Dr. Nils Schmidt-Ahrendts
Partner
Dr. Nils Schmidt-Ahrendts
Dr. Nils Schmidt-Ahrendts primarily acts as arbitrator and counsel in arbitrations.
Nils has acted under various institutional and ad hoc rules (ICC, LCIA, SCC, VIAC, DIA, FAI, SCAI and DIS) as well as under various laws (Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Macedonia, Mexico, The Netherlands, Serbia, Switzerland, Swedish, Turkey and Qatar).
Moreover, Nils represents clients in proceedings before German courts with a particular focus on cartel damages and enforcement of foreign awards and judgments.
In addition, he also often represents clients in DAB, mediation and other ADR proceedings with a particular focus on construction and offshore windfarm disputes.
Nils’ industry focus lies in the areas automotive, construction, energy, international trade (CISG), infrastructure and transport as well as joint ventures and post-M&A.
Nils holds a Doctor of Laws in international sales law (CISG) and is a visiting professor for international arbitration at the Universities of Berlin and Freiburg. He also regularly speaks at international conferences and issues academic publications.
Nils speaks German, English and French.
As Arbitrator
Chairman, Sole Arbitrator and Party-Appointed Arbitrator in more than 35 domestic and international arbitration proceedings (ICC, Swiss Rules, VIAC, DIS, DIA, FAI and ad hoc) with amounts in dispute up to EUR 125 million.
As Counsel in arbitral proceedings
Representation of domestic and foreign companies in ICC, DIS, SCC and LCIA as well as in ad hoc arbitration proceedings with amounts in dispute up to EUR 350 million.
As Counsel in state court proceedings
Representation of domestic and foreign companies before German courts (i.a. enforcement of arbitral awards and follow-on-damage claims) with amounts in dispute up to EUR 50 million.
Co-Counsel and expert
Co-counsel and expert arrangements with domestic and foreign law firms
- International trade, construction, energy (in particular, on and offshore wind energy), infrastructure and transport as well as post-M&A
- International contract law, commercial and corporate law, sales law (i.a. CISG), construction law and transport and distribution law, energy law, antitrust law
- International private law, law of international civil procedure and comparative law
German
- German
- English
- French
Recommended by Who's Who Legal as a Thought Leader for Germany
Recommended by JUVE as one of Germany’s 30 most renowned arbitrators
Nils Schmidt-Ahrendts is "highly visible and on almost every shortlist of arbitrators”
Who’s Who LegalNils Schmidt-Ahrendts is "an exceptional lawyer who is very business-oriented and very strategic”
Who’s Who LegalNils Schmidt-Ahrendts is "an outstandingperformer with the sharpest legal mind and impressive clients”
Who’s Who LegalNils Schmidt-Ahrendts is an"excellent arbitrator,legally exact and to the point”
Who’s Who Legal- Nils Schmidt-Ahrendts is "a class act who is very business-oriented and very strategic and a very smart and well-prepared arbitrator”
Who’s Who Legal Nils Schmidt-Ahrendts is "a big star in the German market, commended by international peers for his top-tier work as arbitrator.”
Who’s Who Legal- Nils Schmidt-Ahrendts is an "extremely good lawyer”
The Legal 500
- Since 2011
HANEFELD, Hamburg - 2009 - 2011
CMS Hasche Sigle, Munich (Member of the International Litigation and Arbitration Department headed by Dr. Klaus Sachs) - 2007 - 2009
Legal traineeship including work experience with the ICC International Court of Arbitration in Paris, France, Hengeler Mueller in Berlin and the German Embassy in Cambodia - 2005 - 2007
Doctor of Laws (Dr. iur.) and Research and Teaching Assistant at the Institute for Foreign and International Private Law, University of Freiburg, Germany - 1999 - 2005
University of Freiburg and University of Grenoble
- Lecturer for International Arbitration and CISG at the Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg
- Co-founder of the International Dispute Resolution Master and lecturer for international arbitration at the Humboldt-University of Berlin
| Date | Event | Speech | City | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | SCAI Innovation Conference | Fast and Furious | Zurich | Switzerland |
| 2019 | DIS40 event | Reform of the German Arbitration Act | Berlin | Germany |
| 2017 | University of Konstanz | The right place of arbitration in case of BREXIT | Konstanz | Germany |
| 2017 | ICC YAF event | Energy Disputes | Düsseldorf | Germany |
| 2017 | ICC YAF event | The impact of the energy revolution in Germany on electricity supply contracts | Düsseldorf | Germany |
| 2016 | Unconscious Bias & Negotiation | Minimizing unconscious bias - a checklist for arbitrators | Vienna | Austria |
| 2016 | ICC YAF event | Roundtable moderator at the Co-Chairs’ Circle | Helsinki | Finland |
| 2016 | ICC YAF event | Arbitrating East-West Disputes in the Time of Sanctions | Helsinki | Finland |
| 2016 | "YIAG meets Vis" event during the Vis Moot | Document production | Vienna | Austria |
| 2016 | Hanover PreMoot Conference | Damages under the CISG | Hanover | Germany |
| 2015 | Kiev Arbitration Days | Arbitral activism v impartiality | Kiev | Ukraine |
| 2015 | LCIA/YIAG - Tylney Hall | N.N. | London | United Kingdom |
