Anke C. Sessler

Dr. Sessler represents industrial corporations and financial service providers in complex disputes relating to inter alia M&A and supply contracts, joint ventures and other commercial agreements, as well as in shareholder litigation and disputes relating to corporate boards. In recognition of her work in arbitration, she has been repeatedly recommended in Lexology Index (formerly Who’s Who Legal) and named in Best Lawyers for international arbitration, litigation and mediation.

Dr. Sessler joined Skadden as a partner in 2014. From 2008 to 2014, she was chief counsel litigation at Siemens AG in Munich. Prior to her tenure at Siemens, she was a partner at another top international law firm in Frankfurt for over 10 years.

Dr. Sessler holds positions in various arbitration institutions. Until recently, she was a member of the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). She serves on the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR, and the ICC National Committee (Germany), as well as on the Advisory Board of the International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA). Dr. Sessler has been accredited as a mediator by the Center for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR).

Selected matters as counsel include:

• advising a major German car manufacturer in relation to cartel damages claims arising out of several supplier cartels
• representing a U.S.-based biotech company in a dispute — including mediation proceedings — with a French pharmaceutical company in relation to a licensing and collaboration agreement
• representing a major car manufacturer in a €1 billion arbitration against a U.S.-based automotive supplier and in a related U.S. lawsuit relating to the termination of a supply contract (DIS)
• representing a global chemical company in a €500 million post-M&A arbitration based on rising energy prices against an Eastern European purchaser of an industrial asset in Germany (DIS)
• sitting as chair in arbitration proceedings relating to a pricing dispute in the automotive industry between a manufacturer of control devices for commercial vehicles and its supplier (SAA)
• representing a German bank regarding the repayment of a loan against an Indonesian company (ICC)
• representing UniCredit Bank AG in three separate litigation proceedings against former management board members regarding damages claims in relation to transactions effected around dividend record dates (“cum/ex” transactions)
• representing a German bank in connection with claims against former board members and employees because of a range of tax-driven transactions that ultimately caused severe losses to the bank as the envisaged tax incentives were not granted by the German tax authorities
• advising an international investment bank in its defence against several damages claims by other banks regarding transactions effected around dividend record dates (“cum/ex” transactions)
• defending the Republic of Moldova against a BIT claim by Russian investors in the banking sector (Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC), Stockholm)
• advising a global chemical company in relation to a €1 billion cartel damages claim
• representing an international private equity fund as respondent in a post-M&A dispute with a strategic buyer regarding a target in the construction industry (DIS)
• representing an Indian automotive supplier in a dispute against its joint venture partner, a German supplier of parts for the automotive industry (ad hoc arbitration)
• representing a multinational business in parallel U.K. and German investigations in relation to national and EU competition law infringements by the company’s German and U.K. businesses and resulting follow-on damages claims across the EU
• advising a global mechanical and plant engineering firm in a dispute with a German original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in relation to the construction of an assembly line - sitting as arbitrator in two arbitration proceedings involving various entities of an Arabic state and an Indian construction company (ICC, Amman and UNCITRAL, Cairo)
• representing a global specialty materials company against a customer in a mediation related to a warranty claim (mediation, Amsterdam)
• sitting as arbitrator in an arbitration proceeding between a German automotive supplier and its Austrian subcontractor regarding a supply contract (ICC)
• advising a manufacturer of stainless steel in a major post-M&A dispute relating to the carve-out of certain parts of the target company in an international post-M&A arbitration (DIS)
• advising a U.S.-based biotech company in a dispute regarding license agreements in multiple disputes (ICC, Berlin and ad hoc, Paris)
• advising a German construction company regarding enforcement issues in connection with a multimillion-dollar investment treaty arbitration case against the Republic of Argentina (ICSID, Washington, D.C.)
• representing a German bank against former board members regarding tax evasion schemes through share deals (ad hoc arbitration)
• defending a European state in its first treaty claim against a claim for damages filed by an Indian investor (UNCITRAL, Brussels)
• advising a German investor against the state of Turkmenistan in connection with the expropriation of an investment
• representing a technology startup enterprise in a landmark directors’ liability case, claiming damages from the former CEO who had falsified books and records, and deceived shareholders about financial data
• acting as co-lead counsel in a directors’ liability case involving lawsuits against former board members of a German construction company for damages based on the negligent violation of their officers’ duties
• representing five state banks against the claim by the insolvency administrator of a U.S. airline regarding an aircraft lease agreement involving complex questions of international and German insolvency law
• representing an investment management company against damage claims by institutional investors
• defending a telecommunications company in a post-M&A dispute against warranty claims by the buyer
• representing an English publishing house in arbitration and expert proceedings regarding warranty claims and claims for purchase price adjustment under an M&A contract
• sitting as arbitrator in a major arbitration regarding claims and counterclaims under a gas delivery contract (UNCITRAL, London)
• advising a German energy company in connection with applicable conflict resolution mechanisms for resolving certain disputes against sovereign entities
• sitting as arbitrator in a dispute regarding alleged damages claims resulting from the termination of a supply contract between a Russian and a German company (DIS)

Dr. Sessler regularly publishes and lectures on international dispute resolution topics.