Firms To Watch: Antitrust

Led by Felix Skala, Deloitte Legal Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH advises on investigations, merger control, distribution antitrust law and compliance.
Based in Düsseldorf, Christian Krohs heads the antitrust law team at McDermott Will & Emery Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater LLP, which offers support in merger control, antitrust proceedings as well as compliance and investigations.

Antitrust in Germany

Gleiss Lutz

Gleiss Lutz‘s renowned antitrust experts are among the top performers in the market and comprehensively advise on all aspects pertaining to antitrust law, including antitrust fine proceedings, cartel damages, compliance, internal investigations and abuse of market power issues. The team frequently acts in major proceedings, which are conducted before the Federal Cartel Office and the European Commission and is also well versed in current issues such as digital antitrust law and supports various large corporations in matters according to § 19a GWB, above all Meta. Other capacities in the digital context include the advice on data access claims as well as SEP. Practice head Petra Linsmeier boasts similar expertise and is well versed in abuse proceedings in the digital sector; counsel Ines Bodenstein also focuses on this area and is experienced in e-commerce and digital antitrust law. Recent instructions pertain to supporting clients in cooperations with competitors and distribution antitrust law matters. Ulrich Denzel complements this with expertise in civil damage compensation proceedings as well as the cartel fines and damages expert Christian Steinle, who also covers German and European merger control. Ingo Brinker, who is experienced in the insurance sector, joined White & Case LLP in early 2024, while Daniel Petzold, who is experienced in advising on cartel damages compensation proceedings, left the team in July 2023 and joined LUTZ | ABEL RECHTSANWALTS PARTG MBB.

Practice head(s):

Petra Linsmeier


Testimonials

‘Responsiveness, competence, “thinking outside the box”.’

‘High professional competence, pragmatism, very pleasant cooperation, quick response times.’

‘Petra Linsmeier: She has been providing us with reliable, friendly and well-founded advice for many years on all antitrust law issues for which we rely on external support. We value the trusting relationship, the always quick and uncomplicated availability to answer questions, the enormous technical expertise, the industry knowledge and the extensive experience in dealing with antitrust authorities.’

Key clients

Canon


Deutsche Bahn AG


Deutsche Bank AG


Deutsche Post|DHL Group (DPDHL)


Deutsche Telekom AG


Facebook/Meta


LANXESS AG


Mercedes-Benz AG


PHOENIX Pharmahandel GmbH & Co KG


Südzucker AG


thyssenkrupp


Wieland Werke AG


ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Hella GmbH & Co KGaA


Work highlights


  • Representation of Mercedes-Benz AG in cartel fine proceedings by the EU Commission, the CMA, the Turkish and South Korean antitrust authorities regarding the collection, return and recycling of end-of-life vehicles.

  • Merger control advice to Facebook/Meta on the takeover of Kustomer with regard to the so-called transaction value threshold as well as the subsequent complaint against the Federal Cartel Office’s commitment order at the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court.

  • Comprehensive merger control and antitrust advice to LANXESS AG on the establishment of a JV with Advent in the chemical industry; applications in a total of twelve jurisdictions.

Hengeler Mueller

Hengeler Mueller is among the market leaders in antitrust law and impresses with a diverse team and longstanding experience in all matters pertaining to German and EU antitrust law. Traditional core competencies include the advice on abuse proceedings, cartel damages compensation and complaint proceedings, which are regularly conducted before the Federal Cartel Office, the European Commission and German and European courts; Thomas Paul, who is experienced in cartel damages proceedings, and Markus Röhrig (litigation and forensic matters) in Brussels are among the key contacts here. The team recently also acted in the context of the § 19a GWB digitisation amendment and successfully represented Google before the Federal Cartel Office in connection with the ‘Google News Showcase’ mandate. Merger control is another core focus, where Thorsten Mäger and Brussels-based Hans-Jörg Niemeyer frequently take the lead, as well as the support in transaction-related antitrust law, which is the main focus of Philipp Otto Neideck, who made partner in January 2023. Christoph Stadler retired.

Latham & Watkins LLP

Latham & Watkins LLP is one of the top addresses in antitrust law and impresses with industry expertise in technology and digitisation matters as well as a diverse national and international practice. The support in cartel damages compensation claims and market power abuse proceedings is among the mainstays, where the team regularly represents large players from the technology sector, such as digital platforms or telecommunications services providers, before the Federal Cartel Office, the European Commission and relevant courts. These capacities also include the expertise in current issues in connection with the § 19a GWB digitisation amendment. Michael Esser is experienced in the fintech, telecoms and e-commerce industries and focuses on digitised matters, where he is supported by Jan Christoph Höft, who is experienced in data protection law. The support in transaction-related antitrust law is another core focus and is regularly demonstrated in connection with German and international merger control; among the key contacts here are Sebastian Max Hauser and counsel Jana Dammann de Chapto, who are experienced in second-phase proceedings.

Testimonials

‘The team impresses with its good comprehension and a good understanding of the client’s economic interests. The teams at the various locations are very well networked and work hand in hand.’

‘Sebastian Max Hauser: Very committed and eager to represent our interests. We appreciated their willingness to familiarize themselves with our market comprehensively and quickly.’

‘Top law firm.’

‘Michael Esser and Jan Christoph Höft: outstanding lawyers with many years of experience.’

Key clients

Meta


Lufthansa


Volkswagen


Vodafone


Mastercard


Microsoft


Brenntag


The Carlyle Group


Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP)


Hg


Silver Lake Partners


American Airlines


Apollo Global Management


Work highlights


  • Representation of Meta Platforms, Inc. in proceedings before the Federal Cartel Office on suspicion of abuse of a dominant market position in connection with data protection and antitrust regulations.

