Susanne Lutz, LL.M. (LSE)

I am a Counsel in our Munich office and part of the Dispute Resolution practice group. My focus is on commercial litigation before state courts and arbitral tribunals. In addition, I specialise in the defence of mass claim actions in various areas of law and sectors, including data protection law, insurance and the automotive industry.

I advise and represent our clients in all types of disputes. My work also includes advising our clients on the best dispute resolution mechanisms, whether it be drafting arbitration clauses or finding the best ad hoc dispute resolution mechanism.

My main focus is on commercial disputes (before state courts and in arbitration proceedings), with a particular emphasis on working for suppliers in our national and international automotive sector group.

I have many years of experience in numerous disputes involving contractual claims. I also have extensive knowledge of the arbitration rules of the relevant arbitration organisations (with a focus on ICC and DIS). I also act as an arbitrator.

I also have extensive experience in defending mass claims. This experience has also made me an experienced litigator in German courts, having personally tried more than 100 cases from the local court to the Federal Court of Justice. Recently, I have specialised in defending mass claims for alleged violations of the GDPR. In addition to typical individual mass proceedings, I am also familiar with other forms of collective redress.

Before joining our firm in 2021, I worked in the Dispute Resolution practice of another leading international law firm in Munich and New York.

• Defending a US-based social news aggregator against GDPR claims brought by its users.
• Advising and enforcing the claims of a large German financial services provider in the context of a software outsourcing project.
• Advising various global automotive suppliers regarding termination options of a framework agreement with an OEM.
• Extensively advising prominent Tier 1 automotive supplier on legal consequences of supply shortages.
• Advising a major French Tier 1 automotive supplier on the defence against claims for damages by an OEM.
• Advising a major German OEM on its global recall in connection with the emission of nitrogen oxides by diesel vehicles, defence of civil lawsuits before all German courts; leading legal tech pilot project regarding automated drafting of submissions.
• Representing a German supplier in the automotive industry, with regards to claims resulting out of a supply chain in ICC arbitration proceedings.
• Defending of a UK life insurer against hundreds of claims by German policyholders before all German courts, including the Federal Court of Justice; questions relating to the law of contracts, insurance, and (international) procedural matters.
• Advising and representing Europe's largest industrial manufacturing company in ICC arbitration proceedings with regards to claims resulting out of a license agreement.
• Defending a global investment firm's subsidiary against claims in connection with a management participation program of a German DAX company in DIS arbitration proceedings.
• Defending of a German publishing house against alleged patent claims in a case pending before German and US courts.