Sarah Blazek, E.MA (European Inter-University Centre, Venice)
Rechtsanwältin (Lawyer), Partner
Sarah Blazek is a partner based in Munich, but also regularly works from our Brussels office. Her practice areas include German and European antitrust and competition, EU State aid and the EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation and likewise investment screening proceedings (FDI). 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. Besides this, Sarah heads the EU State aid/Foreign Subsidies Regulation 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.
Projects
- Japan Pulp & Paper: Providing the listed company with regulatory advice on the acquisition of various companies belonging to the Inapa Group in Germany and France, including clearance of the transaction in accordance with the Foreign Subsidies Regulation
- HGV: Advising the Hamburg-based company on antitrust, competition and merger control issues during the reacquisition of care home operator PFLEGEN & WOHNEN HAMBURG from Vonovia subsidiary Deutsche Wohnen
- WTS Group: Advising the consultancy group on antitrust, competition and merger control issues regarding a strategic partnership with EQT
- Syndicate of banks: Advising on the antitrust, competition and merger control aspects of the financial restructuring of VARTA AG
- ATU: Advising the car parts and repair specialist on the competition and merger control aspects in formal proceedings (phase II) before the Federal Cartel Office regarding a cooperative arrangement with Carglass, as well as on the subsequent continuation of the cooperation
- Level Equity: Advising on the antitrust, competition, merger control and FSR aspects of an investment in software provider Collaboration Factory AG
- Wohnen in Dresden: Advising the housing provider on State aid law in relation to the acquisition of 1,213 flats from the Vonovia Group
- TotalEnergies: Advising on merger control issues during the acquisition of NASH Renewables
- Federal Republic of Germany – Finance Agency: Providing the agency with State aid and merger control advice on a stabilisation package for TUI and other subsequent projects
- Nature Infrastructure Capital: Advising on the antitrust, competition and merger control aspects of an investment in specialist battery storage company ECO STOR
- Hedin Mobility Group: Advising on the antitrust, competition and merger control aspects in relation to an agreement with BYD on the sale and transfer of distribution activities on the German market
- Heinrich Bauer Verlag: Advising the publisher on the merger control aspects of establishing a joint venture in the magazine distribution sector with Gruner + Jahr
- Schwarz Group: Advising on the merger control aspects of the acquisition of a significant number of Real supermarkets (phase II) and the online marketplace real.de and on a range of projects relating to the Foreign Subsidies Regulation
- Stellantis: Advising the automaker on the antitrust and competition aspects of the takeover of AIMotive
- Landwärme: Advising the energy provider on FDI in connection with an agreement with Anew Climate
- Bayer: Providing antitrust and competition advice on one of the largest IT outsourcing projects in Germany
- Condor: Advising the airline on State aid in connection with its successful restructuring, which included several notification procedures (2019 to 2021) at the European Commission and several proceedings before the General Court of the European Union
- Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action: Providing the ministry with State aid advice on the potential enlargement of the scope of application of the German Act on Reorganisation of Responsibility in Nuclear Waste Management
- J.C. Flowers & Co.: Providing the investment firm with extensive State aid and merger control advice on structuring and implementing the acquisition of shares in HSH Nordbank
- IFB Hamburg: Providing the Hamburg investment and development bank with State aid advice on setting up the “Hamburg Stabilisation Fund” and “G20 Hardship Fund”
- Deutsche Börse: Advising the stock exchange on the antitrust and competition aspects of a strategic innovation partnership with Google Cloud
- Major non-European fund: Advising in connection with the possible treatment of US tax relief under the EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation
- Steag financiers: Advising on State aid issues in a €2.6 billion transaction (corporate reorganisation of the power utility and sale to Asterion)
- Northvolt: Providing advice on the State aid and antitrust and competition law aspects of state infrastructure financing for a billion-euro project (battery cell factory for electric vehicles involving a total investment of € 4.5 billion)
- Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy: Advising on the State aid aspects of introducing the caps on electricity and gas prices
Distinctions
- 'Very good expertise, pleasant to deal with, very committed in the support of the mandate' Legal 500, 2024/2025
- 'She was very helpful in our case, especially as we were working under considerable time pressure. She was very good at stepping in when needed and making sure everything went according to plan. She provided helpful insights when needed and guided us through the process.' Legal 500, 2023/2024
- Highly recommended expert for state aid law - JUVE Handbook, since 2023
- Best Lawyers Germany 2025 for Antitrust & Competition Law (Handelsblatt Best Lawyers)
- “Sarah Blazek: Very calm, confident and well thought out demeanor. Very extensive expertise even on specific peripheral issues” (Client; Legal 500 2025)