  • Advising Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) and KKR on global merger and investment control filings in relation to a strategic partnership with Vodafone for the €16 billion acquisition of Vantage Towers, a leading telecommunications tower company in Europe.

  • Representation of Vodafone in damages compensation proceedings (including before the Federal Court of Justice) against Deutsche Telekom, which concern abusive practices in the use of cable ducts.

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton antitrust law practice comprehensively covers all aspects of German and EU antitrust law and regularly cooperates with the Brussels location on cross-border issues. The renowned experts of the team are Wolfgang Deselaers, who is experienced in cartel damages, and market power abuse proceedings expert Romina Polley. The team has additional expertise in cartel fine proceedings and contentious matters, where the practice routinely acts before the European and national courts. Further competencies include the advice on state aid law, sector-related investigations and the support in contract drafting. This is complemented with experience in merger control, where Julian Alexander Sanner and senior counsel Dirk Schroeder are the key contacts. Katharina Apel left the team in late 2022 for an in-house position.

Testimonials

‘Very good contacts with the European Commission and well informed about the decision-making process for antitrust investigations in the EU.’

‘Romina Polley: Experienced, pragmatic and thinks quickly about new markets and products.’

‘A lot of experience, good practice-relevant guidance, excellent overview of the individual to-dos and quick processing of them.’

‘Wolfgang Deselaers: A lot of experience resulting in excellent ability to classify the subject areas. Philipp Kirst: Detailed knowledge of the entire matter, very good understanding of the relevant legal issues.’

‘Incredibly high level of specialist knowledge and competence, very, very professional but still “down-to-earth”.’

‘Romina Polley: Always right to the point, pragmatic and with outstanding judiciary and deep business understanding.’

‘The speed with which things are prepared or worked on is shockingly good. With excellent precision.’

‘Rüdiger Harms and Julian Sanner: Both always excellently prepared. Always approachable.’

Hogan Lovells International LLP

Hogan Lovells International LLP antitrust law team impresses with expertise in merger control, which is routinely drawn upon in the course of cross-border transactions. Among the key contacts here are Martin Sura and Christoph Wünschmann, who are experienced in the automotive, consumer goods and insurance sectors; Wünschmann has additional expertise in antitrust law-related contract drafting. Other mainstays are ongoing antitrust advice as well as cartel proceedings, including cartel damages and disputes. Recent instructions include the support in technology-related mandates (10th GWB amendment/19a and in the context of the DMA) as well as in compliance and ESG-related matters. Practice head Marc Schweda is well versed in public procurement and EU state aid law, while investment control is a key competency of Falk Schöning, who divides his time between Berlin and Brussels.

Practice head(s):

Marc Schweda


Testimonials

‘Marc Schweda is very familiar with our industry, having worked for us for longer than our in-house legal team. He thinks for himself and always has a cooperative attitude.’

‘The team is very professional and has deep knowledge of the industry. Due to the size of the team, even extensive mandates can be handled at short notice. The collaboration runs smoothly and flexibly. The billing is transparent.’

‘Hogan Lovells Germany has a great competition law team. Very professional and competent. On-time delivery and tailored advice.’

‘Christoph Wünschmann and Johanna Brock-Wenzek: Technically excellent, extremely deep in the subject matter and has a good strategic overview. The collaboration is extremely professional and pleasant.’

‘Very competent team that adapts flexibly to given requirements. Innovative in alternative fee arrangements for long-standing clients.’

‘Jan-Christoph Rudowicz: A highly qualified antitrust lawyer. His ability to apply competition law to complex commercial situations (where legislation does not yet exist) is exceptional. A great sparring partner for an in-house antitrust lawyer.’

Key clients

ADVA


Autobahn Tank & Rast


Banijay Germany GmbH


BMW


Catena-X


Chubu


Cofinity-X


Daiichi Sankyo Europe SE


DCS


Digital Charging Solutions


EB-SIM


Flixbus


Global Savings Group GmbH


Google


Hannover Leasing


Hitachi Energy


Helsing


ib vogt


Intuitive Surgical, Inc.


International Business Machines Corporation (IBM Corporation)


KIRKBI Invest A/S und William Demant Invest A/S


Korean Air


Lockheed Martin


Lürssen


Maguar Capital Savings Group


MSD Partners


M+W / Exyte


Royal Terberg Group B.V.


Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc.


Thalia


Telit IOT Ltd.


Volkswagen Financial Services AG


YourNow Holding


Work highlights


  • Representing Google in cartel damages compensation claims in connection with the EU Commission’s Google Shopping decision.

  • Antitrust advice to BASF, BMW Group, Henkel, Mercedes-Benz, SAP, Schaeffler, Siemens, T-Systems, Volkswagen and ZF on the establishment of the Cofinity-X joint venture.

  • Advising Autobahn Tank & Rast in connection with the development of fast charging infrastructure at service stations on German motorways in accordance with the new fast charging law.

Linklaters

Integrated into the global antitrust & foreign investment group, Linklaters‘ German antitrust team offers longstanding experience in national and international merger control as well as cartel proceedings, including abuse of market power and damages compensation proceedings before the relevant authorities in Germany and the EU. In addition to ongoing antitrust law advice, which also covers compliance, the team regularly advises in close cooperation with the experts from the corporate, dispute resolution and energy law teams; this is complemented by Christoph Barth‘s investment control expertise. Key contact Carsten Grave is experienced in merger control and cartel proceedings. Other core members are Daniela Seeliger (cartel proceedings, compliance and cross-border merger control proceedings) and counsel Ingo Klauß, who is increasingly instructed by clients with a dominant market position.

