Hans-Michael Giesen has been a member of the board of trustees of the American Academy in Berlin since 2009 and currently serves as Secretary. Since its founding, Giesen has been assisting the Academy by contributing consultancy services and legal advice on a pro bono basis.
Giesen practices as a civil law notary and attorney with the Legerwall law firm in the historic center of Berlin, mostly in the field of corporate transactions. Giesen received his legal education in Freiburg, Münster, Berlin, and at the University of Michigan Law School. He has worked with Shearman & Sterling in New York, Bruckhaus Westrick Stegemann in Frankfurt am Main and Berlin, running that firm’s New York office from 1996 to 2000, and later as a corporate partner in the Berlin office of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.
In addition to his engagement with the Academy, Giesen is actively involved with the German Federal Bar’s international work. He chairs the Karajan-Akademie der Berliner Philharmoniker and acts as a member of the board of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.
