Christian Karhula Lauridsen

advokat (H), partner

Christian Karhula Lauridsen er specialiseret i komplekse retssager og andre typer af konfliktorienterede sager

Ifølge internationale ranking bureauer anser klienter Christian Karhula Lauridsen for at være "top-notch for complicated issues" og "a strategic mastermind". Kilder siger, at han er "extremely analytical and straightforward" og "particularly strong on complex investigations, where every stone needs to be turned". Christian "thinks outside of the box", "has great business acumen" and "is brilliant, always convincing, and extremely impressive in the courtroom". (Chambers og Legal 500)

Christian har tidligt i sin karriere været involveret i en bred vifte af retssager og omfattende undersøgelser, herunder Grundlovssagen i Højesteret om Danmarks medlemskab af EU, de store voldgiftssager vedrørende opførelsen af Storebæltsbroen, de omfattende undersøgelser i den Færøske Banksag med mere end 70 afhøringer af politikere, offentligt ansatte og erhvervsledere og vigtige EU sager om parallelimport og registrering af lægemidler.

Ifølge Chambers er Christian "one of the best competition practitioners in the market". Han har stor erfaring med komplekse konkurrenceretlige konfliktsager og undersøgelser. Som eksempel kan nævnes sejren i den 15 år lange sag for Ørsted om urimeligt høje priser – det største og mest signifikante konkurrenceretlige retssagskompleks i Danmark nogensinde. Det lykkedes i Vestre Landsret at få frikendt Ørsted og få tilsidesat afgørelser fra både Konkurrencerådet, Konkurrenceankenævnet og Sø- og Handelsretten. Det var første gang, at konkurrencemyndighedernes afgørelser blev tilsidesat, hvor det ikke skyldtes en dom fra EU-Domstolen.

Christian repræsenterede også Danfoss i Refrigeration Compressors-kartellet med myndighedsundersøgelser og erstatningssager mod Danfoss på fem kontinenter. Han var den første til at anvende negative anerkendelsessøgsmål ("torpedoer"), hvilket ikke tidligere havde været anvendt i konkurrencerelaterede sager i Danmark. Christian og hans partnerkollegaer er de eneste i Danmark, som har praktisk erfaring med både Europa Kommissionens leniency program og forligsprocedure.

Christian har en kombineret cand.jur./Master of Laws (LL.M.) fra Københavns Universitet og Katholieke Universiteit Leuven og en Master of Laws (LL.M.) i konkurrenceret, EU-ret og immaterialret fra University of Cambridge (Jesus College). Han har tidligere været udstationeret til Carlsbergs koncernsekretariat og har været ekstern lektor på Copenhagen Business School. Christian er formand for Dansk Forening for Konkurrenceret.

Highlights

  • Ørsted - forsvarede succesfuldt Ørsted og Elsam i et kompleks af myndigheds- og retssager mod anklager om urimeligt høje priser ved salg af el i Danmark med tilhørende follow-on erstatningskrav fra 1100 virksomheder. Sagskomplekset er det største i Danmark nogensinde.
  • Danfoss - repræsenterede Danfoss i Refrigeration Compressors. Det var den første sag, hvor Europa Kommissionen og de amerikanske og brasilianske konkurrencemyndigheder koordinerede dawn raids, og en af de første sager, som blev forligt under Europa Kommissionens forligsprocedure. Koordinerede myndighedsundersøgelser og forsvaret mod erstatningssager på 5 kontinenter. 
  • Diesel Motor Nordic - repræsenterer i Sø- og Handelsretten virksomheden mod anklager om hindringer mod parallelimport. Det er den første sag, hvor danske, svenske og hollandske konkurrencemyndigheder koordinerede dawn raids, og the Konkurrence- og Forbrugerstyrelsen har beskrevet sagen som "one of the longest-running investigations".
  • Victor Hasselblad - forsvarede succesfuldt den svenske kameraproducent Victor Hasselblad i Europa Kommissions undersøgelse vedrørende Hasselblads påståede "refusals to license" essentiel IP og "bundling" af produkter – svarende til Microsoft sagen. Efter flere års undersøgelse blev de relevante klager over Hasselblad afvist af Kommisisionen.
  • CRT kartellet - repræsenterede en international producent af hjemmeelektronik i en erstatningssag relateret til CRT kartellet.
  • Lokalbanksagen – repræsenterede syv danske pengeinstitutter i den såkaldte Lokalbanksag. Alle alvorlige påstande, som Konkurrencerådet havde fremsat mod de syv lokalbanker om kartelvirksomhed, aftaler om markedsopdeling og priskoordinering, blev afvist af Konkurrenceankenævnet 
  • Energi E2 - rådgav Energy E2 og Ørsted I relation til Konkurrence- og forbrugerstyrelsens undersøgelse af Energi E2s prissætning. Energy E2 blev frifundet for alle anklager, og styrelsens direktør udtalte i den forbindelse, at det havde været "en af de en af de mest omfangsrige sager, vi har haft i nyere tid”.
  • Dansk Rørindustri – repræsentation af Dansk Rørindustri i Pre-insulated Pipes, en af de første EU-kartelsager, der omfattede en dansk virksomhed. Sagen fastlagde en række vigtige konkurrenceretlige principper i EU-retten
  • Ørsted – statsstøtteretlig bistand til det statsejede selskab i forbindelse med en kapitaltilførsel på DKK 13.050 mio. fra bl.a. Goldman Sachs. Dette var den største rettede emission i Danmark i 2013 og en af de hidtil største i Europa
  • Innovationsfonden (Danmarks største statsejede fond) - etablering af de grundlæggende statsstøtteretlige rammer for fondens virke, herunder for udbetaling af fondens midler til private virksomheder og universiteter med henblik på udvikling af nye og vigtige teknologier
  • Semler – forsvarede succesfuldt importøren af Audi ved EU-Domstolen i sag C-125/05 Vulcan Silkeborg vedrørende fortolkningen af motorkøretøjsforordningen

Ratings

  • Christian Karhula Lauridsen is and has continuously for many years been ranked by Chambers and Legal 500 as a leading individual (Band 1) as regards Competition and European Law. Furthermore he is listed as an expert within Competition and Antitrust by ExpertGuides and ranked as a global leader, pre-eminent lawyer and expert with respect to Competition by Who's Who Legal.

