• About us
  • People
  • Expertise
    • Sectors
        • Technology, media & communications Technology, media & communications
        • Private Wealth Private wealth
        • Real estate, infrastructure & energy
        • Life sciences & healthcare icon Life sciences & healthcare
        • Aerospace & defence
        • Automotive & mobility
        • Business & professional services
        • Chemicals
        • Consumer & retail
        • Financial institutions & insurance
        • Hotels, hospitality & leisure
        • Logistics & transport
        • Manufacturing & industrials
        • Public services & education
    • Legal services
        • Artificial intelligence
        • Banking & finance
        • Brands & advertising
        • Commercial & consumer contracts
        • Competition, EU & trade
        • Copyright & media law
        • Corporate crime & compliance
        • Corporate/M&A & capital markets
        • Data & cyber
        • Deals
        • Disputes & investigations
        • Employment, pensions & mobility
        • Environmental, planning & regulatory
        • Environmental, social & governance (ESG)
        • Intellectual property
        • Information technology
        • Patents & innovation
        • Private client
        • Private equity
        • Projects, energy & infrastructure
        • Real estate & construction
        • Regulation
        • Restructuring & insolvency
        • Tax
  • Locations
    • Europe
        • Locations
        • Austria
        • Belgium
        • Czech Republic
        • France
        • Germany
        • Hungary
        • Italy
        • Netherlands
        • Poland
        • Portugal
        • Ireland
        • Slovakia
        • Spain
        • United Kingdom
        • Ukraine
          Groups & regions
        • CEE Turkish Desk
        • French German group
        • Our offices
    • Middle East & Africa
        • Locations
        • Middle East
        • UAE
          Groups
        • Africa group
        • Israel group
        • Our offices
    • Americas
        • Locations
        • Latin America
        • USA
          Groups
        • Brazil group
        • Our offices
    • Asia
        • Locations
        • Asia
        • China
        • South Korea
          Groups
        • India group
        • Japan group
        • Our offices
  • Insights
    • Insights
        • Featured Topics
        • Artificial intelligence
        • Data Centre Expertise
        • The EU Whistleblower Directive
        • German Supply Chain Act
        • Unified Patent Court
          Content hub
        • Global Data Hub
        • Interface: tech, IP and media law
        • Podcasts
        • Synapse
        • Browse all insights
    • In focus
        • AI
        • Dealonomics
        • Disputes
        • Intellectual property
        • MENA
        • Regulation
        • Browse in focus
    • Events
        • In person
        • Online
        • Browse all events
    • News
        • Media centre
        • Work highlights
        • Firm news
        • Browse all news
  • Careers
  • EN
    • English
    • 中文(简体)
    • Français
    • Deutsch
  • Home
  • People
  • Martin Knaup
Dr. Martin Knaup, LL.B.
Dr. Martin Knaup, LL.B.

Dr. Martin Knaup, LL.B.

Partner

  • Hamburg Germany
Contact Me Today
+49 40 36803 0
vCard
  • Follow us
Email me Call me
Featured award

The Best Lawyers™ in Germany 2025

Best lawyers: Litigation

Scroll to featured award

Martin is Co-Head of the Compliance Practice Group at Taylor Wessing in Germany. As a certified compliance officer, he specialises in providing ongoing advice to national and international companies in the area of corporate compliance, in particular on the implementation and development of preventive compliance management systems.

His legal work focuses, inter alia, on the prevention of money laundering (compliance with customer due diligence obligations under the Money Laundering Act, implementation and monitoring of KYC checks and business partner screenings (M&A), identification of beneficial owners (UBO), compliance with notification obligations to the transparency register, etc.) and advice on internal reporting systems (in particular implementation of the requirements of the Whistleblower Protection Act).

As an expert in corporate compliance, Martin knows how to establish the necessary process and organisational framework within the company and is thus available to his clients as a "trusted advisor" in compliance matters. His excellent network within the firm enables him to directly involve colleagues with the necessary expertise, as required, in order to provide clients with comprehensive compliance advice.

In the event of (alleged) compliance violations (especially as a result of identified compliance violations and whistleblower hints), Martin regularly manages and coordinates internal investigations. He advises on disputes between shareholders of partnerships and corporations as well as directors' and officers' liability claims/litigation. Experience gained through a secondment at a listed industrial group has shaped his understanding of economic contexts and corporate interests.

Martin is a frequently requested speaker on the topic of compliance and internal investigations and regularly lectures at industry associations such as the Association of Municipal Enterprises (VKU) or the Professional Association of Compliance Managers (BCM). He also trains in-house lawyers on the implementation of preventive compliance measures and structures.

