Dr. Bernhard Freund, M.Comp.Sc., LL.M. (Wellington)
Computer Scientist, Lawyer, certified IT Lawyer, certified Data Protection Officer (TÜV) and CIPP/E
Email: bernhard.freund@planit.legal
Phone: +49 (0) 40 609 44 190
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„Recognized by The Best Lawyers in Germany™ (2025)“
by Best Lawyers® for Information Technology Law, Hamburg/DE
„Artificial Intelligence Lawyer of the Year in Germany - 2022“
Actual Blog Entries
Accessibility of Websites becomes mandatory – How to prepare?
22. November 2021Bitcoin Upgrade Improves Privacy – Fear of Regulation?
30. July 2021The EU’s AI Law – Draft and State Of Discussion
9. June 2021Challenges of Digitization: New EU Standard Contractual Clauses for International Data Transfers and for Controller-Processor Agreements
30. March 2021The ION Network – the Future of our Digital Identity?
Dr. Bernhard Freund is a founding partner of PLANIT // LEGAL. He advises on all issues of data protection and IT law and is the external data protection officer for numerous companies. Clients appreciate the combination of sound legal and technical know-how and his pragmatic consulting approach.
Before founding PLANIT // LEGAL, Dr. Bernhard Freund was a software developer, an advisor to the Hamburg Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information, and an attorney at a major international law firm in the specialist area of “Technology, Media and Telecommunications”.
Dr. Bernhard Freund studied law and computer science in Bielefeld. After the first state law examination and academic activities at the Universities of Bielefeld and Torino, he obtained a Master of Laws degree (LL.M.) at the Victoria University of Wellington.
Dr. Bernhard Freund completed his legal clerkship at the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court in Hamburg. In addition, he completed his studies in computer science with a focus on “Artificial Intelligence” at the Open University in Hagen with a thesis on knowledge-based systems as a Master of Computer Science (M.Comp.Sc.).
He received his doctorate from the University of Osnabrück with a thesis on “Compulsory performance in sales law“, which was supervised by Prof. Dr. Hans Schulte-Nölke.
Dr. Bernhard Freund was a lecturer for data protection law at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences and is a lecturer at the PLANIT // ACADEMY.
In his private life, he plays marimba, chess and is interested in cryptocurrencies and foreign languages.
He is fluent in German and English.
- Hamburg Bar Association (Hamburger Anwaltverein e.V.)
- German Bar Association (Deutscher Anwaltverein e.V.)
- DAVIT – IT Law Working Group in the DAV (DAVIT – Arbeitsgemeinschaft IT-Recht im DAV)
- Hamburg Data Protection Society (Hamburger Datenschutzgesellschaft e.V.)
- German Society for Law and Information Technology (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Recht und Informatik e.V).
- Society for Data Protection and Data Security (Gesellschaft für Datenschutz und Datensicherheit e.V.)
- Big Data and Privacy, Center for Business Law (CUR), Osnabrück 2017 [Datenschutzrechtliche Aspekte von Big Data]
- IT security law (for Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things) [IT-Sicherheitsrecht (bei Industrie 4.0 und Internet der Dinge)], Robert Bosch GmbH, Stuttgart 2017
- Data protection in dental practices: legal consequences of increasing networking [Datenschutz in der Zahnarztpraxis: Rechtliche Folgen der zunehmenden Vernetzung], Freier Verband Deutscher Zahnärzte e.V., Leipzig 2016
- The Security of Digital Communication in the 21st Century – a dialogue on Privacy and Data Protection Laws in the U.S. and Germany, German-American Lawyers Association, Berlin 2014, Deutsch-Amerikanische Juristen-Vereinigung e.V.
- Compensation for pain and suffering in case of violation of personal rights: Prerequisites and avoidance strategies (focus on video surveillance and mobbing) [Schmerzensgeld bei Verletzung von Persönlichkeitsrechten: Voraussetzungen und Vermeidungsstrategien (Schwerpunkte Videoüberwachung und Mobbing)], Symposium on Employees’ Privacy of the TÜV NORD Academy, Hamburg 2014
- Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) – Legal Aspects [Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) – Rechtliche Aspekte], Spring Conference of the User Group Networks (BGNW), Lübeck 2013.