  • Christian Karhula Lauridsen is recommended as a "Global Leader" as regards Competition (2023)

  • Christian Karhula Lauridsen is recommended and listed as a leading individual as regards EU and Competition (2023)

  • Christian Karhula Laurisen is ranked as a leading individual as regards Competition/European Law.

    Christian Karhula Lauridsen is particularly focused on contentious competition law matters, representing clients in investigations into allegations of excessive pricing, as well as acting for them on appeals against Danish Competition Council decisions and on damages claims. (2023)

  • Christian Karhula Lauridsen is recommended and listed as a leading individual as regards EU and Competition (2021+2022)

    "I have been working with Christian Karhula Lauridsen and Daniel Barry on very complex cases involving several jurisdictions. Both are extremely strong in analysing complex cases and by that also develop the strongest arguments and the best tactics. Not a single stone is untouched – and therefore they are able to develop the best strategy for how to handle the cases" (2021)

  • Christian Karhula Lauridsen is ranked as a leading individual as regards Competition/European Law. 

    Christian Karhula Lauridsen is a notable competition practitioner who advises clients on complex competition law disputes, including those with criminal aspects (2022)

  • Christian Karhula Lauridsen is ranked as a leading individual (Band 1) as regards Competition/European Law.

    Christian Karhula Lauridsen advises clients on complex competition law disputes, including those with criminal aspects. He is praised by a client as "an outstanding litigator who is able to comprehend extremely complex matters and come up with new legal aspects and arguments" (2021)

  • Christian Karhula Lauridsen is recommended and listed as a leading individual as regards EU and Competition (2020)

  • Christian Karhula Lauridsen is ranked as a leading individual (Band 1) as regards Competition/European Law.

    Christian Karhula Lauridsen advises clients on complex competition law disputes, including allegations of abuse of dominance and anti-competitive agreements. He receives praise from market sources due to his excellent business understanding within the sector (2020)

  • Christian Karhula Lauridsen is experienced in representing high-profile clients before the competition authorities, and also deals with damages and appeals. He is considered to be a "strategic mastermind" by sources, who say he is "always willing to find solutions to move things forward" (2019)

  • Christian Karhula Lauridsen has significant experience in competition-related damages claims, and has defended DONG Energy on damages cases relating to alleged excessive pricing in the energy markets. He also handles EU cartel work including cases involving multi-jurisdictional dimensions.

    Clients recognize his "very high standing" in this practice area, noting that "he's extremely detail-oriented and thinks outside of the box" (2018)

  • The group includes renowned Christian Karhula Lauridsen (2018)

  • Christian Karhula Lauridsen has a wealth of experience in competition law (2017)

     

  • Christian Karhula Lauridsen receives praise from clients: "He is definitely a strong lawyer, specialised in complex matters. He is very good at going in depth into competition law issues" (2016)

  • Christian Karhula Lauridsen is listed as a Life Science Star as regards Non-IP Litigation (2015)

  • Respected partner Christian Karhula Lauridsen is widely praised for his competition expertise and adept handling of international cases. "He has great business acumen and turns every stone to find solutions", impressed sources say (2014)

  • Market commentators describe Christian Karhula Lauridsen as one of the best competition practitioners in the market. Sources say: "He is extremely analytical and straightforward. He is particularly strong on complex investigations, where every stone needs to be turned" (2013)
  • Christian Karhula Lauridsen is considered by clients to be "top-notch for complicated issues" (2013)
  • Christian Karhula Lauridsen wins glowing reviews on all sides. Sources are greatly impressed by his "ability to provide clear advice on extremely complex legal matters" and by his "understanding of the economics of competition law." He has worked on some of Denmark's biggest cartel cases of late (2012)

  • Christian Karhula Lauridsen has received the ILO Client Choice Award 2011 in the category "Competition Law".

    "Christian Karhula Lauridsen has proven extremely valuable to us in very difficult and complex cases"
    "He is definitely among the very best external lawyers we have ever used."
    "He has a high degree of expertise in competition law, as well as significant knowledge of the related economic and financial aspects, which is of paramount importance in this field"
    "Mr. Lauridsen is able to communicate and deliver the core arguments of a case in a clear, precise and compelling manner"     (2011)

  • Christian Karhula Lauridsen is well-known for acting on significant cartel and abuse of dominance cases in recent years and his knowledge and commercial approach is appreciated.

    "He has a good ability to address both the legal and economic aspects of the mandate" (2011)

  • Christian Karhula Lauridsen has received the ILO Client Choice Award 2010 in the category "Competition Law".

    "Dedication to serve us as a client in a very effective and timely manner, superb strategic abilities and capacity combined with a deep insight into competition law matters"
    "Capable of preparing the right strategy to be used in the different matters – so his advice is not limited to pure legal matters"
    "He is very communicative - which means that you always feel that Mr Lauridsen is on top of the situation"
    "He is also heading a team of highly skilled lawyers"     (2010)

  • Christian Karhula Lauridsen "has excellent analytical skills, is extremely knowledgeable and always delivers on time" (2009)

  • Sources comment that Christian Karhula Lauridsen "is brilliant, always convincing, and extremely impressive in the courtroom" (2009)

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