Dr Malte von Seht was an associate in the Hamburg office from 2012 to 2020. He is now Legal Counsel at Siemens Gamesa, a global technology leader in the renewable energy industry focusing on the development, manufacture, installation and maintenance of wind turbines.
Q: You left WFW after eight years to take up your current role. What prompted the move?
A: I really liked working at WFW. However, after eight years I wanted to try something new. I was sure Siemens Gamesa would be an excellent opportunity to use my industry knowledge in an in-house environment.
Q: Tell us a bit about Siemens Gamesa and your role. What do you enjoy most/least?
A: I work in the offshore department. Siemens Gamesa is the undisputed market leader in this sector having international clients all around the world. One major task is drafting and negotiating project agreements, for example, turbine supply agreements and service agreements. I really enjoy working closely with the sales colleagues. I also like the international aspect of the role; just now I’m heavily involved in Taiwanese projects. If there is a downside to the role, I’d say I have less flexibility as we have to comply with strict company guidelines and decision making can sometimes be quite slow.
Q: Is there anything you miss about working in private practice?
A: Working for a variety of clients brings you in contact with a lot of different people and often results in great variety of legal challenges. I really liked that.
Q: How has the pandemic affected your business? How has it affected you personally?
A: We sometimes have to deal with claims for delay or extra money as result of Covid-19 restrictions, but generally my impression is that Siemens Gamesa has coped well with the pandemic. At the moment I am permanently working from home as the office building is currently closed. I like home working as I have more flexibility to organise my daily schedule. However, I really miss seeing my colleagues. Siemens Gamesa is contemplating a mix of home and office working once the pandemic is over, and I think that would be a good solution for the future.
Q: How do you see the future of renewable energy?
A: I think renewable energy, in particular offshore wind, will play a dominant role in the future energy market. In particular, the combination with hydrogen offers vast new opportunities.