“M&A court” established in Dusseldorf

Based on an ordinance enacted by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, a civil division for disputes involving corporate transactions (mergers and acquisitions) with a value in dispute exceeding EUR 500,000 and a civil division for appeals in these cases were established on 1 January 2022 at Dusseldorf Regional Court and Dusseldorf Higher Regional Court respectively. 

Due to the excellent technical equipment of these judicial chambers, cases can be heard in English and documents submitted in English before experienced judges specialised in this complex field of law. Video conferences and simultaneous interpretation during hearings are also possible. However, German will remain the language 

An “M&A court”, as the Dusseldorf Regional Court will now become with the establishment of its 24th civil division, is so far unique in Germany.

Alexander Hirsch, partner and co-head of Mergers & Acquisitions:

“This is a unique step so far for the ordinary courts in Germany. In particular, the specialist expertise in deciding highly complex M&A transactions is crucial. One aspect which led to this division of Dusseldorf Regional Court being established was the positive experience in the Netherlands with the Netherlands Commercial Court in Amsterdam.” 

Oliver Sieg, partner and head of Liability & Insurance:

“Efficient ordinary courts are a key factor for Germany as a business location. This includes the new dedicated division for post-M&A disputes, especially if there is sufficient capacity to ensure the timely resolution of disputes.”