Prof. Dr. Andreas Ruster
Partner, Litigation
Andreas Ruster is a partner in Willkie’s Litigation Department. He practices in Hamburg and is based in the Firm’s Frankfurt office.
Andreas advises clients on high-stakes disputes across a range of sectors. He regularly advises and represents clients throughout the entire lifecycle of a dispute, from developing a (national or international) strategy to out-of-court discussions, court and arbitration proceedings, settlement negotiations and execution. Andreas has taken hundreds of cases to trial, appearing in many German courts and in the European Court of Justice.
Andreas handles a full range of business disputes, representing both plaintiffs and defendants in high-profile litigation. He has significant experience in antitrust litigation matters, as well as in commercial, corporate, restructuring, technology and IP disputes. He is also experienced in tailoring and implementing litigation strategies for mass actions.
Andreas is recognized for litigation, competition and antitrust in Best Lawyers and Euromoney. He has authored numerous articles and book chapters on different aspects of dispute resolution, including in BeckOK on international procedural law, and a leading treatise on the Digital Markets Act. Andreas also teaches international business law as a professor at PFH Göttingen.
Andreas combines academic excellence (doctorate summa cum laude; ranked #1 in both legal state exams) and a decade of practical experience with an intrinsic motivation to achieve the best possible outcome, a strong business sense, and a solution-driven, pragmatic outlook. Having lived in France, the U.K., and the U.S., he is happy to assist clients in both English and French, as well as his native German.
Andreas advises clients on high-stakes disputes across a range of sectors. He regularly advises and represents clients throughout the entire lifecycle of a dispute, from developing a (national or international) strategy to out-of-court discussions, court and arbitration proceedings, settlement negotiations and execution. Andreas has taken hundreds of cases to trial, appearing in many German courts and in the European Court of Justice.
Andreas handles a full range of business disputes, representing both plaintiffs and defendants in high-profile litigation. He has significant experience in antitrust litigation matters, as well as in commercial, corporate, restructuring, technology and IP disputes. He is also experienced in tailoring and implementing litigation strategies for mass actions.
Andreas is recognized for litigation, competition and antitrust in Best Lawyers and Euromoney. He has authored numerous articles and book chapters on different aspects of dispute resolution, including in BeckOK on international procedural law, and a leading treatise on the Digital Markets Act. Andreas also teaches international business law as a professor at PFH Göttingen.
Andreas combines academic excellence (doctorate summa cum laude; ranked #1 in both legal state exams) and a decade of practical experience with an intrinsic motivation to achieve the best possible outcome, a strong business sense, and a solution-driven, pragmatic outlook. Having lived in France, the U.K., and the U.S., he is happy to assist clients in both English and French, as well as his native German.
Experience
- Ranked by The Best Lawyers in Germany: Ones to Watch, for Competition/Antitrust Law, Intellectual Property Law, Litigation, 2022-2024
- Recognized by Euromoney’s Rising Stars for Competition & Antitrust, 2022-2024
- Shortlisted for Concurrences Antitrust Writing Awards, 2021
- Competition Litigation Forum
- Studienvereinigung Kartellrecht
- DIS40
Book Chapters and Books:
- “Disclosure and Access to Evidence in Germany,” in: Bento/Hughes/Neris/Zhu, The Law and Practice of Cross- Border Evidence Gathering (Kluwer Law International), Alphen a/d Rijn, 2025 (forthcoming)
- “Private enforcement of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and commentary on Art. 27, 38, 39 DMA,” in: Podszun, Digital Markets Act, Nomos, Baden-Baden 2023 (English version: Hart Publishing, Oxford, 2024)
- “Beck’scher Online-Kommentar on international procedural law,” EuZVO, Verlag C.H. Beck, 1st edition 2023
- "Intertemporaler Anwendungsbereich,“ in: Bien/Käseberg/Klumpe/Körber/Ost, Das neue Kartellrecht, Die 10. GWB-Novelle, Verlag C.H. Beck, München 2021
- “Kartellregress,“ in: Stancke/Weidenbach/ Lahme, Kartellrechtliche Schadensersatzklagen, R&W, Frankfurt a.M. 2021 (2. ed.) / 2017 (1. ed.)
