Overview
Rupert is a seasoned litigator with more than 25 years of experience in international arbitration, litigation and mediation. He has extensive knowledge of post-M&A, commercial and infrastructure arbitration, corporate litigation, D&O liability, product liability defence, cartel damage claims and complex commercial disputes.
Rupert has prowess in the healthcare, automotive, food, infrastructure, consumer goods and chemical sectors. He often works in close collaboration with lawyers from the firm’s other market-leading practice areas, including Corporate, Banking, Competition and Insolvency, in cross-office, multidisciplinary teams. He is also a member of the Linklaters ESG Working Group.
Rupert has acted in more than 95 arbitration cases as counsel and arbitrator under all major arbitration rules. He is listed in the 2021 edition of Who’s Who as “National Leader” in both arbitration and litigation.
Work highlights
Rupert has advised on a full range of confidential international arbitration and litigation matters. Publicly known examples are:
- LIXIL in an arbitration against 20 W&I insurers
- Flex-N-Gate in a post-M&A arbitration against a German DAX company and parallel U.S. litigation
- Air France KLM Group in a €3bn cartel damage lawsuit
- Sal. Oppenheim in D&O liability litigation against former board members and related settlement negotiations
- Zimmer Biomet in a series of product liability matters, including coordination in various jurisdictions
Professional experience
Rupert worked for the predecessor firm Oppenhoff & Rädler from 1996. He joined Linklaters in 1999 and was appointed partner in 2002. From 2009 to 2019, he was also head of the German Litigation, Arbitration & Investigations department.
He is a long-standing member of the DAV's Civil Law Committee.
Rupert frequently speaks at seminars on the subjects of international arbitration, directors’ and officers’ liability, international contract law, product safety and liability.
Education and qualifications
Rupert studied law at the Universities of Bonn and Geneva, completed a doctorate in law at the University of Bonn and spent part of his education and career in Toronto and London.
He speaks German, English and French.
