Guido Kleve

Partner

Excellent expertise with fast and efficient advisory practice

Client, Legal 500 2022

Emailguido.kleve@akd.partners

Call+49 221 277 277 351

Cologne

About

Guido Kleve is Office Managing Partner of the Cologne office of AKD Partners. He advises public authorities and companies from various economic sectors on all regulatory and public law issues. He focuses on product and environmental law, infrastructure law, subsidy and state aid law. He has particular experience in conducting public law proceedings before authorities and courts and is also engaged in sports law. Guido Kleve is responsible for the Consumer Goods, Food and Retail sector in Germany.

Guido advises national and international clients from the automotive, consumer goods and manufacturing industries, the technology, transport and energy sectors on various regulatory issues in approval law, environmental and product law, product responsibility and safety as well as product recalls. A particular focus is on ESG and supply chain integrity issues.

In addition to issues relating to the energy and mobility transformation, Guido Kleve has particular experience in the area of infrastructure law. He advises his clients on the implementation of complex infrastructure projects (transport, ports, airports, rail and road transport, waste infrastructures, energy), including licensing law, financing, implementation of legal requirements and contract design, compliance and sustainability strategies.

He also deals with issues of public subsidies, public contracts and state liability. Guido Kleve represents clients in proceedings before national and European authorities and has extensive experience in public law disputes and damages proceedings, in which he represents clients before national and European courts.

Finally, another focus of his practice is advising companies and public authorities in crisis situations such as industrial accidents, environmental breaches or other compliance violations.
Guido Kleve is the author of numerous publications and a sought-after speaker and keynote speaker. In addition to his work as a lawyer, he has been a referee in professional football for almost 20 years.

Areas of FocusRegulatory and Government Affairs Litigation, Arbitration and Investigations Environment, Health and Safety Consumer Goods, Food and Retail Energy and Natural Resources Industrials Infrastructure, Construction and Transport Life Sciences Media, Sport and Entertainment

Professional QualificationsRechtsanwalt admitted with Rechtsanwaltskammer Cologne

EXPERIENCE

Advising numerous clients on applying for subsidies and state aid before national and European authorities, representing clients in proceedings before European Commission and European courts
Product law advice to national and international companies incl. manufacturer obligations and product recalls in several jurisdictions
Advising e-commerce providers, online service providers, platforms and fulfilment centres on legal requirements, in particular market surveillance and product law obligations
Advising numerous clients regarding industrial accidents and compliance violations including defending third party claims and administrative offences
Advising several automotive companies on new propulsion technologies (incl. hydrogen) and automatic/autonomous systems
Advising transport companies, waste management companies, chemical parks and infrastructure operators on the establishment and/or restructuring of compliance systems
Advising the Federal Republic of Germany in a state liability claim
Advising associations and organisations on sports law

Languages

Awards

Education

University of Osnabrück, First State Examination

Higher Regional Court of Oldenburg, Second State Examination

Publications

Guido Kleve is the author of over 35 articles and is a speaker for legal lectures. He also holds keynotes and seminars on the subject of "Making decisions safely and quickly - experiences from the perspective of a referee in professional football and a commercial lawyer", "Error culture in sport and companies" and "Successful teamwork - in sport and at work"

New Regulations Reshape the Product Safety Landscape, 14 February 2025
New Environmental and Human Rights Due Diligence Standards for Germany's Textile and Fashion Industry, 15 April 2024
The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive – latest changes and key obligations, 02 April 2024
Legal Roadmap 2024 – Wir navigieren Sie durch die maßgeblichen Änderungen im Bereich ESG und Compliance, 08 January 2024
Legal Roadmap 2024 – Wir navigieren Sie durch die maßgeblichen Änderungen im Bereich Litigation & Regulatory, 08 January 2024
"Legal requirements for protection against radon", in: Klingelhöfer/Leicht (eds.), Radon protection in construction, Cologne 2023, in publication
"Commentary on §§ 8-12, 63, 64 BNatSchutzG", in: Giesberts/Reinhardt (eds.), Beck'scher online commentary on environmental law, commentary on §§ 8-12, 63, 64
"Commentary on Sections 30-33", in: Schink/Versteyl (eds.), KrWG - Commentary on the Circular Economy Act, 2nd ed. 2017

Seminars

Current developments in product safety law and practical challenges in online trade, German Market Surveillance Conference, 18.09.2025, Berlin
Practical challenges and current legal developments in EU product safety and product liability law, 13th Globalnorm Conference Product Compliance, 16.09.2025, Berlin
Error culture in significant decisions, closed-door meeting of the Lower Saxony state parliament, 21.08.2025, Hannover
AKD Partners Compliance & Investigations Messe, 06 February 2025

Prior Experience

Guido worked for an international law firm as an Associate before he joined AKD Partners in 2008. Between 2002 and 2005, he was Assistant Lecturer at the European Legal Studies Institute in Osnabrück.

Memberships And Affiliations