Dr Richard Happ

Dr Richard Happ advises and represents companies and states in complex litigation and arbitration proceedings. He specialises in arbitration proceedings where a government is involved, in particular investment arbitration proceedings, and in arbitration proceedings in the energy sector. Richard Happ already acted as an advisor in disputes arising from gas storage and supply contracts, the sale of gas networks, claims for compensation under energy law, the construction of power plants, investments in wind power and solar plants, long-term supply and purchase right contracts and disputes in connection with nuclear power plants. The relevant arbitration proceedings were conducted in accordance with the applicable international rules (DIS, ICC, ICSID, SCC, UNCITRAL) in Frankfurt (Germany), Paris (France), Stockholm (Sweden), Geneva (Switzerland) und Washington, D.C. (USA). Richard Happ is also regularly appointed as an arbitrator in disputes arising from joint ventures and M&A transactions (post M&A disputes).

In his specialist area, Richard Happ has for years been recommended and honoured in clients’ guides to the best lawyers, such as the JUVE Guide, Chambers, The GAR 100, The Legal 500, Expert Guides and Who’s Who Legal. He has written more than two dozen articles and books on the topic of arbitration proceedings.

Richard Happ is also a member of the renowned ITA Europe Task Force and has been a member of the Institute for Transnational Arbitration since 2021. In addition, he has been on the board of the Hamburg Legal Centre since 2024. As a lawyer, he is committed to international arbitration and promoting Hamburg as a centre for international legal business.

Complex Disputes
Corporate/M&A
International Trade Law
Environment & Planning Law, Regulatory

After studying law in Kiel (Germany) and Surrey (England), Dr Richard Happ received his doctorate in 2000 and carried out his legal training in Kiel, Hamburg (Germany), Brussels (Belgium) and Speyer (Germany). Richard Happ joined Luther's Hamburg office in 2001 and since then has worked as a lawyer specialising in litigation and dispute resolution. He is co-head of the German-wide Complex Disputes team.

• Chambers Europe 2024: Ranking in "Dispute Resolution (Arbitration Counsel)", Band 3 (first ranking in 2011, "He is a strong lawyer focused on the client's goal.", "Richard Happ is experienced with state companies.", He is a very experienced litigator who offers a good overview of the case and doesn't miss details.")
• JUVE Guide 2024/2025: Award "Renowned Party Representative in Arbitration Proceedings" (first awarded in 2013/2014, "objective and calm manner, competent and service-oriented", client) and listed under "Frequently Recommended" in "Conflict Solution - Dispute Resolution" (first listed in 2010/2011) and "Regulated Industries - Energy Law" (first listed in 2019/2020, "very careful, excellent colleague", "brilliant litigator", competitor)
•  JUVE Guide 2022/2023: Mentioned under "Frequently Recommended" in "Distribution/Trade/Logistics – Foreign Trade Law" (first listed in 2017/2018, "profoundly well-read, experienced in arguments, wide awake, open to unconventional ways", client)
• The Legal 500 Germany 2024: Award "Leading Name" in the category "Dispute Resolution - Arbitration" (first recommendation in 2023, first mention in 2011,"Richard Happ: A bright mind who pursues his goals sensitively and imaginatively for the benefit of the client.") , recommendation in the category "Commercial and Distribution Law - Foreign Trade Law" (first recommendation in 2023) and mention in the "Industry Focus - Energy" (first mention in 2019)
• The Legal 500 Germany 2023: Recommendation in "City Focus Hamburg"
• The Legal 500 Germany 2020: Mention in the category "Dispute Resolution - Commercial Disputes" (first mention in 2014)
• Lexology Index 2025 (former WWL Who’s Who Legal): Award "Thought Leader" in "Thought Leaders - Arbitration" ("He expresses his views very clearly", "Richard is a truly outstanding practitioner", "He carries an excellent presence during proceedings", "Richard is a strong arbitration lawyer", first award in 2017) and "Thought Leaders - Germany" (first award in 2021) as well as recommendation "Global Leader" in "Arbitration" (first recommendation in 2011) and recommendation "National Leader" in "Germany - Arbitration" (first ranking in 2017) und "Germany - Commercial Litigation" (first recommendation in 2024)
• kanzleimonitor.de 2022/2023: Recommendation in "Litigation & ADR" (first recommendation in 2021/2022)
• Thomson Reuters 2024: Award as Stand-out Lawyer
• Best Lawyers 2020: Award "Lawyer of the Year" in "International Arbitration" 
• Best Lawyers 2025: Recommendation in "Arbitration and Mediation" (first recommendation in 2014), "Corporate Law" (first recommendation in 2016), "International Arbitration" (first recommendation in 2014), "Litigation" (first recommendation in 2020) and "Energy Law" (first recommendation in 2023)
• WirtschaftsWoche 2023: Recommendation "Top Lawyer" in "Arbitration" (first recommendation in 2021)
• Expert Guides 2021: Recommendation in "Commercial Arbitration" (first recommendation in 2011)
• PLC 2011: Recommendation in "Dispute Resolution: Arbitration" 
• The International Who's Who of Commercial Arbitration 2015: Listed (first listed in 2011)
• The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers 2015: Listed (first listed in 2011)

