Legal Communication Summit
on 13 November 2025

incl. Get-Together on the evening before

SAVE THE DATE

Frankfurt, Lufthansa

9./10. November 2026

Review of the 2025 Summit

Dr. Stefanie Hubig, Federal Minister of Justice, during her keynote speech at the RKG on the topic of "Between judgement and public opinion: How accelerated proceedings are intended to strengthen democracy"
Martin Wohlrabe, Managing Director of CONSILIUM, and Dr. Thilo Schweizer, Managing Director of Commerzbank, welcomed Federal Minister of Justice Dr. Stefanie Hubig
Our managing director Martin Wohlrabe opened the Legal Communication Summit
Dr. Thilo Schweizer, Managing Director of Commerzbank, on the background and history of the event location
Our managing director Martin Wohlrabe welcomes Federal Minister of Justice Dr. Stefanie Hubig to the get-together
We are pleased about the lively exchange at our get-together
Our consultant Alina Ludwig talking with our guests
Steffen Hebestreit reported on his challenges as government spokesman for chancelor Olaf Scholz
There was always a good atmosphere during the breaks between presentations
Our guest Ahmad Mansour spoke about discourse in democracy and challenges in the digital age
Our guests listened intently to the presentations
In a stage discussion with our consultant Maximilian Herke, Georg Mascolo provided exciting insights into his special time at SPIEGEL and answered questions from the audience
Maximilian Herke and Georg Mascolo on stage
The stage discussion between Martin Wohlrabe and Dr. Jens-Bodo Koch in a cheerful atmosphere
In his exciting stage dialogue with Martin Wohlrabe, Dr. Jens-Bodo Koch provided insights into his view of communication in the arms industry in the context of the “Zeitenwende"
Live from Washington, D.C. - Elaine Charlson Bredehoft on Depp v. Heard
Between the presentations, there was always an opportunity to chat over coffee and pastries
Maximilian Herke in conversation on stage
Josephine Ballon in a stage discussion on criminal prosecution in the digital space
We were also delighted to welcome many returning guests, such as Dr. Felix W. Zimmermann
Plenty of room for good discussions at our Legal Communication Summit
DAV President Stefan von Raumer in a stage discussion about the challenges facing the rule of law in digital media
Kathrin Köhler, Chief Sustainability Officer at ARAG, in a stage discussion on the topic of “The rule of law as a communication topic – an opportunity and strategic imperative for companies"
The stage discussion Dr. Kirsten Saßmann, Head of Group Legal Corporate Finance at Commerzbank Kathrin Köhler, Chief Sustainability Officer at ARAG, with our consultant Marlen Fasold
CONSILIUM consultant Marlen Fasold on stage during the RKG 2025 panel discussion
The stage discussion with Stefan Gelbhaar and Fabian Bauer, LL.M., on the “Gelbhaar case” and the presumption of innocence in the media was moderated by our consultant Daria Gladkov
CONSILIUM consultant Maximilian Herke as this years moderator
Stefan Gelbhaar reported on his perceptions as someone affected by inaccurate reporting and his view of the presumption of innocence in the media
Our consultant Maximilian Herke moderated this year's stage discussion with Georg Mascolo
A great atmosphere during the get-together
Martin Wohlrabe welcomed our guests to the get-together
Great atmosphere at our pre-event
This year, our traditional get-together took place once again at Commerzbank headquarters.

Excerpt of our Speakers 2025

Christian Lindner

Christian Lindner former Federal Minister of Finance

Dr. Jens Bodo Koch

Dr. Jens Bodo Koch CEO Heckler & Koch

Dr. Stefanie Hubig
©Bundesregierung/Steins

Dr. Stefanie Hubig Federal Minister of Justice

Steffen Hebestreit
Bundesregierung/Kugler

Steffen Hebestreit former government spokesman

Elaine Charlson Bredehoft

Elaine Charlson Bredehoft long-time attorney for Amber Heard

Stefan Gelbhaar
©Julia Bornkessel

Stefan Gelbhaar Bündnis 90/Die Grünen

Josephine Ballon
©HateAid

Josephine Ballon CEO HateAid

Stefan von Raumer
©2023 Katja Kuhl

Stefan von Raumer DAV-President

Dr. Kirsten Saßmann

Dr. Kirsten Saßmann Commerzbank

Georg Mascolo
©Jana Edisonga

Georg Mascolo Bestselling author and journalist

Kathrin Köhler

Kathrin Köhler Chief Sustainability Officer ARAG

Fabian Bauer

Fabian Bauer SKW Schwarz

All Speakers in Detail

Program 2025

Venue for the Get-Together and the Summit Day:
Commerzbank Building, Pariser Platz 1, 10117 Berlin

Wednesday, November 12, 2025
7:00 p.m.
Get-together
with drinks and finger food
incl. RKG evening impulse:
"Between judgement and public opinion: How accelerated proceedings are intended to strengthen democracy"
Dr. Stefanie Hubig, Federal Minister of Justice
This year's moderators are Daria Gladkov and Maximilian Herke (CONSILIUM)
Thursday, November 13, 2025
8:15 a.m.
Registration with coffee reception
9:00 a.m.
Welcome speech
Martin Wohlrabe, Managing Director of CONSILIUM
Dr. Kirsten Saßmann, Head of Group Legal Corporate Finance at Commerzbank
9:15 a.m.
Opening remarks:
"Between expectation and explanation: Media turning point in chancellor communications"
Steffen Hebestreit, government spokesman for former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz
9:45 a.m.
Keynote:
"Message, momentum, and no misunderstandings – communication observations from top-level politics"
Christian Lindner, former Federal Minister of Finance and former Federal Chairman of the FDP
10:30 a.m.
Coffee break
11:00 a.m.
“Investigative journalism, the rule of law, and freedom: Between disclosure, independence, and democratic responsibility”
Georg Mascolo, bestselling author, long-time editor-in-chief of DER SPIEGEL
in an interview with Maximilian Herke, CONSILIUM
11:45 a.m.
"Germany after the turning point – Media challenges and opportunities on the path to tomorrow's security architecture"
Dr. Jens Bodo Koch, CEO Heckler & Koch
in an interview with Martin Wohlrabe, CONSILIUM
12:15 p.m.
Lunch break
1:15 p.m.
"Amber Heard's attorney on litigation tactics and media realities in a transatlantic comparison of Depp vs Heard"
Elaine Charlson Bredehoft, former attorney for Amber Heard and partner at Charlson Bredehoft Cohen Brown & Nadelhaft
2:00 p.m.
"Democracy, human rights and the public sphere: Challenges in upholding the law in digital spaces"
Stefan von Raumer, President German Bar Association
Josephine Ballon, CEO of HateAid
in a panel discussion with Maximilian Herke, CONSILIUM
2:45 p.m.
Coffee break
3:15 p.m.
"The rule of law as a communication topic – an opportunity and strategic imperative for companies"
Dr. Kirsten Saßmann, Head of Group Legal Corporate Finance at Commerzbank
Kathrin Köhler, Chief Sustainability Officer ARAG
in a panel discussion with Marlen Fasold, CONSILIUM
3:45 p.m.
"Public condemnation despite the presumption of innocence – media responsibility and legal review in the Gelbhaar case"
Stefan Gelbhaar, former Member of the German Bundestag Bündnis 90/Die Grünen
Fabian Bauer, LL. M., Counsel SKW Schwarz
in a panel discussion with Daria Gladkov, CONSILIUM
4:45 p.m.
End

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