Expertise

Services and Groups

Corporate crime & compliance
Disputes & investigations
Corporate/M&A & capital markets
Multi-service
Environmental, social & governance (ESG)
Corporate litigation & post-M&A disputes
Trade secrets
Compliance
Anti-money laundering & proceeds of crime
Whistleblowing

Sectors

Manufacturing & industrials
Technology, media & communications
Aerospace & defence

CV

Since 2022 Equity Partner, Taylor Wessing
2017 Salary Partner, Taylor Wessing
Since 2016 Lecturer, Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften, Hamburg
2015 – 2017 Senior Associate, Taylor Wessing
2012 – 2015 Associate, Taylor Wessing
2010 – 2012 Legal clerkship, Hamburg with postings in Munich and New York
2012 Admitted and established as a lawyer, Hamburg
2012 Second state examination, Hamburg
2011 Doctoral degree on dissertation on an international commercial law theme, Bucerius Law School, Hamburg
2008 First state examination
2005 Study of law, University of Sydney Law School, Australia
2003 – 2008 Legal degree studies, Bucerius Law School, Hamburg

Career

Since 2022 Equity Partner, Taylor Wessing
2017 Salary Partner, Taylor Wessing
Since 2016 Lecturer, Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften, Hamburg
2015 – 2017 Senior Associate, Taylor Wessing
2012 – 2015 Associate, Taylor Wessing
2010 – 2012 Legal clerkship, Hamburg with postings in Munich and New York

Education

2012 Admitted and established as a lawyer, Hamburg
2012 Second state examination, Hamburg
2011 Doctoral degree on dissertation on an international commercial law theme, Bucerius Law School, Hamburg
2008 First state examination
2005 Study of law, University of Sydney Law School, Australia
2003 – 2008 Legal degree studies, Bucerius Law School, Hamburg

Publications

Systemupdate, in: Compliance Manager, 06/2021, gemeinsam mit André Lippert und Rebekka Krause

Der Gesetzesentwurf des Lieferkettengesetzes im Überblick, in: comply, 05/2021, S. 21-23, gemeinsam mit Sebastian Rünz

Dissertation: Die Begrenzung globaler Unternehmensleitung durch 9 Absatz 2 Satz 2 StGB, Duncker & Humblot, 2011

Additional languages

English

Awards

The Best Lawyers™ in Germany 2025

Featured

Best lawyers: Litigation

Legal 500 2025

Recommended lawyer for Compliance

The Best Lawyers™ in Germany 2024

Leading individual: Litigation

Legal 500 Germany 2024

Recommended lawyer for Compliance

Ranked as leading lawyer for Compliance in Germany

Ranked as Top-100 business lawyer in Germany

Leading individual: Litigation

'I experienced Martin Knaup as a motivated compliance expert who was also able to recommend suitable IT tools in a well-founded and reasoned manner.'

Ranked in the list of the top 100 lawyers in Germany

Frequently recommended for Compliance

Martin's news & insights

View Martin's insights
multicolored credit cards close-up
Click here to find out more
Competition, EU & trade

EU authorized new sanctions against Russia

4 August 2025

by multiple authors

Glass.Mapper.Sc.Fields.Image?.Alt
Corporate crime & compliance

Corporate crime and punishment: recent developments in corporate criminal liability

25 March 2025
In-depth analysis

by multiple authors

Click here to find out more
Glass.Mapper.Sc.Fields.Image?.Alt
Private equity

Taylor Wessing advises Scira on the sale of the K&M Group to Oakley Capital

7 January 2025

by multiple authors

Click here to find out more
View Martin's insights

Related news & insights

corporate crime
Corporate crime & compliance

The cash paradox the Dutch AML reforms as of 1 January 2026

31 December 2025
Briefing

by Loes Joosten and Naomi de Groot

Click here to find out more
office at night
Corporate/M&A & capital markets

Taylor Wessing advises Andreessen Horowitz and Index Ventures on US$41 million seed financing of Mirelo AI

23 December 2025

by multiple authors

Click here to find out more
Close-Up Of Shopping Cart
Commercial & consumer contracts

Product safety for consumer products: New EU guidelines from November 2025

22 December 2025
Briefing

by Dr. Benedikt Rohrßen and Dr. Ulrich Spiegel

Click here to find out more
Inside the Office Building
Corporate/M&A & capital markets

Taylor Wessing advises Accel and other existing shareholders on Trade Republic's €1.2 billion secondary round

22 December 2025

by multiple authors

Click here to find out more
competition
Competition, EU & trade

Nexperia: international trade wars taking place with Netherlands as the battleground?