Testimonials

‘Linklaters’ antitrust team has strong sector expertise in the telecommunications market and cleverly combines this with excellent antitrust law expertise. Even when it comes to questions about day-to-day business, the team succeeds in generating added value with precise, yet practical advice and, with appropriate effort, identifying and designing good solution areas.’

‘Highly motivated and qualified, very pleasant, pragmatic, goal-oriented and solution-oriented.’

‘Daniela Seeliger: Competence and argumentative persuasiveness with a friendly, approachable relationship with the client.’

Work highlights


  • Advice to Dr. Ing. hc F. Porsche AG on the antitrust proceedings on car emissions before the European Commission against the five German automobile manufacturers Daimler, BMW, Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche.

  • Representing Silgan Holdings Inc in lengthy antitrust proceedings before the European Commission and in parallel in several proceedings before the European courts due to allegations of alleged antitrust behavior in metal closures and food cans. In July 2022, the European Commission imposed a total fine of €31.5 million on Silgan and its competitor Crown in a settlement decision.

  • Successful defense of E.ON SE against 11 annulment actions brought by various municipal utilities and regional energy companies regarding the European Commission’s approval under merger control law for the takeover of E.ON’s renewable energy generation plants by RWE AG.

Allen & Overy LLP

Allen & Overy LLP is experienced in antitrust proceedings, including antitrust damages, abuse of market power, as well as antitrust administration and fine proceedings, and is also well positioned for cross-border merger controls thanks to the cooperation with the international network. The practice’s ongoing advice covers compliance and distribution antitrust law issues. Practice head Ellen Braun is regularly instructed on the structuring of cooperation agreements and joint ventures, while key figures Börries Ahrens and counsel René Galle regularly act in antitrust investigations before the Federal Cartel Office and the European Commission; the latter is also experienced in subsequent damages proceedings.

Practice head(s):

Ellen Braun


Testimonials

‘Ellen Braun: An extremely smart and pragmatic lawyer who always delivers first-class legal advice. A true expert in her field. She’s great fun to work with and very responsive.’

‘Many years of experience and an excellent reputation in competition law and related litigation.’

‘Börries Ahrens: Very client-focused.’

Key clients

Advent International


Bridgepoint/Infinigate


EDEKA


Evonik


Friesland Campina


Google


Hapag-Lloyd AG


Procter & Gamble


Scania


Uniper


XXXLutz KG


Work highlights


  • Advising the private equity investor Advent International on all antitrust and merger control aspects of the acquisition and merger of the Engineering Materials business unit of DSM and the High Performance Plastics business unit of LANXESS.

  • Advising Bridgepoint portfolio company Infinigate Group AG (Infinigate), a pan-European Value Added Distributor (VAD) of cyber security solutions, on the acquisition of Nuvias Group (Nuvias), a cyber security software distributor headquartered in the UK.

  • Comprehensive antitrust advice to Evonik and implementation of merger control filings, including for a joint venture with a Chinese state-owned competitor for the Chinese economic area (registrations in the EU and China), the acquisition of a chemical production facility by a direct (and only German) competitor (Germany) and detailed advice on the feasibility of a merger in collaboration with Shin & Kim with a view to a Korean takeover.

Clifford Chance

Clifford Chance‘s antitrust law experts routinely represent national and international companies in antitrust, market dominance and merger control proceedings, which also corresponds with the focus of practice head Marc Besen; the team recently assisted with various damages proceedings. Other core areas include ongoing antitrust advice, antitrust disputes and internal investigations. The transaction support includes cross-border matters, where Dmitri Slobodenjuk regularly advises on investment control and foreign trade law, while senior associate Anne Filzmoser is experienced in merger control and distribution law matters. Michael Dietrich and Maximilian Zedtwitz von Arnim, both experienced in antitrust and abuse proceedings, left the team in late 2023 and now operate under the name Dietrich Dietrich Graf Zedtwitz Rechtsanwälte.

Testimonials

‘Marc Besen: An outstanding consultant. Always calm and collected, providing concise, business-focused advice built on outstanding technical knowledge. Working with him is fun. Dmitri Slobodenyuk: Also excellent.’

‘Dmitri Slobodenjuk: An outstanding partner with an admirable pragmatism who makes this area of ​​law implementable, an absolute heartfelt recommendation. Arne Gayk is in no way inferior; the entire team is always available and super responsive.’

‘The team has excellent legal knowledge and commercial insight, places great emphasis on service quality and is able to handle large, complex matters. The particular strength for me as a client lies in a strong life sciences and healthcare practice worldwide and particularly in Germany.’

‘Anne Filzmoser is highly recommended among the associates. In complex situations, the team demonstrates strength, perseverance and strong focus.’

‘Excellent specialist knowledge, excellent team play, well connected, including with the authorities.’

‘Clear and understandable statements/assessments and recommendations, very easy to contact and quick response times. Good mix of seniority levels within the team.’

‘I have never before experienced the effort to adapt to the client’s requirements and needs (by actively obtaining regular feedback).’

‘Strong client focus; Quickly think through the industry and business model-specific characteristics. Always very well-founded, but also very “hands-on” when possible and necessary.’

