Lawyer - Schaefer legal advice
After completing his doctorate on a copyright topic at the LMU Munich and working briefly as a lawyer, he joined the Bavarian Ministry of Culture as a legal advisor in 1981. 1984 Secondment to the Bavarian Representation in Bonn as a consultant for the Ministry of Culture's business area. From 1987 to 1989, mirror consultant for the Bavarian Ministry of Science and the Arts in the Bavarian State Chancellery. From 1989 to 1995, Head of the Department for Media Policy and Media Law in the Bavarian State Chancellery.
From March 1996 deputy managing director and authorised signatory of FFF Bayern GmbH, from 1 January 2001 sole FFF managing director and chairman of the award committee for Bavarian film and television funding. Termination of employment at the FFF on 31 January 2018.
Since 01.02.2018 Lawyer in Munich/Pullach.
Long-standing member and from 2002 to 2021 Chairman of the jury for the Bavarian Television Award. Since 2022 also Chairman of the jury for the newly created "Blue Panther, TV & Streaming Award".
Honorary senator and honorary professor at the University of Television and Film Munich (HFF). Member of the supervisory board of Münchner Filmwochen GmbH and the advisory board of Filmfest Kitzbühel.