Our speakers
Competition Day 2025
Presenter
Fabian Badtke
Noerr | PartnerHead of Antitrust & Competition
Fabian Badtke heads the firm’s antitrust and competition group. He advises and represents national and international clients on all aspects of European and German antitrust law, including merger control and coordination of multijurisdictional filings, antitrust investigations, behavioural matters, antitrust litigation and compliance programmes. Fabian has particular industry know-how in the financial services, healthcare and life sciences, retail and media sectors.
Keynote
“What’s the status quo regarding competition in the EU? Presentation of the DG COMP report “Protecting competition in a changing world”
Thomas Deisenhofer
European Commission, Directorate-General for Competition
Principal Adviser
Thomas Deisenhofer has been Principal Adviser for ex-post economic evaluation at DG Competition since 2021. His role is to design and implement internal and external economic research projects which (1) evaluate past competition enforcement actions by DG Competition ex post; (2) measure the broader economic impact of competition enforcement by DG Competition; and (3) investigate the overall evolution of competition in the EU economy. From 2011 to 2021 he was Head of Unit E4, the merger control unit in DG Competition responsible for mergers in basic industries, manufacturing and agriculture, and acted as case manager on cases such as Dow/DuPont, Bayer/Monsanto, ABI/SAB Miller and GE/Alstom. In 2009 and 2010 he held the same position in the unit responsible for merger control in the fields of telecommunications, media and IT. Previously, from 2005 to March 2009, he was responsible for State aid control as the assistant to Philip Lowe, Director General of DG Competition. In that role, he was responsible for assisting the Director General with State aid cases during the banking crisis. From 1998 to 2002 he worked as Legal Secretary (référendaire) to Advocate General Francis G. Jacobs at the European Court of Justice.
Panel Discussion 1
How to defend oneself against cartel allegations in a world of changing cartel enforcement?
Kiyoko Yagami
Anderson Mōri & Tomotsune
Partner
Kiyoko Yagami is a partner at Anderson Mōri & Tomotsune (Tokyo office). Her practice focuses on multinational/domestic antitrust investigations involving Japanese clients and merger filings with the Japan Fair Trade Commission and other major competition authorities. She is also experienced in international dispute resolution involving antitrust issues and other competition law-related matters. She is listed in Who's Who Legal and The Best Lawyers Japan as a leading individual in competition law and was a finalist for Woman Lawyer of the Year (2024) in the ALB Japan Law Awards. Prior to joining Anderson Mōri & Tomotsune, she worked at the Beijing office of a leading global law firm and at the Economic Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. She is a part-time lecturer at Waseda University Law School and Kobe University. She also plays an active role in pro-bono matters involving refugees in Japan..
Nick Gaglio
Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider
Partner
Nick Gaglio is a partner with Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider, based in its New York City office. Drawing on more than twenty years of experience, Nick counsels clients on a full range of antitrust issues, including litigation, mergers, civil non-merger and criminal cartel investigations, internal investigations, and counseling. A skilled listener, Nick has helped clients to resolve antitrust problems in diverse industries ranging from aerospace defense to data analytics, recycled paper to beverage packaging, sports equipment to sports entertainment. Nick frequently assists clients analyze potential antitrust risks associated with large and complex strategic mergers, and to develop strategies to minimize deal risk and regulatory delay. Recently, Nick served as lead antitrust counsel to Ball Corporation in its successful $5.6B sale of its aerospace business to BAE Systems, helping to secure the fastest clearance of a defense deal in which a U.S. antitrust agency investigated and issued a Second Request. Importantly, Ball did not have to incur the burden of substantially complying with the Second Request in order for the Antitrust Division to resolve its investigation. Nick’s broad antitrust litigation experience spans from conception through decision, and has included strategic assessment and crafting of claims and defenses, effective e-discovery management, tactical briefing and advocacy at various critical pre-trial stages, settlement evaluation and execution at trial. Nick is also a veteran of follow-on class action multidistrict litigation. His recent experience includes defending Tyson Foods in multiple class action and arbitration matters relating to animal proteins, and advising multiple parties regarding the sprawling real estate agent commission cases, including acting as lead counsel to Florida Association of Realtors®, the largest state association of Realtors®in the United States.
