Trade & customs law
In the field of trade law, Katharina specialises in EU customs law and export control. Her expertise extends to advising clients on multi-jurisdictional customs matters, including classification, origin and valuation issues. She has experience in the field of duty suspensions, quotas, customs compliance and OLAF investigations. Her strong customs background makes her especially fit to deal with ESG questions. She represents clients before national customs administrations, German courts and the European Commission.
EU competition law
In the field of competition law, Katharina advises in cartel defence cases, including leniency and settlement proceedings. Furthermore, she assists clients on how to structure their agreements to ensure competition law compliance and organises customised EU and German competition law compliance programmes. She deals with cases in a range of sectors, including intellectual property, industrial products, waste management and recycling. She represents clients in German and EU cartel and merger control cases and acts before the European Commission, the EU Court of Justice and in national competition proceedings.
With more than 30 cases before the EU General Court and the Court of Justice of the EU, Katharina has ample litigation experience.
Representative matters
- Advising solar panel manufacturers in relation to imports into the EU.
- Representing manufacturers and importers of pharmaceutical, chemical and industrial products in administrative (fines) proceedings in customs matters in Germany.
- Advising manufacturers of industrial products in origin investigations conducted by OLAF and representing the importers in national customs proceedings.
- Representing steel manufacturers in German customs proceedings in relation to imports falling under the EU sanctions against Russia.
- Representing Recylex in leniency proceedings before the Commission, the General Court and the CJEU.
- Advising food retailers and automotive clients on distribution and vertical competition law questions.
- Advising SEP implementers on competition law questions in patent infringement proceedings in Germany.
Professional
- Admitted to Brussels Bar, 2008
- Admitted to Düsseldorf Bar, 2008
Academic
- Master of European Legal Studies, College of Europe, Bruges, 2007
- Second State Examination in Law, Higher Regional Court of Cologne, 2006
- First State Examination in Law, University of Bonn, 2002
- Erasmus Programme, University of Salamanca, Spain, 1998/1999
- Diploma in International Law Studies in Anglo-American and French Law, University of Trier, 1999
- Studienvereinigung Kartellrecht e.V.
- EFA – Europäisches Forum für Aussenwirtschaft, Verbrauchssteuern und Zoll e.V. (European Forum for External Trade, Excise and Customs)
- Aussenwirtschaftsrunde e.V.
- Who’s Who Legal – Competition (Future Leaders)
- Van Bael & Bellis: Competition Law of the European Community, Kluwer 6th edition (online update 2024): contributing author
- Regular contributor to the monthly competition law newsletter, VBB on Competition Law, and Concurrences.
