Deutsch
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 for many years in numerous legal guides as leading in the field of media and telecoms. Among others, he was recommended in 2008/2009 JUVE Handbuch Wirtschaftskanzleien, in Chambers Europe 2009 and in 2009 European Legal 500. 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