CMS

CMS‘ practice comprehensively covers antitrust law, including merger control, distribution antitrust law, digital antitrust law, cooperations with competitors as well as cartel damages, fine proceedings and disputes. Recently, the team increasingly advised across the healthcare and energy sectors; the industry expertise in the latter was most recently demonstrated in advising the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection. Christoff Soltau and practice head Rolf Hempel advise on merger control and antitrust compliance. Markus Schöner and Tim Reher are well versed in fine proceedings, with Reher frequently assisting with the defense against fines, and Harald Kahlenberg impresses with experience in coordinating cross-border merger control filings in the EU and internationally.

Practice head(s):

Rolf Hempel


Testimonials

‘Very good team play between the people and locations involved, very good technical know-how, strategic instinct and assessments for the right timing; very good information/communication culture.’

‘Rolf Hempel: Great expertise, pleasant collaboration, solution-oriented approach.’

‘The performance level of Tim Reher’s team is outstanding. Especially recently in the major proceedings concerning various issues of cartel damages, in which almost all of the well-known lawyer protagonists were working, we were once again able to determine that we were better positioned than many other parties involved in the proceedings.’

Work highlights


  • Advising the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK) on merger control law on the transfer of SEFE Securing Energy for Europe GmbH (formerly: Gazprom Germania GmbH) into federal ownership, including representing the BMKW in the relevant merger control proceedings before the European Commission. At the same time, CMS advised the BMWK on all state aid issues relating to the stabilization measures for SEFE Securing Energy for Europe GmbH and Uniper SE.

  • Representation of Coca-Cola Euro-pacific Partners in EDEKA’s legal proceedings against CCEP before the LG and OLG Hamburg regarding a delivery obligation as an allegedly dominant company. Due to CCEP’s intervention, the Hamburg Regional Court revoked an order that had already been issued and did not recognize any antitrust law violation by CCEP and thus denied an obligation to supply.

  • Successful defense of the state of Baden-Württemberg before the Stuttgart regional court against a class action lawsuit by 26 Baden-Württemberg sawmills financed and organized by Burford Capital for a total of approximately €480 million. The regional court dismissed the lawsuit because the chosen class action model violated the Legal Services Act. The matter is pending appeal before the Stuttgart Higher Regional Court.

Commeo

Frankfurt-based antitrust boutique Commeo comprehensively covers all aspects of German and EU antitrust law. The team advises on cartel damages, abuse of market power, cross-border merger control filings, global compliance programs as well as cooperation and distribution agreements; recent instructions include the support in FDI procedures. The practice offers industry expertise in the pharmaceuticals, chemicals, life sciences and consumer goods sectors and regularly advises on contract-related antitrust matters, such as licensing, procurement and R&D agreements; Stephanie Pautke is a key contact here. Other core members are Dominique Wagener, who is experienced in fine proceedings, notary Jörg-Martin Schultze (antitrust disputes and cartel damages), Johanna Kübler, who is well versed in market power abuse issues, and Isabel Oest, who is experienced in the automotive and electrical engineering sectors as well as platform models and increasingly advises on merger control. Christoph Weinert routinely acts in the defense against claims in antitrust proceedings before the Federal Cartel Office.

Testimonials

‘Johanna Kübler: Quick appointments, reliable answers, balanced advice, also great as a sparring partner.’

Key clients

Aktien-Gesellschaft der Dillinger Hüttenwerke


ARD Media GmbH


Asklepios Kliniken GmbH & Co. KGaA


Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels e.V.


Carglass GmbH


CSL Behring GmbH


dormakaba International Holding GmbH


Japan Airlines


JTEKT


Fraport AG


Löwenstein Medical SE & Co. KG


Magna Management AG


PreHCM Services GmbH


Procter & Gamble Germany GmbH & Co. Operations OHG


Rotkäppchen-Mumm Sektkellereien GmbH


Semikron International GmbH


SHS Stahl-Holding-Saar GmbH & Co. KGaA


Saarstahl AG


SMA Solar Technology AG


Transgourmet Deutschland


Uvex Winter Holding GmbH & Co. KG


Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau e.V. (VDMA)


Woco Group


ZDF Studios GmbH


Work highlights


  • Antitrust law advice to Semikron International GmbH on all transactional antitrust law issues during the founding of the joint venture Semikron Danfoss together with the power electronics division of Danfoss A/S, Denmark.

  • Defense of Japan Airlines (defendant) in civil damages proceedings before the Cologne Regional Court brought by Barnsdale, a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn, over alleged damages resulting from the European air freight cartel fined by the European Commission.

Dentons

Dentons‘ team comprehensively covers German and EU antitrust law and is regularly instructed on merger control, cartel proceedings, market dominance issues and antitrust compliance. The practice is also experienced in issues pertaining to investment control, public procurement and state aid law. René Grafunder acts from Frankfurt and focuses on distribution antitrust law, including the structuring of distribution systems, and jointly heads the practice with Düsseldorf-based Florian Wiesner, who is well versed in drafting contracts in accordance with antitrust law. Both are also experienced in antitrust proceedings, as is litigator Jörg Karenfort, who frequently leads in cartel and abuse proceedings before the European and national competition authorities and also heads the firm’s global antitrust practice. Counsel Arne Karsten (merger control) and Bertold Bär-Bouyssière, who is experienced in cartel damages compensation proceedings and state aid law, are other key contacts. The latter divides his time between Brussels and Berlin and made partner in April 2023.

Practice head(s):

René Grafunder; Florian Wiesner


Testimonials

‘Very client-oriented advice. Very easy to reach, the practice has progressed excellently.’

‘René Grafunder: In-depth expertise, always goal-oriented and pragmatic, excellent communication.’

‘Florian Wiesner is always available for his clients and always finds resilient and pragmatic solutions.’

