From 1 July 2025, the Commercial Court Frankfurt at the Higher Regional Court of Frankfurt am Main will commence operations. Together with the newly established Commercial Chambers at the Regional Court of Frankfurt, it offers parties a specialised, efficient, and internationally oriented platform for major commercial disputes from a value in dispute of EUR 500,000.
To implement the Federal Act to Strengthen Germany as a Forum for Commercial Disputes (Justizstandortstärkungsgesetz) at the state level, the Hessian Cabinet adopted the necessary amendment to the Hessian Judicial Competence Regulation (Justizzuständigkeitsverordnung – JuZuV). This defines the jurisdiction of the new judicial panels for the following subject areas:
- Disputes in connection with the purchase of companies or shares in companies
- Corporate law disputes
- Disputes arising from mutual commercial transactions between entrepreneurs insofar as they are not investment matters, disputes arising from building and architects' contracts, from medical treatment, from insurance contract relationships from claims arising from the publication of printed matter, image and sound carriers of any kind, inheritance law disputes, insolvency and recission matters
You can find the regulationÖffnet sich in einem neuen Fenster here.
Strong Response from the Corporate Legal Sector
At information events hosted by the Frankfurter Juristische Gesellschaft (FJG) on 21 May 2025 and the Bundesverbands der Unternehmensjuristinnen und Unternehmensjuristen (BUJ) on 28 May 2025, it became clear that the new structure is attracting great interest within the legal and corporate community. Particularly appreciated were:
- Freedom of choice regarding the court of first instance and appellate route
- Two-tier appellate structure with direct access to the Federal Court of Justice
- Option to conduct proceedings in English, ideal for international matters
- Case management conference and judicial conciliation (Güterichterverfahren)
- Confidentiality via protection of trade secrets
- Procedural safeguards under public law, including rules of evidence, third-party involvement, and interim relief
The events also received wide attention on social media. Inhouse counsel and litigators emphasised:
- A true competitive advantage for Frankfurt and a valuable complement to arbitration
- Greater legal certainty for companies thanks to the fixed procedural route and statutory safeguards
- A modern court that 'speaks our language' – “the best of two worlds”
Behind the Scenes: Meetings with State Secretary and Minister of Justice
Preparations are also progressing behind the scenes. On 22 May 2025, a joint visit took place in Darmstadt to evaluate recording technology and software for oral hearings. On 2 June 2025, the designated judges of the new panels were formally welcomed by the Hessian Minister of Justice and the State Secretary at the Ministry of Justice.
