

Class Actions and Mass Actions
Our German dispute resolution practice team regularly works with clients involved in numerous proceedings concerning parallel fact patterns. The team has extensive experience with the particular challenges associated with class actions and mass actions, ensuring seamless coordination between our specialists from various fields.
Efficient organisation allows the team to always take appropriate account of the need for cost efficiency, which is often of key importance in matters of this kind. This concerns processes such as coordinating fact finding and evaluating these facts, as well as structuring the actual litigation management. Thanks to our global network, we are also in a position to offer made to measure solutions for cross border mass actions.
Our services
Expertise
Allen & Overy ranks among the leading law firms in Germany. Our experienced team can draw on exceptional knowledge and comprehensive industry insights in defending companies against mass and class actions, and is in a position to coordinate Europe-wide and global defence cases (including against US class actions), as well as providing support for public communications.
Allen & Overy has experience in a broad range of class and mass actions, including breaches of securities legislation, adviser liability cases, consequential damages in antitrust proceedings, the legal implications of business transfers and insolvency cases.
Staffing
Allen & Overy is in a position to quickly pool the necessary skills and to generate the capacities necessary to handle large volumes of data in short timeframes. Thanks to our global network, our Transaction Support Unit and Advanced Delivery Legal, we offer a particularly cost efficient approach.
Tailored work of the highest quality is equally important to us as efficient structures that can be scaled as needed, and the deployment of legal tech.
Project management
Legal tech
Global network
Selection of past cases
Defending against several hundred claims for consequential damages relating to the "Trucks cartel" in Germany and several other jurisdictions
Successful defence against over 300 prospectus liability claims for a financing bank, including bringing model case proceedings that were published in the complaint register (Act on Model Case Proceedings in Disputes under Capital Markets Law (KapMuG))
Defending a major international accounting firm in numerous actions brought by investors of an insolvent bank
Strategic advice on and successful defence against mass actions relating to alleged liability for a so called Ponzi scheme
Advising an insurer on claims relating to allegedly inaccurate information in a securities prospectus in several Australian court cases (incl. a class action)
Defending against US class actions in connection with a cross border tax efficient structured financial transaction hedged with various derivative transactions
Advising and representing clients in disputes relating to data protection offences
Representing an airline in numerous legal disputes with pilots and cabin staff relating to an alleged transfer of undertaking
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News and insights

News: 30 November 2023
Allen & Overy boosts IP practice in Germany with hire of Anna Wolters-Höhne
Allen & Overy today announced that renowned life sciences specialist Dr Anna Wolters-Höhne has joined the firm’s intellectual property litigation practice with effect from 1 December 2023. Anna joins…

Publications: 13 October 2023
Representative actions for redress: a new option since 13 October 2023
The redress action allows consumer associations to collectively sue companies for performance claims of consumers. The law has entered into force on 13 October 2023.

Publications: 09 March 2023
New collective redress action for consumers in Germany
Consumer associations will be eligible to bring collective claims against companies for various forms of redress. The introduction of the collective redress action increases the risk that companies…

Publications: 30 September 2022
3 months to go: Are you ready for the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act?
On 1 January 2023, the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act will enter into force. In a first step, all companies which have a specific nexus to Germany and normally employ 3,000 people or more will…