Harald Koch

Prof. Dr. Harald Koch is a Senior Professor of International Private and Procedural Law and Comparative Law at Humboldt University of Berlin (2008–2014). Previously, he held academic and judicial roles at the University of Rostock, including Professor of Civil Law and Private International Law (1993–2008), Dean, and Vice-Dean. His research focuses on international procedural law, collective redress mechanisms, and comparative civil law systems. He has authored over 20 monographs and numerous articles.

Education:

• Born 1943 in Bevensen, Germany
• Legal Studies at Universities of Bonn, Tübingen, and Hamburg (1967)
• DFG Scholarship at UC Berkeley (1973–1974)
• Doctorate and Habilitation at Hamburg University

Research Interests: International procedural law, private international law, collective redress strategies, consumer procedural rights, and liability for mass damages. His work emphasizes transnational legal frameworks and harmonization of civil procedural systems across jurisdictions.

Key Contributions:

• Authored Consumer Procedural Law (2019), analyzing EU procedural guarantees
• Edited major textbooks on international private law (4th ed., 2010)
• Pioneered comparative studies on class actions and public interest litigation

Labs/Teams: Member of the Institute for Lawyers' Law board, collaborating on legal education and practice.