Today marks the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 and sets out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally … Continue reading →

On September 1, 2023, the Hague Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil or Commercial Matters enters into force. In German domestic law, the jurisdiction for the enforcement of foreign judgments is newly defined – as … Continue reading →

The judgment of the Federal Supreme Court (Bundesgerichtshof) in the “Lost Art” database case so far has attracted attention primarily because of its significance for art and restitution law. However, it has something to offer not only in terms of … Continue reading →

In the case of the heirs of Hedwig Lewenstein Weyermann and Irma Lewenstein Klein v. Bayerische Landesbank, the Advisory Commission’s decision recommending the restitution of Wassily Kandinsky’s painting Das bunte Leben (The Colourful Life) was published on 13 June 2023. … Continue reading →

The Berlin Administrative Court (Verwaltungsgericht) ruled in favor of information access under the German Freedom of Information Act (Informationsfreiheitsgesetz, IFG) in a case related to the German passenger car toll system (Pkw-Maut). The case revolved around claims from plaintiffs – … Continue reading →

This is a post for conflicts of laws nerds and lovers of legal policy – a lesson in symbolic politics and disregard for private international law expertise. And it takes me back to my days as a student assistant to … Continue reading →

In an M&A contract, the parties consider agreeing on the jurisdiction of the German courts. The corporate guys get in touch: “Isn’t there this M&A chamber at the Frankfurt District Court, where they conduct proceedings in English…?” Well: There is … Continue reading →