Expertise

Markus Perkams is a Partner in the International Arbitration and Litigation Group of Addleshaw Goddard in Frankfurt. He is qualified both as Rechtsanwalt in Germany and as a solicitor in England and Wales. Markus advises and represents clients in complex national and international disputes, both before state courts and arbitral tribunals. His expertise covers a broad range of subject matters, including disputes concerning or arising out of competition law, corporate law, D&O liability insurance, M&A contracts, shareholder and joint venture agreements or supply relationships. His industry expertise relates to many different industries, such as automotive, banking, construction, energy or telecommunications. 

In particular, Markus has a specific focus on the protection of foreign investment under International Investment Agreements and comparable instruments. In addition to his practical experience in this field, he has a regular teaching assignment from the University of Cologne and acts as an academic advisor to the International Investment Law Center Cologne (IILCC).

Experience

Before joining Addleshaw Goddard, Markus worked at two other international law firms in Frankfurt and London for 13 years. His recent experience at Addleshaw and his previous firm includes acting for: 

  • a major car manufacturer in an international arbitration and related US and UK court proceedings against a U.S.-based supplier concerning the validity of a long-term supply contract; 
  • an investor in the renewable energy industry in an international arbitration and related German state court injunction proceedings against the developer of a wind park;
  • a joint venture enterprise in an international arbitration and related UK High Court injunction proceedings against a major oil company concerning a cooperation agreement for the joint exploration of oil fields; 
  • a DACH private equity fund as claimant and counter-defendant in two domestic post-M&A arbitrations concerning breaches of representations and warranties, fraudulent misrepresentations and tax indemnity claims;
  • an international bank in German state court proceedings against three former board concerning their liability for the bank’s participation in cum/ex transactions; 
  • a German bank in relation to the assessment and enforcement of its D&O liability claims against a number of former board members and their insurer resulting from the bank’s participation in numerous tax-driven asset transactions;  
  • an automotive company in relation to the defence against numerous individual and collective competition law claims resulting from a breach of Art. 101 TFEU;
  • a major construction company in threatened German state court proceedings concerning the drawing of performance bonds for the construction of a power plant in Latin America;
  • the Government of a Sub-Saharan country in an investor-state-arbitration brought by a state-owned oil company concerning the exploration of oil fields; 
  • an investor from the CIS region in an investor-state-arbitration against a North-African country concerning the unfair treatment and indirect expropriation of its assets in the local telecommunications industry;
  • a major financial institution in relation to the effective planning of its investment in a BRICS jurisdiction in order to ensure it could benefit from the best possible level of investment protection; 
  • a major construction company in relation to the effective enforcement of a monetary award in an investor-state-arbitration against a Latin American country. 
Education
  • Doctorate In Law, University of Wuerzburg School of Law, 2007 
  • Second State Exam, Regional Court of Appeal, Berlin, 2006 
  • First State Exam, University of Wuerzburg School of Law, 2002
Languages
  • German
  • Russian
  • English
Publications
  • “Protection for Legal Persons,” in: International Investment Law, 2015
  • Co-author, “Grexit Concerns: How to Safeguard Assets Value,” IFLR, 2012
  • Co-author, “The Clawback – Can Arbitration Help Greek Bondholders Gain Redress?,” Legal Week, 2012
  • “The Concept of Indirect Expro¬priation in Comparative Public Law – Searching for Light in the Dark,” International Investment Law and Comparative Public Law, 2010
  • Co-author, “Internationales Wirtschaftsrecht,” 2010
Awards
  • Markus Perkams is one of "Germany’s best lawyers" for Dispute Resolution (Handelsblatt & Best Lawyers, since 2021)