Björn Fiedler, LL.M.
Master of Insurance Law
Attorney at Law – Partner
Curriculum Vitae
Björn Fiedler studied law in Cologne, where he also held his legal clerkship. Additionally, he stayed abroad in Mexico and Argentina during this period (working for an automotive supplier).
He received the academic degree of Master of Insurance Law at Hamburg University.
After finishing his legal clerkship and admission to the bar, he initially worked as inhouse counsel at the international legal department of a European construction holding.
Starting 2002 he continued with his professional career in the position of attorney at law at the law firm Graf von Westphalen & Partner, where he was nominated as partner in 2007. In 2010 he co-founded the law firm Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partner, where he was an active partner until the end of 2015.
In 2016 Björn Fiedler founded the law firm Fiedler Cryns-Moll FCM Attorneys Partnership.
Activities and Main Focus
Björn Fiedler has long-term experience and expertise in advising and representing managers and insurance companies when it comes to D&O claims cases as well as other insurance segments.
He regularly gives lectures on topics of manager liability and from 2006 to 2014 trained attorneys at law in their program of specialist certification for trade and corporate law at German Lawyers Academy (Deutsche Anwaltakademie). He is a docent of the master degree program at Technology Arts Science TH Köln (Cologne).
Short Profile TH Köln (Cologne)
Languages: German, English, Spanish
Contact
Fon: +49 221 50086-0
Fax: +49 221 50086-10
Mobil: +49 175 9398295
Kaiser-Wilhelm-Ring 17-21
50672 Köln
Recommendations
One of the world’s leading insurance & reinsurance lawyers, Who’s Who Legal Insurance & Reinsurance 2016.
WirtschaftsWoche Top Law Firms Manager Liability 2016: according to WirtschaftsWoche of January 8, 2016 (Issue 02/2016) Björn Fiedler belongs to a group of specialized attorneys at law, who asserted themselves in a multi-tier selection process (data base research / expert discussion / jury assessment) (attorney at law ranking: ”Our list shows who top managers can rely on”).
Frequently recommended for settlement of disputes, cases of manager liability, D&O insurance and product liability insurance, environmental liability, as well as property and fire insurance (the Legal 500, 2015/2016).
Leading name in D&O insurance and law suits. Frequently recommended for insurance lawsuits (D&O liability) and product liability (JUVE Handbuch Wirtschaftskanzleien 2015/2016).
Björn Fiedler is one of “Germany’s best lawyers” 2015 in the field of corporate/company law (Handelsblatt in cooperation with Best Lawyers).
Recommended by Chambers & Partners 2015 for insurance law: Sources praise Björn Fiedler for his “very in-depth knowledge of the D&O sector,” adding: “He knows what he’s talking about with regard to coverage and liability”. Further interviewees confirm: “This is someone who knows his insurance law.”.
Frequently recommended for product liability (D&O liability) and insurance law suits (“currently riding the wave of success”, “profound understanding of the matter”, competitor) (JUVE Handbuch Wirtschaftskanzleien 2014/2015).
Björn Fiedler “is established as an absolute specialist when it comes to liability and insurance law” (Law Firms in Germany, 2012, 2013, 2014).
Björn Fiedler is one of “Germany’s best lawyers” 2014 in the field of corporate/company law (Handelsblatt in cooperation with Best Lawyers).
Recommended by Chambers & Partners 2014 for insurance law: “Björn Fiedler joins the ranking to reflect his strong reputation in the market. He is highlighted for his work on D&O claims. Other areas of practice include fidelity, PI and R&W matters.”.
Recommended by The Legal 500 Deutschland 2014 for insurance law.
Frequently recommended, “tough, resolutely represents his client’s opinion” (competitor, JUVE Handbuch Wirtschaftskanzleien 2013/2014).
Björn Fiedler is one of “Germany’s best lawyers” 2013 in the field of corporate/company law (Handelsblatt in cooperation with Best Lawyers).
“Proactive type of person, active and reliable, matter-of-fact, proper interaction”, frequently recommended for product liability and insurance law (JUVE Handbuch Wirtschaftskanzleien 2012/2013).
Frequently recommended for D&O liability (JUVE Handbuch Wirtschaftskanzleien 2011/2012).
Recommended attorney at law for insurance law (JUVE Handbuch Wirtschaftskanzleien 2009/2010).
Björn Fiedler is one of a group of selected renowned lawyers in the area of manager liability and D&O insurance, according to JUVE, a D&O expert panel questionnaire and an analysis conducted by WirtschaftsWoche (“Which lawyers have established a reputation in the D&O sector”, WirtschaftsWoche No. 11 of March 14, 2011).
Publications
Die Haftung des Geschäftsführers für Zahlungen nach Insolvenzreife und D&O-Versicherungsschutz (The managing director liabilty for payments after insolvency and D&O insurance coverage) (VersR 2018, 1298)
Comment on decision of Higher Regional Court Munich of September 13, 2017 – Kein Versicherungsschutz in der D&O-Versicherung bei Handlungen der Versicherten im alleinigen wirtschaftlichen Eigeninteresse (No insurance coverage under D&O insurance for insureds acting only in their own economic interest) (VersR 2018, 406)
Haftung des Geschäftsführers für Unternehmensgeldbußen (Managing director liability for a corporation’s financial fines)
In: GmbH Geschäftsführer 2016, EUROFORUM Deutschland SE
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Link to e-book
Versicherungsrechtliche Rahmenbedingen (Framework conditions of insurance law)
In: Knierim/Rübenstahl/Tsambikakis, Internal Investigations, Ermittlungen im Unternehmen, 2nd Edition 2016
Der Risikoausschluss bei Vorsatz und wissentlicher Pflichtverletzung in der D&O-Versicherung (The risk exclusion in cases of intentional and willful breach of duty in D&O insurance)
In: Koch/Werber/Winter, Der Forschung – der Lehre – der Bildung, 100 Jahre Hamburger Seminar für Versicherungswissenschaft und Versicherungswissenschaftlicher Verein in Hamburg e.V., 2016, 343 et seq.
Die Curanum-Entscheidung des OLG Frankfurt (The Curanum decision of Higher Regional Court Frankfurt) (PHi 2013, 94 et seq.)
Versicherungsschutz für Geschäftsführungs- und Aufsichtsorgane von Unternehmen (Insurance coverage for managing- and supervising bodies of corporations)
In: Arens/Tepper: Praxishandbuch Gesellschaftsrecht, De Gruyter, 2nd Edition 2013
Wirksamkeit von Kostenanrechnungsklauseln in der D&O-Versicherung (Efficacy of cost crediting clauses in D&O insurance)
In: Aktuelle Probleme des Versicherungsvertrags-, Versicherungsaufsichts- und Vermittlerrechts, 2013, 57 et seq.
Die zunehmende Bedeutung der D&O-Versicherung im Bereich des Wirtschaftsstrafrechts (The increasing importance of D&O insurance in corporate criminal law) (ZWH 2013, 297 et seq.)
Der Pflichtselbstbehalt nach § 93 II 3 AktG und seine Auswirkung auf Vorstandshaftung und D&O Versicherung (The mandatory deductible of § 93 section 2 sentence 3 AktG and its effects on directors liability and D&O insurance) (MDR 2009, 1077)
Memberships
Member of German-Spanish Legal Association (Asociacion hispano-alemana de juristas)