Hannah-Silvia Heise

Hannah-Silvia Heise is a lawyer and notary as well as Partner at the law firm Christmann & Heise in Darmstadt, which she co-founded with her firm partner in 2011. Her main areas of legal practice are inheritance law and advance care planning law. She also works as a notary and mediator.

Alongside her legal and notarial practice, she has been active in professional policy for many years. She is a member of the board of the German Bar Association (DAV), Chair of the Bar Association of Darmstadt and South Hesse, and a member of the board of the Frankfurt am Main Bar Chamber. There, she is part of the department responsible for Legal Tech and AI topics.

A particular focus of her work is the digitalisation of the legal and notarial professions, as well as the responsible and practice-oriented use of artificial intelligence. As a member of the DAV board’s AI working group, she helps shape the DAV’s annual AI Forum together with colleagues. She also co-initiated the working group “AI Competence in the Law Firm” within the Bar Association of Darmstadt and South Hesse. This group is open to all interested DAV members and offers a platform for practice-oriented exchange of experience on the use of artificial intelligence in everyday legal work.

At the heart of her commitment is the question of how technological innovations can be meaningfully integrated into legal and notarial practice. She is particularly concerned with how digital tools can make workflows more efficient, support the quality of legal services, and improve access to justice. Equally important to her are the professional, organisational and societal frameworks of digital transformation.

Another concern of hers is the future viability and diversity of the legal profession. She advocates for the visibility and networking of lawyers, the promotion of young legal talent, and inclusion and equal opportunity within the profession. In this context, she is also involved in the DAV’s Gender & Diversity Committee.

As a speaker and panellist, Hannah-Silvia Heise brings her experience from law firm practice and professional policy work into the professional dialogue on the future of legal advice. She is convinced that the digital transformation of the legal market can only succeed sustainably if the perspectives and practical requirements of the legal and notarial professions are considered from the outset, and if both professions actively help shape this change.