Full Profile
Sven is a litigation and dispute resolution lawyer with a focus on complex domestic and multi-jurisdictional (re-)insurance claims and disputes. He has extensive experience as counsel covering litigation, international arbitration (institutional and ad hoc) and all forms of alternative dispute resolution.
Sven is frequently instructed as monitoring, defence and coverage counsel across all major business lines, mainly in Financial and Professional Lines (W&I, D&O, E&O, PI), Cyber, Product and General Liability as well as Casualty. In addition, Sven has a broad experience acting as counsel in numerous aviation, banking, commercial, corporate (post-M&A), construction and insolvency disputes as well as in recourse claims.
Sven studied at the Universities of Bonn (law degree) and Cologne (doctor iuris). He is a member of the German Arbitration Institute (DIS) and the German-French Lawyers' Association.
Admitted to the German Bar (Rechtsanwalt), Sven is also qualified as a certified specialist for insurance law (Fachanwalt für Versicherungsrecht) and a certified specialist for banking and capital markets law (Fachanwalt für Bank- und Kapitalmarktrecht). A native German speaker, he is also fluent in English and has a good level of French.
Sven is consistently recommended by JUVE, Legal 500, Who’s Who Legal (WWL) and Best Lawyers®. In 2022, he has been awarded “Lawyer of the Year” for Insurance Law in Germany by Handelsblatt in cooperation with Best Lawyers® with additional recommendations for litigation, international arbitration and arbitration/mediation in its 2024 edition. Who’s Who Legal ranks Sven as Arbitration Future Leader and lists Sven in its Germany National Guide 2024 for Insurance and Reinsurance. Germany’s JUVE directory frequently recommends Sven for ”insurance litigation”, describing him as “dynamic and precise” (JUVE Handbook, 2017), “very smart” (2018), “rising” (2019), “pleasant, capable, straightforward” (2020), “competent, very good teamwork” (2021), “strategically and procedurally outstanding” (2022) and “always looking for viable solutions” (2023). Legal 500 recommends Sven as an “expert in insurance law disputes” and “particularly well versed in W&I claims” and quotes “Sven Förster is an impressive dispute resolution expert and a brilliant litigator. He stands out from his competitors not only because of his niche expertise, but also due to his meticulous and detail-oriented approach, while always keeping track of the matter”.
Experience
- Representing insurers as monitoring and coverage counsel in numerous domestic and international W&I claims
- Representing insurers as monitoring and coverage counsel in numerous domestic and international D&O claims
- Defending insureds in D&O and in professional indemnity claims, including lawyers, engineers and architects
- Handling domestic and international product liability and recall cases
- Handling domestic and international liability cases, including the aviation, energy and construction sector
