Deutsche Institution für Schiedsgerichtsbarkeit e.V. (DIS) German Arbitration Institute

What Deutsche Institution für Schiedsgerichtsbarkeit e.V. (DIS) German Arbitration Institute does

Deutsche Institution für Schiedsgerichtsbarkeit e.V. (DIS) is a non-profit registered association (eingetragener Verein) founded in 1925 and headquartered in Bonn, Germany, with an additional office in Berlin. It is one of Europe's longest-established arbitration institutions, administering domestic and international arbitration proceedings and offering a full procedural stack — model clauses, institutional rules (including the sport-specific and fast-track DIS-TPNR rules), a digital case-management platform (DIS eFile), an arbitrator database, a cost calculator, and the DiReCT conciliation/mediation tool. Its service population spans corporate and commercial parties, sports federations (via the German Court of Arbitration for Sport sub-brand), state-linked bilateral country groups (e.g., DIS/FAI with Finland), and the next-generation practitioner community (via the DIS40 sub-brand).

The business model is fee-for-service around administered disputes: case administration fees (scaled to dispute value and procedure type), arbitrator compensation (whose structure was updated in March 2026), annual membership fees from corporate and individual members, and conference/training/event revenue (e.g., Vienna Arbitration Days, Northern European Workshop, membership events). Distribution is essentially institutional referral and contractual: parties select DIS via pre-dispute arbitration clauses drafted with DIS Model Clauses, making the institution's rules and brand a primary commercial lever rather than direct sales. Strategic partnerships extend reach into academia (Jagiellonian University, CIDR at Bucerius), the judiciary/legal profession (IRZ, German IHK), publishing (C.H. Beck), and gender-equity initiatives (ERA Pledge / Gender Champion).

DIS is governed by a member-elected board: President Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Thomas Pfeiffer, Vice-Presidents Niuscha Bassiri and Dr. Rouven F. Bodenheimer, and Secretary General Dr. Ramona Schardt. Operationally it runs on roughly 58 staff across Bonn and Berlin, with a small professional-services footprint typical of a specialist arbitral institution rather than a commercial law firm or ADR marketplace.

Name

Deutsche Institution für Schiedsgerichtsbarkeit e.V. (DIS) German Arbitration Institute

Legal name

Deutsche Institution für Schiedsgerichtsbarkeit e.V. (DIS)

Website

https://disarb.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1925

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The DIS is a Bonn-based non-profit arbitration institute founded in 1925 that administers commercial and sports arbitrations, sets procedural rules, and operates digital case-management tools for parties, arbitrators, and member organizations across Germany and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Alternative Dispute Resolution and Arbitration Administration

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Litigation & Dispute Resolution (BPAHAAAB)

Keywords

• Arbitration administration
• Alternative dispute resolution
• Commercial mediation
• Arbitral rules
• Cross-border enforcement

Headquarters

HQ city

Bonn

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Arbitration Case Administration: DIS charges administrative fees for processing and administering arbitration cases submitted to the institution. The fees are calculated based on dispute amounts according to published fee schedules.
2. Arbitrator Compensation: Arbitrators appointed under DIS rules receive honoraries set according to the 2018 DIS Arbitration Rules schedule. DIS facilitates the billing and collection of arbitrator fees.
3. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees for individual and corporate members providing access to networking, resources, and professional development opportunities.
4. Conference and Event Revenue: Registration fees for DIS organized conferences, workshops, and training programs including the Autumn Conference, Spring Conference, and DIS40 events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

DIS administers arbitration, mediation, conciliation, adjudication, expert determination, and expert opinion proceedings under its 2018 DIS Arbitration Rules. The institution supports parties with digital case management via DIS eFile, the DIS Arbitrator Database, a Cost Calculator, DIS Model Clauses, the DiReCT ADR Comparison Tool, and the DIS Fee Account, and it provides cross-border enforcement support for arbitral awards. Membership programs, conferences, and the DIS40 young-practitioner initiative round out the institutional service portfolio.

