From complex disputes born of capital markets deals, corporate and insolvency matters, to post-M&A proceedings, cartel damages cases and stock corporation annulment proceedings, the Hengeler Mueller litigation team is a strong choice for cases at the highest level in the German market. International litigation expert Antonia Hösch is a key figure, and among the names to note are Philipp Hanfland, Maximilian Bülau and Markus Meier.

Linklaters‘ dispute resolution practice is a top-of-the-market choice for major clients across a swathe of areas, from cartel damages cases, banking and insolvency matters, to corporate and commercial litigation, product liability, ESG disputes, and Russia-related work. Practice head Julia Grothaus has extensive experience in competition litigation, complex post-M&A, construction and corporate disputes, as well as being the lead contact in the ESG team. The most senior partner to note is Rupert Bellinghausen, who draws on three decades of experience in the German disputes market. Christian Schmitt has an expansive client list of finance sector businesses, and at a more junior level, Kathrin Bauwens is involved in the full spectrum of matters.

Baker McKenzie continues to develop its corporate litigation practice and also offers strong representation in contentious insolvency, antitrust, construction, and plant engineering matters. The experienced team is broadly based across offices in Düsseldorf, Frankfurt and Munich. Litigators collaborate closely with the corporate, antitrust and insolvency groups. Heiko Haller heads the dispute resolution department, and there are two standout more junior partners in Max Oehm and Tobias Höfling. Oehm has a particular focus on consultancy liability cases, while Höfling is a specialist before state courts in general and corporate disputes in particular.

Clifford Chance has a number of areas of litigation in which it has a significant market presence. Competition matters are of particular note – both conventional cartel follow-on proceedings and competition-related disputes – the Düsseldorf office is a key location for this. Climate litigation has seen considerable growth, with the firm being at the forefront of the market. The team also stands out in class actions. Michael Kremer leads the group and is an expert in regulatory-based litigation. Moritz Keller focuses on energy and infrastructure disputes, while domestic and international disputes in energy and infrastructure, insurance, telecoms, and sports and media, all feature in Paul Hauser‘s caseload. At a more junior level, Sunny Kapoor is forging a strong practice before state courts.

DLA Piper‘s litigation offering is accomplished in major domestic and international cases, and has a particularly notable strength in class actions. The group covers IT, D&O and product liability disputes, as well as numerous matters in the restructuring and insurance sectors. Thomas Gädtke heads the department and is overseeing a shift in structure, with sub-groups catering to core strengths of the team. Marc Jacob is well versed in commercial and infrastructure disputes, and senior litigator Frank Roth is reliable counsel in matters relating to infrastructure, IT, life sciences and government contracts. Michael Stulz-Herrnstadt has a focus on assisting national and international companies with media regulation law, and Christian Schneider  is the name to note for insurance cases.

Multi-jurisdictional and multi-disciplinary cases are a hallmark of Latham & Watkins LLP‘s litigation offering. It counts among its regular clients a host of DAX companies as well as prestigious multinationals. At the helm of the practice, Christoph Baus is the standout contact for commercial disputes, while Anne Löhner has a focus on representing technology and private equity clients. Alena McCorkle is also a strong choice for PE houses, and Stefan Patzer boosts the offering in cross-practice and regulatory disputes.

White & Case LLP‘s disputes group has been increasingly active in a number of areas, including shareholder activism, corporate litigation, sustainable finance matters, retail, human rights, climate change, and enforcement issues. Markus Langen is focused on technology, internet, and social media law, as well as cases in the financial service industry. Christian Wirth primarily assists clients in the insurance, banking and financial sectors, while Sonja Hoffmann is a key lawyer for financial services, real estate, private equity and consumer and retail litigation. For insurance disputes, Sara Vanetta is the name to note.

The financial services, automotive, tech, energy, and manufacturing sectors all feature in the caseload of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP‘s dispute resolution team. It handles a broad spectrum of matters, including consumer mass litigation and class actions, shareholder actions, and data protection matters. The three key contacts to note are experienced litigator Markus Rieder, Finn Zeidler, who is an accomplished disputes lawyer in high-level cross-border cases, and Kai Gesing, whose client base has a strong technology bent.

