Siegmann | Höger

Lawyers at the Federal Court of Justice

We advocate for you. With the expertise gained from decades of work at the Federal Court of Justice and a never-ending passion for winning, we will guide your legal dispute to the best possible outcome. Your success is our goal.

Legal excellence on par.

The legal dispute is not restarted in the third instance, especially since new evidence or new facts will in principle not be heard by the Federal Court of Justice. However, with their experience, Siegmann Höger understand how to structure, review, and, if necessary, reappraise the procedural material accumulated in two instances, even in large cases, in such a way that the case can be won before the Federal Court of Justice or, at least, the lawsuit is set back on track in the event of a referral of the case back to the Court of Appeal. We plead clearly, confidently, and at the highest legal standards.

We place particular emphasis on collegial and respectful cooperation with our colleagues in the lower courts in order to understand the interests underlying our clients’ cases and thus be able to represent them in the best possible way in the Federal Court of Justice.

This approach pays off. In the renowned Juve rankings, Matthias Siegmann’s sole practice has been among the top law firms at the Federal Court of Justice for many years.

Highlights of the last few years.

As required by the legal mandate for lawyers at the Federal Court of Justice, Siegmann Höger apply their expertise in appeals law in almost every area of civil law. Below you will find a selection of cases from recent years in which we have successfully represented our clients’ interests at the Federal Court of Justice.

Attribution of voting rights upon acquisition of control.

We twice successfully represented disadvantaged shareholders against Deutsche Bank AG in enforcing appropriate mandatory offers under the German Securities Acquisition and Takeover Act (WpÜG) in connection with the Postbank takeover.

Federal Court of Justice, judgment of December 13, 2022 – II ZR 14/21, BGHZ 235, 295; Federal Court of Justice, judgment of July 29, 2014 – II ZR 353/12, BGHZ 202, 180

Arbitration and civil jurisdiction.

We successfully represented a plaintiff who had lost an arbitration case before the tribunal, asserting claims for damages in connection with the construction of a nuclear power plant, before the Federal Court of Justice, where we obtained the annulment of the arbitration award due to a violation of the right to be heard.

Federal Court of Justice, decision of 18 July 2019 – I ZB 90/18, WM 2019, 1973

Diesel Emission’s Scandal I.

We successfully represented victims of the diesel emissions scandal against the manufacturer (Volkswagen AG) in enforcing tortious claims for damages arising from intentional, immoral damage and obtained the first landmark ruling in this regard at the Federal Court of Justice.

Federal Court of Justice, judgment of 25 May 2020 – VI ZR 252/19, BGHZ 225, 316

Class action debt collection and RDG.

We successfully represented three debt collection agencies before the Federal Court of Justice and convinced the court of the admissibility of class action debt collection in each case (no violation of the German Data Protection Act).

Federal Court of Justice, judgment of November 27, 2019 – VIII ZR 285/18, BGHZ 224/89 (wenigermiete.de);
Federal Court of Justice, judgment of July 13, 2021 – II ZR 84/20, BGHZ 230, 255 (Airdeal);
Federal Court of Justice, judgment of June 13, 2022 – VIa ZR 418/21, BGHZ 234, 125 (Financialright)

Dismissal of a managing director in professional football.

We successfully enforced the removal of Martin Kind as managing director of the management company of Hannover 96 GmbH & Co. KGaA at the Federal Court of Justice.

Federal Court of Justice, judgment of 16 July 2024 – II ZR 71/23, NJW 2024, 2985

Diesel Emission’s Scandal II.

We successfully represented victims of the diesel emissions scandal against the manufacturer (Volkswagen AG) in enforcing tortious claims for damages arising from the breach of certain statutes that intend to protect these victims individual rights and have obtained the landmark judgment on differential damages at the Federal Court of Justice.

BGH, judgment of 26 June 2023 – VIa ZR 335/21, Federal Court of Justice 237, 245

Damage caused by car wash.

We successfully represented the owner of a vehicle that was damaged while using a car wash against the car wash operator in asserting claims for damages before the Federal Court of Justice.

Federal Court of Justice, judgment of 21.11.2024 – VII ZR 39/24, NJW 2025, 435

Personal rights and press law.

We successfully represented the victim of a child abduction against a German television broadcaster (ZDF) before the Federal Court of Justice, where we secured the (partial) inadmissibility of film coverage due to the victim’s need for protection.

Federal Court of Justice, judgment of 6 June 2023 – VI ZR 309/22, NJW 2024, 505

Reversionary claim under the hereditary building law if a mosque is not built.

We successfully represented a city in Baden-Württemberg in enforcing its right of reversion under the hereditary building law before the Federal Court of Justice against a private association that had committed to building a large mosque on city-owned land.

Federal Court of Justice, judgment of 19 January 2024 – V ZR 191/22, NJW-RR 2024, 506

Artistic freedom and copyright protection.

We have repeatedly (partially) successfully represented a well-known German music producer before the Federal Court of Justice against the members of the band “Kraftwerk” regarding the sample from the song “Metall auf Metall” that the music producer used for a track he created, thereby defending the fundamental right to artistic freedom.

