Admitted to practise law in Germany (Rechtsanwalt) and England & Wales (Solicitor), Matthias Goetz advises national and international companies on German, English and European data protection law.

Matthias worked for several years in a leading international law firm in London providing strategic and practical advice on data protection and intellectual property law to his clients. His practice includes negotiating complex data protection agreements under German or English law and advising on the cross-border transfer of data.

In addition to German and British clients, Matthias has also advised numerous multinational and international companies and organizations from various countries around the world, including Member States of the European Union, the USA, India, the UAE and Brazil. These companies include a large social networking platform, one of the world’s largest food producers, various innovative start-ups based in London and Hamburg, and a leading bank in Germany.

Bars and Courts

• Rechtsanwalt (Germany)
• Solicitor (England & Wales)

Work Experience and Education

• Worked for several years as Rechtsanwalt and Solicitor (England & Wales) in the London office of White & Case LLP, a leading international law firm
• During his legal clerkship, worked at the Higher Regional Court of Karlsruhe and in the Munich and London offices of Noerr LLP, a leading German law firm
• LL.M., University of Cambridge (UK)
• Legal studies at the University of Freiburg (Germany) and at National Law School of India University (Bangalore, India).
• During his studies, worked numerous years as a research assistant at the Chair of Intellectual Property Law at the University of Freiburg (Prof. Dr. M. Haedicke, LL.M).

Representative Speaking Engagements

• “Why should US businesses care about EU data protection law?” Harvard Law School, Cambridge, MA, USA (February 6, 2018)
• “Data Protection from a Transatlantic Perspective: How Private are EU Citizens’ Data?”, Harvard Center for European Studies, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA (February 6, 2018)
• “Ensuring GDPR compliance, Computing’s Cybersecurity Strategy Briefing (for the financial sector), London (October 19, 2017)
• “Introduction to IP law for science students”, Blackett Society, Magdalene College, University of Cambridge (November 27, 2015)

Representative Publications

• Jurisdiction Chapter United Kingdom, International Comparative Legal Guide (ICLG) to: Data Protection 2020, 7th edition, (Juli 2020)
• Joint controllers under the GDPR – implications for transactional lawyers, LexisNexis PSL Information Law (June 2018)
• If you obtain personal data such as email addresses from the internet, in practical terms what are your obligations under the GDPR?, Practical Law (April 2018)
• Effect of Brexit on IP, Intellectual Property Magazine (March 2017)
• IP addresses and personal data: Did CJEU ask the right questions?, PrivacyLaw&Business International (February 2017)
• Data transfers after Schrems: discord in the EU, SC Magazine (January 2016)
• Chapter 4 (Blockchain and Smart Contracts), Handbook of Blockchain Law: A Guide to Understanding and Resolving the Legal Challenges of Blockchain Technology, 1^st edition (July 2020)

Contact Details

• Phone: +49 (0) 761 / 22604
• Email: matthias.goetz@nikolgoetz.com
• For encryption of electronic communication, you can find our public key (PGP) in the Legal Information section.