‘Dentons has a broad antitrust team in a variety of countries. In Germany, the team around Jörg Karenfort and Josef Hainz is very renowned and large.’

‘Arne Karsten: Very competent, very friendly cooperation, great accessibility and always short processing times with very good results.’

‘Fast response times, well-founded and very competent advice, including across disciplines.’

‘Polycentric, internationally positioned. The firm has a legal expert for all areas of law in almost every major country .’

‘Good sector expertise, high commitment and accessibility. Delivers results within the specified time frame and within the agreed budget.’

Key clients

CARIAD


International Chemical Investors Group (ICIG)


Silgan Holdings Inc.


Bundesverband deutscher Banken


OTTO Group


Audi/HDY Group


Munich RE/Hannover RE


Porsche/Red Bull


Geodis


Stiftung Zentrale Stelle Verpackungsregister


Yamaha Music


EFN Eifel-Net Internet Provider GmbH


5NPlus Inc.


DPG Deutsche Pfandsystem GmbH


Merck KGaA


STADA AG


Aeroground und Flughafen München


Hensoldt


Lactalis


Victoria’s Secret


Wacker Chemie AG


Daimler Truck AG; NextEra Inc.


govdigital eG


Toll4Europe GmbH


Hypoport SE


Voith GmbH & Co. KGaA


Beretta Holding S. A.


Britishvolt


Duisburger Hafen AG (duisport)


Heubach


Interzero


Gebr. Heinemann


CHG Meridian AG


Cargo Partners


USAA


Work highlights


  • Advising CARIAD on the takeover of the AI ​​specialist paragon semvox GmbH, a subsidiary of the listed automotive supplier paragon.

  • Advising Silgan on concluding a settlement with the European Commission to end a long-standing antitrust investigation into metal packaging.

  • Advising the Federal Association of German Banks in 12 claims for damages before the Berlin Regional Court against the BdB, including as a result of the Federal Cartel Office’s B4-9/11-EC Cash/girocard case.

Glade Michel Wirtz - Corporate & Competition

Glade Michel Wirtz - Corporate & Competition‘s antitrust team is experienced in transaction support, including merger and investment control, antitrust proceedings in the context of market dominance, cartel fines and damages, as well as compliance, distribution antitrust law and the advice on strategic cooperations. The practice is particularly well versed in the sectors technology, automotive, food and digital antitrust law; the latter area is a core focus of name partner Markus Wirtz. Other key contacts include Silke Möller, who acts in fine proceedings before the European Commission and the Federal Cartel Office, and Christian Karbaum (cartel damages compensation claims).

Key clients

Deutsche Telekom AG


Franz Haniel & Cie. GmbH


Siemens Energy AG


In der Die Deutsche Kreditwirtschaft (DK) organisierte Verbände und weitere Kreditinstitute


United Internet AG


SC Johnson & Son, Inc.


Intermediate Capital Group


Klöckner und Co. SE


Colliers International Group Inc.


Work highlights


  • Advising Deutsche Telekom AG on the EU Commission’s merger control proceedings regarding the acquisition of Liberty Global (Unitymedia) by Vodafone with a transaction volume of €18.3 billion and challenging the clearance decision before the General Court of the European Union.

  • Counsel-to-the-Project for the #dk/DK-Pay project, which is aimed at establishing a uniform, digital payment system for payment systems such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, Paypal or the major credit card providers Mastercard or Visacard; including coordination of the project with the Federal Cartel Office.

  • Advising Siemens Energy SE on the assertion of private cartel damages claims against members of the cartel of providers of technical building equipment for international power plant construction.

Milbank

Milbank‘s team focuses on merger and investment control, cartel fines and abuse proceedings as well as antitrust disputes. The practice also assists with forensic matters and preventive antitrust compliance. Practice head Alexander Rinne routinely acts in proceedings before the Federal Cartel Office and the European Commission. The team advises clients across the media, telecoms, healthcare and consumer goods sectors and offers additional expertise in distribution antitrust law and related disputes before civil and arbitration courts, where special counsel Moritz Lichtenegger is a key contact; Alexander Zyrewitz left the law firm in April 2023.

Practice head(s):

Alexander Rinne


Other key lawyers:

Moritz Lichtenegger


Testimonials

‘Alexander Rinne and Moritz Lichtenegger: High level of expertise and industry knowledge, very pleasant personal manner. Strong client orientation.’

‘Alexander Rinne has outstanding knowledge in his field. On cross-border issues, he also ensures highly competent advice from the respective colleagues in other countries. Mr. Rinne is also able to explain antitrust law topics in a very understandable way, even for non-antitrust law experts.’

‘Alexander Rinne and Moritz Lichtenegger have already supported us very well and successfully in numerous projects. Both with an enormously high level of professional competence and equally high level of commitment. In addition, always very pleasant cooperation/very good communication.’

‘Knowledge of the diagnostics business, willingness to reflect in analyzes (ie not to hinder the process through overly cautious assessments), first-class advice.’

Key clients

BMW AG


Bonduelle


Cranemere


EQT


H.I.G Capital


Hipp


Husqvarna


L-GAM


Mageba


Müller Milch


Otto


ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE


Roche


SK Group


Sartorius


Telefónica


The Carlyle Group


Work highlights


  • Supporting the Theo Müller group of companies in numerous strategic transactions, in particular the acquisition of Landliebe from FrieslandCampina (release in second-phase proceedings under conditional dissolution).

  • Comprehensive advice to HIG Capital on all transactions in Europe on antitrust law and FDI.

