Dr Karsten Kinast, LLM

Dr Karsten Kinast, LLM, is the Managing Shareholder of KINAST Attorneys at Law, one of Germany's dedicated data protection and compliance practices, and the winner of Data Protection Law Firm of the Year in Germany at the Corporate INTL Global Awards 2026. A qualified attorney (Rechtsanwalt) and recognised compliance expert, he leads a firm built specifically around data protection, compliance and information security.

A specialist data protection firm

KINAST describes itself as a practice concentrated on data protection, compliance and information security (Datenschutz, Compliance und Informationssicherheit). The firm brings together more than 65 legal experts and IT consultants and states that it draws on over 15 years of experience in the field, acting for international clients from more than 35 countries. This combination of lawyers and technologists reflects the reality of modern privacy work, where legal analysis and technical implementation must move together.

Under Dr Kinast's leadership, the firm offers a broad set of services centred on the practical demands that the General Data Protection Regulation and related rules place on organisations. These include acting as an external data protection officer, compliance management and auditing, handling data breaches and forensics, governance and compliance for artificial intelligence, information security aligned to the NIS-2 Directive, and the design and operation of whistleblowing systems.

• External Data Protection Officer (DPO) services
• Compliance management, audits and data protection management systems
• Data breach response and forensic support
• AI governance and compliance
• Information security and NIS-2 readiness
• Whistleblowing systems and reporting channels

Data protection at the centre of German and European business

Germany has long been one of the most demanding data protection environments in the world, with a strong cultural and legal emphasis on the protection of personal information that predates the GDPR itself. For companies operating in or into Germany, compliance is not a one-off exercise but a continuing obligation touching marketing, human resources, product design, IT security and vendor management. The GDPR's accountability principle requires organisations not only to comply but to be able to demonstrate compliance, which is where an experienced adviser and external DPO become valuable.

KINAST's model of pairing legal experts with IT consultants speaks directly to this need. Effective data protection advice increasingly depends on understanding how systems actually process data, how security controls are implemented, and how emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence introduce new risks around training data, transparency and automated decision-making. The firm's stated work on AI governance and on information security under the NIS-2 Directive reflects the widening scope of the field, as privacy, cybersecurity and technology regulation converge.

Leadership and recognition

As Managing Shareholder and a compliance expert, Dr Karsten Kinast sets the direction of a practice that serves clients well beyond Germany's borders, with an international client base spanning many jurisdictions. His LLM and his standing in the compliance community underpin a firm whose entire identity is organised around helping organisations manage personal data lawfully and securely.

The Corporate INTL Global Awards are determined through Corporate INTL's research into leading firms and advisers across each country and practice area. Being named Data Protection Law Firm of the Year in Germany recognises KINAST Attorneys at Law as a focused, technically capable data protection practice. For businesses that need to appoint an external data protection officer, prepare for audits, respond to incidents, or bring their use of AI and information security in line with European requirements, the award points toward a firm whose sole focus is this rapidly evolving area of law. Dr Kinast and KINAST continue to advise international clients on the full lifecycle of data protection and compliance, from strategy and documentation through to incident response and technical assurance.