On 25 July 2003 the German Bundesverfassungsgericht (Federal Constitutional Court – FCC) handed down an order which is likely to give a new direction in global disputes since it relates to an act that is absolutely necessary when starting litigation: the service of a writ in a suit before a court. The Court's order is an important element in a discussion of the compatibility of German procedural law and conflict of laws with foreign, notably U.S. American class action and punitive damages suits that has been going on in Germany for a long time already. The following case note will provide a brief introduction to the debate and comment on the Court's order before sketching the possible consequences of the FCC's latest decision.