On 13 March 2025, the DIS Regional Group Stuttgart was invited to visit the new premises of the Commercial Court of Baden-Württemberg in Stuttgart (as it will be referred to as of 1 April 2025). A large crowd of practitioners responded to this kind invitation, all of whom were impressed by the evident enthusiasm of the judges for this innovative project.
The president of the Higher Regional Court of Stuttgart, Andreas Singer, emphasized that the Commercial Court will provide judges specialized in M&A transactions and corporate law disputes to hear cases that are fully in the English language. Patrick Melin, chairman of the Commercial Civil Chamber at the Commercial Court, and Alexander Schumann, chairman of the Chamber for Commercial Matters at the Commercial Court, shared their experiences, which included achieving a settlement between German and Chinese parties via video conference. Thomas Klink, deputy chairman of the Commercial Court of Appeal, introduced the updates planned on the basis of the Act to Strengthen Germany as a Seat for Disputes, coming into force on 1 April 2025, including extremely helpful model clauses for agreeing on the jurisdiction of the Commercial Court Baden-Württemberg.
The event concluded with a food and drinks reception kindly hosted by the Commercial Court Baden-Württemberg and a truly behind the scenes tour of the premises, including the judges’ consultation room and offices. Guests also got to see the modern court rooms, which provide impressive state-of-the art technology including video conferencing and recording facilities.
Roland Kläger and Claudia Krapfl