Julian Alexander Sanner’s practice focuses EU and German competition law.

He advises clients on a wide range of antitrust issues, including restrictive practices, merger control proceedings, abuse of dominance, and litigation before German courts (in particular, cartel follow-on damages cases). His experience includes various sectors, notably consumer goods, automotive, manufacturing and industrial services, and the sports industry.

Julian joined the firm in 2014 and became a partner in 2022.

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Notable Experiences

Antitrust (Merger Control, Restrictive Practices, Abuse of Dominance)

  • Counsel to International Flavors & Fragrances in its $7.1 billion acquisition of Frutarom.

  • Counsel to a leading technology conglomerate with respect to several acquisitions of competitors.

  • Counsel to Accor S.A., a world-leading travel & lifestyle group, in the acquisition of Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts Management AG.

  • Counsel to a leading manufacturer of laundry, beauty and home care products with respect to antitrust aspects of several venture capital investments. 

  • Counsel to a non-profit independent international sports organization with respect to an alleged cartel infringement before the German Federal Cartel Office. 

  • Counsel to a leading supplier of automotive parts with respect to an alleged cartel infringement before the South-African Competition Commission.

  • Counsel to a leading publisher of scientific books with respect to an alleged cartel infringement before the South-African Competition Commission. 

  • Counsel to a leading automobile manufacturer with respect to its pricing and rebate policy. 

  • Counsel to a leading sports and clothing company with respect to resale price maintenance issues. 

  • Counsel to a leading online retailer of electronic goods with respect to resale price maintenance issues. 

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Cartel Follow-On Damages

  • Counsel to a leading manufacturer of laundry, beauty and home care products in cartel damages litigation before various German courts. 

  • Counsel to a leading global manufacturer of elevators and escalators in several cartel damages litigation cases before various German courts.

  • Counsel to a leading food producer in cartel damages litigation before the Mannheim Regional Court. 

  • Counsel to a leading corn mill operator in cartel damages litigation before the Hanover Regional Court.

  • Counsel to a global cargo carrier in cartel damages litigation before the Cologne Regional Court. 

  • Counsel to a leading global manufacturer of products for the home improvement and new home construction markets in cartel damages litigation before various German courts. 

  • Counsel to a leading supplier of automotive parts with respect to alleged cartel damages claims raised by several automobile manufacturers and automotive suppliers. 

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Other Litigation/Arbitration/Investigations

  • Counsel to a leading factory outlet operator in litigation regarding the scope of non-compete obligations in factory outlet lease agreements. 

  • Counsel to a leading global chemical company in an arbitration with a customer related to the operation of a chemical plant. 

  • Counsel to a leading automobile manufacturer in investigations related to emissions. 

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Selected Activities

  • Legal traineeship (Referendariat), Higher Regional Court in Cologne (2012 - 2014)  
  • Stage, European Commission in Brussels and European Court of Justice in Luxembourg (2012 - 2014)
  • Research assistant at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law in Hamburg (2009 - 2012)
  • Stagiaire, Cleary Gottlieb Cologne office (2008 - 2009, 2013)

Publications

“Art. 4 Fusionskontrollverordnung  (commentary on Article 4 FKVO), in: Münchener Kommentar zum Wettbewerbsrecht,” co-author with Dirk Schroeder, 4th ed., 2023

”Draft Government Bill Aims to Strengthen Germany as a Seat for Litigation,” Cleary Gottlieb Alert Memorandum, September 18, 2023 (together with Rüdiger Harms and Berta Boknik)

“Germany,” Lexology Getting the Deal Through: Dominance 2023, March 2023

“Recent Developments in International Civil Procedure: Document Discovery and the Recognition of Foreign Court Decisions in Germany,” Cleary Gottlieb Alert Memorandum, December 15, 2022 (together with Nils Andräs, Patrick Gerardy, Rüdiger Harms, Samira Meis, and Polina Lehmann)

“Germany Implements the EU Antitrust Damages Directive,” March 2017 (together with Dirk Schroeder, Romina Polley, Rüdiger Harms, and Mathis Rust).

“Gerichtsstand bei Kartellschadensersatzklagen,” Europäische Zeitschrift für Wirtschaftsrecht (EuZW) 2015, p. 584 et seq. (together with Rüdiger Harms and Johannes Schmidt).

“Düsseldorf Court of Appeals Upholds Dismissal of CDC Damage Claims in Cartel Follow-on Action,” April 2015 (together with Dirk Schroeder, Rüdiger Harms and Elisabeth Macher).

“Informationsgewinnung und Schutz von Unternehmensgeheimnissen in der privaten Kartellrechtsdurchsetzung,” Nomos, Baden-Baden, 2014, 912 p.

“Unionsrechtskonformität der Ausschlussfristen für kartellrechtliche Schadensersatzklagen vor dem Competition Appeal Tribunal,” Zeitschrift für Europäisches Privatrecht (ZEuP) 2014, p. 173 et seq.

“Die Entthronung des Kronzeugen? Akteneinsicht im Spannungsfeld zwischen behördlicher und privater Kartellrechtsdurchsetzung nach Pfleiderer,” Wirtschaft und Wettbewerb (WuW) 2011, p. 1067 et seq. (together with Matteo Fornasier).

“Der Zugang zu Schriftsätzen der Kommission aus Gerichtsverfahren vor den europäischen Gerichten,” Europäische Zeitschrift für Wirtschaftsrecht (EuZW) 2011, p. 134 et seq.

“Der Schutz personenbezogener Daten beim Zugang zu Dokumenten der Unionsorgane,” Europäische Zeitschrift für Wirtschaftsrecht (EuZW) 2010, p. 774 et seq.

Events