  • Advising EQT/Envirotainer on merger control and foreign trade law on the public takeover of competitor va-Q-tech, second-phase review and approval without requirements/conditions by the Federal Cartel Office.

Noerr

Noerr is well versed in national and cross-border merger control, compliance, cartel damages compensation proceedings as well as supporting clients in antitrust investigations by the Federal Cartel Office and the European Commission. Practice head Fabian Badtke (finance, healthcare & life sciences sectors) regularly acts at the interface with EU state aid law, while Kathrin Westermann routinely leads in cartel, abuse and merger control proceedings before the relevant authorities. Alexander Birnstiel has expertise in digital antitrust law and also covers matters at the IP law interface.

Practice head(s):

Fabian Badtke 


Testimonials

‘Fabian Badtke: An excellent antitrust lawyer, working with him is a pleasure.’

‘Client-oriented, competent and friendly competition team.’

‘Sarah Blazek: She was very helpful in our case, especially since we were working under considerable time pressure. She was very good at stepping in when needed and making sure everything went according to plan. She provided helpful insight when needed and guided us through the process.’

‘Alexander Birnstiel: Competent and reliable and always available at short notice.’

‘There seems to be a good atmosphere among the team members. Good communication and a good sense of the client company’s goals.’

Key clients

Deutsche Börse AG


BVR Bundesverband der Deutschen Volksbanken und Raiffeisenbanken


PACCAR Inc. / DAF Trucks N.V. / DAF Trucks Deutschland GmbH


Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co. Ltd.


Altice Geodesia


Deutsche Fußball Liga GmbH (DFL)


SAF-HOLLAND


Lech-Stahlwerke GmbH / Max Aicher GmbH & Co. KG


CEMEX


Corint Media


Heinrich Bauer Verlag


KPS Capital Partners


Stellantis / PSA Automobiles SA / Automobiles Peugeot SA


Lear Corporation


Scania


Alcmene / Liwathon / PCK Raffinerie (Schwedt)


solarisBank AG


TeamBank / Genossenschaftsbanken


Work highlights


  • Advising and representing the BVR in various damages proceedings brought before the LG Berlin (including JET, Rossmann) due to damages allegedly suffered due to the payment of allegedly excessive dealer fees.

  • Defense of DAF Trucks NV and DAF Trucks Deutschland GmbH against all claims for damages made in Germany due to the truck cartel (EU Commission, AT 39824 – Trucks).

  • Advice on merger control law and registration with the Federal Cartel Office on the cooperation between solarisBank and the ADAC regarding the issue of the ADAC credit card (co-branding).

Oppenländer Rechtsanwälte

Oppenländer Rechtsanwälte‘s antitrust law team is renowned for its longstanding expertise in cartel damages and acts in both the enforcement as well as the defense against damages claims; Florian Schmidt-Volkmar regularly assists with the defense and Christoph Wolf is increasingly active on the claimants' side. The practice advises clients from the automotive, finance, media, energy and life sciences sectors on merger control, internal antitrust investigations and antitrust proceedings including market dominance issues, Andreas Hahn is a key contact here. Practice head Albrecht Bach is experienced in cartel damages and merger control.

Practice head(s):

Albrecht Bach


Testimonials

‘Extensive industry knowledge, good assessment of realistic possibilities, successful strategies.’

‘High professionalism, excellent specialist knowledge, good accessibility.’

‘Albrecht Bach: His experience as an early antitrust attorney and his razor-sharp mind make him outstanding.’

Key clients

272 deutsche Sparkassen


Accord Healthcare GmbH


Accord Healthcare Ltd. (UK)


Augsburger Verkehrs- und Tarifverbund GmbH


BayWa AG


Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG)


BMW AG


Brose Fahrzeugteile


BurdaVerlag GmbH


Connect Com AG, Schweiz; Connect Com GmbH


Daimler Truck AG


Deutsche Bahn Station & Service


Deutscher Sparkassen- und Giroverband e.V. (DSGV)


Dräxlmaier Group


DUALIS GmbH IT Solution (Dürr Gruppe)


Dürr Aktiengesellschaft AG


DZR Deutsches Zahnärztliches Rechenzentrum GmbH; Optica


Emil Frey KEOS GmbH


Emil Frey Vertriebs AG & Co. KG


EnBW Energie Baden Württemberg AG und Netze BW GmbH


Equinor ASA


Forst Baden-Württemberg (Forst BW)


Fraunhofer Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.


freenet AG


Frey Services Deutschland GmbH


Fashy GmbH


FUNKE MEDIENGRUPPE GmbH & Co. KGaA


Georgsmarienhütte GmbH


GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare GmbH & Co. KG


GM Plast, Dänemark


Herbert Waldmann GmbH & Co. KG


Holtzbrinck GmbH & Co. KG


HUK-COBURG


Idealo GmbH


IK Partners Gruppe


JAMparts Fahrzeugtechnik Vertriebs GmbH


Kermi GmbH


Landesbank Berlin AG und 20 weitere Aktionäre der SCHUFA AG aus der Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe


L’Oréal Deutschland GmbH


Mercedes-Benz Group AG


Netze BW GmbH und Netze BW Wasser GmbH


Optica Abrechnungszentrum Dr. Güldener GmbH


Schreiber Brücken-Dehntechnik


Siemens Energy Global GmbH & Co. KG


Stadtwerke Gießen AG


Stenau GmbH & Co KG


Südwestdeutsche Medienholding


TenneT TSO GmbH


Th. Geyer GmbH & Co. KG


Troll Cosmetics


VDA Verband der Automobilindustrie e.V.


