Antitrust & Competition and Merger Control
Do you need strategic and outstanding competition law advice on a transaction, during proceedings before the competition authorities or in an internal investigation? We are there to help you master the challenges of antitrust, competition and merger control law, motivated by excellence, passion and perseverance.
We offer broad-based advice on all aspects of antitrust and competition law (including digital antitrust law) and merger and investment control law (FDI). Our experienced, highly regarded and award-winning team assists companies in developing and executing their business strategies in compliance with antitrust and competition law. We provide support in handling transactions, navigating administrative fine proceedings and resolving antitrust damages disputes.
Our lawyers are admitted to practice in the European Union and thus enjoy full legal privilege in European proceedings. Companies rely on our in-depth analysis and pragmatic solutions to minimise competition law risks and strengthen their market position.
Our serivces
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
Antitrust proceedings and investigations
- Providing advice on all aspects of 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 claims for injunctive relief, removal or access
- Pursuing structured antitrust damages claims
- Providing international coordination in the defence against claims for damages
Abuse of a dominant market position
- Defending clients accused of abusive practices
- Advising in 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 business practices of digital platforms and data access claims
- Advising on the 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
Competition compliance
- Developing competition compliance programmes, including whistleblower and amnesty programmes
- Providing company-specific employee training (including e-learning)
- Creating and reviewing codes of conduct
- Assisting with monitoring measures and internal audits
Horizontal and vertical cooperative arrangements
- Advising on joint ventures and cooperation agreements
- Advising on sustainability initiatives
- Designing distribution systems
- Reviewing and designing franchise, technology transfer and licence agreements
Selected projects
- Bauer Media Group
Advising the multimedia conglomerate on the transfer of its advertising marketing to RTL’s marketing company Ad Alliance. This project includes all of the Bauer Media Group’s German-language print and online titles and involves managing the discontinuation of Bauer’s internal marketing organisation, Bauer Advance. The project is being carried out in close coordination with Germany's Federal Cartel Office to address competition concerns between Bauer and RTL/Gruner + Jahr titles - BOSCH
Representing the engineering and technology company in asserting antitrust damages claims following various EU antitrust proceedings - Bundesverband der Deutschen Volksbanken und Raiffeisenbanken BVR
Defending and representing the association for the cooperative banking sector in numerous antitrust damages proceedings - Condor
Advising the airline on German protective shield proceedings and a rescue aid procedure before the European Commission - Corint Media
Assisting the collective management organisation in proceedings before the Federal Cartel Office concerning Google and Facebook’s infringements of the prohibition of abuse of a dominant position and section 19a of the German Act against Restraints of Competition. These infringements stemmed from the structure and design of their news services, which were alleged to circumvent the newly established law protecting publishers’ rights. - DAF/Paccar
Defending our clients against numerous antitrust damages claims brought against them in the “truck cartel” case in Germany - DFL
Acting as counsel for the soccer organisation in antitrust proceedings before the German Federal Cartel Office regarding the centralised sale of media rights for soccer broadcasting schedules - FTI Group
Conducting an extensive internal investigation of the travel company to clarify a matter that spanned several years, which initially led to allegations by the German business newspaper “Handelsblatt” and later by other media outlets; these allegations pertained to antitrust, data protection and trade secrets law - ICON
Advising the clinical research organisation on antitrust and investment control matters regarding its $12 billion acquisition of PRA Health Sciences - Kaufland
Handling merger control proceedings (EU referrals and German second-phase investigations) related to the acquisition of a large number of food retail businesses and the acquisition of an internet marketplace - KPS Capital Partners
Successfully representing and advising the US private equity firm and its portfolio company Speira in merger control proceedings before the European Commission. The European Commission approved the planned acquisition of Real Alloy Group’s European business by KPS, contingent on the divestiture of certain Real Alloy plants to third parties. - Northvolt
Providing extensive merger control advice to the battery producer related to the financing of a battery cell factory (gigafactory) for electric vehicles in Germany, with an investment exceeding €4.5 billion
“Practice-oriented way of working, broad industry expertise [...], extremely experienced in dealing with the competition authorities.”
Legal 500, 2021Insights
“The large and well-established antitrust and competition practice has an impressive range of advisory services, advising clients on distribution issues, investment projects, mergers, and handling disputes with the competition authorities.”
JUVE, 2024
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