Clifford Chance
Thomas Voland specialises in German, EU and international public law.
He has advised national and international clients from both the private and the public sector on complex legal and compliance issues under European, international and German public law for 18 years. In particular, he has vast experience in cross-border transactions, high-stake disputes, e.g. concerning climate change or human rights risks, and strategic advice on questions of trade, sustainability and regulatory requirements.
Thomas co-leads the Firm’s European ESG Board and he is a member of the Firm’s Global Tech Group.
Thomas holds a Ph.D. degree in public international law. He frequently lectures and publishes on EU law and public international law. Prior to his career in private practice, Thomas gained work experience with the German Mission to the United Nations and with the European Commission
Thomas Voland berät zum deutschen öffentlichen Recht ebenso wie zum Europa- und Völkerrecht.
Er berät zu sensiblen regulatorischen Fragen und entwickelt praktikable Lösungen in komplexen Fällen, die wirtschaftliches Verständnis, fundierte Kenntnisse des Regulierungsrechts und Erfahrung in politischen und institutionellen Fragen erfordern.
- A leading energy company on developing a litigation preparedness playbook to avoid risks in relation to potential climate or greenwashing litigation
- A multinational company in the extractives sector on due diligence and governance requirements under the German Due Diligence in Supply Chains Act and the Conflict Minerals Regulation
- A leading European energy supply company on questions of human rights and climate change
- BMW in a climate-related litigation involving obligations under international law and EU law
- US headquartered, globally leading pharmaceutical company on implementing the EU Deforestation Regulation
- A globally leading pharmaceutical and chemical company on proceedings before the National Contact Point for the OECD MNE Guidelines defending them against allegations of human rights violations related to the use of their products
- A globally leading engineering company and manufacturer of machinery on (heightened) human rights due diligence requirements in conflict-affected and high-risk areas
- A US-headquartered, global technology company comprehensively on the implementation of the CSRD, existing obligations under the NFRD (the predecessor of the CSRD) and further disclosure requirements (climate change etc.) as well as due diligence obligations under the EU draft CSDDD and the German Supply Chain Act
- A leading international manufacturer of nuclear fuel on its rights and obligations (e.g., concerning the non-proliferation of nuclear technology) under various international treaties
- The Ministry of Finance of an EU member state on preparing a draft for the international agreement on the Single Resolution Fund
- A globally leading tech company on preparing an international agreement on trade in goods and services and regulatory cooperation as basis for political discussions
- UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment conducting a global survey to determine which of the 193 UN Member States recognize the human right to a healthy environment at either the national or sub-national level
- Several companies in annulment proceedings before the European Courts
- A globally leading tech company in Ombudsman proceedings against the European Commission
- various major energy supply companies on issues of the energy transition, including nuclear exit, emissions trading and the phase-out of fossil fuels
- various companies of the automotive industry on e-mobility and regulatory compliance
- verschiedene führende Energieversorger in Fragen der Energiewende, darunter zu den Themen Atomausstieg, Emissionshandel und Beschränkung fossiler Energieträger
- verschiedene Unternehmen des Automobilsektors zu Fragen der Elektromobilität und Compliance mit regulatorischen Vorgaben
- öffentliche Banken, wie z. B. BayernLB, NordLB und HSH, Versicherungsgesellschaften, Sparkassen und anderen Finanzmarktakteuren bei Transaktionen, Restrukturierungen und in regulatorischen Aspekten im Bereich des deutschen und europäischen Finanzmarktrechts
