Dear members, colleagues and friends,

As summer approaches, I am delighted to share this latest edition of our newsletter with you.

The past few months have been particularly busy for the DIS. At our General Assembly in Leipzig, a new Advisory Board was elected. I am particularly pleased that the new board brings an even stronger in-house counsel perspective to the work of the DIS, ensuring that the views of our users continue to play a central role in our development.

General Assembly 2026: Reviewing a Successful Year and Setting the Course for the Future

Our DIS members gathered in Berlin on 12 May 2026 for the annual General Assembly. The meeting focused on the 2025 activity report, the 2025  financial statements, the budget for 2026 and the election of members to the Advisory Board.

The General Assembly Elects a new Advisory Board

The DIS elected a new Advisory Board at its general assembly following the DIS Spring Conference on 12 May in Leipzig.

DIS Roadshow Launches with Kick-Off Workshop at TenneT in Hanover

Engaging directly with users and practitioners is a key priority of the DIS. To further strengthen this dialogue and apply discussions on modern dispute resolution directly to corporate practice, the DIS launched its new Roadshow format on 18 March 2026 with an inaugural workshop.

Update on the Expansion of the Berlin Office

We are pleased to announce that the expansion of our Berlin office is making rapid progress. The renovation of the newer half of the office has been successfully completed, which allowed our team to move into the upgraded spaces in early May.

THE EU’S 20th Sanctions Package: New Arbitration-Related Protections

The European Union’s 20th package of sanctions against Russia, adopted on 23 April 2026, is of particular relevance to arbitration users, as it addresses two practical issues.

Momentum Builds for Berlin Dispute Resolution Days (BDRD) 2026: 60+ Events Already Scheduled and 200+ Speakers Expected

The Berlin Dispute Resolution Days (BDRD) are set to return from 28 September to 1 October 2026, bringing the international dispute resolution community back to Berlin for four days of discussion, networking and thought leadership.

Legal Tech Monitor 2026 – Lawyers Invited to Participate in Key Industry Survey

The Legal Tech Monitor is the largest independent survey of the legal technology market in Germany. For the 2026 edition, the Legal Tech Association and publisher C.H.Beck are inviting lawyers to participate.

PMAC Launches Operations – Interested Arbitrators can now Register

The DIS is pleased to share that the Patent Mediation and Arbitration Centre (PMAC) of the Unified Patent Court (UPC) officially commenced operations on 12 May 2026.

DIS Summer Party 2026

Summer is on its way, and so is this year’s summer party on 2 July 2026. You are cordially invited to this year's DIS Summer Party! Celebrate with us in a relaxed atmosphere in our beautiful gardens in Bonn.

DIS Autumn Conference 2026

We cordially invite you to the DIS Autumn Conference 2026, whose title this year is "Geopolitics and Defense – Arbitration in Times of Rearmament". Registration is now open.

DIS Stuttgart: Recent Case Law of the Federal Court of Justice in Arbitration Matters

Case law from the Federal Court of Justice in arbitration is of particular importance to arbitration practitioners. We are therefore delighted to have secured Bernd Odörfer, Judge at the Federal Court of Justice and Head of the Press Office, as our speaker. 

Save the Date: Upcoming DIS Events

We are pleased to announce the dates of interesting future DIS events. , such as Berlin Calling: Celebrate the DIS Office Relaunch with us and 8th Karl-Heinz Böckstiegel Lecture 2026. We will keep you updated as more information becomes available, so stay tuned!

DIS Spring Conference 2026 - 'Everything you always wanted to know about Arbitration*…*but were afraid to ask…'

The DIS community gathered in Leipzig on 12 May 2026 to prove once again that arbitration thrives not only on answers, but also on the courage to ask the right questions.

HIAD: Arbitration and Enforcement Proceedings in the Age of EU Sanctions and the Russian Lugovoy Law

DIS, CIETAC, CAM-CCBC and the Bucerius Center for International Dispute Resolution jointly organised a half-day conference on 23 March 2026, hosted by the Bucerius Law School in Hamburg and entitled Arbitration and Enforcement Proceedings in the Age of EU Sanctions and the Russian Lugovoy Law.

