Overview
Matthias Distler has in-depth litigation experience in all major German courts and advises clients in all phases of judicial and extrajudicial disputes.
He focuses his practice on complex and high-value damages litigation, with a special emphasis on the defence and enforcement of directors’ and officers’ liability claims (D&O) as well as conflicts arising from merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions and insolvencies.
In the area of commercial disputes, his practice is centered on conflicts within international supply chains, particularly in the automotive sector. His experience also includes disputes between investment fund managers and investors, as well as the structured defence against class and mass actions.
Matthias represents clients across industries in large-scale and cross-border litigation, preliminary injunction proceedings and enforcement actions as well as alternative dispute resolution proceedings and strategic negotiations. His litigation work includes the tailored assembly and coordination of cross-practice litigation teams with various areas of expertise.
Results
- Cross-border action by an insolvency administrator asserting directors’ and officers’ liability (D&O) claims for payments made after insolvency in the amount of EUR 48 million against former managing directors of a GmbH over two court instances
- Structured judicial and extrajudicial defence of an insolvency administrator in mass proceedings with a total amount in dispute exceeding EUR 150 million over three court instances
- Defence against directors’ liability (D&O) claims amounting to EUR 57 million brought against the chairman of a German stock corporation’s supervisory board in two court instances
- Defence against claims arising from a share purchase agreement (post-M&A) brought against the seller of a medical technology company in the amount of EUR 27 million
- Defence against claims for fraudulent misrepresentation (post-M&A) following the sale of a company in the automotive sector in the amount of EUR 12 million
- Defence against claims for fraudulent misrepresentation (post-M&A) following the sale of a company in the automotive sector to a German-Chinese investor consortium and enforcement of counterclaims with a total amount in dispute of EUR 10 million
- Defence against post-M&A claims brought against a Chinese investment company in a cross-border dispute relating to the acquisition of a German private bank with an amount in dispute of EUR 10 million
Recognitions
- Handelsblatt/Best Lawyers™, “Ones to Watch” in Germany: Litigation, 2024-2025
Community
- DIS (German Arbitration Institute)
- DIS40 (German Arbitration Institute)
- ICC Germany (Commission on Arbitration and ADR)
- ICC Germany, Editorial Advisory Board
