Hengeler Mueller announces five new partner and three counsel promotions
24 November 2025
Hengeler Mueller advises Start Right e.V. (Start Right), a pro bono student legal advice service founded in Munich in 2017, on the opening of a new office in Frankfurt. Start Right provides advice on association and corporate law with a particular focus on start-up processes and related legal issues and was recently awarded the federal prize in the startsocial competition under the patronage of the German Chancellor for outstanding social commitment.
The team at Start Right's Frankfurt office is looking forward to working with Hengeler Mueller in the future. "This is a big step for our Frankfurt office. We are looking forward to a successful collaboration with the lawyers at Hengeler Mueller. This gives us the opportunity to provide the best possible client service and enables us to pursue our pro bono student advisory work," says Leonard Hinz from Start Right Frankfurt.
The cooperation focuses on providing quality-assured, practical training for student advisors. Client work is carried out under the guidance of fully qualified lawyers. Hengeler Mueller guides the teams in managing client work, teaches them the fundamentals of substantive law and methodology, and develops tailor-made solutions with Start Right.
"It's truly inspiring to see how much commitment the students bring to the table. We at Hengeler Mueller are delighted to support the development of Start Right in Frankfurt in order to contribute to structured, reliable, and practical advice," says Niklas Lewicki, Senior Associate at Hengeler Mueller's Frankfurt office.
Hengeler Mueller and Start Right already have a long-standing partnership in Munich, which is now being continued in Frankfurt. There, too, Hengeler Mueller will provide professional support for Start Right's work in the form of pro bono advice, offer workshops, and strengthen the students in their pro bono activities.
Dedicated to strengthening civic engagement in society, Start Right supports social enterprises and initiatives. The association focuses on areas where legal assistance is particularly needed and provides support throughout the entire start-up process and with legal implementation - from choosing a legal form and corporate law issues to structuring executive powers and articles of association. In addition, the advice covers topics such as restructuring, drafting articles of association, and issues of executive liability.
Hengeler Mueller team for Start Right e.V.
Prof. Jochen Vetter (Munich), Annika Clauss (Frankfurt, both partner), Viola de Blecourt (Munich), Niklas Lewicki (both senior associate), Laura Esmaty (associate, both Frankfurt).
