Kaan Gürer

Kaan is a counsel in Linklaters’ Düsseldorf Antitrust & Foreign Investment Group. He has a broad array of expertise in all fields of antitrust law with a focus on behavioural matters, compliance advise and merger control both at EU level and in Germany. His vast experience and set of skills allow him to navigate intricate matters, including investigations, vertical and abuse of dominance questions as well as foreign investment and FSR proceedings. Kaan is very well-versed with the inner workings of the European Commission and the Federal Cartel Office in Germany gathering valuable insights into the latter during his time there as part of his legal training.

Kaan’s comprehensive knowledge spans several industries such as automotive, digital economy and technology, energy, private equity, and more, showcasing his adaptability and proficiency. Beyond his core responsibilities, Kaan is actively involved in shaping the firm's broader Compliance initiatives and contributes his thoughts regularly through publications, further demonstrating his commitment to positive change.

Kaan is listed by German WirtschaftsWoche in the category “Top Lawyers 2024” for antitrust law and recognized as a “Next Generation Partner” by Legal500. He is further listed by Lexology in the categories "Competition Future Leaders 2024 (non-partners)" and “Competition 2024” as “Recommended Lawyer” as well as by Handelsblatt in the category "Best Lawyers 2025" for antitrust law, EU law and litigation.

Work highlights

• Volkswagen: advising on, inter alia, (i) its joint venture with and the $5.8bn investment in Rivian, (ii) the sale of Volkswagen Group Rus to Art-Finance LLC, (iii) a cooperation with Bosch in the field of autonomous driving, and (iv) the IPO of Dr. Ing. h.c.F. Porsche AG.
• Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG: advising in cartel proceedings before the European Commission concerning alleged conduct in relation to emission technologies.
• AUDI AG: advising on the entry into Formula 1 including (i) the acquisition of the Sauber Formula 1 team, and (ii) the investment of QIA in Sauber.
• Silgan Holdings Inc.: advising on, inter alia, (i) in cartel proceedings before the German Federal Cartel Office and the European Commission concerning alleged anticompetitive conduct in the metal packaging sector, (ii) in proceedings before the European Courts and, most recently, (iii) on the acquisition of plastic packaging.
• An online retailer: advising on various questions in relation to European and German antitrust law reforms in the digital area.
• KME AG/Intek Group: advising in the acquisition of MKM Mansfelder Kupfer und Messing before the European Commission.
• A German company in relation to the German Federal Cartel Office’s investigation into alleged abusive practices in the context of energy price relief measures.

Kaan joined Linklaters as a lawyer in 2014 and has been promoted to Managing Associate in 2018 and counsel in 2022.

Kaan is actively involved in the firm’s various diversity initiatives and is a diversity ambassador. He further regularly takes part in Community Investment projects. Furthermore, Kaan is a member of the German Study Association for Antitrust Lawyers (Studienvereinigung Kartellrecht), of the German compliance association DICO’s working group for antitrust law, the German-Turkish Lawyers Association and the German Bar Association. Kaan is a lecturer for antitrust compliance at the University of Munster.

Kaan studied law in Hamburg and Chicago at Bucerius Law School Hamburg and Northwestern University School of Law. He further holds a joint LL.M. from the University of Cologne and Bilgi University Istanbul. During his legal training, Kaan spent time at the Federal Cartel Office and gained practical experience in a leading competition law firm in Turkey.

Kaan speaks German, English and Turkish fluently.

Kaan regularly contributes articles to legal journals and compendiums:

• Weiterer Optimierungsbedarf beim Thema ESG und Kartellrecht (Seeliger, Daniela; Gürer, Kaan; de Crozals, Dorothee), in: DB 2024, Beilage 2, S. 39, 2024.
• Kartellrechtliche Compliance bei Erfüllung von Unternehmenspflichten im Rahmen des LkSG, Compliance Business 2/2023 
• ESG im Kartellrecht – aktuelle Entwicklungen, 2023, Der Betrieb, Beilage Nr. 2 
• Rechtsentwicklungen im Wettbewerbs- und Kartellrecht, 2022, Der Betrieb, 2022, Beilage Nr. 3
• Wachsender Bedarf an (krisenbedingten) Unternehmenskooperationen, Compliance Business 4/2022
• „ESG im Kartellrecht: mehr Guidance für Kooperationen“, Der Betrieb, 2022, Beilage Nr. 2
• „Kartellrecht und Nachhaltigkeit: Neue Regeln für Umweltschutzvereinbarungen von Wettbewerbern?“, Betriebs Berater 2021, 2050
• „ESG und Kartellrecht – neue Chancen für Unternehmen“, Der Betrieb, 2021, Beilage Nr. 2 
• „Mehr Rechtssicherheit für Unternehmen – Nun wird es ernst: Das Wettbewerbsregister nimmt seinen Betrieb auf“, Compliance Business 1/2021
• „Plädoyer für eine weite Compliance-Defence in § 81d GWB-E im Rahmen der 10. GWB-Novelle“, WuW 12/2020
• „Digitalisierung und Kartellrechtscompliance – Zwischen Wandel und Herausforderung“, Compliance Business 4/2020
• „Kartellbußgeldverfahren nach der 10. GWB-Novelle – Der Referentenentwurf schränkt Verfahrens- und Verteidigerrechte maßgeblich ein“, Compliance Business 1/2020
• „Herausforderungen für 2018 – Kartellrechtliche Compliance: Neue Themen stehen auf der Agenda“, Compliance Business 1/2018
• „Bewegung beim Thema Compliance-Defence – BGH äußert sich zur Bedeutung von Compliance bei der Bußgeldbemessung”, Compliance Business 3/2017
• „Ist Imagepflege im Internetzeitalter nicht mehr möglich? OLG Düsseldorf bestätigt, dass das Verbot der Nutzung von Preissuchmaschinen gegen Kartellrecht verstößt“, Compliance Business 2/2017
• “Germany: anti-competitive agreements – athletics shoes II”, ECLR 2017, 38(8)
• „Einführung eines bundesweiten Wettbewerbsregisters. Kartellanten könnte schon bald der Eintrag in einer ‘schwarzen Liste’ drohen“, Compliance Business 1/2017
• „Aktuelle Kartellrechtsrisiken in M&A-Transaktionen“, M&A Review 3/2017
• „Kartellrechtsrisiken in M&A-Transaktionen – neuere Entwicklungen“, Betriebs-Berater 5/2017
• „Haften Unternehmen für Kartellverstöße von unabhängigen Dritten?“, Compliance Berater 1/2017
• „Eltern haften für ihre Kinder. Im Blickpunkt: Erhöhte Haftungsrisiken für Konzerne nach der 9. GWB-Novelle“, Compliance Business 4/2016
• „DICO Leitlinien: Kartellrechtliche Compliance und ‘Dos & Don’ts’“, May 2016

Conferences 

Kaan is a regular speaker at many high profile conferences and seminars on various antitrust law topics.