Sven-Erik Heun

I'm a partner in our Frankfurt office specialising in communications, IT and data protection law. Since 2015, I am a member of our international Executive Committee.

I offer many years of in-depth legal and regulatory experience in the areas of communications, IT, ecommerce, internet and data protection that is endorsed by my constant listings as leading professional in legal directories such as Chambers, ExpertGuides Best of the Best, Handelsblatt in cooperation with Best Lawyers, JUVE, Legal 500, and Who's Who Legal.

My team and I advise network operators, service providers, investors and corporate customers in the information and communication technology (ICT) and related energy markets, with a particular focus on resources (such as infrastructure assets, rights of way and frequencies), industry convergence and digitisation (such as cloud computing, M2M, smart grid/metering, internet of things, connected cars and telematics), outsourcing and platform projects, as well as on regulatory and data protection compliance, often combined with multi-jurisdictional project management.

My practice areas in the ICT-related markets include the following:

Legal, regulatory and strategic advice in projects and transactions.
The structuring, drafting and negotiation of commercial contracts.
Representation before national and European regulatory and antitrust authorities.
Administrative, antitrust and civil court litigation and arbitration proceedings.

Most of the projects, cases and matters that my team and I are entrusted with are based on long-standing client relationships and in-depth knowledge of our clients' business and strategies. I am therefore very proud to have won the Client Choice Awards for Telecommunications in Germany four times in a row from 2016 to 2019.

Next to being editor and author of the "Handbuch Telekommunikationsrecht", I've published numerous articles on legal questions in telecoms, IT, data protection and ecommerce law in leading legal reviews such as "Computer und Recht" and in treatises such as the "Handbuch Fachanwalt IT-Recht", as well as most recently in the new editions of the "Auernhammer" data protection commentary.

My roles in professional associations include being co-chairman of the working party on Telecommunications of the German Computer Law Association (DGRI).

• Telefónica Deutschland: Strategic advice and support with respect to the 2019 5G frequency auction in Germany, including prior hearings of the German national regulatory authority (BNetzA) and several subsequent administrative court proceedings.
• OTT Service Providers: Legal and regulatory support to OTT service providers in the field of messaging services with a view to the new European Electronic Communications Code as well as against the German national regulatory authority (BNetzA) with respect to the qualification of messaging services as electronic communications services and resulting compliance obligations under telecommunications and data protection law.
• DE-CIX Management GmbH: Legal representation of DE-CIX (i.e. the world's largest internet exchange point) in several federal court proceedings against the Federal Republic of Germany with respect to surveillance of communications by the Bundesnachrichtendienst (German federal intelligence agency).
• 450connect GmbH: Strategic legal support in creating, drafting and negotiating a contractual structure for a professional radio service platform enabling smart grid and smart meter applications in cooperation with energy industry customers.