Career

Studied at Philipps University in Marburg/Lahn, Germany Clerk at the provincial high court in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Since May 1st, 1987 admitted as attorney in Frankfurt am Main, since September 1st, 1990 attorney at the law firm HFK Rechtsanwälte, since January 1st, 1994 partner in the law firm of HFK Attorneys at Law and head of the Frankfurt office.

Mr. Knipp has been a visiting lecturer of private construction law and legal advocacy during the construction process at the Technical University in Dortmund since 1999.

Areas of Practice

• Private construction law
• Architectural and engineering law
• Project development and legal advocacy during projects. 

Expertise

• Legal consultation during the Olympic stadium project in Berlin. 
• Legal consultation during the construction process for Lehrter Railway Station in Berlin. 
• Consultation for the Deutsche Bahn AG for the long-distance railway station in Frankfurt am Main. 
• Consultation with DB AG for new railway lines in the former West Germany, especially the Cologne Rhein/Main line. 
• Legal consultation accompanying construction of highrise projects in Frankfurt am Main. 
• Legal advocacy and procedural representation for a project developer of a shopping center in Hamburg. 
• Consultation with contractor consortia for large harbor projects in Bremen.
• Extensive legal consultation and contracts development for Telekom, especially its subsidiary DeTe-Immobilien (real estate division). 
• Legal consultation during the construction process for the German Federal Bank (Bundesbank) during the renovation and expansion of its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main. 
• Drafting of construction and insurance contracts for Bayern Versicherung. 
• Due diligence for the bankruptcy of the Philipp Holzmann AG. 
• Legal advocacy for the Berlin Chamber of Commerce (Ludwig Erhard Haus).  
• Advising investors during development of industrial parks and assisted living housing and care homes. 
• Advising and representation during the renovation and extension of the German Federal Transportation Ministry in Berlin. 
• Several years of activity as arbitrator in legal disputes pertaining to construction and architects. 

Publications/Lecture Activities

• Kommentiertes Vertragsmuster Architektenvertrag, www.ibr-online.de
• Heiermann/Franke/Knipp, Handbuch Baubegleitende Rechtsberatung, Beck Verlag München, 2002
• Franke/Zanner/Kemper/Knipp/Laub, Die Immobilie, Werner Verlag Düsseldorf, 2004
• Mitautor Generalplanung, Ein Leitfaden für Architekten (Herausgeber Architekten- und Stadtplanerkammer Hessen und Bayerische Architektenkammer), Wiesbaden/München, 2. Aufl. 2003
• Mitautor Thode/Wirth/Kuffer, Praxishandbuch Architektenrecht, Beck Verlag München, 2004
• Die Bewertung von Architekten- und Ingenieurleistungen bei beschränkten Aufträgen [1], BauR 12/2004, 1855
• Der Generalplanervertrag, Schriftenreihe der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Baurecht, Band 26, Vieweg Verlag Wiesbaden, 1997
• Rechtliche Rahmenbedingungen bei der Projektsteuerung, Schriftenreihe der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Baurecht, Band 23, Vieweg Verlag Wiesbaden, 1995
• Mitautor Sangenstedt, Rechtshandbuch für Ingenieure und Architekten, Beck Verlag München, 1999
• RKW Heidelberger Musterverträge, Architekten- und Ingenieurverträge, Heft 97, Heidelberg 2005
• Projektmanagement auf gesicherter Rechtsgrundlage, Schriftenreihe Baurecht, RG-Bau im Rationalisierungs-Kuratorium der Deutschen Wirtschaft (RKW), Eschborn 1996

Regular specialized lectures for architects' professional associations, for associations and clubs, e.g. German Society for Construction Law, German Congress of Experts, Berlin - Darmstadt Construction Law Congress as well as event organizers like IIR Institute for International Research, Euroforum etc. He is also a frequent contributor to IBR Immobilien & Baurecht.

Memberships

• Chief executive of the Hessian Thuringia Baurechtstag (Construction Law Congress)
• German Construction Law Society
• Construction Law Working Group (ARGE Baurecht)