Holocaust Victim Asset Litigation

Berger Montague served on the Executive Committee in the Holocaust Victim Assets Litigation and helped achieve a $1.25 billion settlement with the largest Swiss banks on behalf of victims of Nazi aggression whose deposits were not returned after the Second World War. Berger Montague also played an instrumental role in achieving a $4.37 billion settlement with German industry and government for the use of slave and forced labor during the Holocaust. The Holocaust Victim Assets Litigation was litigated in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, and a significant opinion in the case can be found at: 105 F. Supp.2d 139 (E.D.N.Y. 2000).

From U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Stuart E. Eizenstat:

“We must be frank. It was the American lawyers, through the lawsuits they brought in U.S. courts, who placed the long-forgotten wrongs by German companies during the Nazi era on the international agenda. It was their research and their work which highlighted these old injustices and forced us to confront them. Without question, we would not be here without them…. For this dedication and commitment to the victims, we should always be grateful to these lawyers.”

In his remarks at the July 17, 2000, signing ceremony for the international agreements which established the German Foundation to act as a funding vehicle for the payment of claims to Holocaust survivors.

U.S. President William J. Clinton appointed Berger Montague founder, David Berger, a member of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council, in which capacity he served from 1994-2004.

If you have been the victim of a human rights violation, or employment discrimination, including discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, gender, national origin, or sexual orientation, please contact Berger Montague.

About Berger Montague

Berger Montague is a national law firm focusing on complex civil litigation in federal and state courts throughout the United States. For over half a century, Berger Montague has played lead roles in consequential, precedent-setting cases and has recovered over $50 billion for its clients and the classes they have represented. Berger Montague is headquartered in Philadelphia and has offices in Chicago, Minneapolis, San Diego, San Francisco, Toronto, and Washington, D.C.