Clifford Chance is one of the leading Litigation & Dispute Resolution law firms in Germany. It has had a specialist Litigation & Dispute Resolution practice at its Frankfurt and Düsseldorf offices for over ten years.
The practice is able to advise on the widest range of litigation issues and consists of more than three dozen dedicated litigation lawyers. Another 30 lawyers provide litigation support in certain specialist areas. The size and range of expertise within the practice means that a highly specialized team can be assembled at any time and at short notice.
Commercial Litigation and Arbitration
The commercial Litigation Team has a wealth of strategic and practical experience representing clients in court proceedings in Germany and abroad, as well as in mediation. This experience covers specialist areas such as interim relief, preservation of evidence, compulsory enforcement, advising on foreign proceedings, recognition and enforcement of foreign instruments. The team also includes in-house forensic accountants who are able to provide comprehensive damage calculation advice.
Clifford Chance is also a market leader in national and international arbitration. Arbitration proceedings may be conducted and advised ad hoc or in accordance with the rules of arbitration of any of the key arbitration institutions. The practice also has an outstanding reputation for international arbitrators – Frankfurt partner Fabian von Schlabrendorff was the German delegate at the ICC International Court of Arbitration in Paris from 1996 to 2009 and has been an experienced arbitrator for decades. Other partners in the firm also regularly act in an arbitrator capacity.
White Collar, Regulatory, Compliance
The White Collar team is made up of commercial and civil litigation specialists and provides companies with regulatory, compliance and criminal law advice. Clifford Chance's network of international offices means that other white collar specialists are always available to offer advice on any particular jurisdiction. The team is also supported by audit specialists with considerable expertise in cases involving white collar crime.
Intellectual Property
The IP team advises on all aspects of IP and has thorough knowledge of client business requirements, especially those relating to automotive, healthcare and chemicals, electronics, hardware and software, consumer goods as well as media and entertainment. Advice offered includes patents, trademarks, copyrights, technology transfer and licensing agreements, product piracy, unfair competition, IP protection systems and the German Employee Inventions Act. The IP team also renders transaction advice as well as IP portfolio management. The firm's Düsseldorf office even has a US/Canadian – born and - educated IP specialist, setting it aside from other practices in Germany.