Product overview

The Deutsche Institution für Schiedsgerichtsbarkeit (DIS) is a not-for-profit arbitration institution offering a portfolio of dispute resolution services rather than a unified technology product. Its core offerings include administration of arbitration proceedings under the 2018 DIS Arbitration Rules (with updated arbitrator fees effective March 2026), mediation, conciliation, adjudication, and expert determination. The DIS provides digital tools including DIS eFile (digital case file), the DIS Arbitrator Database, a Cost Calculator for estimating fees, Model Clauses for contract incorporation, and an ADR Comparison Tool (DiReCT). DIS-TPNR enables third-party notices in proceedings. The institution co-publishes the German Arbitration Journal (SchiedsVZ) with C. H. Beck and maintains a Case Law Database (GAD). Specialized sub-brands include the German Court of Arbitration for Sport. Professional development initiatives include DIS40 for young practitioners, the Drafting School, and the DIS-ERA Pledge Gender Champion Initiative.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DIS Arbitration Proceedings (2018 DIS Arbitration Rules) Administered arbitration proceedings for domestic and cross-border commercial disputes, conducted under the 2018 DIS Arbitration Rules with institutional case management, arbitrator appointment, and procedural oversight for parties (corporations, law firms, governments).
• Mediation Administered mediation service for parties seeking structured, facilitated settlement of commercial disputes outside national court systems.
• Conciliation (Schlichtung) Administered conciliation service under DIS rules providing an alternative binding/non-binding settlement pathway for commercial disputes.
• Adjudication Administered adjudication service providing a fast, typically binding decision for time-sensitive disputes, most commonly used in construction and engineering contexts.
• Expert Determination (Schiedsgutachten) Administered expert determination service where an appointed expert decides specific technical or contractual questions submitted by the parties.
• Expert Opinions (Gutachten) Independent expert opinions provided by DIS-appointed experts on specific legal or technical questions arising in disputes.
• Cross-border Enforcement Support Institutional support for parties seeking to enforce DIS arbitral awards internationally, including assistance with cross-border enforcement procedures under the New York Convention.
• Conflict Management Institutional conflict management services helping organizations design and implement dispute avoidance and resolution mechanisms.
• German Court of Arbitration for Sport (Deutsches Sportschiedsgericht) Specialized division of DIS administering sport-related disputes including commercial disputes, anti-doping matters, and athlete contract disputes, with expedited procedures for time-sensitive cases and financial aid for athletes.
• DIS eFile Digital case file system enabling parties and arbitrators to electronically submit, store, and manage arbitration documents throughout proceedings.
• DIS Arbitrator Database Searchable online registry of arbitrators enabling parties to find and select arbitrators for proceedings and allowing arbitrators to register up-to-date information on expertise and availability.
• DIS Cost Calculator (Gebührenrechner) Online tool that estimates administrative and arbitrator costs for a DIS arbitration proceeding based on the dispute amount under the applicable fee schedule.
• DiReCT — ADR Comparison Tool Independent comparison tool helping parties compare different alternative dispute resolution methods (mediation, conciliation, adjudication, expert determination, arbitration) to select the most appropriate procedure.
• DIS Model Clauses (DIS-Musterklauseln) Standardized contract clauses for parties to incorporate DIS arbitration, mediation, conciliation, and other dispute resolution procedures into their commercial contracts at formation.
• DIS Rules (2018 DIS Arbitration Rules and Supplementary Rules) Comprehensive procedural rules and frameworks for arbitration and other alternative dispute resolution methods, including the 2018 DIS Arbitration Rules and supplementary rules such as DIS-TPNR for third-party notices.
• DIS Fee Account (DIS-Gebührenkonto) Online account system for parties and counsel to manage and pay administrative fees associated with DIS arbitration proceedings.
• DIS Membership (Individual and Corporate) Annual individual and corporate membership programs providing networking, resources, voting rights in the association, and access to member benefits in the German arbitration community.
• DIS-TPNR (Supplementary Rules for Third-Party Notices) Supplementary procedural rules enabling third-party notice procedures within arbitration proceedings under the DIS framework.
• SchiedsVZ — German Arbitration Journal Journal of arbitration proceedings co-published by DIS and C. H. Beck publishing house, providing scholarly and practical coverage of arbitration law developments.
• German Arbitration Digest (GAD) Database of internationally significant arbitration-related decisions from the highest German courts, supporting practitioner research and case strategy.
• Case Law Database (Rechtsprechungsdatenbank) Database of arbitration-related court decisions available for reference and research purposes by practitioners and counsel.
• Member Directory (Mitgliederverzeichnis) Searchable directory of DIS members supporting networking and expert discovery within the German arbitration community.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Young Arbitration Practitioners Norway (YAPN)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Co-host of the Northern European Workshop 2026 in Oslo, collaborating with DIS40 Nord and other Nordic young practitioner groups.
• Young Arbitration Club Finland (YACF)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Co-host of the Northern European Workshop 2026 in Oslo, collaborating with DIS40 Nord and other Nordic young practitioner groups.
• Young Arbitrators Copenhagen (YAC)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Co-host of the Northern European Workshop 2026 in Oslo, collaborating with DIS40 Nord and other Nordic young practitioner groups.