Vitesco Technologies GmbH


Wala Heilmittel GmbH


WEPA Apothekenbedarf GmbH & Co. KG


ZEAG Energie AG


Work highlights


  • Support for 272 German savings banks in 21 dispute cooperatives at 21 regional antitrust courts in the lawsuit for antitrust damages against Visa due to the ban on charging direct customer fees for transactions with Visa cards at ATMs.

  • Supporting Burda/Funke in the release of the advertising cooperation regarding the fundamental decision of the Federal Cartel Office after a phase 2 procedure.

  • Representation of L’Oréal and GSK in the defense against claims for damages by the Schlecker insolvency administrator in the fundamental proceedings on damages in the event of information exchange.

Baker McKenzie

Baker McKenzie‘s antitrust law team is experienced in national and cross-border merger control and regularly advises major clients from the healthcare and life sciences sectors in close cross-practice cooperation. The mainstays include market dominance, fine proceedings and cartel damages as well as antitrust compliance, including preventive as well as forensic support in investigations and official proceedings; interfacing criminal law matters are covered by Anika Schürmann. Practice head Nicolas Kredel is experienced in cartel and merger control proceedings, while Katharina Spenner focuses on distribution antitrust law as well as franchise and supply agreements. Johannes Teichmann (distribution antitrust and distribution law) joined Luther Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH in February 2023 and Jonas Brückner (merger control and cartel damages) moved to KPMG Law in Germany in May 2023, while antitrust lawyer and healthcare expert Christian Burholt left the team in July 2023 and also joined Luther Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH.

Practice head(s):

Nicolas Kredel


Testimonials

‘Nicolas Kredel: Competent, practical, solution-oriented.’

‘Jan Kresken: Competent, practical, solution-oriented, excellent trainer in in-house training courses.’

‘Katharina Spenner works highly efficiently, extremely practical and solution-oriented. She resolves complex issues straight away and clarifies them quickly. She is also very responsive.’

Key clients

Sika AG


Mercedes-Benz AG


Stiftung der heiligen Cellitinnen e.V.


Carlsberg Breweries A/S


Trane Technologies


Asics


Eckes Granini Gruppe


Fluidra


Embraer


Accenture


Rio Tinto


VINCI Energies S.A.


Equinix


Hitachi, Ltd.


Karl Storz SE & Co. KG


Lufthansa


MicroVision


ServiceNow


Work highlights


  • Advising Sika AG on merger control law on the acquisition of MBCC Group (Master Builders Construction Chemicals), the former construction chemicals business of BASF, from Lone Star, a global private equity company.

  • Advising and representing Carlsberg in antitrust fine proceedings before the Federal Cartel Office, including defense in the subsequent objection and legal appeal proceedings before the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court and the Federal Court of Justice.

  • Advising Eckes Granini on follow-on damages proceedings in connection with the so-called sugar cartel.

BLOMSTEIN Rechtsanwälte

Berlin-based boutique BLOMSTEIN Rechtsanwälte is well versed in public procurement, foreign trade and antitrust law and assists with merger control and cartel proceedings, including damages and market dominance matters. The compliance capacities also cover distribution antitrust law, including the support in forensic matters in the context of investigations; Max Klasse is a key contact here. Practice head Anna Blume Huttenlauch regularly takes the lead in proceedings before the European Commission, the Federal Cartel Office and in parallel investigations by the relevant antitrust authorities and boasts industry expertise in the media, telecoms and energy sectors. Elisa Huhn, who previously worked in an in-house position, focuses on matters pertaining to technology and digital platforms; she joined the team as counsel in September 2023.

Practice head(s):

Anna Blume Huttenlauch


Other key lawyers:

Max Klasse; Elisa Hauch; Philipp Trube


Testimonials

‘In-depth and precise advice, reliable, great team effort.’

‘Anna Blume Huttenlauch and Max Klasse are the best advisors.’

‘I simply need efficient, good work that doesn’t overcomplicate the issues, but rather deals with them. Since this is not the case everywhere, I am glad that solid advice and work is offered here.’

Key clients

amazon


Axel Springer


BSN


DCM Film Distribution


Delivery Hero


EDEKA


Facebook/Meta


FASTNED


IVC Evidensia


London Stock Exchange Group


Maguar


Oakley Capital


RTL Radio/Regiocast


Serumwerk Bernburg


Unilever


Uplink


Verdane


Vodafone


Work highlights


  • Supporting the EU Commission as part of the monitoring trustee team to monitor commitments that Amazon made to the Commission in the AT40462 procedure.

  • Merger control advice to Vodafone on a joint venture with the French telecommunications company Altice.

  • Representation of DCM Film Distribution in proceedings against the EU Commission before the ECJ.

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP impresses with expertise in antitrust administration, fines and state aid proceedings, market dominance issues and merger control, as well as the forensic support in official investigations by the European Commission and the Federal Cartel Office. The team also advises on cartel damages and related claims proceedings. New practice head Georg Weidenbach focuses on cartel damages and merger control issues; former practice head Michael Walther retired in late 2022. Kai Gesing increasingly supports companies in the technology and data protection industries.

Practice head(s):

Georg Weidenbach


Other key lawyers:

Kai Gesing


Testimonials

‘Georg Weidenbach: Very client-oriented, always available, strategically clever and structured.’

‘Georg Weidenbach: Excellent, current, creative and forward-looking, pragmatic.’

‘Georg Weidenbach: Outstanding. He knows the market and offers creative solutions. Always available, responds quickly.’

Key clients

ArcelorMittal


BMW


Bosch


Brembo


Dachser


Giesecke+Devrient


MPA Motion Picture Association


TDK Electronics


Volkswagen


Work highlights


  • Advising and representing Volkswagen AG in the enforcement of antitrust damage claims against the Car Shipping Cartel.

