Christoph Barth

Christoph is a partner in Linklaters’ Global Antitrust & Foreign Investment Practice, based in Düsseldorf. He has a particular expertise in complex and global merger control proceedings and also advises clients on foreign investment control proceedings in Germany and other jurisdictions globally.

Further, Christoph comprehensively advises clients in abuse of dominance and cartel proceedings before the European Commission and the German Federal Cartel Office as well as in internal investigations in the context of potential competition law infringements. He is a member of Linklaters’ German “crisis management” group. Finally, he represents clients in competition litigation matters.

Christoph leads the “Innovation and Efficiency” Initiative within Linklaters’ Global Antitrust & Foreign Investment Practice, aiming to constantly improve the services we can offer, whether by creating new innovative solutions or by driving efficiency in everything we do.

He is listed by Juve as a frequently recommended advisor in the areas of antitrust law and investment control and is described as "very experienced and well-connected" as well as a "very sociable, calm and pragmatic lawyer" (Juve 2023/24), Handelsblatt and Wirtschaftswoche also regularly list him as one of the leading antitrust lawyers in Germany, as does Who`s Who legal. Further, he is recognised as a "distinguished adviser” in Financier Worldwide Power Players for Foreign Investment & National Security.

Work highlights

Christoph has advised and represented clients in many major competition and foreign investment matters. His recent experience includes:

• Carrier: advising on several transactions, including the €12bn acquisition of Viessmann Climate Solutions
• Daimler Truck: advising on the separation of Mercedes Benz and the €24bn IPO and other transactions
• Deutsche Börse: advising on the planned €21bn merger with the London Stock Exchange.
• E.ON: advising on several transactions and representation in court proceedings, including the €43bn asset swap with RWE, involving remedies by the European Commission.
• Glencore: advising on several transactions, including the €66 bn merger with mining company Xstrata, involving remedies by the European Commission and the Chinese antitrust authority.
• Operator of an oil pipeline: representation in the successful defence against allegations of abuse of a dominant market position before the European Commission and the German Federal Cartel Office
• Several clients: representation in investment review proceedings before the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, including the conclusion of security agreements, as well as in a range of in-depth review proceedings before other investment control authorities.
• Several clients: representation in antitrust proceedings before the European Commission and the German Federal Cartel Office, including in the insurance, consumer goods, chemicals, and financial products sectors, and internal investigations concerning possible violations of antitrust law and on compliance.

Christoph joined Linklaters in 2012 and became Managing Associate in 2016. He was elected Partner in 2019.

He is a member of Studienvereinigung Kartellrecht (Study Association Competition/Antitrust Law), German-Chinese Lawyer Association, American Bar Association Antitrust Section and American Law and Economics Association and a board member of Forum Investitionsprüfung (Forum Foreign Investment Control).

Christoph studied law and economics at the University of Bonn and worked as a trainee lawyer at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Technology as well as at the European Commission.

Christoph speaks German, English, French and Chinese (Mandarin).

Christoph is a member of the editorial board of the “Foreign Investment Links” blog, regularly publishing on global developments in foreign investment laws. Further, he is a regular speaker on conferences and seminars on competition law. Furthermore, he regularly contributes articles to legal journals and compendiums.