Zugangsansprüche der Zukunft – aktuelle Entwicklungen des Regulierungsrahmens aus Sicht von Netzeigentümer, Betreiber und Investoren

Watson Farley & Williams is an international law firm advising on complex transactions and disputes through local knowledge and an integrated international network. We have a strong sector focus, combining our technical excellence with deep industry knowledge across energy, infrastructure and transport. Our business exists to help our clients achieve their goals, partnering with them to meet the challenges they face today and will face tomorrow. Our values rest on developing deep and long-lasting relationships externally and internally through respect, sharing, communication and integrity. We strive for excellence in all that we do and view investment in our people as key to achieving our business goals and values. Our teams are integrated across legal disciplines and offices delivering consistently high levels of service locally and in combination across borders.

FACTS: FOUNDED 1982; 200+ PARTNERS; 700+ LAWYERS; 98 LAWYERS IN GERMANY; 19 OFFICES GLOBALLY; 4 OFFICES IN GERMANY

Workshop Hosts:

Dr. Felix Siebler

DR FELIX SIEBLER IS HEADING THE GERMAN PUBLIC LAW & COMPETITION GROUP. He specialises in administrative, public procurement and state aid law. His practice focuses on providing comprehensive advice on infrastructure and digitisation projects with an industry focus on education & research, health, mobility, utilities & waste management, and telecommunications. Felix advises on the financing of projects involving available public funding, and on the structuring of organisations. In addition, he assists in the structuring and implementation of national and EU-wide procurement procedures (construction, supply and services) as well as competitive procedures (concessions, investor selection procedures and public-private partnerships), including the drafting of service-specific contracts and negotiations. He also advises bidders on their participation in public procurement procedures. He represents both contracting authorities and bidders in review proceedings and other disputes. He further advises on industry-specific regulatory issues in transactions. Felix is recognised as a leading lawyer in the field of public procurement law in Legal500 (Germany), where clients highlight his “personal and matter-focused advice” as well as “clear language, quick work” and “high expertise”. He is a lecturer for public procurement law at the University for Public Service in Bavaria. His clients include federal and state ministries, local authorities as well as municipalities and public institutions such as infrastructure companies, municipal and public utilities as well as private companies, banks and investors.

Christian Schindler

CHRISTIAN IS A MANAGING ASSOCIATE IN THE CORPORATE AND M&A GROUP. Christian specialises in M&A, corporate restructuring and joint ventures, with a particular focus on transactions and investments in the energy and infrastructure sectors. Recent transactions include strategic M&A deals in the energy and infrastructure sectors, such as the development, financing, acquisition or disposal of renewables projects and digital infrastructure projects (fibre optic, data centres and mobile broadband tower infrastructure) as well as national and cross-border joint ventures and general corporate law advice. Christian’s clients include investors, project developers, telecoms companies and banks.Christian was awarded by “Best Lawyers” and the German business newspaper Handelsblatt in 2024 for being “One to watch” as one of the best upcoming German lawyers for his corporate law practice.

Objective and Content of the Roundtable:

Zugangsansprüche der Zukunft – aktuelle Entwicklungen des Regulierungsrahmens aus Sicht von Netzeigentümer, Betreiber und Investoren

• Overview of the Status Quo of (Open) Access Framework in Germany
• Insights from our practice and exchange on recent discussions on the requirement of setting and/or updating a regulatory framework for access rights to fibre network infrastructure
• Consideration of the perspective and interests by the various stakeholders
• Consequences for further roll out, cooperation and bankability and the investing potential into fibre network infrastructure in Germany