Lunch DIScussions: Res Judicata under Pressure? The Application for Restitution in the Draft of a new German Arbitration Law, as well as in Austria and Switzerland

The Berlin explanatory memorandum to the draft bill on the modernisation of arbitration law references Swiss and Austrian law in relation to the introduction of a restitution claim (Section 1059a ZPO-E).

DIS goes Mediation - Workshop: Mediating the Vis Case 2026

The DIS hosted a mediation workshop on 17-18 April 2026 at its premises in Bonn for the students, coaches, and arbitrators who participated in the 33rd Vis Moot.

Lunch DIScussions: Settlement Facilitation in International Arbitration - Can Arbitrators Do More and Better Than Just Write Awards?

The role and practical impact of Article 26 of the DIS Rules in international arbitration, including different approaches and international best practices in settlement facilitation was the focus in the latest session of the Lunch DIScussions, where John J Buckley, Jr, Ulrike Gantenberg, Nicoletta Kröger, Patricia Peterson, and Axel Reeg shared their thoughts. 

DIS/DIS40 Retreat in Bonn - Bad Godesberg

On 11 and 12 June, this year’s DIS/DIS40 Retreat took place at the DIS offices in Bonn. DIS40 Co Chairs, regional Co-Chairs and DIS representatives, including Secretary General Ramona Schardt and members of the DIS Case Management Team, came together for two days of engaging discussions.

DIS@SC Week 2026: A Good Cure? Arbitrating Life Science Disputes – German and International Perspectives

As part of our international outreach, we return to Singapore for the third time with a DIS event during Singapore Convention Week (SC Week). We will discuss life science disputes with experts from Asia and beyond. We would be delighted to welcome our members based in Asia or visiting SC Week.

Upcoming DIS-supported International Events

In the coming months, the DIS will be supporting interesting upcoming arbitration-related events: Singapore Convention Week 2026, Hong Kong Arbitration Week 2026.

DIS@PAW 2026: A Good Cure? Arbitrating Life Science Disputes – German and International Perspectives

The DIS returned to Paris Arbitration Week on 26 March 2026 with an event on life science disputes. Recent DIS statistics show that the life science industry is the leading user of our services. 

BAC/DIS/SAA Arbitration Group: Bridging Legal Cultures: Managing German and Serbian Approaches in Arbitration

The Serbian-German Arbitration Group focused on events related to energy at its inaugural event in Belgrade on 20 March 2026, a pre-event to the XVI Belgrade Arbitration Conference and the Belgrade Pre-Moot.

DIS goes Vis: The Settlement Breakfast Settlement in Arbitration - An (Un)happy Marriage?

The DIS is one of the few leading arbitration institutions which stipulates in its rules an obligation for the arbitrators “at every stage of the arbitration, [to] seek to encourage an amicable settlement of the dispute or of individual disputed issues” (Art. 26).

DIS@ICCA: A Good Cure? Arbitrating Life Science Disputes – German and International Perspectives

The DIS organised another of its traditional @DIS events at the ICCA Conference in Madrid, this time looking at the topic “A Good Cure? Arbitrating Life Science Disputes – German and International Perspectives”.

DIS Meets Ciarb: What Makes a Successful Arbitration Hub?

DIS and Ciarb’s European Branch jointly co‑hosted “DIS Meets Ciarb: What Makes a Successful Arbitration Hub?” at a hybrid event in Amsterdam on 16 April 2026.

DIS@LIDW: Settlement in arbitration: An (Un)Happy Marriage?

Our DIS@LIDW event in London on 4 June 2026, made clear: Facilitating settlement in arbitration is far more than a German approach - it is about proactive case management and the art of “creative ambiguity”.

Behind the Scenes

Get to know: Katja Steinbrück

Get to know: Lida Fagiri

SchiedsVZ/German Arbitration Journal, Issue 1/26

Germany’s position on the international arbitration stage

Juve: Interview with the DIS President and Secretary General

German Arbitration Digest (GAD) – Recent Summaries