Rüdiger Lahme is the Managing Partner of our Hamburg office. He specialises in national and international civil litigation, often with an antitrust background.
Rüdiger has extensive experience in handling complex disputes at all levels of judicial proceedings, from pre-trial strategy advice to the highest instances. His broad courtroom expertise stems from his track record of appearances before almost all German district and appellate courts.
Rüdiger has been dealing with actions for damages with antitrust background for almost 20 years. Initially in the context of his dissertation on the suitability of German civil proceedings for private antitrust enforcement, which he authored as an assistant to Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Ulrich Immenga at the University of Göttingen. Ever since, he has remained engaged with the subject and has been involved in some of the largest proceedings in Germany. He regularly contributes to the relevant journals (NZKart, WuW and ZWeR), is co-author of the standard work "Kartellverfahren und Kartellprozess" from Beck Verlag (2017, new edition currently in progress) and editor and author of the procedural chapters of the practitioner's handbook "Kartellrechtliche Schadensersatzklagen" from Deutscher Fachverlag, Fachmedien Recht und Wirtschaft, 2nd edition (2022). Rüdiger is also the founding chairman of the Competition Litigation Forum (www.c-l-f.eu), the largest association in Germany dedicated solely to civil antitrust law.
Rüdiger Lahme is regularly singled out in legal rankings. Chambers Global 2024 ranked him for Competition/European Law: Litigation in Germany, with sources saying that "he is an excellent lawyer, who really knows what he is doing” and "It is a pleasure to work with him." Germany's leading ranking, the JUVE Handbuch (Handbook), consistently ranks him as "often recommended" for conflict resolution, saying he is "one of Germany's best antitrust litigators" (Handbook 2021/2022), an "extremely clever strategist in antitrust litigation" (Handbook 2020/2021) and he and his team are praised as "exceptionally committed, hands-on and knowledgeable" (Handbook 2022/2023). In their 2024 rankings for Germany, Leaders League lists Rüdiger as “Highly Recommended” for Dispute Resolution: Commercial Litigation and “Recommended” for Competition Litigation and Dispute Resolution: International Arbitration. The Handelsblatt Research Institute named him one of Germany's "most renowned" litigation lawyers in the Wirtschaftswoche Ranking 2022 after surveying more than 1650 lawyers from 146 law firms. In the Who's Who Legal Commercial Litigation Report 2022, Rüdiger Lahme is "singled out by peers as a "brilliant litigator" who "fights fierce and smart," particularly when it comes to antitrust cases." GCR has consistently recognized him and Who's Who Legal as a "Future Leader Competition" since 2018 and a "Leading Lawyer Competition" since 2022. In 2023, Who’s Who Legal ranked Rüdiger as a National Leader in Competition litigation in Germany. Handelsblatt/The Best Lawyers in Germany has consistently included him in its listing of Germany’s Best Lawyers for Antitrust and Competition Law, International Arbitration, and Dispute Resolution in Germany since 2019 as well as new rankings in Arbitration and Mediation, and Litigation for 2025. In the 2024 Edition, Rüdiger was also awarded the “Lawyer of the Year” award for Competition/Antitrust Law and Litigation. Legal 500 summarizes in its 2022 rankings for Germany: "Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP's antitrust practice let by Rüdiger Lahme, demonstrates particularly strengths in major cartel proceedings, where it acts for both defendants and claimants."
Prior to joining Quinn Emanuel, Rüdiger was an attorney in the Hamburg and Brussels offices of Latham & Watkins LLP.
In addition to his work as a lawyer, Rüdiger Lahme is a Professor of Business Law at the Private University of Applied Sciences Göttingen (PFH) and a lecturer for the LL.M. Competition and Regulation at Leuphana University Lüneburg.
- Round timber cartel proceedings (sawmill industry)
- Cartel Damage Claim (CDC)
- Daimler AG
- Qualcomm
- Westlake
- Volkswagen AG*
- Singapore Airlines*
*whilst at a previous firm
- Leading the round timber cartel litigation complex against five federal states (amount in dispute approx. 1 billion euros)
- Leading the sugar cartel proceedings for CDC
- Advising Daimler AG on antitrust damages claims
- Advising Volkswagen AG on antitrust damages claims*
- Defending Finnish chemical manufacturer Kemira Oyj in multinational antitrust damages proceedings up to the European Court of Justice*
- Defence of Singapore Airlines against claims totalling over €3 billion for its participation in the so-called air cargo cartel*.
- Defence of a confidential client against antitrust claims in the steel industry*.
- Representation of the British insurance company Clerical Medical in bankruptcy proceedings*
*completed whilst at a previous firm
- Hamburg Court of Appeals
(2nd German State Exam, 2010) - University of Göttingen
(Dr. iur., 2008) - University of Göttingen
(1st German State Exam, 2005) - University of Bayreuth
(B.Com and LL.B., 2002)
- The German bar (Hanseatische Rechtsanwaltskammer Hamburg)
- German
- English
- French
- Latham & Watkins LLP:
- Senior Associate, Hamburg/Brussels, 2010-2017
- Ranked by Chambers Global for Competition/European Law: Litigation (2024): "He is an excellent lawyer, who really knows what he is doing” and "It is a pleasure to work with him."
