Dr. Julia Sophia Habbe
Biography
Overview
Dr Julia Sophia Habbe is part of the Firm's Global White Collar/ Investigations Practice and Head of Investigations Germany. She advices on investigations, compliance and corporate governance as well as complex corporate and civil litigation, class actions and mass claims.
Dr Julia Sophia Habbe has extensive experience in complex regulatory, criminal and internal investigations and advises on crisis management in the aftermath of such investigations. She represents global companies and their boards in compliance cases, in particular in the area of their accountability and liability, including handling legal disputes before supervisory authorities and courts. Her lead mandates include conducting complex cross-border investigations in the context of ESG-Compliance around the topic of Diversity & Inclusion.
Before joining White & Case, Dr Julia Sophia Habbe was Co-Head Compliance & Investigations of a leading European law firm and worked in the areas of dispute resolution and core corporate of a leading international law firm. She is a member of the Commercial Law Committee of "Deutscher Anwaltverein" (DAV) and regularly publishes articles on corporate, capital markets and civil procedure law issues.
Experience
Investigations & board room advice
Commerzbank AG
Advising the supervisory board and investigating the responsibility of the management board members for penalty payments in the US*
Deutsche Börse AG
Advising the supervisory board on suspicion of insider trading by the former chairman of the management board*
DAX 40-Company
Advising the management board on possible claims for breaches of duty by employees in connection with years of global corruption practices in the group, which had already been the subject of settlements with US authorities*
Deutsche Bahn AG
Advising the management board in regard of investigations of consultancy agreements with former members of governing bodies of group companies*
Deutsche Bahn
Various internal investigations for group companies, including advising the respective management board*
DAX 40-Company
Advising the management board in connection with allegations of misconduct in communications by a member of the management board*
DAX 40-Company
Advising the management board regarding allegations of possible gender and sexual discrimination against employees by other employees*
Hertha, Berliner Sport-Club (Hertha B.S.C.) e.V. & Hertha BSC GmbH & Co. KGaA
Advising the club and the limited partnership on shares in the context of the reporting by the Financial Times on a suspected campaign against the former club's president*
CLAAS KGaA mbH
Internal process-oriented investigation concerning the compliance with the sanctions imposed by the EU against Russia*
Company from the online service sector
Advice in connection with allegations of sexual misconduct by a member of the management board*
Litigation
Initiators of closed funds
Representation in more than 120 proceedings (all instances, including the Federal Court of Justice) as well as in contentious shareholder meetings*
Several financial institutions
Representation in proceedings related to structured products*
Capricorn Nürburgring
Representation in a proceeding against Deutsche Entertainment related to the cancellation of a festival*
Financial market stabilization fund
Representation in proceedings, i.e. appraisal proceeding, related to the stabilization of Hypo Real Estate Bank*
*Matters prior to joining White & Case
The Practitioner's Guide to Global Investigations - Volume II: Global Investigations around the World, in Global Investigations Review, 8th Edition, pp. 226 etseq.
Digitalisierung und Compliance – Rechtliche Herausforderung für die Geschäftsleitung, Neue Juristische Wochenschrift 2022, pp. 809 etseq.
Die Rolle des Aufsichtsrats in der Matrixorganisation, Neue Zeitschrift für Gesellschaftsrecht 2022, pp. 445 etseq.
Interne Untersuchungen – Status quo und Zukunftsbetrachtung, Betriebs-Berater 2020, pp. 1226 etseq.
Rechtsrahmen für das Krisenmanagement im Unternehmen, Der Betrieb 2019, pp. 409 etseq.
Frauen und Verhandlungserfolg - Eine Einführung in Female Negotiation Strategies, Springer Gabler 2019
Interne Untersuchungen als Ausübung der Überwachungspflicht des Aufsichtsrats, Die Aktiengesellschaft 2018, pp. 257 etseq.
"Sophia Habbe provides very prudent and balanced advice. She discusses issues at both a strategic and tactical level and thinks "from the end". Together with her team, she offers comprehensive professional solutions." Legal 500 Germany (2024)
"often recommended" lawyer for Compliance investigations, JUVE (2023, 2022, 2021)
"I am very happy and satisfied" client voice JUVE (2021)
"Sophia Habbe's team advises very conscientiously and precisely. The exchange is also personally very pleasant.", Legal 500 Germany (2021)