- Bundesministerium der Finanzen, Finanzministerium Nordrhein-Westfalen und Erste Abwicklungsanstalt zur Finanzmarktkrise und zur Errichtung von Bad Banks in Deutschland
- Unternehmen und Investoren im Healthcare-Sektor in diversen regulatorischen Fragen
- verschiedene Unternehmen in Compliance-Fragen und bei Streitigkeiten hinsichtlich wirtschaftlicher und menschenrechtlicher Aspekte
News and client work
Contact details
Kontaktdaten
- Clifford Chance, Düsseldorf
- +4921143555642
- Email me
- Speaks German, English and French
- Spricht Deutsch, Englisch und Französisch
- Practice area M&A corporate
Career and qualifications
- University of Bordeaux, France (European Law, Economics and Politics) 2000
- Universities of Dresden and Bayreuth, Germany (Law and Business Administration) 2001
- University of Munich, Germany (Dr. jur. for a prize-winning thesis on International Law) 2006
- Higher Regional Court of Hamburg (Practical Legal Studies), inter alia with the European Commission – DG Trade, the Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations and the EU-unit of the Ministry for Economic Affairs in Hamburg) 2007
- Admitted as a Rechtsanwalt in Germany 2007
- Joined Clifford Chance as a Partner 2018
Qualifikation
- Europäisches Recht, Wirtschafts- und Politikwissenschaften, Universität Bordeaux, Frankreich 2000
- Studium der Rechts- und Wirtschaftswissenschaften, Universitäten Dresden und Bayreuth 2001
- Promotion im Bereich des Völkerrechts, Universität München (Dr. jur.), ausgezeichnet mit dem Fakultätspreis 2006
- Referendariat am Hanseatischen Oberlandesgericht Hamburg mit Stationen u. a. bei der Europäischen Kommission (Generaldirektion Handel), der Ständigen Vertretung der Bundesrepublik bei den Vereinten Nationen in New York sowie der Behörde für Wirtschaft und Arbeit in Hamburg 2007
- Zugelassen als Rechtsanwalt in Deutschland 2007
- Partner bei Clifford Chance seit 2018
Professional bodies
- Member of the Committee on Compliance and Corporate Social Responsibility at the German Bar Association
Mitgliedschaften
- Mitglied des Ausschusses "Compliance und Corporate Social Responsibility" des Deutschen Anwaltvereins
- Lehrbeauftragter für Europäisches und Internationales Wirtschaftsrecht an der Universität Leipzig und hält regelmäßig Vorträge zu regulatorischen Themen
Awards and citations
- “SHARP-MINDED AND THOROUGH LAWYER WHO WORKED ON THE TOPIC OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND COMPANIES AT AN EARLY STAGE”
JUVE 2023/2024 – ESG (Band 1) - “AN EXPERT FOR ESG TOPICS.“
Legal 500 Germany 2024 – Public Law - “IN-DEPTH UNDERSTANDING OF SPECIALISED ISSUES AND IS ONE OF THE MOST OUTSTANDING IN THE MARKET”
JUVE 2024/2025 – Constitutional Law and Public Law - "Very good lawyer with broad expertise"; "astute and thorough lawyer who worked on the topic of human rights and business at an early stage"
JUVE 2023/24 - Environmental and Planning Law / Administrative and Constitutional Law / ESG - "Thomas Voland advises at the highest legal level with practical solutions at all times."
Legal 500 Germany 2023 - Foreign Trade Law - "proven expert", "always helpful!"
Legal 500 Germany 2023 - Commercial Administrative Law - Next Generation Partner - "in addition to professional expertise – great vision and excellent strategic understanding"
Legal 500 Germany 2022 - Public Sector: Commercial Administrative Law - Often recommended - "very good"
JUVE 2022/23 - Public Sector
Auszeichnungen
- "sehr guter Jurist mit breiter Fachkenntnis"; "scharfsinniger u. gründl. Jurist, der frühzeitig das Thema Menschenrechte u. Unternehmen erarbeitet hat"
JUVE 2023/24 - Planungs- und Umweltrecht / Verwaltungs- und Verfassungsrecht / ESG - "Thomas Voland berät auf höchstem juristischen Niveau mit jederzeit praktischen Lösungen."
Legal 500 Deutschland 2023 - Außenwirtschaftsrecht
- "Ausgewiesener Experte", "immer hilfreich!"
Legal 500 Deutschland 2023 - Wirtschaftsverwaltungsrecht - Name der nächsten Generation - "Neben fachlicher Expertise – großer Weitblick und hervorragendes strategisches Verständnis."
Legal 500 Deutschland 2022 - Öffentliches Recht: Wirtschaftsverwaltungsrecht - Oft empfohlen - "sehr gut"
JUVE 2022/23 - Öffentlicher Sektor