Federal Court of Justice, judgment of April 30, 2020 – I ZR 115/16, BGHZ 225, 222 (Metal on Metal IV) Federal Court of Justice, reference to the European Court of Justice of June 1, 2017 – I ZR 115/16, GRUR 2017, 895 (Metal on Metal III)

Postident video procedure.

We successfully enforced a credit institution’s claim against one spouse for repayment of a loan amount from a loan agreement that the other spouse had concluded for the other spouse using the Postident video procedure before the Federal Court of Justice.

Federal Court of Justice, judgment of 26 September 2023 – XI ZR 98/22, NJW 2023, 3790

Coverage claim under D&O insurance.

We successfully represented an insolvency administrator before the Federal Court of Justice who had asserted assigned coverage claims of the insolvent debtor and its former management against a D&O insurance policy, convincing the court of the invalidity of a related exclusion clause.

Federal Court of Justice, judgment of december 18, 2024 – IV ZR 151/23, NJW 2025, 831

Nullity of resolutions of a law firm.

We successfully represented a partner of a law firm before the Federal Court of Justice against the partnership regarding his exclusion from the partnership.

Federal Court of Justice, judgment of 16 July 2024 – II ZR 100/23, WM 2024, 1672

Other cases in which we have successfully acted for our clients:

I. Civil Panel

- Competition law, copyright law, trademark law

II. Civil Panel

- Corporate law

III. Civil Panel

- State liability law, contract law and service contract law

IV. Civil Panel

- Inheritance law, insurance contract law

V. Civil Panel

- Real estate law, law of the ownership of apartments and permanent residential rights

VI. Civil Panel

- law of torts, medical malpractice law

VII. Civil Panel

- Mandate law, compulsory enforcement law

VIII. Civil Panel

- Law on the sale of goods, residential tenancy law

IX. Civil Panel

- Insolvency law, lawyer’s liability law

X. Civil Panel

- Patent law, tourist travel law, donation law

XI. Civil Panel

- Banking law, capital market law

XII. Civil Panel

- Family law, commercial tenancy law

Cartel Panel

- Antitrust law

VIa. Civil Panel

- Special Civil Panel for the Diesel Emissions Scandal

What others say about us.

“Fast, creative, high professional quality. Very good rhetorician.” (Juve-Rechtsmarkt 4/2024, p. 63)

"Combative, collegial, friendly - always an open ear, even for the wishes of the court representatives."
(Juve-Rechtsmarkt 12/2022, p. 85)

“Extremely precise pleadings.”
(Juve-Rechtsmarkt 12/2020, p. 91)

“Extremely dedicated and detailed,
excellently drafted pleadings”
(Juve Handbook 2018/2019, p. 642)

“A critical spirit among the ranks of the BGH lawyers” (Süddeutsche Zeitung, 27.9.2013, p. 1)

Proven collaboration in a new form: The law firm Siegmann Höger Rechtsanwälte beim Bundesgerichtshof Partnerschaft mbB, which has been operating since July 1, 2025, seamlessly continues Matthias Siegmann‘s sole practice as a lawyer at the Federal Court of Justice established in 2007.

Siegmann Höger’s practice focuses on banking and investment law, corporate law and inheritance law, liability law for the liberal professions, insolvency law, and antitrust law. We also regularly practice in arbitration law and private international law.

We also represent our clients in all other areas of expertise before the Federal Court of Justice, such as construction law, tenancy law, press law, and intellectual property law.

The firm also has particular expertise in handling mass litigation, whether it be comprehensive proceedings under the Capital Markets Model Case Act, class actions in antitrust damages law, or mass individual proceedings (the Wirecard cases, the Diesel Emissions Scandal cases, and online gambling cases).

We also provide legal advice to the appellate courts in major civil litigation.

The lawyers

Our law firm in figures, data and facts

Matthias Siegmann and Jochen Höger have been working closely together for over 20 years. Since Matthias Siegmann was admitted to the bar before the Federal Court of Justice in 2007, he has handled more than 10,000 cases. The experience he has gained from this work pays off for his clients.

Of the 474 leave to appeal granted in 2025, according to the Federal Court of Justice’s statistics, Siegmann Höger have obtained 87 leave to appeal for their clients.

Years of collaboration

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supervised lawsuits

0 .000+

of 474 leave to appeal achieved in 2025

Working together towards success, collegially, clear-minded and goal-oriented.

Just as Matthias Siegmann and Jochen Höger work together in a spirit of trust, they also place particular emphasis on close collaboration with the law firm’s associate lawyers, each of whom is exceptionally qualified and specializes in specific areas of practice, and who help draft the pleadings for the Federal Court of Justice. Furthermore, Matthias Siegmann and Jochen Höger often handle commercially significant cases jointly, using the dual control principle.

Joint exchanges with colleagues in the lower courts are important to Siegmann Höger, whose presentations and procedural conduct are an indispensable foundation for success in the final appeals court. Early coordination of the proceedings before the Federal Court of Justice with colleagues at the lower courts is a matter of course for us and serves the common goal of defending and enforcing our clients’ interests in the third instance.

Siegmann | Höger

Lawyers at the Federal Court of Justice

Legal excellence on par.

Highlights of the last few years.