- Title: VW calls German class action suit against carmaker baseless, unfeasible
- Date: 25th September 2019
- Summary: FRANKFURT, GERMANY (SEPTEMBER 25, 2019) (REUTERS) MARTINA DE LIND VAN WIJNGAARDEN, VW'S LAWYER AND PARTNER AT FRESHFIELDS BRUCKHAUS DERINGER, ARRIVING FOR STATEMENT CAMERA (SOUNDBITE) (German) VW'S LAWYER AND PARTNER AT FRESHFIELDS BRUCKHAUS DERINGER, MARTINA DE LIND VAN WIJNGAARDEN, SAYING: "We want swift proceedings. It doesn't help anyone if the trial is unnecessarily long. The class action suit is new, it's new for the court, for the plaintiff and also for us. That's why we are counting on a long trial. Up to this day, hundreds of thousands of clients still drive their cars. We therefore believe that no damage was caused and that there is no reason for the lawsuit." FRESHFIELDS BRUCKHAUS DERINGER SIGN (SOUNDBITE) (German) VW'S LAWYER AND PARTNER AT FRESHFIELDS BRUCKHAUS DERINGER, MARTINA DE LIND VAN WIJNGAARDEN, SAYING: "We presume that Braunschweig higher regional court will share our view as will the Federal Supreme Court. (Pauses) A settlement agreement is hardly imaginable since as of today, it's completely open who signed up with which possible claims for the class action suit. Settlement negotiations with so many unknown factors are simply not feasible." DE LIND VAN WIJNGAARDEN WALKING OFF
- Embargoed: 9th October 2019 12:09
- Keywords: VW Volkswagen Diesel emissions scandal market manipulation trial CEO Herbert Diess Chairman Hans Dieter Poetsch CEO Martin Winterkorn
- Location: FRANKFURT & WOLFSBURG & BERLIN, GERMANY
- City: FRANKFURT & WOLFSBURG & BERLIN, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Company News Markets,Economic Events
- Reuters ID: LVA001AY5MAOD
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:A German consumer group's class action suit on behalf of Volkswagen owners against the carmaker is baseless and unfeasible, a lawyer for Europe's largest automaker said on Wednesday.
Martina de Lind van Wijngaarden told reporters during a brief statement in Frankfurt that "hundreds of thousands of clients still drive their cars to this day" and that VW therefore believes "no damage was caused and that there is no reason for the lawsuit."
A first hearing of the case is scheduled for next Monday in the northern city of Braunschweig.
De Lind van Wijngaarden, a partner with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, said she presumed the court would share VW's view and that too much was still unclear as to "who signed up with which possible claims."
"Settlement negotiations with so many unknown factors are simply not feasible," added de Lind van Wijngaarden.
The lawyer's portrait on Freshfield's Internet site says "clients value her hands-on approach and her skills in helping them to manage their risks when facing acute problems."
The class action lawsuit brought on in November 2018 seeks to ascertain whether owners of cars with type EA 189 diesel engines had been intentionally harmed by the carmaker's use of engine management software designed to disguise excessive pollution levels.
(Production: Andreas Buerger, Michele Sani) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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