Dr Tim Schommer represents his commercial clients in high-value disputes before German courts and international arbitrational tribunals. He also advises private wealth clients on matters relating to superyachts, aviation and fine art.

Tim specialises in resolving complex commercial disputes with an emphasis on shipping, trade, (re)insurance, and energy and offshore matters. He represents clients before German state courts as well as German and international arbitration tribunals (e.g. DIS, GMAA, ICC and ad hoc tribunals).

Another key focus of his work is advising private wealth clients in the areas of yachting, aviation, and fine art.

Tim has extensive experience in the yachting industry. He frequently advises owners, builders, managers, lenders, insurers, brokers and designers on a wide range of matters, including newbuilding contracts, the sale and purchase of new and second-hand yachts, financing, registration, statutory compliance, commercial management and operation, as well as insurance, crewing and chartering. He has negotiated numerous yacht building projects for some of the most prestigious superyachts and has advised owners and shipyards on a number of multi-million Euro yacht disputes.

Tim is recognised in Best Lawyers® in Germany for litigation and has been listed for maritime and shipping in The Legal 500 and by Who’s Who Legal, where he is “singled out for his considerable expertise in shipbuilding issues and insurance litigation” (Who’s Who Legal Germany, 2022). He is also recommended as a “leading yacht lawyer” in the yacht & superyacht section of Chambers High Net Worth, which notes that “Tim is one of the best in the superyacht industry for yacht building contracts” and highlights that “he is extremely deal-oriented – he never creates a problem, he only solves them”.

• Regularly representing parties with respect to drafting and negotiating newbuild contracts of superyachts
• Regularly representing parties of sale and purchase contracts of second-hand yachts
• Regularly representing shipyards or subcontractors with respects to newbuild or refit contracts in relation to yachts and navy vessels
• Regularly representing a variety of clients in front of German State courts and national and international arbitration tribunals 
   

• German Arbitration Institute (DIS)
• German Maritime Arbitration Association (GMAA)
• German Boat- and Shipbuilding Association (DBSV)
• German Maritime Law Association (DVIS)
• International Bar Association (IBA)
• Superyacht Germany (Deutsche Yachten)
• Hafen-Klub Hamburg

• Tim has written and published numerous articles in renowned yachting magazines.
• Tim is a private lecturer at Bucerius Law School, Hamburg, where he has been teaching maritime trade law for more than 10 years.

CONTACT

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