Jens Peter Schmidt
Noerr | PartnerHead of Brussels Office,
Member of the Antitrust & Competition Practice Group
Global rankings recognize Jens Peter Schmidt as a leading antitrust and competition expert. During his 25 years as a legal practitioner, he has focused on M&A merger control, foreign direct investment control (FDI), foreign subsidy control and antitrust/regulatory issues associated with the digital economy (e.g. DMA). Jens Peter advises on the antitrust-compliant structuring of cooperations and distribution systems, and state aid. He heads Noerr Brussels office. Prior to joining Noerr, he was the Brussels office managing partner and co-head of the European antitrust practice of an international US law firm.
Alexander Birnstiel
Noerr | PartnerMember of the Antitrust & Competition Practice Group
Alexander Birnstiel advises German and international clients from a large number of industries (including automotive, chemicals, primary and reinsurance, financial services, generic drugs, real estate, IT, food retailing and production, media, pharmaceuticals, sport and steel) on all questions of German and European antitrust and competition law. He represents clients in cartel, abuse and merger control proceedings (including coordination of multijurisdictional filings) before the German Federal Cartel Office, the European Commission and national and European courts. He also advises clients on antitrust issues associated with digitalisation projects (including setting up and running internet platforms), the interface between antitrust and intellectual property, private enforcement and compliance issues and in dawn raid scenarios. In European State aid law, Alexander can refer to comprehensive experience and work both for the public sector and private clients (State aid beneficiaries and complainants) including in the area of regional State aid, rescue and restructuring aid and hospital financing.
Topic 1
State of play in merger control: current developments in the EU and UK
Rupert Phillips
Ropes & Gray
Counsel
Rupert Phillips is counsel in Ropes & Gray's antitrust group in London. Prior to joining Ropes & Gray, Rupert was an associate in the Brussels office of another leading international law firm. Rupert advises clients on EU and UK competition/antitrust law and regulatory matters. He has significant experience advising clients on complex antitrust investigations in Europe and Asia (particularly abuse of dominance matters), and steering clients through international merger control, FDI, and FSR processes for major transactions. Rupert advises across various industries, with particular experience acting for technology, life sciences, semiconductor, and private equity clients. Rupert is admitted to the New York State Bar and has an LL.M. from UC Berkeley School of Law, California and an LL.B. from the London School of Economics.
Fernando Sebastian Íscar Rüland
thyssenkrupp
Senior Legal Counsel
Fernando Sebastian Íscar Rüland is a Senior Legal Counsel at thyssenkrupp AG, experienced in cross-border public and private M&A transactions, competition law and pre- and post-closing restructurings. His work incorporates all aspects of European, German and international competition law with a particular focus on merger control, FDI and FSR. After spending several years as an attorney in Spain & Germany he took over the role at thyssenkrupp and has now group-wide responsibility for all merger control, FDI and FSR matters. As a side off-topic note, he is also a passionate professional freediver and member of the German national team.
Till Steinvorth
Noerr | PartnerMember of the Antitrust & Competition Practice Group
Till Steinvorth practices EU and German antitrust and competition law. With more than 15 years of experience practicing law in Germany, Brussels and London, his practice covers the complete range of antitrust and competition law across a wide spectrum of industry sectors. He regularly represents clients before the German Federal Cartel Office and the European Commission. Till also advises on compliance matters, on foreign direct investment (FDI) filings and on economic sanctions. Till is a frequent author and speaker on antitrust issues. He is co-author of one of the best known treatises on antitrust law in Germany, “Handbuch des Kartellrechts,” and he gives lectures at the University of Hamburg. Before joining Noerr, Till headed the German antitrust and competition law practice of an American law firm in Düsseldorf for many years. Prior to that, he worked as a lawyer at a leading British-German firm.
Lorenz W. Jarass
Noerr | Associated PartnerMember of the Antitrust & Competition Practice Group
Lorenz Jarass is a Frankfurt based Associated Partner at the firm’s antitrust and competition group. He advises and represents national and international clients across many industry sectors on all aspects of European and German antitrust and FDI law, including merger control and coordination of multi-jurisdictional filings, antitrust investigations, behavioural matters, antitrust litigation and compliance programmes. He has a vast experience in advising clients in complex merger control assessments inter alia before the Federal Cartel Office as well as steering worldwide filings. Lorenz is a frequent speaker on antitrust issues, e.g. on big tech in Malaga (2024), on antitrust litigation in Budapest (2023), and electronic vehicles in Bologna (2022).