• EU Law and Investment Arbitration: Of Cooperation, Conflict and the EU Legal Order’s Autonomy
• Country Chapter Germany "The European Arbitration Review 2018"
• From the Jay Treaty Commissions Towards a Multilateral Investment Court: Addressing the Enforcement Dilemma
• Case Comment: Tribunal Declines to Exercise Jurisdiction in Philip Morris v. Australia
• Horror Vacui: Why Investment Treaties Should Apply to Illegally Annexed Territories
• Why Investors in Germany Need Investment Protection
• A Review of German Arbitration Law in 2014 and 2015
• Deutschland als Schiedsort
• The case HETA: sovereign expropriation of foreign creditors, in: Versicherungswirtschaft-Heute vom 04. Mai 2015
• A Review of German Arbitration Law in 2013 and 2014
• Einklagbare Ansprüche
• A Review of German Arbitration Law in 2012 and 2013
• Digest of ICSID Awards and Decisions 1974-2002
• Mitautor des Anwalts-Handbuches Einstweiliger Rechtsschutz, herausgegeben von Dirk Kleveman, Verlag Dr. Otto Schmidt, 2. Ausgabe 2013
• Business Law in Germany, Chapter 17, Litigation, Arbitration and Mediation
• New arbitration rules of the German Instituion for Arbitration (DIS)
• Schutz von Auslandsinvestitionen
• Digest of ICSID Awards and Decisions 2003-2007
• Die Zuständigkeit des Investitionsschiedsgerichts für vertragliche Ansprüche
• Investitionsstreitigkeiten auf Grundlage des Energiechartavertrages
• Wie komme ich an mein Geld?
• Die praktische Bedeutung des Energiechartavertrages - eine EG-feste Grundsrechtscharta für die deutsche Energiewirtschaft?
• The Legal Status of the Investor vis-à-vis the European Communities: some salient thoughts
• The "Foreign Nationality"-Requirement and the "Exhaustion of Local Remedies" in Recent ICSID Jurisprudence
• Awards and Decisions of ICSID Tribunals in 2007
• The Nykomb Case in the light of recent ICSID jurisprudence
• Beilegung von Steuerstreitigkeiten zwischen Investoren und ausländischen Staaten durch Schiedsgerichte
• Awards and Decisions of ICSID Tribunals in 2006
• Gegen politische Risiken gewappnet: Ein bilateraler Vertrag schützt Investoren vor staatlicher Willkür
• Ost-West-Contact Sonderheft Ukraine (Mai 2005), S. 26
• Aktuelle Rechtsprechung der ICSID-Schiedsgerichte
• Awards and Decisions of ICSID Tribunals in 2005
• Der Schutz von Auslandsinvestitionen durch den Energiechartavertrag
• Yukos: Droht die Enteignung ausländischer Aktionäre ?
• Neuer Investitionschutzvertrag mit China
• Awards and Decisions of ICSID-Tribunals in 2004
• Awards and Decisions of ICSID-Tribunals in 2003
• Der Schutz deutscher Investitionen in Namibia
• Dispute Settlement under the Energy Charter Treaty
• Buchrezension "International Investments and the Protection of the Environment"
• Investitionsschiedsverfahren unter dem Energiechartavertrag: AES Summit Corp. / Ungarn
• Buchrezension "The ICSID-Convention: A Commentary"
• Schiedsverfahren zwischen Staaten und Investoren unter Art. 26 Energiechartavertrag
• Die Anwendbarkeit völkerrechtlicher Auslegungskriterien auf das UN-Kaufrecht (The Application of Public International Law Methods of Interpretation to the CISG)
• The Foreign Nationality Requirement and Exhaustion of Local Remedies