- “The work of Sarah Blazek deserves a special mention.” (Client; Legal 500 2025)
- “Sarah Blazek is always calm, focused and highly experienced.” (Client; Legal 500 2025)
- “Excellent legal knowledge, pleasant manner, highly committed to client matters.” (Client; Legal 500 2025)
- “Very pragmatic, solution-driven and extremely structured... Very quick response times, she is very experienced and absolutely reliable. We can wholeheartedly recommend Ms Blazek as an outstanding antitrust and competition lawyer.” (Client; Legal 500 2021)
- “Advises clearly and pragmatically, she knows everyone involved in the German government and EU Commission, and we always feel that we are getting great support.” (Client, Legal 500 Germany 2024)
- “Apart from having an excellent knowledge of her subjects, Sarah Blazek stands out for her great communication skills. Even in complex State aid procedures, we are always kept up to date and informed about all the next steps. Sarah Blazek is extremely well connected at the Commission, meaning that we always receive up-to-date information and requests can be fulfilled unbureaucratically.” (Client, Legal 500 Germany 2023)
- Key competition and antitrust lawyer at Noerr, Legal 500 Germany 2024
- Frequently recommended expert in State aid law, JUVE 2023/2024
- Listed as one of the top 50 personalities in State aid law, JUVE Rechtsmarkt 05/2024
- “Next Generation Partner,” State aid, Legal 500 Germany 2024
My insights
Career
Studied law at Bucerius Law School, Hamburg and Paris-Sorbonne University
Received postgraduate degrees from the European Inter-University Centre, Venice and the University of Seville
International placements, including the Permanent Mission of Germany at the United Nations, Geneva; Alston & Bird, New York; and Yonsei University, Seoul
Competition lawyer at a UK-German Magic Circle firm (including a financial regulatory secondment) and a large German law firm in Brussels
At Noerr since 2017
Admitted to the Munich Chamber of Lawyers
Memberships
- German antitrust law association Studienvereinigung Kartellrecht e.V., regional co-ordinator for Munich
- Intitiative Women into Leadership
- Munich Antitrust & Competition Forum (Münchner Kartellrechtsforum e.V.) (MKRF)
- The International Association of Korean Lawyers (IAKL)
- American Bar Association (ABA), Antitrust Section
- Member of Noerr’s Japan Desk; country relationship manager for Korea
Publications
- Part C.II on Antitrust & Competition Issues, Thalhofer/Hirsch (eds), Digital M&A Handbook (Rechtshandbuch Digital M&A), [2026/tbd]
- M&A and the EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation, M&A Review, March 2025 (co-author)
- Article 3 of the State aid procedural rules, Article107(3) TFEU, Article 16 GBER, Bungenberg/Heinrich (eds), European State Aid Law (Europäisches Beihilfenrecht), 2nd edition. [2025]
- Intrigued by Future Issues (Neugier auf Zukunftsfragen), Portrait of Sarah Blazek (Portrait Sarah Blazek), azur Karriere (JUVE), February 2023, from p. 80
- Section 19 on Purchasing Agreements, Liebscher/Flohr/Petsche/Metzlaff (eds), Handbook on the EU Block Exemption Regulations (Gruppenfreistellungs-VO-HdB), 3rd edition 2023, from p. 515
- The EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation, ABA Business Law Today, November 2023 (co-author)
- The Foreign Subsidies Regulation – What to expect from the “new kid on the block” (Die Foreign Subsidies Regulation – Was ist von dem „new kid on the block“ zu erwarten?), ZASA 2023, from p. 272 (co-author)
- The Commission’s final report on the sector inquiry into the consumer IoT (Der Abschlussbericht der Kommission zur Sektoruntersuchung zum Verbraucher-loT), WuW 2022, from p. 660 (co-author)
- Five questions for Sarah Blazek (Fünf Fragen an Sarah Blazek), WuW 2022, p. 640 (interview on the new EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation conducted by Professor Rupprecht Podszun from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf))
- Substantive and Procedural Parallels and Overlaps Between Art. 107, 108 TFEU and the (Draft) Regulation, ZEuS 2022, from p. 453 (co-author)
- Chapter 5 (Antitrust & Competition), Kühne/Nack (eds), Legal Handbook on Connected Cars (Rechtshandbuch Connected Cars), 2022, from p. 179 (co-author)
- Initial findings of the European Commission’s sector inquiry into the Internet of Things (Erste Ergebnisse der Sektoruntersuchung der Europäischen Kommission zum Internet der Dinge), WuW 2021, p. 477 (guest commentary)
- Birgit Krueger, German Competition Authority and Sarah Blazek, Noerr, Charbit/Ahmad (eds), Women & Antitrust, Voices from the Field, 2nd edition 2020, from p. 73 (interview)
- On the subjective elements of inducement in violation of antitrust and competition law (Zum subjektiven Tatbestand der kartellrechtswidrigen Veranlassung), GRUR-Prax 2020, p. 557 (co-author)
- The State as a Provider of Capital and Collateral, Notes on financing construction and real estate projects in compliance with EU State aid law (Der Staat als Kapital- und Sicherheitengeber, Hinweise zur EU-beihilferechtskonformen Finanzierung von Bauvorhaben und Immobilienprojekten), NZBau 2017, from p. 67 (co-author)
- EU State aid law risks regarding construction and real estate projects, Recent developments in relation to the prohibition of State aid (EU-beihilferechtliche Risiken bei Bauvorhaben und Immobilienprojekten, Neuere Entwicklung des Beihilfeverbots), NZBau 2016, from p. 141 (co-author)
- The Court’s Judgments in the Ryanair and Aer Lingus Cases – adding another layer of complexity in fiscal State aid, EStAL 2015, from p. 340 (co-author)
Well
informed
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