• Young Arbitrators Sweden (YAS)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Co-host of the Northern European Workshop 2026 in Oslo, collaborating with DIS40 Nord and other Nordic young practitioner groups.
• Vienna Arbitration DaysminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026DIS is a supporting organization of Vienna Arbitration Days 2026, the 20th Anniversary Edition marking the 20th Anniversary of the Austrian Yearbook on International Arbitration and 60th Anniversary of UNCITRAL.
• German Foundation for International Legal Cooperation (IRZ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022IRZ collaborates with DIS on the Drafting School in International Contract Law and Dispute Resolution, supporting Ukrainian legal community and next generation dispute resolution lawyers. The program prepares Ukrainian students for participation in Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot competitions.
• Center for International Dispute Resolution at Bucerius Law School (CIDR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022CIDR partners with DIS on the Drafting School educational initiative supporting Ukrainian law students and young dispute resolution practitioners.
• Jagiellonian UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Jagiellonian University coordinates the four-day Drafting Summer School on International Contract Law and Dispute Resolution together with DIS, IRZ, and CIDR.
• Finnish Arbitration Institute (FAI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022DIS and FAI established the DIS/FAI Arbitration Group to promote arbitration in cross-border exchanges between Germany and Finland. The bilateral group organizes joint events and networking activities.
• Equal Representation in Arbitration Pledge (ERA Pledge)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2019DIS and ERA Pledge launched the DIS-ERA Pledge Gender Champion Initiative in October 2019 to encourage gender equality in international arbitration. Participating firms nominate Gender Champions who monitor female and male arbitrator appointments. DIS is a signatory to the ERA Pledge and contributes statistics to the ICCA Cross-Institutional Task Force on Gender Diversity.
• Co-Chairs' Circle (CCC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009CCC is an umbrella organization of young arbitration practitioners' groups worldwide, established and co-founded by DIS40 in 2009. Nearly 40 young arbitration practitioner groups belong to the CCC, which organizes annual retreats and biennial international conferences.
• German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (IHK)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-standing cooperation between German IHK network and DIS promotes arbitration services to German businesses engaged in international commerce.
• C. H. Beck PublishingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDIS co-publishes the SchiedsVZ (German Arbitration Journal) with C.H. Beck, the leading German legal publishing house, providing academic and practical coverage of arbitration law developments.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Swiss Arbitration Centre: Swiss-based institution administering international arbitrations under Swiss Rules and serving as a key European hub; competes directly with DIS for DACH-region and international commercial case flow.
• Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC): Major Asia-based arbitration institution administering international commercial and investor-state disputes; competes with DIS for global case flow, particularly from parties looking for an Asia seat.
• ICC International Court of Arbitration: The world's largest and most globally recognized arbitration institution, administering international commercial disputes under the ICC Arbitration Rules; directly comparable to DIS as a competing seat-neutral arbitral institution serving corporate parties and counsel worldwide.
• London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA): Leading London-seated arbitration institution administering international commercial disputes under the LCIA Arbitration Rules; competes with DIS for European and global case flow and operates with a similar not-for-profit institutional model.
• Stockholm Chamber of Commerce Arbitration Institute (SCC): Established Scandinavian arbitration institution administering international commercial disputes; competes with DIS for Northern European and CIS-related case flow and offers a comparable institutional, not-for-profit framework.
• Vienna International Arbitral Centre (VIAC): Austrian-headquartered arbitral institution administering international disputes, particularly those with Central and Eastern European parties; a close geographic peer to DIS and co-participant in Vienna Arbitration Days.
• Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC): Premier Asia-headquartered arbitration institution administering international commercial arbitrations under the SIAC Arbitration Rules; a key competitor for cross-border case flow and a benchmark for Asian and emerging-market disputes.
• Finnish Arbitration Institute (FAI): Finnish arbitration institution that co-operates with DIS through the DIS/FAI Bilateral Arbitration Group; a peer in size and mission, jointly running events and serving cross-border German-Finnish commercial disputes.
• Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS): Specialized international sports arbitration body; highly comparable to DIS's Deutsches Sportschiedsgericht division in scope (sports disputes, anti-doping) and serves as the natural peer for benchmarking the sports arbitration sub-brand.

Broad incumbents

• International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID): World Bank-affiliated institution administering international investment treaty arbitrations; an adjacent, more specialized comparator that shares the institutional-administered arbitration model and competes for high-profile international disputes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/deutsche-institution-fuer-schiedsgerichtsbarkeit

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Deutsche Institution für Schiedsgerichtsbarkeit e.V. (DIS) German Arbitration Institute