Prof. Dr. Mathias Schwarz
Partner (Of Counsel)
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Mathias Schwarz advises on movie and TV productions, copyright and personality rights, licensing, and media financing. His clients are financial institutions, private investors, movie and TV producers, as well as broadcasting and publishing companies. He also represents a number of renowned individuals in the German media industry. In addition, he has been advising a number of family offices and private clients for a long time.
- Studied law at the universities of Munich, Freiburg and Geneva
- Stage abroad during legal clerkship in a law firm in Rome
- Doctorate with Prof. Fikentscher on a topic of industrial constitution law
- Three years head of the legal department of the Kirch Group
- Since 1987 at SKW Schwarz
- Since 1991 also admitted as auditor
- Since 1995 Honorary Professor, first in Leipzig, then at the Academy for Television and Film, Munich
- Since 2005 also active as a mediator
- Since 2008 also working as legal advisor for the Allianz Deutscher Produzenten - Film & Fernsehen e.V
Lexology Index Germany 2025
world’s leading practitioner in the category Data
world’s leading practitioner in the category Sports & Entertainment
Chambers Germany 2025
Recommended lawyer in the category „TMT: Media“
Chambers Europe 2018–2023
Recommended lawyer in the category „TMT: Media“
"Excellent practitioner Mathias Schwarz is well known for his prowess in handling various media law mandates ranging from film productions to broadcasting disputes." (2023)
“Whenever it comes to film financing or production agreements for broadcasters, Mathias Schwarz is the right person and a clear number one in the market.” (2021)
Handelsblatt
One of Germany’s best business lawyers
Handelsblatt in cooperation with Best Lawyers: Germany’s Best Lawyers 2017–2024
Recommended lawyer in the categories “Entertainment Law” and “Media Law” (2017-2024)
Recommended lawyer in the category “Media and Copyright Law” (2017-2024)
Lawyer of the Year in the category “Media and Copyright Law” (2018, 2024)
Lawyer of the Year in the category “Entertainment” and recommended lawyer in the category “Media and Copyright Law” (2017)
JUVE Handbook: German Commercial Law Firms 2018–2023/2024
Frequently recommended lawyer in the category "Technology and Media: Media (Contract & Copyright Law / Transactions & Financing)" (2022-2023/2024)
Frequently recommended lawyer in the category “Technology and Media: Media” (2019/2020)
Leading individual in the category “Copyright Law” (2019–2023/2024)
Frequently recommended lawyer in the category "Contract and Copyright Law/Transactions and Financing” (2020/2021, 2021/2022)
Frequently recommended lawyer in the category “Technology and Media: Media” and leading name in the category “Copyright Law” (2018/2019)
Client about him: "expert in movie funding laws, top copyright lawyer" (2022/2023)
Competitor about him: “absolute specialist” (2021/2022)
Competitor about him: “professional and sovereign” (2020/2021)
Competitor about him: “professional and fast” (2018/2019)
The Legal 500: Germany 2021-2023
Recommended lawyer in the category “Media: Entertainment” (2021-2023)
Recommended lawyer in the category “Media: Digital Content” (2021, 2023)
“(...) the greatest merits (are) still reaped in the film industry. There, Mathias Schwarz was able to negotiate a short-time collective agreement for film productions, which was able to relieve the filmmakers who had been unsettled by COVID-19.” (2021)
The Legal 500: EMEA 2022, 2024
Recommended lawyer in the category "Media: Entertainment"
WWL: Germany Telecoms, Media & Entertainment – Entertainment 2024
Global Elite Thought Leader
WWL: Entertainment – Sports & Entertainment 2024
Thought Leader
WWL: Germany – Data 2021 – 2024
Recommended lawyer
WWL: Germany – Data – Data Privacy & Protection 2024
Recommended lawyer
WWL: Germany – Data – Data Security 2024
Recommended lawyer
WWL: Germany – Data – Information Technology 2024
Recommended lawyer
WWL: Germany – Telecoms, Media & Entertainment – Telecoms & Media 2019 – 2024
Recommended lawyer
WWL: Entertainment – Sports & Entertainment 2019 – 2024
Recommended lawyer
„Mathias Schwarz is a seasoned and revered practitioner who represents broadcasting companies, film and TV producers, and individuals within the German media industry on licensing, financing and copyright matters.“ (2020)
„Mathias Schwarz enjoys a strong reputation as a long-standing figure in the market who provides stellar advice in matters of licensing, financing and copyright issues.“ (2020)
Kanzleien in Deutschland
Eminent authority in movie law
Mathias Schwarz is a honorary member of the Deutsche Filmakademie e.V..
In 2005, Mathias Schwarz founded MiMMA e.V. - mediation in the media, music & the arts e.V. He taught for many years at the University of Television and Film, Munich, and regularly publishes on media law topics.
Mathias Schwarz was instrumental in the founding of the Allianz Deutscher Produzenten e.V. (Alliance of German Producers) in 2008, which he has also advised since that time.
He is deputy chairman of the advisory board of the Bunt Foundation and deputy chairman of the van-de-Loo Foundation, Munich. Mathias Schwarz was a founding board member of Friends of the Munich Film Festival.