Prominent German and international companies spanning the banking, energy, automotive, and technology sectors look to Norton Rose Fulbright for litigation counsel, including banking and finance cases, commercial, corporate and insurance disputes, real estate litigation, and competition disputes. Practice head Jamie Nowak has a focus on corporate and insurance disputes, while Constanze Bandilla-Dany acts for real estate companies in a wide range of cases. Nikolas Smirra has a strong client base in the automotive, consumer goods, industrial and technology sectors; and Thorben Schläfer is a key figure in the Frankfurt office.

Dedicated to disputes, boutique firm WACH UND MECKES und Partner Rechtsanwälte PartGmbB‘s caseload has international scope and is seeing an increasing number of insolvency-related matters, tech sector cases, and issues arising from international crises. The sizeable team of experts includes experienced name partners Karl Wach and Frank Meckes, as well as Maximilian Menz, who has strength in technology sector litigation, particularly post-M&A matters. Robert Straubmeier is an advisor to German and international clients in complex commercial disputes, with a focus on insolvency and corporate law, and the team also includes standout associates Susanne Ascher and Marios Kourtis.

Often involved in the firm’s global, multi-jurisdictional cases thanks to its legal tech, IT litigation and product liability expertise, the German offices of Dentons house practitioners that are well versed in a range of disputes. Matthias Hadding oversees the broader contentious offering and has strength in construction sector cases. Jennifer Velz and Nikolaj Mühlenkamp are further key individuals. Thomas Nebel left the practice in November 2024, while Heiko Heppner, Friedrich Toepel, and Sebastian Gratz moved to Bird & Bird LLP at the end of 2025. At the same time, the practice was strengthened by the arrival of Sebastian Wülbeck, formerly with Dietrich Graf Zedtwitz Rechtsanwälte.

Jones Day‘s Frankfurt office houses three lawyers that play integral roles in a range of cross-border litigations that have German law components. Joint leaders of the disputes group, Dieter Strubenhoff and Johannes Willheim are both experienced figures; Strubenhoff’s practice spanning liability issues, transaction-related proceedings and commercial disputes, and Willheim excelling in pharmaceuticals, energy, aviation, regulated industries, and media and entertainment. Amy Kläsener stands out in disputes concerning nuclear power plants.

Pinsent Masons Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater Solicitors Partnerschaft mbB is equipped to provide teams of counsel for a range of litigation and has a multinational client base for contentious work. Its current slate includes the defence of a number of class actions. Other areas strength include litigation in the technology and financial services sectors, as well as contract, competition and corporate conflicts. Sibylle Schumacher oversees the practice and her team includes Johanna Weißbach, who excels in the automotive and finance sectors, and Attila Bangha-Szabo, who is building a solid cross-border litigation practice.

WilmerHale brings together litigation experts with focuses on specific industries to handle disputes at the intersection of civil and regulatory law. Competition matters make up a number of these cases, and the team is also well versed in data protection disputes. Vanessa Wettner has a focus on commercial, consumer and capital markets disputes, and counts several major US tech companies among her clients. Stefan Ohlhoff is a key name for competition cases, and Hans-Georg Kamann is an expert in European regulations. The three jointly oversee litigation work at the firm.

Spanning supply chain disputes, international trade, distribution law, product liability, post-M&A disputes, and contentious insurance and competition work, Eversheds Sutherland‘s litigation team handles a host of international matters but has built up its domestic offering in recent years. Joos Hellert leads the group and acts for clients in commercial, distribution and corporate law disputes. His team includes product liability expert Fabian Volz; Stephan von Marschall and Tatjana Tscherevko, who handle domestic cases; and Christian Becker, who has insurance expertise.

Arndt Tetzlaff spearheads the litigation offering at SKW Schwarz, and his client base includes a range of corporations, banks and insurance companies that require assistance with directors’ liability and product liability matters, international commercial law and ​​post-M&A litigation. Ulrich Reber is an international business law expert with experience in litigating such matters. Martin Himme and Frithjof Roschlaub are additional key contacts.