Markus Rieder is a partner in the Munich office of Gibson Dunn and co-chair of the firm's Transnational Litigation practice. He is also a member of the firm’s Class Actions, Securities Litigation and International Arbitration Groups.
Markus focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation, both domestic and cross-border, and national and international arbitration, as well as on compliance and white collar defense. He has substantial experience in the automotive, industrial and manufacturing sectors.
He also advises related to the increased risks of ESG litigation, encompassing a variety of issues including climate and environmental protection matters, human rights and the new German Supply Chain Due Dilligence Act, and represents clients in major cutting-edge issues such as climate protection lawsuits.
Markus is regularly recommended by the leading legal publications. Handelsblatt / The Best Lawyers™ 2024/2025 list him among the best lawyers for Arbitration and Mediation, Corporate Governance and Compliance, International Arbitration and Litigation in Germany and recognized him in 2023/2024 as Lawyer of the Year for Corporate Governance and Compliance Practice and International Arbitration. He was previously recognized as a Lawyer of the Year for Arbitration and Mediation in 2021 as well as the third time in a row in 2020 as Lawyer of the Year for Corporate Governance and Compliance. He was named among the 2024 Lawdragon Global Litigation 500, the list recognizing the 500 best dispute lawyers worldwide, for Transnational Litigation & Arbitration. JUVE Handbook 2024/2025 recognizes Markus as “frequently recommended” for Dispute Resolution – Litigation and cites a competitor who says he „covers cases very deeply“ (JUVE Handbook 2023/2024). Another competitor recognized him as “Top lawyer - if he bites the bullet, it’ll be good” (JUVE Handbook 2022/2023). JUVE Handbook 2019/2020 listed him also as “frequently recommended” for Corporate Law and Corporate Dispute Resolution. Competitors recognized him as “efficient and well-founded” and “brilliant“ (JUVE Handbook 2019/2020 and 2020/2021). The Legal 500 Deutschland 2025 and The Legal 500 EMEA 2025 recommend him for Dispute Resolution – Commercial Litigation, and in 2024 also for Compliance, citing references who describe him as “a true litigator through and through, very perceptive, yet able to compromise where necessary and very pleasant to work with“ and praising his team: “Markus Rieder’s team specializes in complex disputes, both nationally and internationally.” Another Reference said he is “an excellent litigator with bite, vision and stamina as well as a great understanding of process strategy and tactics,” and as “top litigator and an excellent advisor for all disputes and arbitration proceedings” (The Legal 500 EMEA 2021). The Legal 500 EMEA 2020 characterized him as an experienced counterpart for corporates, especially for industrial and automotive companies, and financial institutes.
His recent experience includes advising *:
- Mercedes-Benz and other clients in climate change litigation
- Mercedes-Benz in diesel-related litigation
- UniCredit S.p.A. in multijurisdictional shareholder litigation following corporate restructuring
- Deutsche Bank regarding complex management liability and governance issues, including FIRREA settlement with US Department of Justice
- A German PE fund in ICC arbitration regarding compliance violation in Italian target company
- Korean and German defendants in DIS arbitration proceedings in relation to windpark project in the German North Sea
- Daimler AG regarding all aspects of the disposal of Chrysler to Cerberus and the bankruptcy of Chrysler
- Daimler AG in favorably settled ad hoc arbitration proceedings against the Federal Republic of Germany in connection with the introduction of a truck toll in Germany (Toll Collect) with an amount in dispute in excess of €10B (largest-ever reported arbitration seated in Germany)
- Toll Collect GmbH in successfully settled ad hoc arbitration proceedings against the Federal Republic of Germany regarding compensation for toll collection services (amount in dispute in excess of €4B)
Markus regularly publishes on legal matters. Among others, he is co-editor of the volumes covering commercial law within the standard publication “Münchener Vertragshandbuch,” a handbook on model contracts and agreements (8th edition, 2018/ 2020 published at Beck Verlag), and co-author of the “Münchener Kommentar” regarding the Act on Limited Liability Companies (5th edition, 2025, published by Beck Verlag).
Since 2011, Markus is lecturing at the Faculty of German and European Private Law, Civil Procedure and Legal Theory at the University of Passau, where he has been appointed honorary professor in 2025.
Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Markus was a litigation partner in the Munich office of a renowned US law firm.
Markus studied law at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, where he also obtained his doctor’s degree in 2003. In 1996, he earned his LL.M. from the University of Michigan. He is dual-qualified and has been admitted to the New York State Bar since 1998 and as a German lawyer (Rechtsanwalt) since 1999.
In addition to his native German, Markus is fluent in English.
*Includes Experience Prior To Joining Gibson Dunn
Capabilities
- Litigation
- Consumer Protection
- Crisis Management
- ESG: Risk, Litigation, and Reporting
- Environmental Litigation and Mass Tort
- International Arbitration
- Securities Litigation
- Transnational Litigation
- White Collar Defense and Investigations
Credentials
Education:
- Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich - 2003 Dr. iur.
- University of Michigan - 1996 Master of Laws (LL.M.)
- Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich - 1995 Law Degree
Admissions:
- Germany - Rechtsanwalt
- New York Bar