Bundling of Claims by way of Assignment in Germany
In line with other legal systems, civil procedure in Germany starts from the model of one plaintiff litigating a particular claim against one defendant. However, at least since the enactment of the Code of Civil Procedure (Zivilprozessordnung) in the late 19th century, there have been special provisions to deal with multiple plaintiffs against one or more defendants, provided that the claims bundled in one action and therefore in one proceeding are of the same kind and based on largely identical facts or legal provisions.2 Thus, for example, five companies allegedly injured by a hardcore cartel among five suppliers can collectively sue these five suppliers in one proceeding. However, even though these claims are being dealt with together, each claim against each defendant can be subject to different outcomes.
