Career

Law Studies at the University in Mainz, Germany (1968 -1973). General Manager of the Federation of the German Building Industry Association Hauptverband der Deutschen Bauindustrie e.V. (1986-1984). Since 1994, senior partner at the Law Firm of Rechtsanwälte HFK, Attorney (admitted 1976, admitted by the OLG Frankfurt/M. July 1994, additional admission in December 2002 in Vienna). Professor of construction law, national and EU procurement law at the University of Wuppertal, Germany. Instructor for masters studies in real estate management & construction project management (M.Sc. REM&CPM). Arbitrator and mediator in large-scale construction and plant construction proceedings.

Areas of Practice

• Construction contract law
• Procurement law
• EU Procurement law
• Arbitration proceedings
• Mediation
   

Expertise

Professor Franke advises and represents clients and bidders in complex procurement proceedings and PPP projects focusing on supply and service projects, infrastructure and highrise construction projects, in plant construction as well as privatization and cooperation models.

• In addition, Professor Franke advises principals and contractors in legal consultations accompanying construction for large-scale infrastructure, commercial, and office construction projects. Large-scale infrastructure projects in Berlin and in the former East Germany. 
• Assessment for the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Labor (BMWA): analysis and evaluation of the questionnaire campaign and jurisprudence for the evaluation of the Procurement Law Amendment Act (Vergaberechtsänderungsgesetz).
• Participation in a working group at the Federal Ministry of Economics and Labor to reform procurement law. 
• Provided expert advice on different operating models for outsourcing information technology at an airport facility for a major IT and telecommunications service provider. 
• Procurement and contractual consulting for the Transrapid Berlin- Hamburg, acted as an advisor at all of the negotiations (until the project was terminated for political reasons). 
• Consulting on construction law for the proprietor of an airport. 
• Consulting for large-scale development measures.
• Offer assistance and successful completion of a complaints proceeding in the procurement of several large tunnels and their internal technical equipment in Austria.
• Consulting the Railway Infrastructure Financing Society (SCHIG) in Austria on legal financial questions. 
• Legal consultation for an association of municipalities during the construction of a subway system in the Ruhr Valley in Germany. 
• Consulting of a department store group during the construction of new buildings in different large cities. 
• Legal consultation accompanying construction for a large bank's highrise project.
• Active as an arbitrator and mediator.
   

Publications/Lecture Activities

Years of lecturing activities for both private and public clients including the German Bundestag.

• In addition to articles in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, ibr, and ibr-online, the following is a selection of the numerous publications concerning national and international construction law in which Professor Franke served either as co-publisher or co-author: Franke/Kemper/Zanner/Grünhagen, VOB-Kommentar Bauvergaberecht Bauvertragsrecht Bauprozessrecht, Werner Verlag Düsseldorf, 3. Aufl. 2007
• Englert/Franke/Grieger, Streitlösung ohne Gericht - Schlichtung, Schiedsgericht und Mediation in Bausachen, Werner Verlag Düsseldorf, 1. Auflage 2006
• Franke/Zanner/Kemper/Knipp/Laub, Die Immobilie, Werner Verlag Düsseldorf, 2004
• Franke/Zanner/Kemper, Der sichere Bauvertrag, Rudolf Müller Verlag Köln, 2. Aufl. 2003
• Heiermann/Franke/Knipp, Handbuch Baubegleitende Rechtsberatung, Beck Verlag München, 2002
• Franke/Zanner/Kemper, VOB/B kompakt, Rudolf Müller Verlag Köln, 2001
• Bayer/Franke/Opitz, EU-Vergaberecht, Beuth Verlag Berlin-Wien-Zürich, 2001
• Franke/Höfler, Auftragsvergabe nach VOL/A und VOF, Rudolf Müller Verlag Köln, 1999
• "Vereinbarung der VOB/B als Ganzes und vertragliche Abweichungen" in: Lindenmaier-Möhring (LMK), Kommentierte BGH-Rechtsprechung, 6/2004, Beck Verlag München
• "Bauaufträge" in: Grabitz/Hilf, Das Recht der Europäischen Union, III B8, (22. EL Aug. 2003), Beck Verlag München, 2004
   

Memberships

• Chairman of the German Society for Construction Law (German: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Baurecht e.V.)
• Board member of the forum vergabe e.V.
• Member of the executive board of the Institute for German and International Construction Law at Humboldt University Berlin
• Co-Publisher of Baurecht magazine.
• Member of the advisory board for Vergaberecht magazine