Dr Sebastian Felix Janka, LL.M. (Stellenbosch)

Dr Sebastian Felix Janka, LL.M. (Stellenbosch)

Dr Sebastian Felix Janka, LL.M. (Stellenbosch)

Munich

T +49 89 23714 10915

Lawyer
Partner
Industries Mobility & Logistics , France , Information Tech & Telecommunications

Areas of practice

Dr Sebastian Janka advises national and international clients on European and German antitrust law. His advisory services cover inter alia M&A/transactions (merger control by the European Commission and the German Federal Cartel Office and coordination of multijurisdictional filings), antitrust investigations and fine proceedings conducted by the European Commission and the German Federal Cartel Office, damages proceedings, and other judicial and extra-judicial disputes (before German courts, the European General Court, and the European Court of Justice), and compliance advice. Another focus of his work is digital business models. Sebastian Janka has been appointed Ambassador of the Artificial Intelligence Center Hamburg (ARIC) e.V. and elected member of the Legal (Antitrust) Working Group of “Plattform Industrie 4.0”, a digitisation project initiated and directed by the German Federal Ministry for Economics Affairs and Climate Action (BMWiK) and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), leading industry associations, and top-ranking representatives of the business and scientific communities and trade unions.

Practices
Vita

Dr Sebastian Janka studied law at the Universities of Hamburg (Germany), Bordeaux (France), and Stellenbosch (South Africa) and did both his doctorate and his Master of Laws (LL.M.) on an antitrust law topic. As part of his legal training, he worked for the German Federal Cartel Office in Bonn (Germany) and the law firm M&M Bomchil in Buenos Aires (Argentina), amongst others.

Sebastian Janka was admitted to the German Bar in 2008 and worked for the international law firm Noerr LLP as an associated partner in the area of antitrust law until mid-2019. In 2014, he did a secondment in the Antitrust Division of the US law firm Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in New York (USA). Sebastian Janka joined Luther as a partner in 2019. He has authored numerous publications on matters relating to antitrust and sports law. Furthermore, he is a frequent lecturer and moderates discussions on the topic of antitrust law at national and international conferences. He is a member of, inter alia, Studienvereinigung Kartellrecht, an association of German-speaking lawyers specialising in antitrust law, the American Bar Association (ABA), and the International Association of Young Lawyers (AIJA). At Luther, he is a member of the Information Tech & Telecommunications and Mobility & Logistics industry groups.

 

Honors and distinctions
  • JUVE Guide 2023/2024: Listed under "Frequently Recommended" in "Antitrust Law" (first listed in 2021/2022, "strong negotiator, theoretically versed, goal-oriented", competitor)
  • The Legal 500 Germany 2024: Recommendation in the category "Antitrust Law" (first recommendation in 2020, "Broad market knowledge and quick coverage of legal issues. Quick response to enquiries with high legal quality.") and mention in "City Focus Munich" (first recommendation in 2023)
  • Who's Who Legal 2024: Award "Thought Leader" (first recommendation in 2020) and "National Leader (Germany)" in "Competition" (first award in 2020)
  • Who's Who Legal 2023: Recommendation "Global Leader" (2019 and 2020, "stands for his pragmatism, quick understanding and focus on the relevant aspects of a case") and award "Future Leader" (2017) in "Competition"
  • kanzleimonitor.de 2022/2023: Recommendation in "Antitrust Law" (first recommendation in 2019/2020) and in 2020 in "Compliance"
  • Best Lawyers 2024: Empfehlung in "Competition/Antitrust Law" (first recommendation in 2018)
  • WirtschaftsWoche 2023: Recommendation "Top Lawyer" in "Antitrust Law"
Clients

  • Obst- und Gemüseverarbeitung Spreewaldkonserve Golßen GmbH (“Spreewaldhof”) – merger control advice on the sale to Andros & Cie SAS in the “second phase” proceedings, i.e. the formal in-depth investigation, before the German Federal Cartel Office
  • E. Breuninger GmbH & Co. – merger control advice when acquiring the Konen clothing store
  • Mutares SE & Co. KGaA – ongoing advice to the turnaround specialist on antitrust and merger control issues
  • MEAG MUNICH ERGO AssetManagement GmbH – advice on antitrust compliance issues
  • Schmolz + Bickenbach AG – antitrust advice in antitrust fine proceedings against steel manufacturers
  • Gebr. Kemper GmbH + Co. KG – antitrust compliance advice
  • Alexander Bürkle GmbH & Co. KG – advice on diverse antitrust issues
  • BASF Digital Solutions GmbH – advice on antitrust issues
  • KJK Capital Oy – advice to the investment company on merger control issues, amongst other things
  • 7Learnings GmbH – antitrust advice to the start-up company
  • Advice to and representation of a former sales manager of a German confectionery manufacturer before the Federal Cartel Office, the Higher Regional Court of Düsseldorf and the Federal Court of Justice in Germany in connection with an alleged unlawful exchange of information in the so-called "confectionery proceedings"
  • Advice to a US-American metal producer and trader in connection with antitrust offence proceedings and in connection with antitrust claims for damages
  • Antitrust law advice to a large German automotive manufacturer in connection with joint ventures and cooperation agreements in Central and Eastern Europe, primarily in Russia; merger control advice, for example in connection with the acquisition of a controlling interest in an engineering and consulting services provider by the French AKKA Technologies SE
  • Merger control advice to a gambling and online gambling operator in connection with the EUR 1.5 billion takeover of an online gambling company
  • Advice and representation of a specialty chemicals company in connection with the “calcium carbide proceedings” before the European General Court, the European Court of Justice, and in civil proceedings (including before the German Federal Court of Justice)
  • Advice to a conglomerate active in the steel industry on how to deal with antitrust compliance issues, including the introduction and implementation of an amnesty programme and assistance with antitrust audits
  • Advice to a medium-sized provider of local public transport services before the Federal Cartel Office in connection with alleged bid-rigging
  • Constant merger control advice to various Private Equity companies and investors in connection with several strategic acquisitions

 

Publications
Blog posts

Lectures