Overview

• The ministry has tapped five law firms for mask disputes, including major consultancies and specialized boutiques.
• External legal fees for mask litigation have reached €88 million since 2020, with late-stage counsel swaps adding roughly €500,000 in four cases.
• More than 80 proceedings demand €2.3 billion for unpaid masks plus upwards of €1 billion in accrued interest.
• The Federal Court of Justice will decide six high-value mask cases later this year after the ministry’s losses at the Cologne Higher Regional Court.
• Investigator Margaretha Sudhof’s final report urges bundling cases under fewer firms to streamline strategy and rein in fees.