Insurance litigation

DLA Piper

In addition to insurance and corporate law, including product development and validation testing pertaining to cross-border claims, DLA Piper also supports insurers, reinsurers and brokers in the handling and managing of cyber attacks. Other key strengths include the support for listed companies in directors' liability disputes and international D&O matters. Practice head Thomas Gädtke is well versed in dispute resolution, including arbitration proceedings, and is supported by Christian Schneider; the latter focuses on major loss claims pertaining to liability law, in particular D&O insurance and financial loss liability insurance.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

'Christian Schneider: Excellent legal advice, very experienced, out-of-the-box thinking; professional, trustworthy dealings with clients, but also reliable towards third parties (insured parties, claimants).'
'Christian Schneider is extremely competent in insurance law. He is well connected and is one of the best in the field of financial lines/insurance law.'
'The insurance team at DLA Piper is very well-coordinated and is one of the best in the market. All the lawyers I have dealt with are characterized by excellent technical expertise, quick accessibility (which is particularly important in this area) and a pragmatic way of working.'
'Christian Schneider is a very experienced negotiator.'
'In the field of dispute resolution, we always receive excellent advice from DLA Piper. In the area of conflicting issues surrounding the interpretation of insurance terms and conditions, we rely on good recommendations - together with DLA, we have had a number of contentious cases, all of which were resolved positively. Not least thanks to the excellent input from the team at DLA.'
'Especially in the area of dispute resolution, it is important to take a clear and objective approach while simultaneously assessing the interests of the client; we have always received excellent advice from the people involved in this area, and what's more, the working relationship is pleasant, appreciative and entirely positive.'
'Thomas Gädtke and his team are the reference in the German market when it comes to questions of directors' liability law and the handling of complex litigation. I also know Christian Schneider and his team well, who are also excellent insurance lawyers.'

Work highlights

Advice and representation of a leading international insurance group as PI insurer of a manufacturer of PP-R pipes in a cross-border claim due to defects in the product. The opposing party is demanding compensation in the eight-figure range.
Advice and representation of an international insurance group as the VSV insurer of a clothing manufacturer and retail chain operator in a cross-border claim. The policyholder is said to have suffered immense damage as a result of various tortious acts (in particular by concluding excessive contracts).
Representation of the supervisory board of an automotive supplier in a high-volume D&O liability case (approx. € 45 million) due to a fake CEO case in Germany and Romania.