Theissen, Christian M.

Partner at White & Case LLP, Frankfurt am Main

• Partner, 2019
• Local Partner, 2015
• Rechtsanwalt, 2010
• Second State Exam, Higher Regional Court of Cologne, 2010
• First State Exam, University of Bonn, 2007

More than 30 arbitrations as counsel and arbitrator, including under the rules of the ICC, DIS, SIAC, VIAC and UNCITRAL. Legal 500 calls him a ‘technology specialist‘ who ‘has excellent knowledge and experience in arbitration proceedings’. More details on previous matters available at www.whitecase.com/people/christian-theissen

• "Smart cities: New power dynamics & intelligent transport systems", Open Access Government, June 2021 (with Natalia Filandrianou)
• "Autonomous vehicles: the converging factor for private and public actors in smart cities", Automotive World, June 2021 (with Natalia Filandrianou)
• "Connected and Autonomous Vehicles: A Cross-Jurisdictional Comparison of Regulatory Developments", The Journal of Robotics, Artificial Intelligence & Law, Volume 3, No. 4, July–August 2020 (with Steven Baker and Bijal Vakil)
• "COVID-19: Disruption to Art Transactions", October 2020 (with Michael Polkinghorne, Alina Sartogo and Federico Parise Kuhnle)
• "Practice insight into autonomous driving – liability provisions and peculiarities of recourse within the supply chain?", Beck Verlag’s handbook "Autonomes Fahren" (Oppermann/Stender-Vorwachs), 2nd Edition, 2020
• "Suspending contractual performance in response to the coronavirus outbreak", February 2020 (with Mark Clarke, Markus Burianski, Maximilian Clasmeier and James Hart)
• "War Clauses: Friend (not Foe) of Force Majeure", August 2019 (with Markus Burianski)
• "The German Act on Automated Driving – Approach and Liability Consequences for domestic/foreign Car Manufacturers and Suppliers", CTI Mag, May 1, 2018 (with Bijal Vakil)"Anmerkung zum Urteil des Bundesgerichtshofs vom 8. November 2016 zur Reichweite der Luftfahrzeughalterhaftung gemäß § 33 LuftVG" (Az. VI ZR 694/15), Zeitschrift für Luft- und Weltraumrecht (ZLW) [German Journal of Air and Space Law], April 1, 2017 (with Gero Pogrzeba)
• "The Protection of indirect investments by German investors" ("Schutz indirekter Investitionen deutscher Investoren"), KSzW, Issue 2, p. 152 et seq., 2011 (with Patricia Nacimiento and Verena Gross)
• "The German Court for Arbitration in Sports in Doping Disputes" ("Das Deutsche Sportschiedsgericht in Dopingstreitigkeiten"), SpuRt 5/2008 (with Anja Berninger)
• "The New Corporate Due Diligence Act: Potential Liability under Civil Law and Administrative Law", White & Case, July 2021 (with Thomas Helck, Sonja Hoffmann and Christoph Zuschlag)

• Silicon Valley Arbitration & Mediation Center (SVAMC)
• Deutsche Institution für Schiedsgerichtbarkeit e.V. (DIS)
• Deutscher Anwaltverein (DAV)
• International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)

RECOGNITION BY PEERS: Best Lawyers Germany 2023 (International Arbitration) RECOGNITION BY CLIENTS: • "technology specialist; particularly outstanding in oral hearings; strategically strong” and “Christian Theissen’s ability to guide us through a complex and highly contentious matter in an understandable manner was of the utmost importance and is greatly appreciated” (Legal 500 Germany, Arbitration 2022) • "extremely client-focused and solution-oriented; outstanding expertise; available at any time and excellently connected" (Legal 500 Germany, Arbitration 2021) • "has remarkable expertise in technology-focused industries" (Legal 500 Germany, Arbitration 2020) • "well-versed contact for contractual and liability issues" (Legal 500 Germany, Commercial Litigation 2019) SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS (Examples): • "Autonomous driving and liability: from product liability to regulatory limits for software updates over-the-air”, December 4, 2021: Lecture series on “Automated Systems”, RifaS (Interdisciplinary Institute for Automated Systems), Hannover, Germany • "Who owns the liability in large mobility projects?", November 12, 2020: 5G Techritory Forum 2020 – 3rd annual Baltic Sea Region 5G ecosystem forum • "Autonomous driving – current and future liability questions that will keep regulators, judges and arbitrators busy", April 5, 2019: Transatlantic Legal Conference 2019, Frankfurt, Germany • "Tech Projects in Asia: Implementation and disputes, lessons learned from in-house and counsel perspective", June 13, 2018: Young ITA talks, Frankfurt • "The German Act on fully automated driving - liability consequences for OEMs and suppliers doing business in Germany. And a potential role model for legislature in the US?", May 17, 2018: Autonomous Driving Summit USA, Novi, MI, USA (with Bijal Vakil) • "Best efforts obligations as determined by state courts and arbitration tribunals", March 23, 2018: Annual MAA International Commercial Law & Arbitration Conference, Vienna • "Regulatory framework for Autonomous Driving", September 29, 2017: Key note speech at Crédit Agricole's annual CIB Auto Credit Day, Paris (with Markus Burianski) • "Taking of Evidence in International Disputes", workshop in the context of the Master Program "International Dispute Resolution" at HU Berlin, 2018, 2019, 2020 • "Autonomous Driving – progress in a legal gray area" ("Autonomes Fahren – Fortschritt in eine rechtliche Grauzone"), June 24, 2014: 12th Annual Conference on Law in Automotive Supply Industry, Stuttgart (with Markus Burianski)