Bucerius Law School celebrated a very special milestone this year as the Master of Law and Business bid farewell to the Class of 2026. This year’s graduation was about more than just the end of another academic year. The Class of 2026 is the 20th MLB graduating class, marking two decades of an idea that began with an ambitious question: what if the next generation of legal and business professionals did not have to choose between the two worlds, but could learn to understand and speak both languages?
From an idea to a global Bucerius community
In 2006, Bucerius Law School’s Prof. Clifford Larsen launched the Master of Law and Business together with WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management. The Program set out to bring together two disciplines that are closely connected in professional life but are often taught separately - law and business.
Twenty years on, that founding idea has grown into a truly international community. More than 800 MLB alumni from over 100 countries now work across law firms, companies, start-ups and international organisations around the world.
Celebrating the Class of 2026
The graduation ceremony marked the culmination of an intense and rewarding year. Students navigated demanding courses in law and business, worked together across disciplines and cultures, and completed their master theses all while building friendships and memories that will stay with them long after leaving Hamburg.
The ceremony offered an opportunity to reflect on those achievements and to celebrate with those who have supported the students throughout their journey.
Opening Speeches
The ceremony, hosted by MLB Dean Professor Christopher Bisping was opened with speeches from Professor Manuel J. Hartung, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the ZEIT STIFTUNG BUCERIUS and Prof. Dr. Markus Rudolf from the WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management. Professor Rudolf, founding Program Director took the guests on a trip down memory lane sharing the development of the MLB Program and the importance of building bridges between law and business, between the WHU and BLS and most importantly between people.
Commemorative Speech
This year, founding MLB Dean Prof. Clifford Larsen gave the commemorative speech on the topic of gratitude. He shared heartfelt words and anecdotes for everything that we should be grateful for expressing two main wishes for the graduates and the incoming class – firstly to find a time or even times, every day to take just a moment to be grateful for what you have and secondly, a much simpler wish, stay in touch with your classmates and Bucerius. Four MLB Alumna were then welcomed to the stage and invited to share their thoughts and words of what gratitude has meant to them during their MLB journey and beyond.
Recognising Outstanding Achievements
The ceremony also recognised the hard work and outstanding contributions from faculty and students through the annual teaching and student prizes.
This year, the coveted Best Teacher Awards for law courses were presented to Sonja Radovic for her course Corporate Social Responsibility and Dr. Nils Krause for his course Mergers and Acquisitions. The best teacher awards for courses in business were awarded to Andreas Meier for his course in Capital Markets and to Prof. Dr. Stephan Wagner for his course in Logistics and Supply Chain Management.
Among the students, the prestigious DAAD Prize 2026 for outstanding academic performance and social engagement was awarded to Kaitlin Bakken, she was recognized for both her exceptional academic performance and for her social initiatives raising funds for medical equipment in Ukraine and for those affected by the recent earthquake in Colombia. The prize for the Best Master Thesis, which is generously supported by MLB Alumnus Dr. Axel Moeller and the Bucerius Alumni Verein was awarded to Nutsa Avalishvili for her very interesting and timely work ‘Managerial Overconfidence and the Informed Decision-Making Standard: The Limits of the Business Judgment Rule in Large-Scale Acquisitions under German Corporate Law’
Memories from the Class of 2026
The audience was treated to a video created by the graduating class, sharing many memorable moments from their time together. The student representatives, Kaitlin Bakken and Francisco Gómez Antipichún gave an emotional and inspirational speech and shared their memories of class of 2026.
While the anniversary is a chance to look back, it is also an opportunity to look ahead.
The world of law and business has changed considerably since the first MLB class began its studies in 2006. New technologies, global challenges and changing professional landscapes continue to reshape both fields. The Program has evolved alongside these developments while remaining true to its original idea that the best professionals’ benefit from understanding both law and business and from being able to bring the perspectives of both worlds together.
In looking forward to the future, the attention turned from the graduating class to the incoming class of 2027. 50 students from 22 countries were officially welcomed to Bucerius for the start of an exciting year ahead.
Following the ceremony, graduates, new students, family, friends and supporters of the MLB Program gathered for a finger food reception and enjoyed the chance to mingle, share stories, and make new connections on the beautiful Bucerius campus.
