Dr Christoph von Burgsdorff, LL.M. (Essex)

Dr Christoph von Burgsdorff specialises in negotiating and drafting commercial and distribution agreements, commercial leases, sales contracts, general terms and conditions and service agreements. Furthermore, he represents the interests of large and medium-sized companies in national and international litigation and arbitration proceedings, especially in accordance with the DIS, ICC and LCIA Rules, as well as in ad-hoc proceedings. Christoph von Burgsdorff has more than 16 years’ experience providing strategic conflict advice and conflict management services. His main industry focus is Health Care & Life Science, the textile industry, logistics and plant construction, and Maritime & Shipping. His clients include medium-sized and large companies, as well as the public sector.

Christoph von Burgsdorff regularly publishes papers and articles on current international trade topics and gives lectures on current contract and liability law issues at events organised by industry associations.

Corporate/M&A
Commercial & Distribution Law, Product Liability/Product Compliance
Litigation
Arbitration
Digital Value Chains
Artificial Intelligence & Big Data

Dr Christoph von Burgsdorff studied law in Kiel (Germany) and Surrey (England) from 1994 to 1999. In 2000, he received a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree from the University of Essex (England). In 2001, he obtained his doctorate for a thesis on European Union law from the University of Kiel (Germany). Christoph von Burgsdorff carried out his legal training at the Higher Regional Court of Schleswig-Holstein (Germany), which also included training periods at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Allen & Overy. He was admitted to the German Bar in 2003 and has been working for Luther ever since – since 2012 as a partner. In 2006, Christoph von Burgsdorff spent time on secondment at the international business law firm Pinsent Masons in London (England). Since 2007, he has additionally been a certified specialist in commercial and corporate law.

Christoph von Burgsdorff is co-head of Luther’s Nordic Desk, which he leads together with Richard Happ and Detlev Stoecker. He is a member of the industry group Health Care & Life Science, where he is responsible, together with Kuuya Chibanguza, for the area of medical technology.

• Best Lawyers (2021): Award in "Arbitration and Mediation"
• The Legal 500 Germany (2020): Mentioned in Trading and Distribution Law - Distribution/Trading/Logistics and in Dispute Resolution - Arbitration (incl. International Arbitration)
• The Legal 500 Deutschland (2019): Entry in the category "Dispute Resolution - Arbitration" (including International Arbitration)

Commercial

• US toy manufacturer – Ongoing advice on commercial and distribution law
• Automotive supplier – Ongoing advice on commercial and distribution law, general terms and conditions, and joint venture
• Medium-sized packaging company – Ongoing advice on commercial and distribution law, general terms and conditions, and joint venture
• Automotive supplier – Ongoing advice on commercial and distribution law, drafting of purchasing agreements and supply contracts
• Machine tool manufacturer – Ongoing advice on cross-border litigation and arbitration, commercial and distribution law, and joint venture
• German media agency – Advice on how to draft purchasing and distribution agreements, drafting of terms and conditions of purchase
• Manufacturer of conveyor technology – Out-of-court assertion of claims for remuneration against a foreign contracting party in connection with an agreement on the manufacture and supply of conveyor systems
• German metal-casting company – Out-of-court representation in connection with the assertion of warranty claims against a supplier
• Medium-sized steel-casting company – Advice on how to draft a contract in connection with the outsourcing of logistics services

Litigation / Dispute Resolution

• German plant construction company – Advice in a legal dispute with the state-owned oil company of an Asian country regarding the implementation of a plant construction and supply contract
• Romanian group of companies – Representation in a legal dispute to defend alleged claims of the other contracting party’s insolvency administrator under a contract for work and services in connection with the supply of steel for the construction of a power plant in Germany
• Steel producer – Representation in proceedings regarding a neighbouring company’s alleged claims for injunctive relief under ambient pollution control law
• Representation of an energy producer in a legal dispute in connection with the non-performance of a supply contract with an Indonesian supplier for several hundred thousand tons of coal
• German project company of an Austrian wind farm operator – Representation in a legal dispute in connection with the reversal of a wind farm project
• German automotive supplier – Regular representation in proceedings regarding contract law disputes (purchasing and distribution)
• Italian group of companies – Representation in a lawsuit against a German DAX company in a post-M&A dispute regarding claims for adjustment of the purchase price
• Estonian transport and logistics company – Representation in an action regarding alleged claims for mal-performance of a transport agreement
• US toy manufacturer – Representation in court in a product liability case
• German shipping company – Representation in a legal dispute with a consulting firm
• German IT services provider – Enforcement of fee claims
• German project developer – Enforcement of claims in connection with the reversal of a property purchase agreement regarding former barracks grounds in Northern Germany

 Arbitration

• German shipyard – Representation in ad-hoc arbitration proceedings under German law against a Turkish customer with regard to alleged warranty claims under a ship building contract
• Chinese trading company – Representation in ad-hoc arbitration proceedings against a German contracting party for non-performance of an annual supply contract
• Company in the United Arab Emirates – Advice and representation in connection with ad-hoc arbitration proceedings due to the German contracting party’s failure to supply a paper production plant to Pakistan
• German brewery group – Representation in ICC arbitration proceedings against a contracting party in a Central American country
• German energy producer – Representation in arbitration proceedings according to the Swiss Rules of International Arbitration against an Italian trading partner
• German energy provider – Advice in connection with arbitration proceedings conducted according to the Arbitration Rules of the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) for damages arising from a sea freight transaction

Corporate

• Austrian joint stock company – Comprehensive out-of-court advice in connection with the termination of a joint venture regarding the development of wind-turbine projects in Eastern Europe
• Advice to a German company in a dispute with a joint venture partner in the area of petroleum production in a Central Asian country
• German packaging company – Assertion of a claim for repayment of a loan arising from a failed joint venture against a Czech contracting party
• European holding of an international group of companies – Devising of a complex dispute settlement mechanism in the company agreement

• Kapitel: Germany (Getting the Deal Through: Ports & Terminals 2019)
• Kapitel: Germany (Getting the Deal Through: Ports & Terminals 2018)
• A new centralised electronic register for protective briefs
• The function of oral hearings in German civil procedure: does a principle lose its ground?
• Einheitliche Rechtsgrundlage für Warenkaufverträge
• Protection of trade secrets in German civil proceedings: an EU directive as saviour?
• Kapitel: Germany (Getting the Deal Through: Ports & Terminals 2017)
• Collective redress in Germany: long overdue or superfluous?
• TTIP und Schiedsgerichtsbarkeit
• The effects of the crisis in Ukraine an international trade in Europe from the perspective of German law
• Persönlichkeitsverletzungen im Internet: Sind Personen verschiedener Nationalität beteiligt, kann die Wahl des Gerichtsstands zur Kardinalfrage werden
• Beim Freihandelsabkommen geht es auch um Investitionsschutz
• Dispute Resolution within M&A Transactions

• The Hague Convention on the Enforcement and Recognition of Foreign Judgments in Civil or Commercial Matters: game changer or non-starter?