Dr. Julia Grothaus

Julia leads the German Litigation, Arbitration & Investigations practice. She represents clients in complex disputes before courts and arbitral tribunals in the context of a range of contentious matters. Julia has extensive experience in competition litigation as well as handling complex post-M&A, construction and corporate disputes (including D&O liability, joint venture disputes and shareholder claims) both before state courts and arbitral tribunals. She also acts as an arbitrator, particularly in post-M&A disputes.

As head of the German ESG team, Julia coordinates our cross-practice activities in the rapidly changing ESG space and is a core member of our global ESG practice. Her practise focusses on assisting clients in mitigating the liability risks associated with the ESG megatrend (greenwashing, climate change litigation, human rights issues etc.).

Julia is member of the Studienvereinigung Kartellrecht e.V., DIS, DIS40, ICCYAF, Young ICCA and Arbitral Women. 

She frequently speaks at seminars and conferences and publishes on current trends and issues in litigation, international arbitration, cartel damages litigation and in the context of the dynamically evolving ESG landscape. In this context, she is also hosting our Linklaters Forum Nachhaltigkeit in Frankfurt.

Julia is one of the 25 Rising Stars amongst Europe's Best Up-and-Coming Female Lawyers 2022 by Law.com International. Furthermore, she has been named “40 under 40” by Juve in 2023 and has been listed as Thought Leader in Commercial Litigation by Who’s Who Legal in 2024.

Work Highlights

Julia has advised on a full range of confidential international arbitration and litigation matters. Publicly known examples are:

• Various multinational corporations: advising on the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act, the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive as well as in the context of greenwashing (risk mitigation as well as contentious advice).
• German car manufacturer: comprehensive advice on ESG topics in the context of an IPO.
• Tech company: representing in annulment proceedings regarding a partial arbitral award concerning the establishment of a proton therapy centre in Germany.
• Investor: advising and representing in an investment arbitration against the Czech Republic on the basis of a breach of the BIT between the Netherlands and the Czech Republic.
• Deutsche Oppenheim Family Office AG: representing in D&O liability litigation against former board members and out-of-court settlement negotiations.
• Flex-N-Gate: defending in a post-M&A arbitration against a German DAX company and parallel U.S. litigation.
• Japanese building conglomerate: representing in a €270m post-M&A arbitration against various insurers under a complex warranty & indemnities (W&I) scheme as well as in subsequent annulment proceedings and advising regarding parallel litigation.
• Air France KLM Group: defending in a €3bn cartel damage lawsuit in connection with the air freight cartel.
• Saint-Gobain Group: defending in various cartel damage lawsuits in connection with the car glass cartel.
• World-leading automotive supplier: advising on cartel damages claims in connection with various cartel investigations in Germany and worldwide.

• Payment technology company: defending against numerous cease-and-desist as well as cartel damage claims.

Julia joined Linklaters in 2007. She was admitted to the German Bar in 2011 and was elected Partner in 2020.

She is a member of all major arbitration institutions, e.g. the Studienvereinigung Kartellrecht e.V., the ICC, the DIS, various U40 organizations (including DIS40, ICCYAF, Young ICCA) and Arbitral Women.

Julia studied law at the Universities of Cologne and Bielefeld, completed a doctorate in law at the University of Cologne and spent her legal traineeship (Referendariat) in Cologne, Frankfurt, Hanoi and London. She is admitted to the German bar.

She speaks German and English.

Julia frequently publishes in the field of litigation, arbitration and ESG. Her recent publications include:

