Dr. Katharina Kolb
Managing Partner, Munich Office
kkolb@lchb.com
+49.89.2555.2361
Dr. Katharina Kolb is the founder and Managing Partner of Lieff Cabraser’s Munich office and leads the firm’s German and European practice.
Dr. Kolb advises clients on all aspects of German and European antitrust and competition law, as well as tort and liability law. A particular focus of her work lies on complex cross-border litigation and collective redress, with an emphasis on advising corporates, financial investors and litigation funders.
She is among the leading legal advisors regarding the establishment and development of litigation finance in the German market and advises investors from all over the world on the structuring and execution of litigation-related investments as well as the acquisition of high-value reimbursement and damages claims.
She represents corporates and litigation vehicles in court proceedings throughout Germany and coordinates strategic litigation across Europe.
Before founding Lieff Cabraser’s Munich office, Dr. Kolb held a senior leadership position in the antitrust practice of another leading international law firm. Before then, she worked in the corporate and securities practice groups of major international law firms in Germany and Canada. She received her doctorate degree with a thesis on German non-contractual liability law.
According to JUVE Rechtsmarkt, Dr. Kolb is among the „20 leading lawyers in cartel damages litigation“ in Germany. She is recognized by Who’s Who Legal as a “Thought Leader” in competition law for the plaintiff side and is listed among Lawdragon’s “Global 500 Plaintiff Lawyers” and “500 Leading Global Antitrust & Competition Lawyers”.
Dr. Kolb serves as a board member of the German Competition Litigation Forum and as Vice Chair of the American Bar Association’s Global Private Litigation Committee. She is a member of The European Circle for Competition Damages, the Studienvereinigung Kartellrecht, and the Münchener Kartellrechtsforum.
She is also co-editor of the “Handbuch Prozessfinanzierung” published by C.H. Beck.
Languages
• German
• English
• French
Practice Areas
• Competition Law
• Complex Commercial Litigation
• Liability Law
• Litigation Financing / Monetization of Claims
• Mass Claims
Education
Second German State Exam, Munich, 2010
Dissertation, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, 2008
First German State Exam, Munich, 2007
Professional Associations
Competition Litigation Forum, Board Member
American Bar Association, Global Private Litigation Committee, Vice-Chair
The European Circle for Competition Damages, Member
Studienvereinigung Kartellrecht, Member
Münchener Kartellrechtsforum, Member
Publications & Presentations
Author, “The Passing-On Defense in European Cartel Damages Litigation: A Comparative Perspective”, Antitrust Law Section, Antitrust Newsletter, January 2025
Panel Moderator, “Is there a practical and balanced approach to the pass-on defense?”, Competition Litigation Forum, November 2024
Speaker, “Private Enforcement and Collective Redress in Europe”, ABA Antitrust Law Section Webinar, February 2024
Author, “The Future of the Statute of Limitations for Antitrust Damages Claims in Europe”, Antitrust Law Section, Antitrust Newsletter, January 2024
Speaker, “SGP Private Enforcement Conference”, October 2023
Moderator, “Private Damages Actions: The In-House Perspective”, ABA Global Private Litigation Conference, June 2023
Author, “Die Finanzierung privater Rechtsstreitigkeiten durch Dritte – Aktuelle Entwicklungen in Europa”, DisputeResolution – Das Online-Magazin für Streitbeilegung, Ausgabe 1 – 2023
Author, “Private Litigation and Third-Party Litigation Funding: Developments in Europe”, Antitrust Law Section, Antitrust Newsletter, February 2023
Speaker, “Global Antitrust Litigation Update: Trucks, Bucks and More”, ABA Antitrust Law Section Webinar, February 2023
Panelist, “Collective Actions in Europe: An Update”, ABA Antitrust Law Section Program, June 2021
Speaker, “Trends in collective damages litigation”, GCR Connect: Germany 2021, May 2021
Honors & Awards
Thought Leader Competition – Plaintiff, Who is Who Legal 2025
500 Leading Global Antitrust & Competition Lawyers, Lawdragon 2025
20 Leading Lawyers in Cartel Damages Litigation in Germany, JUVE 2024
500 Global Plaintiff Lawyers, Lawdragon 2024