Prof. Dr Ralf Steding

Ralf advises principals and contractors on issues surrounding contract drafting and contract management including claim management. This includes alternative types of contract such as partnering models. Ralf specialises in plant engineering and power plant construction. Alongside the preparation and negotiation of contracts, this also covers the project-related and company-related introduction of contract management structures. A further key practice area is the provision of internal and external training courses and workshops on these topics for principals and contractors.

What others say

Frequently recommended for private construction law – 'Highly competent; always achieves the best result immediately', 'quick, good and pragmatic' - clients
JUVE Handbook 2022/2023 and 2024/25

Prof. Dr. Steding is truly exceptional among lawyers. He has a good feeling for what his clients need and the situation at hand and is excellent at assessing how to use resources to minimise potential risk. He understands the language of the “non-lawyers” and can quickly translate it into legal wording. I have not seen this skill demonstrated at this level in any other law firm. 
Legal 500 Germany 2020

One of the most frequently recommended lawyers for construction law
Handelsblatt/Best Lawyers^® 'Germany's Best Lawyers 2024'

Listed as a laywers recommended by in-house counsel for real estate and construction law
kanzleimonitor.de 2022/2023 (law firm directory of the German institute for legal departments & in-house lawyers)

Named as a Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyer
Thomson Reuters 2024

Recent work

• EnBW AG: advising on the procurement and contract negotiation for the construction of various large-scale power plants
• Large energy supplier: advising on the procurement and contract drafting/negotiation for a biomass power plant
• Stadtwerke Duisburg AG: advising on the procurement and contract drafting/negotiation for various power plant projects
• Stadtwerke Duisburg AG: contract negotiation and management for the construction and maintenance of HKW III/B
• Large energy supplier: advising on contract for CCGT conversion/modernisation
• Chemical park operator: contract drafting for various plant engineering projects
• Various industrial companies: advising and drafting contracts for decarbonisation projects
• Stadtwerke Kiel AG: advising on the construction of a gas-fired combined heat and power plant (coastal power plant) in Kiel
• EWE AG/RIFFGAT GmbH & Co. KG: construction law advice and support for the offshore wind farm RIFFGAT
• DOTI GmbH & Co KG: support for the offshore wind farm alpha ventus
• Stadtwerke Düsseldorf AG: contract drafting and negotiation for coal block and combined cycle power plant (Fortuna power station)
• Large energy producer: various demolition projects

Curriculum vitae

• Studied law at the University of Bayreuth with study trips to the USA, 1987 to 1992
• PhD with research in the USA, 1992 to 1997
• Legal clerkship at the Higher Regional Court Düsseldorf, 1994 to 1996
• Lawyer at Kapellmann since 1997

Further qualifications and memberships

• Lecturer on complex contracts in plant engineering for the Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences since 2007, honorary professor since 2016
• Speaker at seminars and conferences (Euroforum, IIR, FDBR, Fresenius Institut etc.)
• Member of the EEHH - Erneuerbare Energien Hamburg Clusteragentur GmbH
• Member of the WAB e.V. – windenergie agentur Bremerhaven