- “Zugang zu Informationen,“ in: Stancke/Weidenbach/Lahme, Kartellrechtliche Schadensersatzklagen, R&W, Frankfurt a.M. 2021 (2. ed.) / 2017 (1. ed.)
- Patentschutz für menschliche Stammzellen. Eine rechtsvergleichende Untersuchung der ethischen und ökonomischen Grenzen der Patentierung pluripotenter Stammzellen. Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen 2015
Articles:
- "Der kartellrechtliche Beseitigungsanspruch als verschuldensunabhängiger Schadensersatzanspruch,“ ZWeR 2021
- "Zwei auf einen Streich: Sammelklage-Inkasso im Insolvenzrecht und darüber hinaus; weiche Patronatserklärung (allein) zur Begründung der Fortbestehensprognose nur ausnahmsweise ausreichend,“ Anmerkung zu BGH, Urteil vom 13. Juli 2021
- “Nachhaltigkeit im Sachenrecht,“ JZ 2021
- "Prozessuale und materielle Bestimmtheitsanforderungen auf dem Prüfstand des Kartellschadensersatzrechts,“ WuW 2021, 276-281 (Teil 1) und 330-336 (Teil 2)
- “Disclosure in European Competition Litigation Through the Lens of U.S. Discovery,” World Competition Journal 2020, 347-372 (Concurrences Antitrust Writing Awards Nominee
- “In for a Penny, in for a Pound? Legal Professional Privilege as a Shield Against Disclosure in Private Antitrust Litigation in Europe,” Journal of European Competition Law & Practice 2020, 22-34
- "Die Mietpreisbremse als Wegbereiter für das Zessionsmodell,“ Anmerkung zu BGH, Urteil vom 27. November 2019
- "Der zeitliche Anwendungsbereich des § 33g GWB. Ein fiktives Streitgespräch,“ NZKart 2019
- "Die rückwirkende Heilung schwebend unwirksamer EU-Auslandszustellungen,“ NJW 2019
- "Zur Berechnung der Verjährungshemmung nach § 209 BGB,“ NZKart 2019
- "Das ungeschriebene Merkmal der Kartellbefangenheit,“ NZKart 2019
- ASG/Burford – round timber cartel, approx. 1bn EUR damages litigation (plaintiff)
- BGC – abuse of dominance, injunctive relief and administrative proceedings (plaintiff)
- CDC – sugar cartel, >300m EUR damages litigation (plaintiff)
- Chargeback24 (legal tech provider / numerous plaintiffs) – illegal gambling, 3-figure amount of separate damages actions (plaintiff)
- Private equity investors – post-M&A arbitration, 70m EUR damages (defendant)
- Family office – capital markets dispute, >50m EUR damages (plaintiff)
- Industrial company – abuse of dominance, >500m EUR damages (plaintiff)
- Venture capital investor – various corporate disputes (plaintiff)
- Daimler – alleged German automotive manufacturers cartel (U.S. class action) (defense); various supplier cartels damages (plaintiff)
- Deutsche Bahn and Deutsche Post – girocard cartel, >25m EUR damages (plaintiff);
- Singapore Airlines – air cargo cartel, >1.8bn EUR damages litigation (defense)
- Unitymedia – abuse of dominance, >600m EUR damages litigation (plaintiff)
- Westlake/Vinnolit – ethylene cartel (defense)
*Andreas advised on some of these matters prior to joining Willkie.
Credentials
Education
State of Hamburg, Hamburg Court of Appeals, Second State Exam (Hons), 2016 Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Dr. iur summa cum laude, 2015 King's College London, LLB (Hons), 2013 Université Paris II - Panthéon-Assas, Maîtrise en Droit (Hons), 2012 Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, First State Exam (Hons), 2012