Prof. Dr Christian Burholt, LL.M. | LUTHER Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH

Prof. Dr Christian Burholt is an antitrust partner in Luther’s Berlin office and co-head of the Health Care & Life Science industry group. He has more than 20 years of experience representing German and international clients in antitrust, abuse of market dominance and merger control cases and in leniency procedures, in Germany, the EU and worldwide. He further advises on antitrust compliance issues and carries out internal company investigations. Prof. Christian Burholt also advises on investment control under German foreign trade law (FDI) and on questions of EU state aid law (in particular FSR). He has comprehensive knowledge and many years of experience in the area of health law (pharmaceuticals/MedTech/health care/life science).

Christian Burholt is a regular lecturer and author on topics regarding antitrust and merger control law, often in relation to health care and life science.

Antitrust Law
Compliance & Internal Investigations
Corporate/M&A
International Trade Law
Public Subsidies/State Aid Law
Complex Disputes

Prof. Dr Christian Burholt studied law at the University of Bonn (Germany) and also earned an LL.M. from the University of Durham (England). As part of his legal training at the Higher Regional Court of Berlin (Germany), Christian Burholt inter alia worked at the Directorate-General for Competition of the European Commission. He was awarded his doctorate in 2005.

Christian Burholt was admitted to the German Bar in 2002 and has been a certified specialist in medical law since 2014. He was most recently a partner in an internationally operating law firm, before moving to Luther in 2023. In addition, he has been a judge at the Constitutional Court of the State of Berlin since 2019 and an honorary professor at the Berlin School of Economics and Law (HWR) since 2022.

JUVE Guide 2023/2024: Mentioned under “Frequently recommended” in the category "Antitrust Law" (first mentioned in 2015/2016, "efficient and solution-oriented", "very knowledgeable", competitor)
JUVE Guide 2022/2023: Mentioned under “Frequently recommended” in the category "Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Law" (first mentioned in 2010/2011)
The Legal 500 Germany 2024: Recommendation in the category "Antitrust Law"
The Legal 500 Germany 2023: Recommendation in " Industry Focus - Healthcare" (first mention in 2018)
Who’s Who Legal 2024: Recommendation in “National Leader – Germany” in the category “Competition” (first recommended in 2021, recognised name in German competition law, recommended for his “profound knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry”)
Who’s Who Legal 2023: Recommendation "Global Leader" in "Competition" (first recommendation in 2023)
Who’s Who Legal 2020: Recommendation in “Competition Future Leaders (Partners)”
The Best Lawyers 2023: Recommendations in the categories Antitrust and Competition Law and Health Care and Pharmaceutical Law (first recommended in 2019)
The Best Lawyers 2002: “Layer of the Year” award for Pharmaceutical Law in Berlin
Life Sciences Expert Guide 2018: Regulatory Expert Life Science

JUVE Guide 2022/2023: Listed under “Frequently Recommended” in "Antitrust Law" ("competent and solution-oriented", competitor, first listed in 2015/2016) and "Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Law" ("excellent at the interface between antitrust law and life science ", "very solution-orientied", client, first listed in 2010/2011)
The Legal 500 Germany 2023: Recommended in "Industry Focus Healthcare and Life Science" (first mentioned in 2018)
Who’s Who Legal 2022: Recommendation “National Leader – Germany” in “Competition” (first recommended in 2021, “profound knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry”)
Who’s Who Legal 2020: Award “Future Leaders (Partners)” in "Competition"
Best Lawyers 2024: Recommended in "Competition/Antitrust Law" and "Health Care Law" (first recommended in 2019) and "Pharmaceuticals Law" (first recommended in 2022)
Best Lawyers 2022: Award “Lawyer of the Year” in "Pharmaceuticals Law"
Life Sciences Expert Guide 2018: Regulatory Expert Life Science

Advised an international pharmaceutical company on the takeover of a competitor’s oncology business
Advised German hospital operators on various transactions in the hospital sector
Advised an international pharmaceutical company on the issuance of a license for a medicinal product to a large international pharmaceutical company (the merger was used by the German Federal Cartel Office as a precedent with regard to the new transaction value-based threshold)
Advised an international pharmaceutical company on its strategic cooperation with a competitor for the development of a next-generation mRNA Covid-19 vaccine
Advised international pharmaceutical and medical devices companies on various antitrust issues in connection with, for example, the implementation of pricing and rebate systems, quota systems, direct deliveries to pharmacies, actions against statutory health insurers in the context of joint invitations to tender, etc.
Advised a large international company on the development and introduction of a new antitrust compliance system in Germany and the EU

Honorary professor for German and European antitrust law at the Berlin School of Economics and Law (HWR)
Judge at the Constitutional Court of the State of Berlin
Member of Studienvereinigung Kartellrecht e.V.
Member of Forum Investitionsprüfung e.V.
Member of Netzwerk Compliance e.V. – Antitrust Working Group
Member of the Law Committee of Bundesverband der Arzneimittel-Hersteller e.V. (BAH)
Member of the Health Policy and Communications Committee of Bundesverband der Pharmazeutischen Industrie e.V. (BPI)
Member of Deutsches Institut für Compliance e.V. (DICO) – Antitrust Working Group
Member of the legal working group of the Bundesverband Medizintechnologie e.V. (BVMed-AKR-Networker)