Academic Profile

I am a Lecturer in Commercial Law and I am a qualified German lawyer, holding the First and Second State Exam (obtained 2004 and 2007 respectively). I studied first at the University of Münster. I then gained an LLM in International, Commercial and European law at the University of Sheffield (2005). During my legal traineeship I worked for the international law firm Taylor Wessing in Hamburg and the media company Axel Springer in Berlin. Axel Springer is one of the largest newspaper publishing companies in Europe. I have lectured at Sheffield since January 2008. I started as DAAD Lecturer in German Law (Fachlektor) and in 2013 I was appointed to a lectureship in commercial law. I was awarded my PhD from the University of Sheffield in August 2013. My thesis analyses the promotion of Corporate Social Responsibility in English private law.

My teaching and research interests focus on Corporate Law, Corporate Social Responsibility, Internet Law (E-Commerce and Privacy) as well as Comparative Law. I am also director of the Law Language programmes at the School of Law.

Qualifications

• Ph.D, University of Sheffield, 2013
• Assessor juris (Qualified German lawyer), Second State Exam in law, Federal state of North Rhine Westphalia, 2007
• LL.M in International, Commercial and European law (Distinction), University of Sheffield, 2005
• First State Exam in law, Higher Regional Court of Hamm (Germany), 2004
• Dipl.jur. University of Münster (Germany), 2004

Teaching and Learning

I am strongly committed to teaching quality and I have been nominated by my students for the Law Teacher of the Year Award 2010 run by Oxford University Press. I consequently incorporate research-led teaching elements into my teaching, e.g. by inviting students to give presentations in lectures on a topic they have researched under my supervision. This provides students with research skills, presentation skills and engages them more with the subject. The seminars I teach include a variety of tasks such as research-tasks, group discussions and group presentations. It is my aim that every student is required to contribute to every single seminar. Students gain transferable skills such as communicative skills, group work skills and research skills. Where possible, I include my current research into my teaching in order to draw links between modules and current legal developments.

The modules I teach are:

Undergraduate	Postgraduate and MA
Principles of Comparative Law (Convenor)	Legal Research and Writing Skills (Convenor)
Understanding Law	European and Comparative Corporate Governance
Introduction to Comparative Law (Convenor)
The Law Relating to Private Companies
Finance and Law for Engineers

Research Interests

• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Company Law and Corporate Governance (European and Comparative)
• Internet Law (E-Commerce and Privacy)
• Comparative Law

I am a member of the Institute for Commercial Law Studies and the Sheffield Centre for International and European Law research clusters.

Areas of Research Supervision

• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Company Law (European and Comparative)
• Internet Law (E-Commerce and Privacy)

Key Publications

Rühmkorf, A. (2011) The skills of a lawyer and a linguist: The LLB Law with German Degree at the University of Sheffield Deutsch: Lehren und Lernen, 44, 3-5

Rühmkorf, A. (2010) The liability of online auction portals: Toward a Uniform Approach? The Journal of Internet Law, 14(4), 3-10

Rühmkorf, A. (2010) Displease Sir: Teacher Rating Legality. Computers & Law, 20(5), 20-22

Rühmkorf, A. (2009) eBay on the European Playing Field: A Comparative Case Analysis of L'Oréal v eBay. SCRIPTed A Journal of Law, Technology and Society, 6(3), 685-701

Rühmkorf, A,. Reiche, E. and Weißinger, L. (2005) Report about the joint conference of the Deutsch-Britische Juristenvereinigung e.V. and The British German Jurists´ Association from 15. bis 17.4.2005 in Bristol. NJW aktuell (edition 28) page XVIII

Recent Invited Papers and Keynote Lectures

• Rühmkorf, A., 'Ratemylegalrisk.com - The legality of online review sites relating to individuals', SLS Society of Legal Scholars Annual Conference, Edinburgh, 5th September 2013
• Rühmkorf, A. 'Comparative English-German contract law', University of Hull , 14 February 2013
• Rühmkorf, A., 'Outreach / Marketing for the LLB Law with German Degree', DAAD/Goethe Institut, Outreach Conference for German, Europe House, London, 15 November 2011
• Rühmkorf, A. ‘EU influences on Corporate Governance – Current developments in European Company Law’, at: Topical Issues in Corporate Law and Corporate Governance – An afternoon workshop, School of Law, The University of Sheffield, 8 July 2011
• Rühmkorf, A. 'Ratemylegalrisk.com: The legality of rating websites', Conference of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) for German lecturers in the UK, Cumberland Lodge, Egham, 5-7 January 2011
• Rühmkorf, A. 'Marketing German studies and recruiting students for German-related subjects in the UK' (in German), Conference of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) for German lecturers in the UK, Cumberland Lodge, Egham, 5-7 January 2011

Professional Activities and Recognition

• Andreas' work on the liability of online auction portals for third party auctions was cited by the Advocate General Jääskinen in his opinion on the reference for a preliminary ruling from the English High Court to the European Court of Justice in the case L'Orèal v eBay. The Advocate General cited two articles written by Andreas which discuss diverging approaches of different Member States on this issue: "eBay on the European Playing Field: A Comparative Case Analysis of L'Orèal v eBay", (2009) 6 (3) SCRIPTed A Journal of Law, Technology and Society, 685-701 and "The liability of online auction portals: Toward a Uniform Approach?" (2010) 14 (4) The Journal of Internet Law, 3-10.
• External Examiner, King’s College London LLM: Transnational & Comparative Commercial & Financial Law; Transnational & Comparative Law of Corporate Insolvency & Reorganisation
• Member of the Anglo-German jurists association