Dr. Thomas Schürrle is a retired partner who is admitted to practice both in Germany and the United States. He worked on cross-border transactions and advised on corporate governance matters, including litigation and investigations, and he was active in the firm’s Data Strategy & Security practice.
Dr. Schürrle began his career as an administrative and antitrust lawyer, focusing on litigation. For over 30 years, he has been active in corporate transactions and governance. He has led several international corporate defense cases and related investigations. Dr. Schürrle has significant experience in compliance with regulatory requirements for industrial, trading and banking clients. Over nearly two decades, he has assisted European clients in managing cross-border data transfer issues associated with complex multinational litigation and corporate investigations.
Dr. Schürrle served as a supervisory board member of several companies.
Dr. Schürrle’s publications range from corporate governance and defense problems to specific corporate communication issues under data protection constraints. His most recent publication, “Data Protection: An Introduction to Principal Features and Potential Regulations of Personal Data Protection,” Debevoise Booklet (December, 2019), describes the conceptual basis of the regulatory control of personal information processing by operations that are out of the relevant person’s hands. It is available on his webpage. He is also the co-author of the Germany chapter in International Comparative Legal Guide - Corporate Investigations (January, 2021); “Germany's Facebook ruling – A treasure trove of novel issues,” Global Competition Review (September, 2020); “Facebooks Niederlage,” Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (June, 2020); “The EPPO and International Co-Operation New Kid on the Block,” Compliance & Enforcement (December, 2019); the Germany chapter in GIR Know-How: Privilege, published by Global Investigations Review (2017-2020); “Personal Data Flows from the European Union,” EMPEA Legal & Regulatory Bulletin, Issue No. 27 (May, 2019); “Facebook Germany: Is the competition authority overstepping its remit?,” Global Data Review (March, 2019); “Corporate Investigations in Germany,” International Comparative Legal Guide to Corporate Investigations (December, 2018); “Draft GDPR Transparency Guidelines Issues: What Does Your Privacy Policy Need To Contain?,” Pratt’s Privacy & Cybersecurity Law Report (June, 2018); “Draft GDPR Transparency Guidelines Issued: What Does Your Privacy Policy Need to Contain?,” Compliance & Enforcement (January, 2018); “What’s New About Germany’s Merger Control Regime?,” Law360 (June, 2017); “Kontrolle des Informationsflusses bei internen Untersuchungen,” Debevoise & Plimpton LLP (January, 2014); and “Compliance Verantwortung in der Aktiengesellschaft,” Debevoise & Plimpton LLP (September, 2009).
Dr. Schürrle is a lecturer at the Institute for Law and Finance at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt. He has been ranked by Best Lawyers, 11th Edition of “The Best Lawyers in Germany 2020” for his work in Corporate Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law; as one of Germany’s Best Lawyers for Compliance 2020 by WirtschaftsWoche and Handelsblatt for M&A (2015, 2016, 2017 & 2019). The Legal 500 EMEA (2022) recommends him for Compliance and Internal Investigations with previous editions of the guide noting that he is “a reliable, competent and skilful adviser and navigator.”
Dr. Schürrle graduated from Ruprecht Karls Universität Heidelberg in 1981, where he also received his doctorate in law in 1985. He received his LL.M. from the University of Michigan Law School in 1987. He is admitted as Rechtsanwalt in Germany since 1985, and as a member of the New York Bar since 1988. He speaks German, English and French.