Matthias Schrader is a partner and heads Willkie’s Litigation Practice Group in Germany. In addition to domestic and international litigation and arbitration matters, his practice focuses on compliance and regulatory matters across a broad spectrum of industries.
As a litigator, Matthias acts as counsel to both claimants and respondents in a wide variety of commercial litigations and arbitrations before various courts and arbitral tribunals under the auspices of the world’s leading arbitral institutions (ICC, LCIA, SIAC, DIS, etc.). He has successfully negotiated out-of-court settlements of complex disputes for a variety of commercial and private clients. Furthermore, he has represented sovereigns in litigations as well as international investment arbitrations. Matthias also acts as arbitrator in high-stakes commercial arbitrations.
Matthias regularly advises clients on matters of European and German anti-money-laundering and anti-terrorism-financing regulations, sanctions, financial markets compliance, including allegations of insider trading and market manipulation, antitrust and State-aid law and day-to-day compliance issues. He represents a diverse client base including health care, chemicals, natural resources, energy and mining, consumer goods and retail, high-tech, automotive, real estate and financial institutions.
In addition to in-court representation, Matthias has acted for clients towards state prosecutors, regulatory authorities and public consumer associations on matters of proper business conduct and fair competition.
Experience
Prior to joining Willkie, Matthias was a senior attorney at Cleary Gottlieb.
- 2016-2018: Lecturer on International Arbitration at Goethe University Frankfurt (Institute of Law and Finance)
- 2016-2017: Guest lecturer at Münster University on EU and International Civil Pro-cedure Law (together with Rüdiger Harms)
- Zivilrechtliche Haftung für Lieferketten durch die Hintertür? Article in Börsen-Zeitung dated November 27, 2021
- “In a nutshell: Top Litigation/Arbitration Issues That We Expect to See More of in 2022” in: Business Law Magazine, 4/2021, p. 3-6 (https://www.deutscheranwaltspiegel.de/businesslaw/lawyers-top-5/in-a-nutshell-top-litigation-arbitration-issues-that-we-expect-to-see-more-of-in-2022-26635/)
- “All You Need to Know About Deposing Witnesses in Germany”, Client Alert November 2021 (https://www.willkie.com/-/media/files/publications/2021/11/allyouneedtoknowaboutdeposingwitnessesingermany.pdf)
- “Enforcements of Foreign Judgments 2022” – Germany Chapter (https://www.willkie.com/-/media/files/publications/2021/09/2022_enforcement_of_foreign_judgements_germany.pdf)
- German Federal Ministry of Justice issues draft bill implementing the EU Whistleblower Protection Directive (https://complianceconcourse.willkie.com/articles/news-alerts-2020-12-december-20201216-german-federal-ministry-of-justice-issue)
- “BGH gestattet Schadenspauschalierungen in AGB in Höhe von bis zu 15% bei Kartellrechtsverstößen”, May 2021 (https://www.willkie.com/-/media/files/publications/2021/05/bghgestattetschadenspauschalierungeninagbinhohe.pdf)
- German Federal Ministry of Justice issues draft bill implementing the EU Whistleblower Protection Directive, Willkie Compliance Concourse (https://complianceconcourse.willkie.com/articles/news-alerts-2020-12-december-20201216-german-federal-ministry-of-justice-issue)
- German Government Issues Draft Law Against Exploitation in the Supply Chain, Willkie Compliance Concourse, April 2021 (https://complianceconcourse.willkie.com/articles/insights-2021-20210406-german-government-issues-draft)
- Landgericht versagt coronabedingte Mietanpassung eines Hotelbetreibers bei nicht erfolgter Rücklagenbedingung, Client Alert February 2021
- Gesetzliche Regelungen zur Erleichterung der Anpassung der Gewerberaummiete in Kraft getreten – was bedeutet das für Mieter und Vermieter? Client Alert January 2021“Does Issuing a Dissenting Opinion to an Arbitral Award Constitute a Violation of the German Ordre Public?” on Kluwer Arbitration Blog (http://arbitrationblog.kluwerarbitration.com/2020/11/13/does-issuing-a-dissenting-opinion-to-an-arbitral-award-constitute-a-violation-of-the-german-ordre-public/)
- “Wer das Gutachten gewinnt, gewinnt auch den Prozess” in: Dispute Resolution, 3/2020, p. 13-15 (https://www.deutscheranwaltspiegel.de/disputeresolution/schiedsverfahren/wer-das-gutachten-gewinnt-gewinnt-auch-den-prozess-21587/)
- „Die meisten Schiedsverfahren laufen regulär weiter“, Interview in Börsen-Zeitung dated May 16, 2020
- „Internationale Handelsschiedsverfahren in Zeiten der Corona-Pandemie“, Willkie Frankfurt Corona/COVID-19 Telegramm, April 29 2020