• Authoring posts on our ESG blog Sustainable Futures
• “Greenwashing auf dem Vormarsch”, DB-Beilage „Environment – Social – Governance 2023“, page 13 (together with Dr Christian Schmitt, Dr Frederik Winter and Dr Kathrin Bauwens)
• “Greenwashing in der umweltbezogenen Produktwerbung”, DB-Beilage „Environment – Social – Governance 2023“, page 16 (together with Dr Bolko Ehlgen and Lisa Bauer)
• “Neue Pflichten zur nachhaltigen Unternehmensführung“, DB-Beilage „Environment – Social – Governance 2022“, page 40 (together with Julia MacDonald)
• “Die Bedeutung des Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetzes für Kreditinstitute“, DB-Beilage „Environment – Social – Governance 2022“, page 24 (together with Dr Frederik Winter)
• “Unternehmensverantwortung in Lieferketten – Status quo und Ausblick“, DB-Beilage „Environment – Social – Governance 2021“, page 20 (together with Alexandros Chatzinerantzis)
• “Tort prevails over contract for deciding jurisdiction in abuse of dominance cases: The CJEU’s judgment in Wikingerhof v. Booking.com”, LinkingCompetition, 2 December 2020
• “Who cares wins”, Börsen-Zeitung Spezial of 25 November 2020 (together with Alexandros Chatzinerantzis)
• “Keine sekundäre Darlegungslast des Kartellgeschädigten im Hinblick auf die näheren Umstände seiner Preiskalkulation („Schienenkartell IV”)”, BGH, 19 May 2020 – KZR 8/18, EWiR 2021, 91-92
• “Legal 500 comparative guide on Competition Litigation”, 2022 (together with Dr Rupert Bellinghausen and Hannes Ingwersen)
• “Haftung der Kartellanten auch gegenüber nicht am betroffenen Markt als Anbieter oder Nachfrager tätigen Personen („Otis u. a.”)”, CJEU, judgment of 12 December 2019 – C-435/18 (Otis Gesellschaft m.b.H. u. a. gegen Land Oberösterreich u. a.), EWiR 2020, 61-62
• “Zivilprozessrecht: Zur Bestimmung des Deliktsgerichtsstands am Erfolgsort in Kartellschadensersatzverfahren”, CJEU, judgment of 29 July 2019 – C-451/18 (Tibor-Trans Fuvarozó és Kereskedelmi Kft./DAF Trucks NV), EuZW 2019, 794-796
• “Kein Anscheinsbeweis bei Quoten- und Kundenschutzkartell für Schadenseintritt oder Kartellbefangenheit einzelner Aufträge” („Schienenkartell”)”, BGH, 11 December 2018 - KZR 26/17, EWiR 2019, 253-254 (together with Dr Rupert Bellinghausen)
• “Zur Verjährungshemmung und Verzinsung von Kartellschadensersatzansprüchen in Altfällen („Grauzementkartell II”)”, BGH, 12 June 2018 - KZR 56/16, EWiR 2018, 509-510 (together with Dr Rupert Bellinghausen)
• “Post-award challenges to impartiality and independence in Germany”, Arbitration.Links, 13 September 2017 (together with Dr Rupert Bellinghausen)
• “Advocate General Wathelet endorses intra-EU BITs”, Arbitration.Links, 27 September 2017 (together with Dr Rupert Bellinghausen)
• “Do arbitration clauses catch cartel damages claims?”, Arbitration.Links, 9 January 2018 (together with Dr Rupert Bellinghausen)
• “The judgment of the CJEU in Slovak Republic v. Achmea B.V.: intra-EU BITs incompatible with EU law”, Arbitration.Links, 13 March 2018 (together with Dr Rupert Bellinghausen)

• “Erstes Urteil zum Lkw-Kartell – Rückenwind für Kartellgeschädigte?”, NZKart 2018, 116 (together with Dr Rupert Bellinghausen)
• “Escalation Clauses: No Longer a Tripping Hazard for Arbitrations with Seat in Germany?”, Kluwer Arbitration Blog, 1 December 2016 (together with Dr Rupert Bellinghausen)
• “The CJEU’s decision in CDC v Akzo Nobel et al: A Blessing or a Curse for Arbitrating Cartel Damage Claims?”, Kluwer Arbitration Blog, 31 July 2015 (together with Dr Rupert Bellinghausen)
• DIS Autumn Conference 2014: “Global Pond or Single Playing Field: How international should international arbitration really be?”, German Arbitration Journal (SchiedsVZ) 2015, 32
• "When Does an Arbitration Agreement Have a Binding Effect on Non-Signatories? The Group of Companies Doctrine vs. Conflict of Laws Rules and Public Policy”, Kluwer Arbitration Blog, 30 July 2014
• “Inlandsvollstreckung mit Auslandswirkung – die inländische Vollstreckung von Handlungs- und Unterlassungsentscheidungen mit ausländischem Leistungsort”, Baden-Baden 2010 (at the same time doctoral thesis, University of Cologne, June 2010)