Just be sure to look for the *Gold lines.
If you have to check in with LH at a transit counter for a boarding pass, there can be long lines. Just look for the *Gold sign and wait in that much shorter line.
In December I was flying from SAN -SFO-FRA on UA, then LH to FCO. United could not give me a boarding pass for LH. I probably saved 30 minutes by noticing the *Gold sign above one agent, with only 1 person in line.