Topic 2
AI & competition
Lars Cornels
Dräger
Senior Legal Counsel
Lars Cornels is a member of the legal department of Dräger, an international leader in medical and safety technology. In this role, he leads the global and digital transformation from a legal perspective. He focuses both on internal change and on external customer-related and business development. In addition, he acts as an expert in IT law on a range of topics in this field, and is a member of various professional groups and expert committees.
Markus Brösamle
Noerr | Associated PartnerMember of the Antitrust & Competition Practice Group
Markus Brösamle advises in all areas of German and European antitrust law. He is active in the area of cartel damages as well as in advising on all aspects of antitrust law in the context of M&A projects (e.g. merger control proceedings before the German Federal Cartel Office and the European Commission; antitrust feasibility analysis; drafting of contracts; coordination of multinational filings). In addition, Markus advises on all aspects of antitrust matters in the operative business (e.g. cooperation between competitors; abuse of market power; vertical cooperation; antitrust compliance). He also represents companies in antitrust investigations.
Topic 3
A year of DMA compliance: Where Europe stands in its pioneering quest for fairer digital markets (held in German)
Christina Oelke
VAUNET - German Association of Private Media
Deputy Legal Counsel
Christina Oelke has worked at the German association of private media, VAUNET, in the Legal and Regulatory department since 2019, where as Deputy Legal Counsel she is in charge of matters such as copyright and competition law in a national, European and international context. Christina, who holds a doctoral degree in law, previously worked as a lawyer and in-house counsel for 13 years handling intellectual property, copyright and information technology law, with a strong focus on advising companies in the digital economy and international start-ups.
Jochen Hegener
Noerr | Senior AssociateMember of the Antitrust & Competition Practice Group
Jochen Hegener advises German and international clients on all aspects of German and European antitrust and competition law and European State aid law. His advice covers fields such as investigations and fine proceedings by the competition authorities (European Commission and the Federal Cartel Office), merger control proceedings, antitrust and competition-related compliance topics and matters involving State aid. He further focuses his advice on the intersection with intellectual property law. Jochen is a member of the Antitrust & Competition and Digital Business practice groups as well as a key member of the “Noerr Data Competence Center”.
Panel discussion 2
New guidelines on abuse of market power and comparison with the requirements of case law – presumptions instead of (economic) evidence?
Holger Hohmann
Siemens Healthineers
Senior Competition Counsel
Holger Hohmann is Senior Competition Counsel at Siemens Healthineers AG and has more than 20 years’ experience in antitrust and competition law. Holger advises Siemens Healthineers globally and across all the company’s business segments on the full range of antitrust and competition law. He has been working as in-house counsel for the Siemens Group since 2006, advising a wide range of divisions on antitrust-related matters. Prior to this, Holger worked as an antitrust and competition lawyer for an international law firm in Cologne, Dusseldorf and Washington DC. Holger studied law in Germany at the Universities of Tübingen and Cologne.
Hilmar Leonhardt
Deutsche Telekom
Head of Competition Law
Hilmar Leonhardt is Head of Competition Law at Deutsche Telekom AG. Hilmar Leonhardt advises all departments within the Deutsche Telekom group on the full range of antitrust and competition-related matters. He joined Deutsche Telekom in 2003 as in-house counsel and has since held various positions in the company’s legal, regulatory and public affairs departments. Before joining Deutsche Telekom, Hilmar worked as an antitrust and competition lawyer for an international law firm in Berlin. He studied law in Germany at the Universities of Göttingen, Freiburg and Berlin, also gaining a doctoral degree.
Alia Schweiger
RBB Economics
Principal
Alia Schweiger has been head of the Berlin office of RBB Economics since 2024, following ten years at E.CA Economics. During her many years of advisory experience, Alia has supported clients with all issues of competition economics. These include numerous Phase I and Phase II merger screening proceedings at the EU Commission and Germany’s Federal Cartel Office (Bundeskartellamt) and at other national competition authorities, for example in the cases Liberty Media/Dorna Sports, Wienerberger/Terreal, Real/Kaufland, RHI/Magnesita, Miba/Zollern, Immonet/Immowelt and EDEKA/Kaiser’s Tengelmann. Alia also has extensive experience in calculating damages and providing economic advice to clients in claims for damages due to infringement of competition law. She has also worked on a large number of market abuse cases, particularly with regard to digital platforms such as a recent case involving Google Shopping. Alia is a regular speaker at conferences on issues of competition economics and has been awarded the title of Future Leader by Who’s Who Legal every year since 2022.
