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Dr Thomas Gädtke

Partner

Head of Cross Border Litigation Group, Europe

International Co-Head, Global Class Actions
Outstanding litigator, brilliant lawyer... excellent address with outstanding reputation in the industry.
— Clients, JUVE Handbook and Legal 500 2022 - 2020
MunichHamburg
About

Dr Thomas Gädtke specialises in cross-border disputes, international arbitration and all types of national dispute resolution mechanisms (ordinary jurisdiction, arbitration, mediation). He heads DLA Piper's German Litigation & Regulatory practice group, the DLA Piper Global Class Actions Group and the DLA European Cross Border Litigation Group.

He represents companies and their boards in complex commercial disputes in various areas and industries. He has conducted mass litigation on a large scale (nationally and internationally), both for clients from the automotive industry (inter alia diesel) and the financial sector (prospectus liability), with a US connection in particular in the areas of commercial, D&O and product liability. He has also represented clients in major international arbitration proceedings in various sectors under different arbitration rules. 

Areas of FocusLitigation, Arbitration and InvestigationsClass ActionsInternational ArbitrationProduct LiabilityInsuranceFinancial ServicesIndustrialsConstruction and Engineering
Professional QualificationsRechtsanwalt admitted with the Rechtsanwaltskammer Munich

EXPERIENCE

  • Mass proceedings: Representing a leading international automotive group in a mass litigation for warranty and damage claims relating to the specified exhaust gas values for diesel vehicles.
  • Mass litigation: Representing an international group with companies in Malta and Gibraltar in the legal defence of numerous claims for damages in Germany and Austria in connection with the offering of allegedly unlawful online gambling. 
  • Representing the insolvency administrator of BEV-Bayerische Energieversorgungsgesellschaft against the so-called model declaratory action (i.e. the current form of a class action in Germany) of a consumer protection association.
  • Representing a leading international pharmaceutical and biotechnology company a) in an international product liability dispute involving a large number of claimants as well as b) various D&O and E&O disputes arising from a high-volume transaction in North America.
  • Representing Deutsche Bank AG in connection with the lodging of claims for damages against its former Management Board Chairman, Dr. Rolf Breuer, as a result of the fallout from the Bloomberg interview in 2002 (published).
  • Representing a leading international high-tech company in an ICC arbitration concerning various high-volume disputes arising from a corporate transaction.
  • Representing a leading international IT-service provider in a DIS arbitration against an leading international service provider in the telecommunications industry regarding damages claims in relation to a comprehensive IT outsourcing project.
  • Representing various fund initiators and prospectus issuers in numerous court proceedings for defence against prospectus liability claims in connection with numerous closed-end funds (mass litigation).
  • Representing a leading international reinsurer in a large and complex dispute relating to an event cancellation insurance due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Languages
  • German
  • English
Education
  • Ludwig Maximilian University Munich, Dr. phil. (philosophy), 2006
  • Court of Appeals (Oberlandesgericht) Munich, second state examination (Zweites Staatsexamen),1997
  • Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, first state examination (Erstes Staatsexamen),1995


    Universities of Würzburg and Munich: Law, philosophy, modern history

Awards

  • JUVE Handbooks: Leading name for D&O advice (until the end of this category in 2022) and Dispute Resolution: corporate disputes (until the end of this category in 2020); JUVE Handbook 2023/2024: Frequently recommended for dispute resolution: litigation and product liability, insurance law; "refreshing approach, always has his finger on the pulse", competitor; "very competent", competitor
  • Legal 500 Germany 2024: Leading individual for insurance law: dispute resolution and dispute resolution: commercial litigation and recommended for insurance law: dispute resolution and advice to insurers, dispute resolution: commercial litigation, arbitration (including international arbitration), antitrust law, trade and distribution law: foreign trade law (including sanction law) as well as public sector: planning and environment (incl. product-related advice) and public procurement and transport: advice of the transport sector; "Thomas Gädtke: Enjoys a high reputation and offers well-thought-out strategic business advice"
  • Chambers Europe Germany 2024: Recommended for insurance
  • Handelsblatt in cooperation with Best Lawyers 2024/2025: Recognised as “lawyer of the year” for product liability litigation (2023 and 2021) and recommended for insurance law, product liability litigation, litigation, international arbitration as well as arbitration and mediation
  • WirtschaftsWoche 2020: Listed as German “Top Lawyer” in the area of insurance law

Publications

  • GRUR-Prax, comment on BGH XI ZR 515/21 (forthcoming).
  • Bruck/Möller, Großkommentar zum VVG, 10th edition 2022, D&O insurance (together with Prof. Dr. Christian Armbrüster), AVB D&O.
  • 'Premium payment obligation and obligations of the policyholder', in: Lüttringhaus/Korch (eds.): Transaction insurance, 1st edition 2022.
  • 'D&O Disputes', in: Servatius (ed.), Corporate Litigation, 2nd edition 2021.
  • 'Intra-group enrichment in the case of coverage of prospectus liability claims in E&O insurance?', in: Festschrift on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Faculty of Insurance Sciences at the University of Hamburg.
  • 'Brussels Ia is coming - New rules on jurisdiction, recognition and enforcement in civil and commercial matters from January 2015', in: Dispute Resolution Online Magazine, 12/2014.

(All publications are in German Language)

Prior Experience

Before changing to the Munich office of DLA Piper in 2011, he worked for another large international law firm (2005-2011).

Lecturer

Dr Thomas Gädtke is a lecturer at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich in the area of corporate law.

Memberships And Affiliations

  • German Institution of Arbitration (DIS)
  • German Bar Association (DAV)
  • Association of German Jurists (djt)
  • German Insurance Science Association (DVfVW)

My latest insights

Publication
Blue sky and white clouds

Globalization of the class actions markets

4 October 2024 .1 minute read

News

Best Lawyers / Handelsblatt recommends a total of 98 lawyers from DLA Piper in Germany

16 June 2023 .2 minute read

Past event

Race Around European Class Actions: Update on Recent Developments

16 May 2023 .4 minute read

View All

Connect

Phone

+49 89 23 23 72 161
(Work, Munich)
+49 40 188 88 0
(Work, Hamburg)
+49 173 52 97 552
(Mobile)
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