Dr. Gerd M. Schwendinger

Dr. Gerd M. Schwendinger, LL.M., is a partner at the Hamburg and Brussels offices of the law firm GvW Graf von Westphalen. He is Co-Head of the GvW U.S. Desk and a member of the firm’s Customs & International Trade practice group.

His main area of expertise focuses on various subjects related to European Union law. In particular, he advises and represents companies on all kinds on export controls and sanctions law, customs and international trade law, EU market regulation, anti-dumping/anti-subsidy law, WTO law, excise tax law, as well as EU state aid and subsidies law. The JUVE Handbook German Commercial Law Firms names Dr. Schwendinger a recommended lawyer in these areas of law. He has extensive litigation experience and represents clients in front of national courts and EU courts in Luxemburg, as well as the European Commission and state authorities. He also supports clients on larger projects, including the review of compliance systems, design, improvement and implementation of export control compliance programmes, as well as in the structuring of import and export operations.

Dr. Schwendinger studied law at the universities of Giessen (Germany) and Bordeaux (France) as well as at the European University Institute in Florence (Italy). After having obtained his PhD in EU law his professional career began in 2005 at U.S. law firm Latham & Watkins LLP. Before joining GvW he was a judge both at the administrative court and at the district court in Hamburg. He is a member of the European Forum for Foreign Trade, Customs and Excise (‘EFA’) as well as Aussenwirtschaftsrunde e.V., and is a lecturer on export control and customs law, inter alia, at the Hamburg Customs Academy as well as at the Bucerius Law School. He is a frequent speaker at conferences and symposiums and author of numerous articles on customs and trade issues in legal journals, commentaries, and handbooks. Dr. Schwendinger speaks German, English, French and Italian.