Sebastian Plötz

Sebastian is a Managing Associate in the Antitrust & Foreign Investment Group in Düsseldorf. He is advising on all aspects of European and German competition and antitrust law, with particular experience in complex global merger control proceedings for cross-border transactions. He also represents clients in foreign investment control proceedings in Germany and other jurisdictions globally.

Further, Sebastian comprehensively advises clients in cartel proceedings before the Federal Cartel Office as well as compliance matters, internal investigations in the context of potential competition law infringements and competition litigation cases.

Sebastian works for clients in a wide range of industries and has significant experience in the energy, e-mobility, mining and telecommunication sector.

He is part of the Innovation and Efficiency Initiative within Linklaters’ Global Competition Practice, aiming to constantly improve the services we can offer, whether by creating new innovative legal tech solutions or by driving efficiency in everything we do.

Work highlights

Sebastian has most recently advised inter alia on the following cases:

• E.ON on several strategic transactions in the energy sector. This includes the far-reaching asset exchange with RWE, involving energy distribution networks, customer solutions, e-mobility as well as renewables activities and an acquisition by RWE of a non-controlling minority stake in E.ON.
• Volkswagen with regard to comprehensive multijurisdictional merger control and foreign investment proceedings in a large variety of countries worldwide on several strategic transactions, including the acquisition of Navistar International and the divestment of Renk;
• I Squared Capital on the USD 2.15 billion purchase of GTT Communication’s telecommunication infrastructure division with regard to merger control and foreign investment control proceedings;
• A payment services provider advising on a complex foreign investment control proceeding before the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy in relation to the acquisition of critical infrastructure in Germany with unconditional clearance being secured in Phase I;
• NeuConnect with regard to the merger control proceeding with the European Commission and foreign investment control in Germany in relation to the first electricity interconnector between Germany and the UK;
• Several clients in cartel proceedings before the Federal Cartel Office in Germany and related settlement procedures as well as internal investigations concerning potential infringements of competition laws.

Sebastian joined Linklaters in 2016 and was promoted to Managing Associate in 2022.

He is a member of the German Antitrust Law Association (Studienvereinigung Kartellrecht e.V.).

Sebastian studied law at the University of Oslo and holds a law degree from the University of Augsburg. He completed his legal traineeship at the Higher Regional Court in Munich.

He speaks German, English, French and Norwegian.