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Dr. Ralf Weisser is a partner in the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater LLP, based in its Munich office. He is the head of the German telecom, media and technology (TMT) practice group and the co-head of the firms TMT group. His practice focuses on advising companies in the media, entertainment and telecommunications industries on the drafting and negotiation of commercial contracts, in M&A transactions, regulatory matters and litigation.
Ralf advised T-Online, one of Europe's largest ISPs, on the purchase of video-on-demand and electronic sell-through rights to motion pictures from major U.S. film studios, on the distribution of IPTV and on regulatory issues. He advised a leading multinational media company on the purchase of a substantial stake in a mobile television operator in Germany and on the application for broadcasting as well as telecommunications licenses for the offering of mobile television services. Ralf led the contract negotiations to purchase one of the largest European film libraries from KirchMedia on behalf of HypoVereinsbank (HVB) and to conclude a film license agreement with a large private broadcasting group. He advised a private equity fund on the acquisition of shares of an Internet company. Ralf also advised cable network operators, ISPs and media companies on the cable and Internet distribution of programs and media services and acted on their behalf in regulatory and copyright matters (including before the court).
Ralf attended Konstanz University and was a research assistant at the University of Geneva, Switzerland. He obtained his LL.M. from Duke University School of Law as a Fulbright scholar and then worked as a foreign associate in Washington, D.C. Ralf was admitted to the Bar of the State of New York. Between 1994 and 1998, he was an in-house attorney with Kirch Group in Munich and from 1996 headed the legal department of DF 1 Digitales Fernsehen, a digital pay television operator. He is a member of the legal committee of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce for Munich and Upper Bavaria.
Ralf has authored several law review articles and regularly speaks and presents panel discussions at industry conferences. He is recommended in many legal guides as leading in the field of media and telecoms. Among others, he was recommended in 2007/2008 JUVE Handbuch Wirtschaftskanzleien (directory of German commercial law firms) in the field of broadcasting, television and telecoms, in Chambers Global 2008 in the field of media, in 2007 European Legal 500 in the field of media, entertainment and press. PLC's Communications Handbook 2007 lists him as one of the five leading media lawyers in Germany and he is included in Euromoney Legal Group "Best of the Best 2006" directory as one of the world's best media and entertainment lawyers. Moreover, in 2005, McDermott Will & Emery won the JUVE award "best law firm of the year for media".
Education
University of Konstanz, Dr. jur.
Duke University School of Law, LL.M.
University of Konstanz, State Exam
Languages Spoken
English
French
German | 