Research vessel ATAIR christened – Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek designed award procedure
ATAIR, Germany’s most modern research vessel, was christened in Berne, Lower Saxony, yesterday where Fassmer shipyard had built the world’s first seaworthy wreck search and survey vessel powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). The Heuking team led by Dr. Ute Jasper and Dr. Christopher Marx successfully supported the federal project during award procedures and contract negotiations. The client is the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH).
ATAIR is scheduled to enter into service in 2020. Thanks to the LNG engine, the new ATAIR vessel will emit 20% less CO². “ATAIR sets a new benchmark for environmentally friendly federal vessels,” said Ute Jasper, Head of Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek’s Public Sector & Public Procurement practice group. “We structured the award procedure in such a way as to evaluate not only price, but also life cycle costs, functionality, and the innovative drive concept”. “In the spring of 2020, ATAIR will leave for its first oceanographic measurement trips in the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, and the North Atlantic," added Christopher Marx, the team member responsible for contracts.
The Public Sector & Public Procurement department led by Ute Jasper is one of the market leaders in public procurement law. Its lawyers hold top spots in German and international lawyer rankings. Since 1991, they have advised on awards, restructuring, large-scale projects, and cooperations in the public sector. Having accompanied several hundred large-scale projects of federal, state, and local authorities and their subsidiaries with a total volume in excess of EUR 40 billion, not a single procedure has been successfully challenged.
Dr. Ute Jasper is one of the most renowned lawyers for procurement and infrastructure projects in the public sector. She advises federal and state ministries, municipalities, and businesses, particularly on innovative and complex projects. Ute Jasper heads Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek's "Public Sector & Public Procurement" department. For years, she has been ranked number 1 in JUVE Handbook of Commercial Law Firms, most recently in its 2018/2019 issue. According to "Law Firms in Germany," she is the "premier contact on the market" for infrastructure.
Dr. Christopher Marx is a lawyer in the “Public Sector & Public Procurement” practice group, Düsseldorf. His practice focuses on complex and innovative projects in public procurement law as well as the drafting of contracts under civil law. He is recommended by Wirtschaftswoche as an outstanding lawyer in public procurement law.
