Linklaters fields Christoph Barth, who acts as both head of the German foreign trade law practice and as co-head of the global investment control team, which contributes significantly to the German team's workload. Among the mainstays is the support in domestic and cross-border investment control proceedings, where David-Julien dos Santos Goncalves regularly takes the lead; the latter was appointed to partner in May 2024. White collar criminal lawyer Kerstin Wilhelm advises on sanctions with a particular focus on Russia-related matters, while head of the German ESG team Julia Grothaus covers supply chains and human rights issues.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'Good international network that is convincing in most jurisdictions; the importance of the Foreign Direct Investment legislation was recognized early on and know-how was built up here.'

  • 'David-Julien dos Santos Goncalves: My first choice for FDI issues. Intellectually outstanding, at the same time pragmatic and with a good understanding of client needs.'

Work highlights

  • Merger and investment control advice to Carrier Global Corporation on the €12 billion acquisition of Viessmann Climate Solutions.
  • Advice on the spin-off of Daimler Truck's Asian business and the establishment of a joint venture with Toyota, as well as comprehensive review of filing requirements under merger control and investment control law.
  • Advising Elmos Semiconductor SE on the planned sale of chip production to the Swedish semiconductor company Silex, a subsidiary of the Chinese Sai Group.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Christoph Barth