Kathrin Westermann
Noerr | Partner
Member of the Antitrust & Competition Practice Group
Kathrin Westermann is an experienced specialist in all aspects of German and European antitrust law. She represents clients of most diverse industries in cartel, abuse and merger control proceedings before the Federal Cartel Office and the European Commission as well as in court. She also has long lasting experience in dawn raid scenarios. In recent years, her practice is further focussed on claims for antitrust damages. Kathrin Westermann began her career 1997 in a major German law firm. In addition, she worked for four years at the German Federal Cartel Office.
Peter Stauber
Noerr | Partner
Member of the Antitrust & Competition Practice Group
Peter Stauber has vast experience in handling and coordinating parallel merger control proceedings (multi-jurisdictional filings) worldwide. He also advises companies on antitrust law compliance matters, ranging from the establishment of compliance systems, internal investigations to follow-up measures such as the filing of leniency applications and advice on antitrust proceedings. Peter also advises companies on judicially enforcing and defending against antitrust claims (private enforcement).
Topic 4
Challenges for companies in times of geopolitical upheaval – an update on investment control and competition law
Yusuke Takamiya
Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
Partner
Yusuke Takamiya is a partner at Mori Hamada & Matsumoto based in Tokyo. Yusuke has extensive experience in prominent domestic and foreign antitrust and competition law cases and is nominated as one of the prominent practitioners in Chambers, Best Lawyers, etc.. As well as handling all aspects of antitrust/competition laws including infringement investigations, leniency applications, counseling/compliance advices and antitrust dispute, Yusuke has plenty of experience in the fields of multijurisdictional merger filings which require negotiations with major authorities in complex/difficult cases. In addition to private practice, Yusuke is active in policy making and academic fields, work closely with authorities with regard to cutting-edge topics including “Sustainability and Competition Laws” and “Generative AI and Antitrust Policy” and works as a Non-Government Advisor to the Japan Fair Trade Commission in the forum of the International Competition Network.
Bärbel Sachs
Noerr | Partner
Head of Regulatory & Governmental Affairs,
Head of International Trade & Investment Controls
Bärbel Sachs heads the international trade & investment controls and regulatory & governmental affairs practice groups at Noerr. She has been advising clients in all areas of German, European and international trade law, including export controls, sanctions and customs law since 2006. Bärbel’s practice focuses on advice concerning trade compliance programmes and investigations of complex matters in the past. She also advises on foreign investment reviews by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action.
Sarah Blazek
Noerr | Partner
Head of EU State Aid & FSR,
Member of the Antitrust & Competition Practice Group
Sarah Blazek is a partner based in Munich, who also regularly works from our Brussels office. Her practice areas include antitrust and competition, EU State aid and the EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation. Sarah advises clients on all aspects of EU and German antitrust and competition law. She represents clients before the European Commission, the EU courts and the German Federal Cartel Office. As a key member of the “Noerr Data Competence Center”, she helps clients design their future-proof data and AI projects in line with antitrust and competition law. Sarah also heads the EU State aid team at Noerr. In this role, she also assists clients in complex and time-critical proceedings before the European Commission and the EU courts, including specific challenges arising as a result of green and digital transformation. Based on her substantial experience in the field of EU State aid, Sarah also provides in-depth advice on the EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation as a new instrument for extended State aid control. As co-head of Diversity, she is actively involved in Noerr’s Diversity Network.
Topic 5
HR departments in the spotlight: Salary agreements, non-solicitation covenants and exchange of information – a new focus for enforcement by the authorities?
Fabian Hübener
Noerr | Associated Partner
Member of the Antitrust & Competition Practice Group
Fabian Hübener is a lawyer in Noerr's Brussels office. His practice focuses on advising on EU antitrust law issues. He has successfully advised several clients in proceedings before the European Commission and national competition authorities. He also represents clients in referral proceedings before the ECJ. Another focus of his practice is the antitrust assessment of distribution models, in particular in the automotive industry. He also has extensive experience in the enforcement of antitrust damages claims. He is also co-editor of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) Practice Handbook, which examines the role of national competition authorities and courts in relation to the enforcement of the DMA.
