Overview
German and French national, qualified in Germany, Erik advises clients on all areas of competition and foreign direct investment laws.
He has represented clients in numerous complex merger control proceedings before the European Commission and the German Federal Cartel Office and frequently coordinates merger control and FDI proceedings worldwide on global deals.
He regularly assists clients in relation to cartel investigations and provides advice on vertical/horizontal agreements and other behavioural matters.
Erik also regularly represents clients before the General Court and the Court of Justice of the European Union in cartel-related litigation.
Experience
Highlights of Erik’s merger control experience include advising:
- Vodafone on the merger control and FDI aspects of its strategic partnership with a consortium led by Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) and KKR in relation to its majority-owned subsidiary Vantage Towers
- Covestro in relation to its US$1.8 bn acquisition of the Resins & Functional Materials business from Royal DSM
- Linde on its merger with Praxair (conditional Phase 2 clearance by the European Commission)
- Johnson & Johnson on its US$ 21.3 bn acquisition of Synthes (conditional Phase 2 clearance by the European Commission)
- Trelleborg on its US$ 1.3 bn acquisition of the tyre manufacturer CGS Holding
- Saint-Gobain on its proposed acquisition of SIKA
- Reliance Industries in relation to the sale of its stake in the African fuel retailer GAPCO to Total SA.
Highlights of his work on behavioural competition investigations and related litigation include representing:
- A manufacturer of metal packaging in the European Commission’s investigation into the metal packaging industry and in related litigation in the General Court.
- A railway company in a successful appeal to the Court of Justice concerning the legality of a dawn raid decision of the European Commission
- A manufacturer of flat glass in the European Commission’s cartel investigation into the flat glass industry
- A manufacturer of car glass in the European Commission’s cartel investigation into the car glass industry and subsequent successful litigation in the General Court
Admissions