Karsten Metzlaff
Rechtsanwalt (Lawyer), Of Counsel
Karsten advises German and foreign clients on all aspects of antitrust and distribution law. His advice in the area of antitrust law focuses on merger control (including the coordination and management of multijurisdictional filings), antitrust investigations (by the German Federal Cartel Office and Eu-ropean Commission), cartel damages claims and compliance issues (including e-discovery and e-learning). He also advises on all issues relating to distribution law, in particular franchise law. Karsten’s special industry focus is in the areas of retail, health care and life sciences, media and IT and real estate. Karsten began his career at a major German branded goods company, where he had overall responsibility for establishing its international franchise system.
Distinctions
- Recommended lawyer for franchise, Who's Who Legal (2023)
- Distinguished as a leading lawyer for antitrust as well as distribution law in leading legal directories: Best Lawyers, Chambers Europe, Legal 500, Who’s Who Legal Distinguished as one of the leading names in distribution law, JUVE Handbook
- One of the top 25 German lawyers for antitrust law, Wirtschaftswoche
Insights
Career
- Studied law at the Universities of Münster, Hamburg, Lausanne (Switzerland) and London (UK)
- Brussels (EC Commission)
- State-certified real estate manager (Kaufmann der Grundstücks- und Wohnungswirtschaft)
- At Noerr since 1999
- Admitted to the Berlin Chamber of Lawyer
Memberships
- International Bar Association (IBA): Past Chair of International Franchising Law Committee, Member of Antitrust Law Committee
- Antitrust Section of American Bar Association (ABA)
- ABA Forum on Franchising
- German Antitrust Law Association (Studienvereinigung Kartellrecht)
- German Franchise Association e.V. (DFV)
Lectures
- Lecturer at the European University Viadrina
- Lecturer on many topics on antitrust and distribution law
Publications
- Active as an author on numerous antitrust and distribution law issues.
- Co-editor of the distribution law journal “Zeitschrift für Vertriebsrecht”, ZVertR, Beck-Verlag
- Überblick über das Franchiserecht in Deutschland (German Franchise Law Overview), in: Getting the Deal Through Franchise, Chapter on Germany
- Commentary on Sec. 1 GWB (German Act Against Restraints of Competition)/Art. 101 TFEU/Horizontal Guidelines/Vertical Agreements Block Exemption Regulation, in Flohr/Wauschkuhn (ed.), Kommentar Vertriebsrecht (Distribution Law Commentary), C.H. Beck Verlag
- Produktions-Franchise-Vertrag (Production Franchise Agreements), in: Martinek/Semler/Flohr (ed.), Formularsammlung Vertriebsrecht (Distribution Law Forms Handbook), C.H. Beck Verlag
- Internationale Franchiseverträge (International Franchise Agreements), in: Pfaff (ed.), Lizenzverträge – Formularkommentar (Licence Agreement Forms Commentary), Beck-Verlag
- Die Behandlung von Einkaufsvorteilen im deutschen und europäischen Kartellrecht (The Treatment of Purchasing Advantages in German and European Antitrust Law), in: Handbuch Franchising & Cooperation (handbook), 1st edition, 2009
- Internetvertrieb und Kartellrecht (Internet Distribution and Antitrust Law), in: Jahrbuch Franchising (Franchising Yearbook) 2009 (edited by: Deutscher Franchiseverband)
- Antitrust law forms, in: Musterformularsammlung zum gewerblichen Rechtsschutz und Urheberrecht, (Intellectual Property and Copyright Law Sample Forms Collection) (editor: Bartenbach), Verlag C.H. Beck, 2005
- Editor of Praxisbuch Franchising, Verlag C.H. Beck, 2003
- Kartellrechtliche Relevanz der elektronischen Marktplätze (Antitrust Relevance of Electronic Marketplaces), in: Online-Handel, (editors: Bräutigam/Leupold), 2003
- Preiswerbung in Franchisesystemen (Price Advertising in Franchise Systems), in: Festschrift Skaupy, Verlag C.H. Beck, 2003