Sven Lohse
Noerr | Associated Partner
Member of the Employment & Pensions Practice Group
Sven Lohse is a lawyer and certified specialist in employment law in the Employment & Pensions practice group. From the Hamburg office, he advises national and international companies on all matters of individual and collective labour law. In this context, Sven specializes in the deployment of third-party work forces, occupational health and safety compliance, internal investigations and litigation, in particular in connection with disputes with works councils and compliance violation.
Topic 6
Does EU law require minimum damages? An international view on recent development in private enforcement and cartel damages
Stephen Whitfield
Travers SmithPartner and Head of Competition
Stephen Whitfield is a Partner and Head of the Travers Smith Competition department. He has particular experience in dealing with UK and EU cartel investigations, obtaining UK, EU and international merger clearances, leading National Security (NSI) and FDI reviews, advising on the EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation and resolving competition law disputes including follow-on damages. Stephen also advises clients on UK market studies/investigations and European Commission sector inquiries, the competition law aspects of commercial agreements and compliance with competition law. Stephen's expertise covers a broad range of sectors including technology, financial services, infrastructure, utilities, life sciences, construction, sports, media, consumer products and brands. Stephen is regularly invited to speak as a competition law expert at industry events, including most recently at Informa's 2024 Competition Law in the Financial Services Sector event, and to provide comment to the Financial Times and other publications on a wide range of competition, national security and foreign subsidies issues.
Konstantin Jörgens
Garrigues
Of Counsel
Konstantin Jörgens is of counsel in Garrigues’ competition law group. For the past 25 years, he has been advising domestic and international clients, including those in the automotive, pharmaceutical, financial services, food retailing and production, manufacturing of fastening and assembly materials and freight-forwarding sectors, on a wide range of antitrust and merger control law issues. He represents clients in cartel, abuse, merger control proceedings before the Spanish competition authority (CNMC) and the European Commission and coordinates multijurisdictional merger control filings involving other jurisdictions. In addition, he advises on distribution law issues and compliance schemes, including establishing compliance programs and providing antitrust training for numerous corporate clients in Spain and abroad. With his German and Spanish commercial law background, he also co-coordinates the German Desk of the firm. He speaks German (native), Spanish, English and French and is admitted to practice in Spain (Madrid), Germany (Cologne) and United States (New York). Prior to joining Garrigues’ Madrid team. Konstantin worked as a legal trainee (Referendar) at the European Commission, the German Embassy in Tel Aviv, the German Representative Office in the Palestinian Territories, and several years as an associate at Hogan & Hartson and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton in Brussels. Konstantin received his legal education from the universities of Freiburg, Grenoble (Diplôme de Droit Français, 1991) and Cologne (First State Exam, 1994), Appeal Court in Berlin (Second State Exam, 1997) and Georgetown University (LL.M., 1998).
Henner Schläfke
Noerr | Partner
Head of Class Action & Mass Claims Defense,
Member of the Antitrust & Competition Practice Group
Henner Schläfke represents national and international clients in litigation before state courts and has extensive practical experience as a trial lawyer. He heads Noerr's class and mass action defense practice group. Henner specializes in antitrust damages litigation and is defending clients against follow-on claims in high-profile cases including collective actions. He is also experienced in setting up structured projects for companies claiming damages. His practice covers a wide range of industries with a special focus on retail, banking, automotive and consumer goods. Apart from this, Henner is an expert in banking and capital investment law and represents credit institutions in mass, collective and landmark proceedings.
Sebastian Wrobel
Noerr | Senior Associate
Member of the Antitrust & Competition Practice Group
Sebastian Wrobel advises clients on all aspects of German and European antitrust and competition law. Sebastian specialises in antitrust damages litigation and defends clients against complex follow-on and standalone claims before German courts. In addition, he has experience asserting antitrust damages claims. Sebastian also represents companies in proceedings concerning the ban on cartels, abuse of dominance and merger control before the German Federal Cartel Office and the European Commission as well as in court. Further, Sebastian assists clients with antitrust-related compliance issues and internal investigations.