Wolfgang Hopp

Dr. Wolfgang Hopp studied law, biology and English in Göttingen and completed his legal clerkship in Lower Saxony. From 1997-2000, he was a research consultant at the University of Münster’s Central Institute for Spatial Planning. In 1999, he received his doctorate in spatial planning law, with a thesis on the subject of “Legal and Enforcement Issues in Spatial Planning Procedures”. Dr. Hopp has been a lawyer at ZENK since 2000.

He specializes in advising and assisting on construction projects under public building law, in particular in asserting the interests of building owners and project developers in proceedings relating to building permits and outline planning permission. Dr. Hopp also specializes in opposition, action and summary proceedings concerning building permits, outline planning permission and notices of deferment, including the drafting and negotiation of urban development contracts, other public law contracts and neighborhood agreements. He also represents clients in development plan proceedings and works on cases involving development freezes, regeneration areas, preservation ordinances or monument protection orders. In addition, Dr. Hopp advises on planning requirements at the interurban level – e.g. in regional plans, including those pertaining to retail and wind energy projects – and represents clients in the corresponding court proceedings. He also examines the public law aspects of due diligence processes, in particular with regard to real estate transactions.

A further focus of his practice is specialist planning law, including – among other things – representation in planning approval proceedings and court disputes over infrastructure projects.

Finally, he advises and represents companies and property owners in matters of environmental law, particularly in imission control proceedings, the remediation of contaminated sites and in the fulfilment of the often-complex requirements of nature conservation law.