19 December 2025
Briefing

by Bram Nijhof

Click here to find out more
Meeting in conference room
Corporate/M&A & capital markets

Taylor Wessing advises Vivion Investments in € 757.5 million strategic refinancing

18 December 2025

by multiple authors

Click here to find out more
Open vault door revealing computer servers
Aerospace & defence

The duty to defend against cyberattacks: Cybersecurity as an indispensable capability in the defense industry

17 December 2025
In-depth analysis

by Dr. David Klein, LL.M. (Univ. of Washington), CIPP/E

Click here to find out more
Yellow blue metal staircase
Energy & infrastructure

HR compliance in the energy sector – customs authorities step up the fight against sham-employment

15 December 2025
Briefing

by Johannes Simon, LL.M. (Durham) and Dr. Tim Eickmanns

Click here to find out more
flying drone
Aerospace & defence

How to Software Defined Defence

15 December 2025
Briefing

by Dr. David Klein, LL.M. (Univ. of Washington), CIPP/E

Click here to find out more
Tunnel with vanishing point and neon lights
Disputes & investigations

When the evidence thinks for itself: how will the courts keep AI-generated evidence in check?

12 December 2025
Briefing

by Helen Robinson and Andrew Spencer

Click here to find out more
View all insights

Related people

Germany
Global
Klaus Grossmann

Dr. Klaus Grossmann

Partner

Duesseldorf
+49 211 8387 0
Email me
View profile
Alessa Steigertahl, Lawyer for Transport and Logistics | Taylor Wessing

Alessa Steigertahl

Salary Partner

Hamburg
+49 40 36803 0
Email me
View profile
Leonard Raphael

Leonard Raphael, LL.M. (Krakau)

Senior Associate

Duesseldorf
+49 211 8387 0
Email me
View profile

Dr. Verena Ritter-Döring

Partner

Frankfurt
+49 69 97130 0
Email me
View profile

Miroslav Đurić, LL.M.

Senior Associate

Frankfurt
+49 69 97130 0
Email me
View profile
Jan-Patrick Vogel

Jan-Patrick Vogel, LL.M. (Stellenbosch University)

Partner

Frankfurt
+49 69 97130 0
Email me
View profile
Songjiwen Wu

Songjiwen Wu

Professional Support Lawyer

Frankfurt
+49 69 97130 0
Email me
View profile

Dr. Amir-Said Ghassabeh

Partner

Hamburg
+49 40 36803 0
Email me
View profile
Tillmann Pfeifer

Dr. Tillmann Pfeifer

Partner

Hamburg
+49 40 36803 0
Email me
View profile
Christian Traichel

Dr. Christian Traichel

Partner

Munich
+49 89 21038 0
Email me
View profile
Full team
Nicole Baldev

Nicole Baldev

Associate

London
+44 20 7300 7000
Email me
View profile
Joris ter Beek

Joris ter Beek

Associate

Eindhoven
+31 88 02 43 140
Email me
View profile
Timothy Pinto

Timothy Pinto

Senior Counsel

London
+44 20 7300 7000
Email me
View profile
Toon Rummens

Toon Rummens

Partner

Brussels
+ 32 485 965 663
Email me
View profile

Jo Joyce

Partner

Dublin
+353 87 787 0901
Email me
View profile
Christian Frank

Dr. Christian Frank, Licencié en droit (Paris II / Panthéon-Assas)

Partner

Munich
+49 89 21038 0
Email me
View profile
James Bryden

James Bryden

Senior Counsel

London
+44 20 7300 7000
Email me
View profile
Paolo Palmigiano

Paolo Palmigiano

Partner

London
Brussels
+44 20 7300 4138
Email me
View profile
Sally Robertson

Sally Robertson

Senior Associate

London
+44 20 7300 7000
Email me
View profile
Kristen Backhausen

Kirsten Backhausen

Counsel

Amsterdam
+31 (0)88 0243 208
Email me
View profile
Full team

Meet me at

There are no upcoming events

See all events
Subscribe to our latest insights
  • About us
  • Campaigns and online tools
  • News
  • People
  • Expertise
  • Locations
  • Insights
  • Events
  • Media centre
  • Contact
  • Careers
  • Alumni
  • Data protection & privacy policy
  • Cookie policy
  • Legal and regulatory information
  • Regulatory information on costs
  • Complaints procedure for clients
  • Terms of use
  • Anti-slavery statement
  • Environmental
  • Scam emails

© Taylor Wessing