Christian Pelz acts for German and international corporations, board members, senior management and private clients as defence counsel in all kinds of criminal and administrative offence investigations conducted by regulators, tax and customs investigators, prosecutors or courts. Christian defends and represents clients in national and international investigations, forfeiture and proceeds of crime proceedings, trials and before parliamentary commissions. He has particular experience in coordinating corporate and individual defence work as well as complex proceedings and litigation resulting from criminal or regulatory violations and involving criminal, civil, tax and/or regulatory proceedings. Christian also advises companies on all kinds of compliance issues. These include designing and implementing compliance programmes, developing compliance policies and guidelines, conducting compliance audits and handling compliance matters. He has extensive experience in internal investigations at a national and international level. Christian also helps corporations investigate and enforce damage claims resulting from criminal offences or other misconduct by business partners, board members and employees.

Distinctions

  • Thought Leader Germany Business Crime Defence
    Lexology 2026
  • Best Lawyers Corporate Governance & Compliance, Tax Crime, White-Collar Crime
    Best Lawyers / Handelsblatt 2026
  • Recommended lawyer compliance, white-collar crime corporate and individuals, internal investigations
    Legal 500 Germany 2025
  • Recommended top lawyer white-collar corporate and compliance
    Chambers Germany 2025
  • Recommended lawyer for white-collar crime, tax crime and compliance & investigations
    JUVE Handbook 2025/2026
  • Recommended lawyer for tax crime, customs and excises
    JUVE Tax Market 2025

Career

Studied law at the University of Munich
Experience abroad: trainee seat at a law firm in Windhoek (Namibia)
At Noerr since 1997
Admitted to the Munich Chamber of Lawyers

Memberships

  • Criminal law working group of the German Bar Association (DAV)
  • Association for European Criminal Law (Vereinigung für Europäisches Strafrecht e.V.)
  • German white-collar crime association WisteV
  • Center for Criminal Compliance, University of Gießen

Lectures

  • Compliance Officer (Univ.) – Certification course at the University of Augsburg
    Anti-Corruption
  • TCertified Compliance Expert (CCE) - GRC School
    Tax Compliance

Publications

  • Sachs/Pelz, Außenwirtschaftsrecht, 3rd edition 2024
    Commentary Sec. 4-7, 17-22, 2 Foreign Trade and Payments Act, Sec 21-27, 49-52, 79-82, 83 Foreign Trade and Payment Ordinance, Sec. 3-8, 11-12 Sanction Enforcement Act
  • Co-editor BeckOK-Geldwäschegesetz
    Sec. 1(1)(2), 2 No. 10-16, 43, 44, 47-49, 56, 57, 59 Money Laundering Act, Sec. 1, 3, 4 Regulation on Reporting Obligation Immovable Property, Sec. 1-5 Regulation on Reporting Obligation
  • Wabnitz/Janovsky/Schmitt, Handbuch des Wirtschafts- und Steuerstrafrechts, 6th edition 2025
    Insolvenz – Strafrechtlicher Teil
  • Hauschka/Moosmayer/Lösler, Corporate Compliance, 4th edition 2024
    Strafrechtliche und zivilrechtliche Aufsichtspflicht, Personalorganisation und Arbeitsstrafrecht
  • Bürgers/Lieder, Aktiengesetz, 6th edition 2024
    Commentary on section 92, before sections 394 to 410 German Stock Corporation Act,
  • Rübenstahl/Idler, Tax Compliance, 2017
    Ertragsteuerliche (Nicht)Abzugsfähigkeit von Betriebsausgaben, insbesondere Aufwand für korruptive Handlungen
  • Knierim/Rübenstahl/Tsambikakis, Internal Investigations, 2nd edition., 2016
    Unfälle und Katastrophen
  • Lieder/Ceesay, Hinweisgeberschutzgesetz, 2025
    Commentary Sec. 6, 53
  • Das neue deutsche Sanktionsstraf- und -ordnungswidrigkeitenrecht ZWH 2026, 89
  • Zur Verantwortlichkeit juristischer Personen bei Verstößen gegen geldwäscherechtliche Vorschriften, GWuR 2026, 68
  • Beckmann/Scholtz/Vollmer, Investment
    Commentary on sections 339-342 German Investment Code

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