HomeDr. Mathias Wittinghofer
Expert resume of Dr. Mathias Wittinghofer
Partner, Herbert Smith Freehills LLP; Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators; Member, German Arbitration Institution; Member, Austrian Arbitration Institution; Member, Swiss Arbitration Association; Panellist, Vienna International Arbitration Centre; Panellist, Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration; P.R.I.M.E. Finance Expert
Mathias is double-qualified as a Rechtsanwalt in Germany and a solicitor in England and Wales. He has over 15 years' experience in handling all kinds of commercial litigations and domestic and international arbitrations, with a special focus on disputes relating to capital markets- and post-M&A, as both counsel and arbitrator. In addition, Mathias has been acting, both as counsel and as arbitrator, in joint venture disputes, corporate D&O liability matters and in intellectual property cases, including patents, utility models and designs. Mathias is also representing parties with a view to and advising on follow-on cartel damage claim matters. Mathias' arbitration experience includes serving as an expert on German arbitration law in foreign court proceedings.
Mathias has completed the training required to qualify as a Fachanwalt für Bank- und Kapitalmarktrecht (specialised banking and finance lawyer). He has published several articles on banking and finance law as well as international arbitration, and has spoken extensively on both topics. Mathias is also a lecturer on International Arbitration at the Goethe University in Frankfurt.
In 2012 and again in 2015, Mathias was awarded the prestigious ILO Client Choice Award as Germany's best litigation counsel, based on a survey among more than 2,000 in-house counsels worldwide.
In Who's Who Legal: Arbitration (2020) Mathias is recognised as one of the world's leading commercial arbitrators and counsel, stating: "Mathias Wittinghofer is 'an outstanding colleague with a great attitude', effuse peers who distinguish him as 'an insightful counsel who is always very responsive". In 2017, 2018 and 2019 editions of the book, Mathias was named a global "Future Leader", with the guide stating: "Mathias Wittinghofer impresses with his impeccable legal skills, outstanding character and great judgment". The guide also says: "Mathias Wittinghofer gains recognition as 'an exceptionally good strategist' who impresses with his 'extremely engaged and client-oriented approach'. Sources comment that he has 'a strong presence, especially in banking, finance and corporate disputes'.
In Who's Who Legal: Germany (2020), Mathias is recognised as one of Germany's highest ranked lawyers in arbitration and litigation. Since 2018, Mathias has been recognised as one of the top "leading lawyers" in the field of arbitration by Who's Who Legal: Germany, which stated: "The 'very dynamic' Mathias Wittinghofer is internationally recognised for his 'effective, excellent counsel and cogent presentation of facts and law' and is "fast and professional"; He 'is distinguished as a "very hardworking" lawyer who excels when it comes to handling corporate liability, joint ventures and IP disputes.' Mathias is recognised as a standout figure in the German litigation space thanks to his expert handling of a range of disputes". The guide also recognised him as a leading lawyer in the area of TMT ("Mathias Wittinghofer is a disputes guru who is recognised for his invaluable counsel on technology-related matters.").
JUVE, the leading German legal directory, lists Mathias as a frequently recommended dispute resolution and litigation expert ("brilliant strategist", "strong counsel in arbitrations", "mastermind"; "rhetorically strong,").
The Legal 500 Germany acknowledges Mathias as a 'very experienced' arbitration specialist. Mathias is also listed by "Best Lawyers Germany" and Handelsblatt as "DEUTSCHLANDS BESTE ANWÄLTE" for his litigation work.