- Privacy after Snowden – Data Protection Law implications from the NSA scandal [Datenschutz nach Snowden – Datenschutzrechtliche Folgerungen aus dem NSA-Skandal], Palma de Mallorca 2013
- Buying and Selling Data, conference of the German-British Jurists’ Association and the British-German Jurists‘ Association, Aachen 2012
- Internal Investigations and Data Protection [Internal Investigations und Datenschutz], BUJ Workshop, Hamburg 2012
- Facebook & Co. in the Company [Facebook & Co. im Unternehmen], Hamburg 2012
- Marketing 2.0 – Expedition into lawless spaces? [Marketing 2.0 – Expedition in rechtsfreie Räume?], Hamburg 2012
- Data transfer to third countries – Model Clauses, Binding Corporate Rules, Safe Harbor [Datenübermittlung in Drittstaaten – Model Clauses, Binding Corporate Rules, Safe Harbor], Berlin, Hamburg and Stuttgart 2012
- Facebook Friend Finder / IPv6 [Facebook Freundefinder / IPv6], Hamburg, Berlin, Munich and Stuttgart 2011
- Using Defeasible Logic Programming for Argumentation-Based Decision Support in Private Law, Conference on Computational Models of Argument (COMMA 2010), Desenzano del Garda 2010
- Commentary on Articles 6, 9, 24, 26, 28, 29, 32 and 44 to 50 GDPR, in: Schuster/Grützmacher, IT Law Commentary [Kommentar zum IT-Recht], Otto Schmidt Verlag 2020
- Commentary on Articles 10 and 14-18 Hamburg Data Protection Act, in Schnabel: Landesdatenschutzgesetz Hamburg, Nomos 2022 (to be released soon)
- Data Protection 2021 – Germany, International Comparative Legal Guide, ICLG.com / Global Legal Group Ltd, London 2021, together with B. Schmidt
- Order Processing [Auftragsverarbeitung], in: Intveen/Gennen/Karger, handbook of software law [Handbuch des Softwarerechts], Anwaltverlag 2018, together with M. Grützmacher
- After the hard fork – may the exchange keep Bitcoin Cash? [Nach dem Hard Fork – darf die Börse Bitcoin Cash behalten?], BTC-Echo, August 8, 2017.
- Perspectives on order processing [Perspektiven der Auftragsverarbeitung], ZD 2017, p. 14, together with B. Schmidt.
- Guidance Notes: Health and Pharma Overview, Data Guidance 4/2016, together with B. Schmidt.
- Specific Performance in the Law of Sales: History – Comparison – Unification [Erfüllungszwang im Kaufrecht, Geschichte – Vergleich – Vereinheitlichung, Schriften zum internationalen Recht], Writings on International Law [Schriften zum Internationalen Recht (SIR)], vol. 204, Duncker & Humblot 2015.
- IT Security Law, On the new draft of an act against Cyber Attacks [IT-Sicherheitsgesetz, Zum neuen Entwurf eines Gesetzes gegen Cyber-Attacken], ITRB 2014, 256-260.
- The Nucleus of the Self-Responsibility of the Executive as a Limitation to the Right to Freedom of Information [Der Kernbereich exekutiver Eigenverantwortung als Schranke der Informationsfreiheit], DÖV 5/2012, 192-198, with C. Schnabel
- On the Maximum Harmonization of European Data Protection Law by Directive 95/46/EC [Zur Frage der Vollharmonisierung des europäischen Datenschutzrechts durch die Richtlinie 95/46/EG], comment on ECJ, Judg. 24.11.2011, C-468/10 u. C-469/10, CR 2012, 32-33 [Anmerkung zu EuGH, Urt. v. 24.11.2011, C-468/10 u. C-469/10, CR 2012, 32-33].
- IPv6 – the End to Anonymity on the Internet? Technical Foundations and Legal Assessment of the New Internet Protocol [Bedeutet IPv6 das Ende der Anonymität im Internet? Technische Grundlagen und rechtliche Beurteilung des neuen Internet-Protokolls], MMR 2011, 495-499, together with C. Schnabel.
- “Oh How Good That Nobody Knows…” – Self-data-protection in the use of telemedia offerings [„Ach wie gut, dass niemand weiß…“ – Selbstdatenschutz bei der Nutzung von Telemedienangeboten], CR 2010, 718-721, together with C. Schnabel.
- Can Bobby demand delivery? Towards a Knowledge-Based System in Private Law, Proceedings of the 24th Workshop on Constraint Logic Programming (WLP 2010) together with C. Beierle, G. Kern-Isberner and M. Timm.
- Using Defeasible Logic Programming for Argumentation-Based Decision Support in Private Law, Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Computational Models of Argument (COMMA 2010), together with C. Beierle, G. Kern-Isberner and M. Timm
- On Mathematical Patterns in the Web of the Law Indicating a Quasi-Biological Evolution [Über mathematische Muster im Netz des Rechts, die auf eine quasi-biologische Evolution hinweisen], Revue Juridique Polynésienne (RJP) 2007, 53-67
- Publisher GDPR Practice Commentary [DSGVO Praxis-Kommentar], 2023 Deutscher Fachverlag GmbH