Christoph Barth
Antitrust & Foreign Investment Partner, Düsseldorf
"I have more than fifteen years of experience in helping clients navigate merger control and foreign investment proceedings for their transactions. I also advise on all other aspects of competition laws, leveraging on an in-depth understanding of a wide range of sectors our clients operate in. I use these skills to provide best in class advice and to help clients achieve their strategic goals and unravel regulatory challenges."
Overview
Professional experience
Education and qualifications
Published works
Overview
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 the Global Competition Practice of Linklaters. This initiative is working to constantly improve the services we can offer, whether by creating new innovative solutions or by driving efficiency in everything we do.
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
- Covestro: advising on the contemplated €15bn takeover by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.
- 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.
- 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.
Quotation & Rankings
He is listed by Juve as a frequently recommended advisor in the areas of antitrust law and investment control and is described as "technically excellent with a pragmatic approach" (Juve 2024/25) and "very experienced and well-connected" (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 one out of ten "distinguished advisers” in Financier Worldwide Power Players for Foreign Investment & National Security (2025).
Professional experience
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).
Education and qualifications
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 a board member of Forum Investitionsprüfung (Forum Foreign Investment Control).
Published works
Christoph studied law and economics at the University of Bonn.
Christoph speaks German, English, French and Chinese (Mandarin).