Disputes in Germany, argued by lawyers who know the bench.
When a contract with a German counterparty turns into a conflict, the forum is often a German court or a German-seated arbitral tribunal. We represent international companies in commercial litigation and arbitration — in English with the client, in German with the court — and coordinate parallel proceedings abroad through independent local partner firms.
German procedure is front-loaded — the written phase decides
German civil procedure differs from common-law litigation in ways that matter commercially. There is no pre-trial discovery; the case is decided largely on the written submissions, and the oral hearing is short. Claims are heard before the Landgericht (regional court, LG), appeals before the Oberlandesgericht (OLG), and points of law before the Bundesgerichtshof (BGH), Germany's federal court of justice. Whoever invests in the first written submission usually frames the entire proceeding — a fact that surprises parties used to building a case in depositions.
Deadlines are unforgiving. The standard limitation period under secs. 195, 199 BGB is three years from the end of the year in which the claim arose and became known; procedural periods for responses and appeals are measured in weeks. Missing them is rarely curable. On the cost side, German litigation is comparatively predictable: court fees and the statutory RVG fees scale with the amount in dispute, which makes exposure calculable before filing.
We assess the merits in writing before recommending proceedings, run litigation before the LG, OLG and — in cooperation with admitted BGH counsel for civil revisions — the BGH, and act as counsel in arbitration under the DIS rules and other institutional rules. For disputes that touch several countries, we coordinate the German anchor proceeding with measures abroad in cooperation with independent local partner firms in more than 20 jurisdictions — one point of contact in Munich or Berlin, local advocacy by locally admitted lawyers.
What we handle — and in which situations.
Services
- Commercial litigation — representation of claimants and defendants before the Landgericht and Oberlandesgericht in contract, corporate and commercial matters.
- Arbitration — counsel work in arbitration under the DIS rules and other institutional rules, with German or foreign parties, in English or German.
- Interim relief — urgent applications to secure claims, evidence or assets before and during proceedings.
- Cross-border coordination — parallel proceedings and enforcement steps abroad, coordinated in cooperation with independent local partner firms in more than 20 jurisdictions.
- Enforcement in Germany — recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards against German debtors.
- Settlement architecture — structured negotiations and settlement documentation where a negotiated outcome serves the business better than a judgment.
- Dispute-readiness review — written assessment of merits, limitation, evidence and cost exposure before any step is taken.
Typical scenarios
- A foreign supplier sues a German distributor for unpaid deliveries before the Landgericht; the contract is silent on jurisdiction and the limitation clock is running.
- A joint-venture conflict between a European investor and a German partner escalates into a DIS arbitration with its seat in Munich.
- An international group needs to enforce a foreign arbitral award against a German counterparty's domestic assets.
- A German customer withholds payment alleging defects; the foreign manufacturer needs a defence strategy and a view on counterclaim exposure.
- A dispute spans Germany, Poland and the UAE; the client wants one coordinating counsel and consistent positions across all proceedings.
- A contract negotiation is collapsing and the client needs interim relief in Germany before assets are moved.
The legal framework.
How an engagement begins.
First contact
Describe the conflict and send the key documents. We reply within one business day and offer a free 30-minute orientation call.
Legal assessment
Before recommending proceedings, we put merits, limitation, evidence and cost risk in writing — at a fixed fee from EUR 1,500 plus VAT.
Mandate
For litigation or arbitration we agree hourly rates, a fixed fee for defined phases, or a fee agreement under sec. 3a RVG. In court proceedings, statutory RVG fees are the floor.
Ongoing support
We report at every procedural step, in English, and re-assess settlement value as the proceeding develops.
In a German courtroom the case is won or lost on paper. The hearing only confirms what the written phase has built.
Your contacts in this practice.
Clear before the engagement begins.
Litigation budgets in Germany are more predictable than in most jurisdictions: statutory fees scale with the amount in dispute. We put the numbers on the table before you decide to file.
- Orientation call — 30 minutes, free of charge: forum, deadlines, first view on merits.
- Legal assessment — a written merits-and-risk analysis before proceedings, at a fixed fee from EUR 1,500 plus VAT.
- Mandate — hourly rates, a fixed fee per procedural phase, or a fee agreement under sec. 3a RVG.
- Court proceedings — the statutory fees under the RVG form the floor; we do not undercut them, and we model total cost exposure including court fees in advance.
What clients ask first.
Can we run the dispute in English?
How long does a German commercial lawsuit take?
Who pays the legal costs if the claim succeeds?
Can you enforce our foreign judgment or award in Germany?
Litigation or arbitration — what should our contracts choose?
Articles on this practice area.
Articles on German civil procedure, DIS arbitration and cross-border enforcement appear in our knowledge base.
A dispute with a German counterparty? Check the deadlines first.
Limitation and procedural periods decide more cases than arguments do. Send us the facts — we reply within one business day.
Book an orientation call →