting global defense strategies for class actions and mass claims, representing clients before civil, criminal, and administrative courts and escalating landmark matters to...
AI
- Advising a global technology company on preparing for the EU AI Act and assessing the impact of the new law on various of its services and the interplay with other EU Digital Strategy regulation.
- Advising a global data analytics platform provider on its project to get ready for EU AI Act compliance.
- Advising a global remote computing software provider on EU AI Act compliance and the interplay with other EU Digital Strategy regulation.
Data incidents
- Advising on more than 10 of the ‘Big Ones’ (i.e. data incidents with more than 1 Terabyte of affected data), including dealing with regulators across the globe and related (mass) litigation.
- Advising Marriott in the global (excluding the USA) coordination of its response to the recent data breach, one of the largest incidents worldwide, including cooperation with multiple data protection authorities around the world and litigation, particularly with the UK ICO.
- Advising Motel One on a data protection incident with repercussions in Germany, the UK and Switzerland (around 6 terabytes of the client's data, approx. 26 million data records, were published on the Dark Net), including advising on the analysis of the affected data and the communication to affected customers and the press.
- Advising a leading US tech company in connection with data scraping that has resulted in both litigation and regulatory action in the UK and various countries across the EU in thousands of individual and collective claims.
Automotive
- Advising leading automotive companies on their global data strategy, various data-driven use cases, the implementation of self-driving car technology in various jurisdictions, international data transfers, data protection contracts and the data protection aspects of connected vehicles and digital services.
- Representing companies in various GDPR fine and administrative proceedings and coordinating with authorities on codes of conduct and other official guidance for auto companies.
Healthcare
- Advising various healthcare companies on the business impact of the EU European Health Data Space regulation.
- Advising a multinational molecular diagnostics company on business critical data protection issues, the implementation of a data transfer project and sector-specific health data protection.
- Advising a leading biotech company on GDPR compliance in the context of clinical trials.
Financial institutions
- Advising a business services company in day-to-day compliance and strategic matters relating to data legislation, including DORA, AI Act, and GDPR.
- Advising a business services company in a defence strategy vis-à-vis authorities and possible class actions by consumers regarding data breach resulting into fine proceedings.
- Representing various insurance companies in GDPR fine proceedings and corresponding administrative proceedings.
- Advising Allianz on the worldwide digitalisation of its HR processes, and global data centralisation and outsourcing projects.
Telecoms
- Representing United Internet in major regulatory proceedings regarding wholesale internet access, and related civil and public law litigation.
- Advising United Internet and various investors on fibre buildout and 5G projects and collaborations, including dealing with regulators and representing the clients in subsequent litigation.
- Advising various automakers on their cooperations with mobile network providers regarding in-car communication services.
- Advising a global provider of network solutions on EU AI Act compliance.
Online and digital
- Advising a Gatekeeper on DMA compliance, related engagement with the European Commission and in litigation proceedings.
- Advising various IoT companies on the implementation of the EU Data Act.
- Advising online platforms on DSA compliance.
- Advising various of the world’s largest technology companies on on product-related data, ePrivacy and telecoms regulatory issues, including mass litigation and proceedings before regulators.
- Advising some of the largest technology companies on high-profile GDPR proceedings, including in front the the Irish DPC and on related litigation in Germany and other EU Member States.
Dr. Christoph Werkmeister
Feldmühleplatz 1
Düsseldorf 40545