Antitrust & Competition
We are a highly respected team of over 30 specialists based in Germany, Belgium and Central and Eastern Europe.
Specialist team of recognised and frequently recommended advisors with strong interdisciplinary skills thanks to their close cooperation with other practice groups
Extensive experience and industry knowledge in large-volume transactions and complex administrative and judicial proceedings, coupled with intelligent use of legal tech and legal project solutions to increase efficiency
International network with its own presence in Brussels, and with top law firms worldwide
We advise on all antitrust and State aid issues and assist in developing and implementing business and transaction strategies. Companies rely on our market-renowned expertise in digital economics and look to us for representation in administrative and judicial proceedings as well as damages litigation. They also turn to us for advice on M&A transactions (merger control and foreign direct investment (FDI) reviews). Our lawyers are admitted to practice in the European Union and therefore enjoy unrestricted legal privilege in European proceedings.
Our serivces
Antitrust proceedings and investigations
- Providing advice in antitrust proceedings for regulatory fines and penalties
- Assisting clients on-site during searches of business and residential premises (dawn raids)
- Carrying out internal investigations
- Developing defence strategies and advising on possible leniency applications
- Conducting settlement negotiations with the competition authorities (settlements)
Private enforcement
- Bringing antitrust damages claims for clients and defending them against such claims
- Advising on suits for injunctive relief as well as removal or access remedies
- Pursuing a structured recovery of antitrust damages
- Coordinating the defence in international damages litigation
Merger control/investment controls
- Coordinating multi-jurisdictional filings
- Filing notifications and conducting merger control proceedings before the competition authorities (EU & national)
- Filing notifications and conducting investment screening proceedings (FDI)
- Performing merger and investment control due diligence audits
Abuse of a dominant market position
- Defending clients accused of abusive practices
- Advising with regard to proceedings against companies with a “paramount cross-market significance for competition”
- Filing claims against companies engaged in abusive practices
- Advising on drafting contracts in compliance with antitrust and competition law requirements
Digital business models
- Reviewing and designing digital business models (networks, platforms)
- Advising on abusive practices in connection with digital platforms and on claims for access to data
- Advising in relation to compliance with the German Digital Markets Act (DMA)
- Advising on issues at the interfaces between competition law and data protection as well as competition law and intellectual property rights
State aid and subsidies
- Advising and assisting clients in connection with State aid proceedings before the European Commission
- Assisting in EU notification proceedings
- Representing clients in State aid proceedings before the European courts
- Advising in complaint proceedings and legal actions
- Structuring measures and transactions in compliance with State aid law
Competition compliance
- Creating competition compliance programmes, including whistleblower and amnesty programmes
- Designing company specific training measures such as e-learning
- Preparing and reviewing codes of conduct
- Assisting with monitoring measures and internal audits
Horizontal and vertical cooperation arrangements
- Advising on joint ventures and cooperation agreements
- Advising on sustainability initiatives
- Reviewing and designing distribution models
- Reviewing and designing franchise, technology transfer and licence agreements
Selected projects
- ATU
Advising in Phase II merger control proceedings on a cooperation with a vehicle glass repair and replacement business - BOSCH
Representing Bosch in the assertion of antitrust damages claims in various EU antitrust proceedings - Bundesverband der Deutschen Volksbanken und Raiffeisenbanken BVR
Advising and representing the BVR in numerous compensation proceedings - Condor
Advising Condor on protective shield proceedings as well as the rescue aid procedure before the European Commission - DAF Paccar
Defending our clients against numerous antitrust damages claims brought against them in the “truck cartel” case in Germany (amount in dispute more than EUR 4.2 billion) - DFL
Acting as counsel before the German Federal Cartel Office (FCO) in antitrust proceedings regarding the centralised exploitation of media rights for soccer broadcasting schedules - FRESENIUS KABI
Designing, managing and implementing an antitrust compliance programme in Central and Eastern Europe - ICON
Advising ICON in multiple merger control and foreign direct investment (FDI) notifications regarding its $12 billion acquisition of PRA Health Sciences - Kaufland
Handling Phase II merger control proceedings related to the acquisition of a large number of food retail businesses and the acquisition of an Internet marketplace - thyssenkrupp
Advising and representing the company in antitrust matters in connection with an alleged steel cartel and follow-on internal investigations
“Practice-oriented work, broad industry know-how [...], highly experienced in dealing with the antitrust authorities.”
Legal 500, 2021Insights
“Excellent cooperation. (....) Pragmatic and practice-oriented solutions are always found. (...) In view of the very high quality of the work, the price-performance ratio is extremely fair.”
Legal 500, 2022 Well
informed
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