The commercial law firm orka appoints lawyer Manja Steinicke as equity partner and lawyer Dr. Tim Christian Gießelmann as equity partner with effect from January 1, 2026. Attorney Gereon Conrad will also become an equity partner of the firm as of July 1, 2026.

Manja Steinicke, LL.M. (UNSW) (40) has been a lawyer at orka in Düsseldorf since 2014 and joins the firm as a former salary partner from the construction and real estate law practice group. She advises in the areas of architectural and engineering law, private construction law, construction litigation and project development. Her clients include national and international companies from the plant construction, healthcare & pharmaceuticals, infrastructure and technology & telecommunications sectors, among others. Manja Steinicke is a specialist lawyer for construction and architectural law and completed her Master’s degree at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. She studied law at the University of Bayreuth and the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster.

Dr. Tim Christian Gießelmann (43) has been a lawyer at orka in the Corporate/M&A practice group since 2012. As a former salary partner, he advises on M&A and corporate law from the Düsseldorf office, with a particular focus on advising on venture capital distressed and M&A in addition to traditional M&A advice. Dr. Tim Gießelmann is also a lecturer in commercial and corporate law, a specialist lawyer for commercial and corporate law and, since 2021, a commercial mediator. He studied law at the University of Osnabrück and at the University of Lausanne. After completing additional training in economics, he received his doctorate from the University of Osnabrück.

Gereon Conrad, LL.M. (41) has been working as a lawyer at orka in Düsseldorf since 2018 and is currently a Salary Partner in the Criminal Compliance team. He advises companies and private individuals on all aspects of white-collar criminal law and compliance matters. His practice focuses on internal investigations as well as advising on criminal corruption law and the criminal protection of trade secrets. His clients include national and international companies from sectors such as plant construction, automotive, energy, real estate, industry, mining & metals and technology. Gereon Conrad studied law at the universities of Gießen, Münster and Leuven (Belgium) and completed a Master’s degree in “Commercial Criminal Law” at the University of Osnabrück.

The partnership of the law firm now consists of 23 partners (6) and partners (17).

“We are very pleased to welcome three experienced experts to our ranks in Manja, Tim and Gereon. They have made a great contribution to our practice groups and therefore to the firm and it is impossible to imagine our team without them. The trio will greatly enrich our partnership both professionally and interpersonally. We are very much looking forward to continuing to work together,” commented Dr. Gary Klaft, partner in the construction/real estate practice group at the firm’s Düsseldorf office.

Dr. Christiane Hoffbauer, Commercial Partner from Düsseldorf, comments: “This partnership decision sends out a good signal to our young talent, as we are once again proving that professional expertise, commitment and an excellent interpersonal compass combined with loyalty pay off with us. We are delighted for the new partner and the two new shareholders!”

Manja Steinicke, Dr. Tim Christian Gießelmann and Gereon Conrad state in unison: “We are very proud to be accepted into the partnership and look forward to playing an even more active role in shaping the firm’s development.”