The Federal Ministry of Health has incurred approximately €88 million in legal fees since 2020 related to proceedings concerning the procurement of face masks during the pandemic. This figure, revealed to business magazine “Capital”, covers costs associated with numerous lawsuits filed by mask suppliers against the German government.
Currently, the ministry utilizes the services of five different law firms across more than 80 ongoing legal proceedings. According to sources involved in the litigation, the Ministry of Health has repeatedly changed legal representation throughout the process. In some cases, firms have been swapped multiple times, contributing to the substantial overall expenditure.
Business magazine “Capital”, citing individuals involved in the legal battles, reports that changes in legal representation, particularly in high-value cases before the Higher Regional Court of Cologne, have triggered fees amounting to sums in the six-figure range.
When questioned by “Capital” regarding the repeated changes in legal counsel, the Federal Ministry of Health declined to comment on “individual engagements of law firms”. The ongoing litigation stems from disputes over contracts and payments related to the procurement of face masks during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