- Ranked by Leaders League Germany for Dispute Resolution: Commercial Litigation, Competition Litigation, and Dispute Resolution: International Arbitration (2024)
- Ranked for Antitrust and Competition Law, International Arbitration, and Dispute Resolution in Germany (2019-2025), and Arbitration and Mediation, and Litigation (2025) in The Best Lawyers in Germany
- Mentioned in Legal 500 Deutschland: Competition Litigation – Firms To Watch (2023)
- Ranked Who’s Who Legal Commercial Litigation Report 2022, 2024 – Future Leaders: Partners directory - singled out by peers as "a brilliant litigator" who "fights fierce and smart", particularly when it comes to antitrust cases
- Ranked Who's Who Legal: Competition Litigation (2022,2024)
- GCR and Who's Who Legal: awarded as "Future Leader Competition" (2018-2021) and as Leading Lawyer Competition (since 2022)
- JUVE Handbook 2022/2023: his team praised as "exceptionally committed, hands-on and knowledgeable"
- JUVE Handbook 2021/2022: "often recommended" for conflict resolution and "one of Germany's best antitrust litigators"
- JUVE Handbook 2020/2021: "extremely clever strategist in antitrust litigation"
- Handelsblatt: named on of Germany's "most renowned" litigation lawyers in the Wirtschaftswoche Ranking (2022)
- Handelsblatt/The Best Lawyers in Germany: ranked consistently since 2019 for antitrust and competition law, international arbitration, dispute resolution, and litigation
- Legal 500 Deutschland 2022
- Ph.D. Scholarship of the “Stifterverband für die deutschen Wissenschaft, Arbeitskreis Wirtschaft und Recht”
- Interview, „Die neuen Königinnen und Könige“, Azur 01/2024
- Private enforcement of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and commentary on Art. 27, 38, 39 DMA, in: Podszun, Digital Markets Act (with Prof. Dr. Andreas Ruster), Nomos, Baden-Baden 2023 (English version: Hart Publishing, Oxford, 2024)
- Herausgeber und Mitautor des Praktikerhandbuchs „Kartellrechtliche Schadensersatzklagen“ aus dem Deutschen Fachverlag, Fachmedien Recht und Wirtschaft, 2. Auflage (2021).
- Der kartellrechtliche Beseitigungsanspruch als verschuldensunabhängiger Schadensersatzanspruch, Zeitschrift für Wettbewerbsrecht (ZWeR), 2021 S. 544-564 (together with Dr. Andreas Ruster).
- Prozessuale und materielle Bestimmtheitsanforderungen auf dem Prüfstand des Kartellschadensersatzrechts – Teil 2 Wirtschaft und Wettbewerb (WuW), 2021 S. 330 ff. (together with Dr. Andreas Ruster und Alicia Helle)
- Prozessuale und materielle Bestimmtheitsanforderungen auf dem Prüfstand des Kartellschadensersatzrechts – Teil 1 Wirtschaft und Wettbewerb (WuW), 2021 S. 276 ff. (together with Dr. Andreas Ruster und Alicia Helle)
- Der zeitliche Anwendungsbereich des § 33 g GWB – Ein fiktives Streitgespräch – Neue Zeitschrift
- für Kartellrecht / NZKart 2019, S. 645 ff. (together with Dr. Andreas Ruster)
- Zur Berechnung der Verjährungshemmung nach § 209 BGB Neue Zeitschrift für Kartellrecht / NZKart 2019, S. 544 f. (together with Dr. Andreas Ruster)
- Das ungeschriebene Merkmal der Kartellbefangenheit, Neue Zeitschrift für Kartellrecht / NZKart 2019, S. 196 ff. (together with Dr. Andreas Ruster).
- Responsible co-editor and co-author of the German language practical guide “Antitrust Damages Actions” published by RWS-Verlag (Kartellrechtliche Schadensersatzklagen, Stancke/Weidenbach/Lahme (ed.), Deutscher Fachverlag GmbH, Fachmedien Recht und Wirtschaft, 2018).
- Author of the chapter “Actions for antitrust injunctive relief” in the German language handbook “Antitrust proceedings” published by Beck (Kartellverfahren und Kartellprozess, Kamann/Ohlhoff/Völcker (ed.), C.H. Beck Verlag, Munich, 2017).
- Co-author of the chapter on the applicable EU law principles for class actions with a focus on antitrust litigation in "Class Actions - A Global Guide from Practical Law" published by Thomson Reuters, 2016 (together with Marguerite Sullivan).
- Judgment review: OLG Hamm wendet Art. 8 Nr. 1 EuGVVO auf den Kartellregress an, NZKart 2017, 175 (together with Stefan Bartz).
- Book review: Privater Rechtsschutz gegen den Missbrauch von Marktmacht. Eine Untersuchung zu zivilrechtlichen Rechtsfolgen bei Verstoß gegen Artikel 102 AEUV, §§ 19 Abs. 1, 2 und 20 Abs. 1, 3 GWB, NZKart 2017, 43.
- Suitability of German Civil Proceedings to enforce Antitrust Laws (PhD-thesis 2009; Die Eignung des Zivilverfahrens zur Durchsetzung des Kartellrechts. Eine Untersuchung unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des zivilprozessualen Beweisrechts. Nomos Verlag, Reihe Wirtschaftsrecht und Wirtschaftspolitik, Band 235).
- Competition Litigation Forum (www.c-l-f.eu)
- Studienvereinigung Kartellrecht
- DAV