United States Third Circuit

The Joint Statement of the Berlin Accords, which commits the German government and German industry to provide funds for World War II reparations, is a political document rather than a privately enforceable contract, therefore appellants lack standing as third-party beneficiaries to bring a World War II reparations case.

Appellate Information

• Argued 10/29/2008
• Decided 12/10/2008
• Published 12/10/2008

Judges

• Before McKEE, NYGAARD, and MICHEL, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Third Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Burt Neuborne, Esquire (Argued), New York University Law School, New York, NY, Agnieszka M. Fryszman, Esquire (Argued), Michael D. Hausfeld, Esquire, Kathleen M. Konopka, Esquire, Hilary K. Ratway, Esquire, Cohen, Milstein, Hausfeld & Toll P.L.L.C., Washington, DC, Lisa J. Rodriguez, Esquire, Trujillo Rodriguez & Richards, LLC, Haddonfield, NJ, Allyn Z. Lite, Esquire, Lite, Depalma, Greenberg & Rivas, Newark, NY, Attorneys for Appellants, Elly Gross, Barbara Schwartz Lee, and Bernard Lee.


• For Appellees:
  
• Jeffrey Barist, Esquire (Argued), Sander Bak, Esquire, Felix Weinacht, Esquire, Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy, New York, NY, Attorney for Appellees, Deutsche Bank and Dresdner Bank., Roger M. Witten, Esquire (Argued), Louis R. Cohen, Esquire, John A. Trenor, Esquire, Matthew E. Draper, Esquire, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, New York, NY, Attorney for Appellees, Allianz AG, Bayer AG, Commerzbank AG, Degussa-Huells AG, Deutz AG, and Rag Ag., Konrad L. Cailteux, Esquire, Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, New York, NY, Attorney for Appellee, BMW AG., Bud G. Holman, Esquire, Paul Doyle, Esquire, Kelley, Drye & Warren, New York, NY, Attorney for Appellee, DaimlerChrysler AG., John J. Gibbons, Esquire, Terry Myers, Esquire, Thomas R. Valen, Esquire, Gibbons P.C., Newark, NJ, Attorneys for Appellee, ThyssenKrupp AG., Brant W. Bishop, Esquire, Oreste P. McClung, Esquire, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Street, N.W. Washington, DC, Attorney for Appellee, Siemens AG., Thomas M. Mueller, Esquire, Mark D. McPherson, Esquire, Morrison & Foerster LLP, New York, NY, Attorney for Appellee, BASF AG., Neil McDonell, Esquire, Brian E. McGunigle, Esquire, Deirdre Sheridan, Esquire, Dorsey & Whitney LLP, New York, NY, Attorney for Appellee, Robert Bosch GmbH., Daniel V. Gsovski, Esquire, Ian Ceresney, Esquire, Herzfeld & Rubin P.C., New York, NY, Attorney for Appellee, Volkswagen AG.