| 2015 | ICC YAF event | Independence and impartiality – the new IBA Guidelines | Copenhagen | Denmark |
| 2015 | ICC YAF event | Emergency arbitrators – success stories and challenges | Cologne | Germany |
| 2015 | ICC YAF event | Challenges for a new generation of arbitrators | Frankfurt am Main | Germany |
| 2014 | YAAP roundtable | International Arbitration | Vienna | Austria |
| 2014 | ICC YAF conference | The future of investment arbitration | Hamburg | Germany |
| 2014 | YIAG conference | Counsel ethics in international arbitration | Istanbul | Turkey |
| 2014 | ICC YAF Regional conference | Participation in the Europe Hall Debate | Rome | Italy |
| 2013 | European Business School | International Sales Law | Wiesbaden | Germany |
| 2013 | Baltic Arbitration Days 2013 | Arbitration and Project Finance | Riga | Latvia |
| 2013 | ASA Below 40 conference | Managing the process: notice of the proceedings, appointing the tribunal, non-payment of advances, fixing the procedure, managing the hearing | Geneva | Switzerland |
| 2013 | ICC Austria Seminar | German law in international contracts | Vienna | Austria |
| 2013 | ICC YAF conference | The CISG in Arbitration | Paris | France |
| 2013 | "Evidence in Arbitration" conference | Groups of Experts: A New Approach to Expert Evidence | Warsaw | Poland |
| 2012 | International conferences in Wellington and Auckland | Bridging the divide between party-appointed and tribunal-appointed experts | Auckland | New Zealand |
| 2012 | International conference organized by the ICC YAF | N.N. | Berlin | Germany |
| 2012 | DIS40 event | Sports Arbitration | Berlin | Germany |
| 2012 | N.N. | Integration of Technologies in Legal Matters | Düsseldorf | Germany |
| 2012 | In-house seminar | The CISG - a good choice for buyers | Cologne | Germany |
| 2012 | ICC Austria seminar | Workshop on "German law as an alternative in international contracts" | Vienna | Austria |
| 2012 | International conference on sports arbitration | Sports Arbitration in Germany - The Rules and Practice of the DIS Court of Arbitration for Sports | Warsaw | Poland |
| Year | Publication | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Dispute resolution by Dispute Adjudication Boards - practical advice on the structuring and conduct of proceedings (in German) | BauR 2020, pp. 1385 et seq |
| 2020 | Commentary of Articles 25-27 and 71-73 CISG (in German) | Beck Online Commentary on the CISG (the leading German online commentary) |
| 2020 | The BGH’s fine adjustments as to the consequences of the violation of disclosure obligations for setting aside and enforcement procedures (in German) | SchiedsVZ 2020, pp. 35 et seq. |
| 2019 | Commentary of Articles 74-77 CISG | Brunner/Gottlieb (ed.), Commentary on the UN Sales Law (CISG) |
| 2019 | Country Report: Germany | Weigand/Baumann (ed.), Practitioners Handbook on International Commercial Arbitration, 3rd ed. |
| 2019 | The Consequences of the Non-Disclosure of Conflict of Interest on the Enforceability of Awards: The German Stance | Kluwer Arbitration Blog |
| 2018 | The "Right" Place of Arbitration: How Germany Might Profit from Brexit | SchiedsVZ 2018, pp. 281 et seq. |
| 2015 | Enforcement of international arbitral awards in Germany | Practice Note for LexisPSL |
| 2014 | Commentary of Art. 74-77 CISG (in German) | Brunner (ed.), Commentary on the UN Sales Law (CISG), 2nd ed. |
| 2013 | Commentary of Art. 7-10 and 21 ICC Arbitration Rules (in German) | Nedden/Herzberg (ed.), Practice Commentary on ICC Arbitration Rules / DIS Arbitration Rules |
| 2013 | Commentary of Sec. 13 and 23 DIS Arbitration Rules (in German) | Nedden/Herzberg (ed.), Practice Commentary on ICC Arbitration Rules / DIS Arbitration Rules |
| 2012 | Expert Teaming - Bridging the Divide Between Party-Appointed and Tribunal-Appointed Experts | Wellington Law Review 2012, pp. 653 et seq. |
| 2011 | Applicable law in arbitration proceedings seated in Germany (jointly with Dr. Philipp Höttler; in German) | SchiedsVZ 2011, pp. 267 et seq. |
| 2010 | Expert evidence under the 2010 IBA Rules (jointly with Dr. Klaus Sachs) | International Arbitration Law Review 2010, pp. 216 et seq. |
| 2010 | Settlement Efforts in Arbitration (jointly with Dr. Klaus Sachs) | Revista de Arbitragem e Mediação 2010, pp. 161 et seq. |
| 2010 | Diverging concepts of the Principle of Competence-Competence (jointly with Dr. Klaus Sachs) | New Developments in International Commercial Arbitration 2010, pp. 1 et seq. |
| 2010 | Protocol on Expert Training: A New Approach to Expert Evidence (jointly with Dr. Klaus Sachs) | ICCA Congress Series 2010, pp. 135 et seq. |
| 2010 | Introduction to the law of arbitration (in German) | JURA 2010, pp. 520 et seq. |
| 2007 | Specific Performance, Damages and Avoidance under the CISG (dissertation, in German) | Mohr Siebeck |
| 2006 | Recoverability of frustrated expenses under the CISG (in German) | IHR 2006, pp. 67 et seq. |
- Appointed member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR
- Appointed member of the ICC Commission's Task Force on "Maximizing the Probative Value of Witness Evidence"
- German Arbitration Institute (DIS)
- Swiss Arbitration Association (ASA)
- Hamburg Arbitration Circle
- Former Regional Coordinator Europe & Russia ICC Young Arbitrators Forum (YAF)
- Former Regional Coordinator Europe LCIA Young International Arbitration Group (YIAG)
