His main areas of practice are real estate project development, real estate acquisition and sale, commercial tenancy law and real estate financing.

Matthias Benedikt studied law at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU).

During his doctoral studies, he worked as a research assistant at the Chair of Public Law and European Law at FAU, where he designed and held seminars on constitutional law and fundamental rights, among other topics. After completing his legal training in Hamburg, he returned to Erlangen.

Before founding the firm, Matthias Benedikt worked at a commercial law firm.

He enjoys spending his free time on, in and around water.

His areas of expertise are real estate project development, real estate acquisition and sales, renewable energy law and the drafting of articles of association.

Michael Grüner studied law with additional training in economics in Bayreuth and European law at the University of Deusto in Bilbao, Spain. During his doctoral studies, he created content and lectured on commercial and corporate law for economics students in Bayreuth.

Before founding the law firm, Michael Grüner worked as the managing director of a venture capital company and in commercial law firms, among other things.

The native of Garmisch-Partenkirchen also seeks challenges in his free time – bouldering or telemark skiing off-piste.

Tanja Potschies heads the Public Law team. She specializes in public construction and planning law, including related areas such as environmental law, monument protection law and fiscal law.

She advises and represents building contractors, investors, private builders and the public sector on matters such as the creation of building rights and the purchase and sale of existing properties.

She prefers to cycle to work, and after a run with her colleagues during her lunch break, the 319 steps to the 29th floor are no obstacle for her – her stamina pays off in the often challenging negotiations with authorities or contractual partners.

Tanja Potschies studied law at the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU). During her doctoral studies, she worked as a research assistant at the Chair of Public Law and European Law at the FAU, where she was particularly involved in teaching. Before joining SOZELIO, she worked for many years in the field of public law at a commercial law firm.

Clarissa Dahms is a lawyer in the Public Law / Real Estate Law team.

She specializes in public construction and planning law as well as in the purchase and sale of real estate. Together with Dr Tanja Potschies, she accompanies construction projects from the initial idea to implementation and provides comprehensive representation and advice in this area both in and out of court.

In addition to her work as a lawyer, Clarissa Dahms is completing her doctorate at the Chair of Public Law and European Law at the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) in the field of administrative procedural and nature conservation law.

Clarissa Dahms studied law at the FAU. During her training in Erlangen and Bamberg, she spent time in Shanghai and Brussels.

In her free time, she enjoys travel and exploring new places and cultures far from home. From America to Asia to Australia: no distance is too far for her, either privately or professionally. Her openness to new challenges is also reflected in her daily work.

Thomas Götz is a lawyer in the Real Estate Law team. With a particular focus on real estate transactions, commercial tenancy law and renewable energy law, he provides comprehensive advice and representation to our clients both in and out of court.

After studying law at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), he gained valuable experience in various commercial law firms in Nuremberg during his legal clerkship. He joined the firm in July 2024 and distinguishes himself through his structured, determined and solution-oriented approach to his work.

In his free time, Thomas Götz plays fistball – the multiple German champion is currently still active in the 2nd Bundesliga. Thanks to his experience in team sports and his many years of voluntary work as a department head, he brings team spirit, perseverance and the ability to tackle complex challenges in a solution-oriented manner to the table – qualities that also characterize his work as a lawyer.

Ayse Yildirim is a lawyer in the Corporate Law/Commercial Law team. She specializes in corporate law, M&A (corporate transactions), commercial law and business law. She advises and represents companies, shareholders and managing directors both in and out of court.

Ayse Yildirim studied law at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Université de Rennes 1, France. Before joining our law firm, she worked at a commercial law firm.

Ayse Yildirim’s great passion is learning new languages. In addition to English, Turkish and French, she also speaks Italian. This is a clear advantage when advising international clients.

Hanns-Kristian Künecke specializes in private construction and architectural law, public procurement law, and litigation. For over a decade, he has been advising and representing clients in real estate and construction law – both in and out of court.

After studying civil engineering and law at the University of Regensburg, Hanns-Kristian Künecke gained extensive experience in renowned commercial law firms. He has held the title of “Specialist Lawyer for Construction and Architectural Law” since 2018. As head of the legal department of a large property developer and real estate developer in the region, he has first-hand knowledge of the internal processes and challenges of the industry.

Thanks to his engineering studies, Hanns-Kristian Künecke has a strong technical understanding, which he applies specifically to legal consulting. His dual qualification enables him to combine technical and legal issues.

In his free time, Hanns-Kristian Künecke is an enthusiastic ball and team sports player. His enjoyment of teamwork also shapes his approach as a lawyer.

Every strong team needs a strong assistant: Julia Burczek passionately handles all administrative tasks and ensures that everything runs smoothly. Julia Burczek is a trained legal assistant and worked for many years in commercial law firms before joining the firm.

She supports our construction and architectural law team with impressive organizational skills, a strong sense of responsibility, and a quick grasp of the situation.

Vanessa is a true fighter: she demonstrates her quick wit not only in the office but also in her hobby, Muay Thai.