Interview with Attorney Daniel Meier-Greve

Mr Meier-Greve, you describe yourself as counsel for the supply side in mechanical and plant engineering. What does that mean in concrete terms?

It means that I act exclusively for the supply side — manufacturers, suppliers and subcontractors. Not for the customer ordering the work, but for the company performing it. That is a deliberate decision. Anyone who acts for both sides may know the law, but not the specific risk position of those who perform in advance, finance in advance and ultimately have to fight for payment. That understanding only develops if you consistently stand on one side.

Why mechanical and plant engineering in particular?

Because this is where I have gained the deepest experience of my career as a lawyer. For many years, I have advised and represented companies in complex plant engineering projects — both main contractors and subcontractors. In doing so, I have seen how projects run, how they start to fail, and where contracts break down in practice. That experience shapes all of my work — in contract design just as much as in litigation.

Germany is Europe’s leading mechanical engineering country. Yet there seem to be very few lawyers who specialise in the supply side. How do you explain that?

The large construction and plant engineering firms typically operate at project level — for customers, operators or for both sides. The mid-sized supplier delivering components into a major project often falls through that gap. They are too specialised for the generalist and too small for the large law firm. But their problems are not small. If a customer uses a defect notice as a tool to delay a six-figure payment, the company’s very existence may be at stake. That is where I come in.

You combine contract design with litigation. Why is that particularly important in plant engineering?

Because in plant engineering, contracts and disputes are inseparable. Most of the conflicts I handle in court could have been avoided, or at least softened, through better contracts — clearer descriptions of scope, properly drafted change-order provisions, robust acceptance clauses. Conversely, I draft contracts differently today because litigation has taught me which clauses hold up in court and which do not. If you take the field seriously, those two perspectives cannot be separated.

Many mechanical and plant engineering projects are international. What role does that play in your work?

A major one. Mechanical and plant engineering is one of Germany’s strongest export industries. Customers are based in Scandinavia, the Middle East and South America. When a project there runs into difficulty, questions arise immediately that go beyond substantive law: Which court has jurisdiction? Which law applies? Can a foreign judgment be enforced in Germany? That is my second area of specialisation — international civil procedure. And it complements my sector expertise exactly where it is needed most.

What sets LEGAL+ apart from a larger law firm?

At LEGAL+, I handle every mandate personally. That may sound like a standard phrase, but it is not. In larger firms, clients are often brought in by a partner and then passed on to more junior lawyers. That may work for routine matters. But when a project has failed and large sums are at stake, the managing director wants to know who is actually handling the case. With me, the answer is always the same: me.