Dr. Dagmar Waldzus, LL.M. (NYU)

Rechtsanwältin

Dr. Dagmar Waldzus is a partner at the Hamburg office, where she works as an attorney specializing in corporate and distribution law.

She is the Head of the firms’ Practice Group “Commercial and Distribution Law” and supports businesses in all issues related to long-term purchase and supply agreements, the establishment and formation of distribution structures (commercial agents, authorized dealers, franchising, online stores), antitrust and competition law issues, the drafting and review of general terms and conditions, and aspects related to e-commerce and data privacy.

In the field of distribution law, one of Ms. Waldzus’ main areas of expertise is franchising. She drafts and reviews (master) license and franchise agreements as well as all contractual documentation relevant in franchising. Both start-up companies and already established and globally operating franchise systems rely on Ms. Waldzus’ many years of expertise in setting up, developing, structuring, expanding, internationalizing and optimizing their franchise networks.

In the area of corporate law and M&A, Ms. Waldzus specializes in transaction support and advice and assists companies in all corporate law matters, in particular on issues relating to restructurings, in connection with domestic and foreign joint venture investments and in connection with compliance issues.

Ms. Waldzus regularly speaks at (international) conferences of the IBA, the IFA, the DFI (Deutsches Franchise Institut) and the DFV (Deutscher Franchise Verband e.V. – German Franchise Association) on franchise and distribution law issues and publishes articles and contributions.

Recognitions

For her franchise expertise, especially in the international context, Ms. Waldzus has been recognized by “Who’s Who Legal” (WWL), among others (“highly recommended for her extremely specialized franchising practice that pays dividend to clients seeking to establish reliable supply and distribution agreements” [WWL Franchising 2022]). In 2023, she was again named by WWL as one of the few “Global Elite Thought Leaders – EMEA” for franchise law. In the Juve Handbook for Business Law Firms, Ms. Waldzus has been recommended for many years for corporate law and distribution law (“one of the most distinguished lawyers in distribution law”, Juve 2016/17) and has been recognized in the ranking of “Best Lawyers” for corporate law. According to a comprehensive study and survey of clients, she ranks among the outstanding lawyers (Thomson Reuters Standout-Lawyer 2023).

Publications

Franchising: Erfolg mit System oder mit System zum Erfolg, Dr. Dagmar Waldzus // She works! April 2019 

The European General Data Protection Regulation and Franchise Networks, Dr. Dagmar Waldzus // International Journal of Franchising Law Volume 16 – Issue 3 – 2018

Overview of Franchise Laws in Europe, IBA Annual Conference in Rome, 2018 (panelist)

European GDPR – Time for a Change of Perspective, 34th Annual IBA/IFA Joint Conference 2018, A New Era in International Franchising, Washington DC (speaker)

E-Commerce in Europe, IBA Annual Conference in Sydney, 2017 (speaker)

Are You Getting Ready For A Joint Employment Case?, 32nd Annual IBA/IFA Joint Conference 2016, Washington DC (panelist)

Digital transformation: special challenges for franchise systems, Dr. Dagmar Waldzus // International Franchising Newsletter, September 2016, International Bar Association, Legal Practice Division

„Compliance im Franchising: Darf’s ein bisschen mehr sein? – Neue Herausforderungen für Franchisesysteme im Licht aktueller Rechtsprechung“, Dr. Dagmar Waldzus // BetriebsBerater, Heft 9 vom 29.02.2016, S. 515 – 523 

„Applicable Law and Jurisdiction in Franchising, Commercial Agency and Distribution Agreements“, Dr. Dagmar Waldzus (Co-Autor) // International Journal of Franchising Law, Volume 13, Issue 6, 2015, Clearhout Publishing Ltd.

„Ein Evergreen: Ausgleichsanspruch für Franchisenehmer“, Dr. Dagmar Waldzus // Deutscher AnwaltSpiegel, Ausgabe 8, 22. April 2015