On 3 April 2026, a New York court ordered the return of a $25 million Modigliani painting looted during the Nazi era, bringing to an end an 11-year legal battle between the heirs of a Jewish art dealer and the prominent Nahmad art dealing family. In Greason v. Nahmad (2026 NY Slip Op 50461), the […]
Die Themen
Digital Signatures on Arbitral Awards Suffice for Enforcement in Germany: New Ruling by the Bavarian Highest Regional Court
Image by Edar from Pixabay A. Introduction Can a foreign arbitral award signed exclusively by means of qualified electronic signatures be declared enforceable in Germany? The Bavarian Highest Regional Court (Bayerisches Oberstes Landesgericht, BayObLG) answered this question in the affirmative in a decision of 27 March 2026 (case no. 102 Sch 104/25 e). The Court […]
An Email can interrupt limitation of CMR-claims, but if the carrier agrees to provide original CMRs, it has to provide originals: Recent Guidance from the Munich Court of Appeal
A. Background of the Case The Higher Regional Court (OLG) Munich (judgement of 15 January 2026, case no. 14 U 3118/25 e) recently dealt with a dispute over freight remuneration for four international road transports carried out in late September and early October 2023. The carrier (plaintiff) had invoiced a total of EUR 8,040 to […]
State Immunity is not absolute in Russian Courts – says the Russian Supreme Court
On the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 24 March 2026, No. 78-КГ25-37-КЗ In two recent decisions, Russian courts dealt with claims against souvereign states. In the one case, (Supreme Court, case no. No. 78-КГ25-37-КЗ – provided below since the website of the Russian Supreme court is inaccessible from abroad), it […]
A state cannot be insulted – says the German Supreme Court
Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof, BGH), Judgment of 24 February 2026 – Case No. VI ZR 415/23
The Kingdom of Marokko failed with a claim against a publisher who had alleged that Marokko was using „Pegasus“ surveillance software. The German Supreme Court held that a souverain state does not have title to sue in a defamation claim. 1. Overview of the Decision In its judgment of 24 February 2026, the German Federal […]
US Congress passes revised HEAR Act removing to Nazi-looted art claims
For decades, restitution claims for Nazi-looted art have often failed not on substance, but on procedural defenses—laches, statutes of limitations, or even acquisitive prescription.The HEAR Act 2025 changes this fundamentally: these defenses are largely set aside, and claims are to be decided on their merits. The U.S. Congress has passed the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery […]
Judicial Review of EU Sanctions Before the General Court: Alfa-Bank v Council (Case T-898/25)
I. Introduction Judicial review of European Union sanctions has become a recurring feature of EU litigation since the expansion of restrictive measures following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Numerous individuals, companies, and financial institutions have sought annulment of EU listings before the General Court of the European Union, challenging both the factual basis and […]