Anahita Thoms LL.M.
Biography
Anahita Thoms is Country Managing Partner Germany at Baker McKenzie and one of the country's leading advisors at the intersection of geopolitics, governance, compliance and business strategy. She advises multinational corporations, boards of directors and senior executives on their most complex strategic challenges, including geopolitical disruption, sanctions, export controls, cross-border investigations, supply-chain resilience and corporate crises.
As Head of Baker McKenzie's International Trade Practice in Germany and Co-Chair of the firm's Global Crisis Management and Strategic Response Group, she helps organisations navigate an increasingly fragmented global economy and rapidly evolving regulatory environments. Her work combines legal expertise with strategic business judgement, enabling clients to make critical decisions under conditions of uncertainty and heightened stakeholder scrutiny.
Anahita serves on the EMEA Steering Committee for Investigations, Compliance & Ethics and is the Global Lead Sustainability Partner for the Industrials, Manufacturing and Transportation Industry Group. She regularly advises executive management teams and supervisory boards on governance matters involving sanctions, export controls, human rights, fraud, corporate misconduct and major cross-border investigations, often in close coordination with regulatory and enforcement authorities across multiple jurisdictions.
Beyond her legal practice, Anahita is a recognised thought leader on the strategic implications of geopolitics and global trade. She serves in advisory capacities for organisations including Atlantik-Brücke, UNICEF Germany, the World Economic Forum's Future Council on Good Governance or as EU Trade Champion of the EU Commission. She previously served as a member of the German Government's Sustainable Finance Advisory Council and as Co-Chair of the American Bar Association's Export Controls and Sanctions Committee.
Anahita is frequently sought after by business leaders, policymakers and international media for her perspectives on the changing geopolitical landscape and its impact on global business. She is known for translating complex regulatory developments into actionable business strategy and for helping organisations strengthen resilience in times of disruption. This combination of technical expertise, commercial understanding and international perspective has made her a trusted adviser to C-suite executives and boards.
Anahita is ranked in all legal directories and her numerous recognitions include:
- The Power List – Germany's Top 50 (Politico)
- 100 Most Influential Women in German Business (manager magazin)
- 100 Most Influential Women in Germany (Strive)
- One of Germany's Dealmakers and "most sought-after advisors of the country" (Handelsblatt).
- Leading Individual/Tier 1 in Foreign Trade by JUVE, Chambers and Legal 500 in 2026.
According to a client interviewed by Handelsblatt for the article: Top Female Advisors - These Eight Women Advise Germany’s Top CEOs, "I honestly don’t know what impresses me more about her, her expertise or her personality. She is always exceptionally well prepared, has a truly international perspective, gives her advice, and yet remains completely in the background herself."
According to a client interviewed by Chambers 2026, "Anahita Thoms is exceptional – everyone in this area knows her. She's just brilliant."Practice Focus
Professional Honors
- Global Future Council on Good Governance of the World Economic Forum, 2025 – 2026
- Responsible Leader, BMW Herbert Quandt Foundation, 2023
- Winner of the Strive Awards 2022 in the Category Sustainability
- Leading individual in trade and distribution: Foreign Trade Law, Legal 500 Europe 2021/22
- Leading individual in Foreign Trade Law, Juve Germany 2022
- Top 100 Most Influential Women in the German Economy, manager magazin 2020
- 40 under 40, Capital, 2020
- Leading individual in Foreign Trade Law, Juve Germany 2020
- The Best Lawyers in Germany 2022 edition for Public Law since 2020
- Young Global Leader, World Economic Forum, 2020
- International Trade Lawyer of the Year (Germany), ILO Client Choice Awards, 2020
- Thought Leader in Trade, Germany, Who's Who Legal 2020
- 40 under 40, Capital, 2019
- Compliance Lawyer of the Year, Finalist, Women in Compliance Awards 2019
- Compliance Innovator of the Year, Finalist, Women in Compliance Awards 2019
- 40 under 40, Juve, 2019
- M&A, Corporate Governance and Foreign Investment Review, Who's Who Legal 2019
- Future Leaders in Investigations, Who's Who Legal 2018
- Leading Practitioner in Trade & Customs, Who's Who Legal 2017
- 40 under 40, Global Investigations Review, 2017
- International Trade Lawyer (Germany), ILO Client Choice Awards, 2020
- International Trade Lawyer (New York), ILO Client Choice Awards, 2016
- Rising Star, New York Law Journal, 2016
- Young Practitioner of the Year, World ECR Awards, 2016
- Outstanding CLE Committee Program, ABA Section of International Law Award, 2016
- Outstanding Non-CLE Committee Program, ABA Section of International Law Award, 2015
- Young Leader of the Atlantik-Brücke e.V. 2014
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Deutsches Komitee UNICEF e.V. - Member
- American Bar Association - Member of the International Human Rights Steering Committee
- Berlin Bar Association - Member
- Dusseldorf Bar Association - Member
- American Bar Association - Co-chair of the ABA Export Controls and Economic Sanctions Committee
- American Bar Association - Member of the ABA Privacy, E-Commerce and Data Security Steering Committee
- Atlantik-Brücke e.V. - Board Member
Admissions
- New York - Foreign Legal Consultant (2015)
- Germany (2008)
Education
- Harvard Kennedy School (Executive Education: Global Leadership and Public Policy for the 21st Century) (2022)
- Stanford University (Executive Education: Strategies for Sustainability) (2020)
- Nottingham Trent University (LL.M.) (2013)
- Higher Regional Court of Dusseldorf (Second State Exam) (2007)
- Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf (First State Exam) (2005)
Languages
- English
- Farsi
- German
Baker McKenzie Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH von Rechtsanwälten und Steuerberatern is registered with the Local Court of Frankfurt/Main (registered seat) HRB 123975. It is associated with Baker & McKenzie International, a Verein organized under the laws of Switzerland.