- “’The Carrot and the Stick’ – Germany Modernizes Its Corporate Criminal Law”, July 2020 (https://www.willkie.com/-/media/files/publications/2020/05/thecarrotandthestickgermanymodernizesitscorporatec.pdf)
- “Schiedsklauseln in Unternehmenskaufverträgen – Einbeziehung von nicht-unterzeichnenden Dritten (Interessenkonstellationen und Gestaltungs-vorschläge),” in: M&A Review, 4/2019, S. 96-101
- „Oberlandesgericht Frankfurt am Main: Entscheidungen von Schiedsgerichten zu Unternehmensbewertungen (hier: Bewertung anlässlich Kapitalerhöhung gegen Einlage eines Unternehmens) können von staatlichen Gerichten nur in besonderen Ausnahmefällen überprüft werden“, Anmerkung zu OLG Frankfurt, Beschluss vom 16. Januar 2020 (26 Sch14/18)
- “BGH Rules That Violation of a Jurisdiction Agreement May Result in Liability for Counsel Fees,” Cleary Gottlieb Alert Memo, December 9, 2019
- New DIS Arbitration Rules as of March 1, 2018, Cleary Gottlieb Alert Memo, February 21, 2018
- Das neue IT-Sicherheitsgesetz – Erweiterte Pflichten für Betreiber kritischer Infrastrukturen, Cleary Gottlieb alert memo, July 7, 2015
- An international real estate investor in several German litigations following failed real estate transactions.
- A major U.S. bank in cross-border taking of evidence proceedings pursuant to the Hague Evidence Convention.*
- An international investor in connection with insider trading and market manipulation allegations.
- An international investor in connection with the UK Waterfall II (Part C) proceedings concerning claims under ISDA Master Agreements against Lehman Brothers International.*
- International department store group in several international DIS and ICC arbitrations relating to claims out of several purchasing and option agreements.
- German Chemical Company relating to arbitration based on long-term supply contract.
- German tour operator in corona-related mass litigation relating to cancelled package tours.
- German travel company in several litigations against consumer protection organizations.
- German jewelry retailer in connection with a long-term supply agreement.
- Agfa-Gevaert Group in defending a series of related ICC arbitrations under German law alleging over €1 billion in damages related to the sale of the company’s former consumer imaging division.*
- North American automotive group in a DIS arbitration with Düsseldorf seat under German law relating to a supply agreement.*
- Italian company in an arbitration under Swiss Rules (SCAI) with Zurich seat pur-suant to Swiss and Italian law relating to a sale and purchase agreement.*
- Republic of Austria in an ICSID arbitration commenced under the Austria-Malta bilateral investment treaty concerning measures taken against an Austrian bank and its management. All claims were dismissed for lack of jurisdiction in October 2017.*
- Electricité de France (EdF) in successfully defending an ICC arbitration initiated by the Federal State of Baden-Württemberg, which in 2010, acquired EDF's shareholding in the German energy company Energie Baden-Württemberg AG (EnBW). The Federal State of Baden Württemberg alleged that the purchase price it paid for EDF's stake in EnBW was excessive and involved illegal State aid. It sought claims over €800 million in damages, which were dismissed in their entirety.*
- Telespazio in connection with an ICC arbitration (with seat in Paris), subject to Swiss law, in connection with breaches of procurement and consultancy agree-ments.*
- Delphi I LLC, a majority-owned subsidiary of Citigroup Financial Products Inc., fol-lowing its disposal of an NPL portfolio to HOIST GmbH.*
- Bank of America in a US-based litigation brought by DZ Bank.*
- A global information technology group in complex disputes regarding allegedly un-lawful reproduction of software, including legal representation in a dispute against German trader of used software.*
- Republic of Argentina in the defense of numerous actions brought in Germany by bondholders affected by Argentina’s default with respect to approximately $100 billion in external indebtedness.*
- Owens Corning in a general commercial litigation arising out of the termination of a distribution agreement.*
- Pixelpark, part of the Publicis Groupe, against activist shareholders in several ac-tions relating to a contested control agreement.*
- Recticel in litigation against the Federal Cartel Office regarding Recticel’s protest against the confiscation of interview minutes from an internal audit during an FCO inspection.*
*Matthias advised on these matters prior to joining Willkie.
Credentials
Education
New York University School of Law, LL.M., 2014 State of Hesse, Second State Exam, 2011 Universität Heidelberg, First State Exam, 2008