Eschborn December 14, 2023: The Higher Regional Court of Frankfurt am Main had to decide on claims of our partner Dr. Stephan Schlegel as insolvency administrator, which he asserted against five defendants, among others, for interventions that destroyed the company’s existence.
In this context, the Higher Regional Court made two pleasing findings (not only for insolvency administrators):
International jurisdiction for defendants in Israel
The Treaty of July 20, 1977 between the Federal Republic of Germany and the State of Israel on the Mutual Recognition and Enforcement of Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters does not regulate international jurisdiction.
When is service “imminent” in international transactions?
The court specifies the requirements for service “imminently” for the purpose of interrupting the limitation period in foreign legal relations. In the case of service abroad, the court is the service authority. It orders the form of service, the execution of which is the responsibility of the court registry or the court administration. The judiciary in particular is responsible for legal assistance abroad.
The judiciary has a duty
Due to this personal responsibility, a plaintiff has nothing further to do in this regard. Action by the lawyer in the form of information is not suitable for shifting incorrect decisions by the court or the judicial administration into the plaintiff’s sphere. The plaintiff can only provide information as to whether the recipient of the service is proficient in German and provide the best possible address for service. As a result, the action, which has been pending since 2018, was largely successful.