• Lockdown in Shanghai und Ukraine-Krieg – Streitigkeiten aufgrund von Störungen der internationalen Lieferkette
• European Parliament approves EU-Singapore FTA and EU-Singapore IPA
• Does the ECJ slam the door in the face of intra-EU investment tribunals?

• Rechtsstandort Hamburg (member of the board of directors since 2024) including Hamburg Arbitration Centre
• DIS (member of the board of directors since 2021, president of the DIS Arbitration Council, former national coordinator DIS40, member rules revision committee 2016-17)
• IBA (Subcommittee Investment Arbitration, 2014-2015)
• Energy Charter Secretariat, Legal Advisory Task Force
• ICC Commission on Arbitration
• Advisory Board of the International Investment Law Centre Cologne (IILCC) since 2009
• ICSID Review - Peer Review Board Member since 2021
• Turkish Commercial Law Review – Advisory Board Member since 2014
• Institute for Transnational Arbitration since 2023  (member of the ITA Europe Task Force since 2024) since 2021

• 26.07.2023: „Zurück in die Vergangenheit? Russland startet Enteignungen"
• 26.07.2023: unyer Webinar I Back to the past? Russia starts expropriations
• 27.03.2023: Luther Dispute Resolution Lecture I Russia’s Aggression Against Ukraine The Question of Reparation – International Legal Issues
• 27.03.2023: Force Majeure and State Action: Lessons from the Rolimpex Case and Beyond
• 10.03.2023: ICC Digital Lunch Breaks I „Investitionsschutz in Folge des Russland/Ukraine-Krieges – welche Möglichkeiten haben Unternehmen?“
• 26.10.2022: ICC Arbitration Forum I „Arbitration in Supply Chains & Human Rights“
• 30.05.2022: „Wege durch den Sanktionsdschungel“ I Gemeinsames Webinar von LutherI RSP International und dem Ost-Ausschuss der Deutschen Wirtschaft e.V.
• 04.04.2022: 5th Luther Dispute Resolution Lecture
• 17.03.2022: Russland. Ukraine. Europa. Rechtliche Auswirkungen für Ihr Unternehmen – Update
• 03.03.2022: Russland. Ukraine. Europa. Rechtliche Auswirkungen für Ihr Unternehmen
• 30.03.2020: Luther Dispute Resolution Lecture 2020
• 04.07.2018: Slovak Republic v Achmea B.V. – the End of Investment Protection Agreements between EU Member States, Panel Discussion
• 14.09.2017: treaty shopping - legitimate measure or abuse of rights?, Kazan International Legal Forum
• 02.12.2009: The Future of Bilateral Investment Protection, 50 Years of Bilateral Investment Treaties Conference 2009: Taking Stock and a Look to the Future
• 13.11.2009: Investment disputes in the energy sector, in particular on the base of the Energy Charter Treaty, Settlement of Investment Disputes With Countries in Transition
• 23.04.2008: Zurechnungs- und Haftungsprobleme im Verhältnis von Mitgliedstaaten, Der EU-Refromvertrag von Lissabon
• 15.11.2007: Investitionsstreitigkeiten auf Grundlage des Energiechartavertrages, 36. Energierechtliche Jahrestagung
• 03.11.2006: Zuständigkeit des Schiedsgerichtes für vertragliche Ansprüche, Investitionsschutzrecht - und Praxis: Unternehmensstrategie
• 25.10.2006: Die tatsächliche Bedeutung des Energiechartavertrages für die deutsche Energiewirtschaft, 2. Gesprächskreis Investitionsschutzrecht
• 26.04.2006: The Foreign Nationality Requirement and Exhaustion of Local Remedies, The ICSID Convention - Taking Stock after 40 years
• 11.06.2005: Commentator für Session 5, Investment Arbitration and the Energy Charter Treaty