Dr. Nils Schmidt-Ahrendts

Dr. Nils Schmidt-Ahrendts

Rechtsanwalt|Partner

About 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.

Contact

Recognitions

Instruments

Arbitration Litigation Alternative Dispute Resolution Expert Advice

Areas of practice

Commercial & Trade Law Construction & Engineering Energy Infrastructure and transport Post-M&A & Corporate Law International Private & Civil Procedure Law

Experience

Chairman, Sole Arbitrator, Party-Appointed and Emergency Arbitrator in more than 50 arbitration proceedings (ICC, Swiss Rules, VIAC, DIS, DIA, FAI, Hamburg Chamber of Commerce and ad hoc) with amounts in dispute up to EUR 180 million.

  • Representation of domestic and foreign companies in arbitration proceedings (ICC, LCIA, SCC, DIS and ad hoc) with amounts in dispute up to EUR 350 million.
  • Representation of domestic and foreign companies in DAB proceedings (FIDIC, ICC, DIS and ad hoc) as well as in mediation 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 arrangements with domestic and foreign law firms

Languages and nationality

  • German
  • English
  • French

  • German

Curriculum vitae

  • 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, Germany and University of Grenoble, France

Speeches

  • Climate Litigation
    University of Hamburg
    Hamburg, Germany
  • IT & Legal Tech in Arbitration
    Baltic Arbitration Days
    Riga, Latvia
  • The CISG Applies
    MAA International Commercial Law & Arbitration
    Vienna, Austria

  • Fast and Furious – Urgent and Expedited Relief
    SCAI Innovation
    Zurich, Switzerland

  • Reform des deutschen Schiedsverfahrensrecht, DIS 40, Berlin (2019)
    DIS 40
    Berlin, Germany

  • Der richtige Schiedsstandort bei Brexit (in German)
    Konstanz, Germany
  • Energy Disputes
    ICC YAF
    Dusseldorf, Germany

  • Minimising unconscious bias – a checklist for arbitrators
    Vienna, Austria
  • Schiedsort Berlin – quo vadis (in German)
    Berlin, Germany
  • Arbitrating East-West Disputes in the Time of Sanctions
    ICC YAF
    Helsinki, Finland
  • Damages under the CISG
    Hanover, Germany

  • Challenges for a new generation of arbitrators
    ICC YAF
    Frankfurt am Main, Germany
  • Independence and impartiality – the new IBA Guidelines
    Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Arbitral activism v impartiality
    Kiev Arbitration Days
    Kiev, Ukraine
  • Emergency arbitrators – success stories and challenges
    ICC YAF
    Cologne, Germany

  • Internationales Schiedsverfahrensrecht (in German)
    YAAP Roundtable
    Vienna, Austria
  • The future of investment arbitration
    ICC YAF, Hamburg (2014)
    Hamburg, Germany
  • Counsel ethics in international arbitration
    YIAG
    Istanbul, Turkey
  • Europe Hall Debate
    ICC YAF
    Rome, Italy

  • Arbitration & Project Finance
    Baltic Arbitration Days
    Riga, Latvia
  • The empty chair – arbitrating against absent Respondents
    ASA Below 40
    Geneva, Switzerland
  • CISG & Arbitration
    ICC YAF
    Paris, France
  • Evidence in international arbitration
    Warsaw, Poland
  • Sportschiedsgerichtsbarkeit
    Frankfurt am Main, Germany

  • The Use of Experts in International Arbitration
    Wellington, New Zealand
  • Bridging the divide between party and tribunal-appointed experts
    Auckland, New Zealand
  • The CISG – a good choice for buyers
    Cologne, Germany
  • Sports Arbitration in Germany
    Warsaw, Poland

Publications

  • Dispute resolution by Dispute Adjudication Boards - practical advice on the structuring and conduct of proceedings
    BauR 2020, pp. 1385 et seq. (in German, jointly with Dr. Johanna Büstgens and Jörn Hombeck)
  • Art. 25-27 und 71-73 CISG
    Beck Online Großkommentar
  • Die Feinjustierungen des BGH zu den Folgen der Verletzung von Offenlegungspflichten im Aufhebungs- und Vollstreckbarerklärungsverfahren
    SchiedsVZ 2020, pp. 35 et seq. (in German, jointly with Viktoria K. Schneider)

  • Country Report: Germany
    Weigand/Baumann (ed.), Practitioners Handbook on International Commercial Arbitration, 3rd ed.
  • Art. 74 - 77 CISG
    Brunner/Gottlieb (ed.), Commentary on the UN Sales Law (CISG)
  • The Consequences of the Non-Disclosure of Conflict of Interest on the Enforceability of Awards: The German Stance
    Kluwer Arbitration Blog (jointly with Viktoria K. Schneider)

  • The "Right" Place of Arbitration: How Germany Might Profit from Brexit
    SchiedsVZ 2018, pp. 281 et seq. (jointly with Aaron de Jong)

  • Enforcement of international arbitral awards in Germany
    Practice Note for LexisPSL (jointly with Jörn Hombeck)

  • Art. 74 - 77 UN-Kaufrecht
    Brunner (Hrsg.), UN-Kaufrecht – CISG, 2. Aufl.

  • Art. 7-10 and 21 ICC-SchO
    Nedden/Herzberg (ed.), Praxiskommentar ICC SchO und DIS SchO, 1st ed. 2013 (in German)
  • §§ 13 und 23 DIS-SchO
    Nedden/Herzberg (ed.), Praxiskommentar ICC SchO und DIS SchO, 1st ed. 2013 (in German)

  • Expert Teaming - Bridging the Divide Between Party-Appointed and Tribunal-Appointed Experts
    Wellington Law Review 2012, pp. 653 et seq.

  • Applicable law in arbitration proceedings seated in Germany
    SchiedsVZ 2011, pp. 267 et seq. (in German, jointly with Dr. Philipp Höttler)

  • Expert evidence under the 2010 IBA Rules
    International Arbitration Law Review 2010, pp. 216 et seq.
  • Settlement Efforts in Arbitration
    Revista de Arbitragem e Mediação 2010, pp. 161 et seq.
  • Diverging concepts of the Principle of Competence-Competence
    New Developments in International Commercial Arbitration 2010, pp. 1 et seq.
  • Experts – Neutrals or Advocates
    ICCA Congress Series 2010, pp. 135 et seq.
  • Einführung in das Schiedsverfahrensrecht
    JURA 2010, pp. 520 et seq.

  • Der Ersatz frustrierter Aufwendungen im UN-Kaufrecht
    IHR 2006, pp. 67 et seq.
  • Recoverability of frustrated expenses under the CISG (in German)
    IHR 2006, pp. 67 et seq.

  • Das Verhältnis von Erfüllung, Schadensersatz und Vertragsaufhebung im CISG
    Mohr Siebeck, 2007 (doctoral thesis in German; sponsored by the German Academic Scholarship Foundation)

Academic appointments

  • Visiting Professor for International Arbitration at the University of Freiburg
  • Co-founder of the International Dispute Resolution LL.M at the HU Berlin

Memberships

  • Appointed member of the advisory board of the German Arbitration Institute (DIS)
  • Appointed member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR
  • Swiss Arbitration Association (ASA)
  • Hamburg Arbitration Circle (HAC)
  • Former Regional Coordinator Europe & Russia ICC Young Arbitrators Forum (YAF)
  • Former Regional Coordinator Europe LCIA Young International Arbitration Group (YIAG)
  • Former Regional Coordinator DIS40 Berlin
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