  • Advising Giesecke+Devrient on antitrust aspects in connection with the acquisition of Valid’s North American business in the area of ​​smart cards for payment and identity solutions.

Jones Day

Jones Day‘s comprehensively covers all aspects of German and EU antitrust law and advises on merger control proceedings as well as on matters at the interface between state aid and investment law in connection with FDI procedures. The expertise in the contentious sphere includes cartel damages and abuse proceedings; this is complemented with competencies in fine proceedings, compliance and support during official investigations. Among the key contacts are Carsten Gromotke (merger control and abuse proceedings), Jürgen Beninca (fine proceedings and cartel damages), Philipp Werner (merger control and state aid law) in Brussels, Johannes Zöttl (cartel damages and compliance) and Kevin Wilcock, who is experienced in antitrust transaction support.

Testimonials

‘The exchange with the partners is always very personal, appreciative, at eye level and with a high level of expertise in the answers, which makes working together very pleasant.’

‘Philipp Werner quickly classifies specific contexts from the financial services business and is therefore able to implement the requirements placed on him very well with his colleagues at partner and associate level without needing a lot of reworking.’

‘Jürgen Beninca quickly grasps and explains the depth of implementation necessary very well due to legal requirements, also with regard to the implementation of FDI and FSR requirements.’

‘Kevin Wilcock has quick comprehension and is extremely independent and fast.’

Key clients

ArchiMed SAS


Avient Corporation


Evoqua Water Technologies


Real Alloy Holding


Rejuvenate GmbH


Roper Technologies, Inc.


SAP SE


The Timken Company


Work highlights


  • Antitrust advice to Avient Corporation on its $1.485 billion acquisition of Koninklijke DSM NV’s protective materials business.

  • Successful representation of Real Alloy Holding, LLC in obtaining necessary antitrust and investment control approvals for the divestiture of its entire European business.

  • Advising Rejuvenate GmbH on the acquisition of the business operations of co.don Aktiengesellschaft, including all shares in its Dutch, British and Swiss subsidiaries.

Luther Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH

Luther Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH primarily advises across the energy, automotive, digitisation, healthcare and life sciences sectors on merger control, cartel damages and fine proceedings and acts in a forensic capacity in preliminary investigations and internal investigations, where Sebastian Felix Janka regularly takes the lead; the team also covers interfacing distribution law matters, here, practice head Anne Caroline Wegner is a key figure. Her team includes Holger Stappert, who is experienced in the energy sector, as well as Cosima Flock, who advises on compliance, market manipulation and abuse matters in the energy sector and made counsel in July 2023. Johannes Teichmann, who is experienced in distribution antitrust and distribution law, joined the team in February 2023, followed by antitrust lawyer and healthcare expert Christian Burholt in July of the same year; the latter will also take over the management of the firm’s healthcare and life sciences practice; both were previously at Baker McKenzie.

Practice head(s):

Anne Caroline Wegner


Testimonials

‘Inquiries are recorded and processed quickly and with a high level of legal expertise. No complex questions necessary. If required, the results are available at very short notice.

‘Sebastian Felix Janka: Broad market knowledge and quick grasp of legal issues. Quick answers to inquiries with high legal quality.’

‘Anne Caroline Wegner: Very good, profound work and always easy to reach directly.’

Key clients

Mutares SE & Co. KGaA


Fiege


Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg


Charité Berlin


Douglas GmbH


Hyundai Motor Europe GmbH


Harley-Davidson


LIVEWIRE EV LLC


Cathay Pacific Airways Limited


Autoneum Management AG


Emil Frey AG


Native Instruments


M2Beauté


Deichmann SE


Warsteiner Brauerei Haus Cramer KG


Carcoustics International


Knorr-Bremse AG


Swiss Steel (vormals Schmolz + Bickenbach)


Eneco B.V.


Getreide AG


Work highlights


  • Supporting EDF / E.ON in the examination of merger control notification obligations and implementation of merger control proceedings for the joint acquisition of the newly founded Hypion Motion Neumünster GmbH & Co. KG.

  • Supporting Hyundai Motor Europe GmbH in the creation of an EU-wide sales contract using the possibilities of the new vertical GVO for direct sales/dual sales and internet sales.

  • Ongoing merger control advice to Mutares SE & Co. KG in various M&A projects including advice on investment control aspects (Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)).

Osborne Clarke

Osborne Clarke‘s team is well versed in cartel damages and also assists with merger control and investment control in the course of transactions. Clients stem from the healthcare, digital markets, automotive and energy sectors; the latter was recently strengthened with the addition of energy lawyer Anna von Bremen from Raue in August 2023, she is also well versed in regulatory matters. Thomas Funke comprehensively advises on cartel damages and jointly heads the team with Sebastian Hack (distribution antitrust law and cooperations in the areas of platforms, research and development).

Practice head(s):

Thomas Funke; Sebastian Hack


Other key lawyers:

Jan Marco Aatz; Anna von Bremen


Testimonials

‘Technically strong, very pleasant to work with; Willingness to make partnership-based billing arrangements.’

‘Sebastian Hack: Sympathetic and calm, risks are well assessed and weighed, sees himself as part of the team.’

‘Practical, fast, authoritative and competent.’

‘Sebastian Hack’s team positions itself in collaboration with in-house colleagues and gives clear recommendations.’

Key clients

Deutsche Bahn AG


Europäische Kommission


Snipes SE


Deutsche Windtechnik Gruppe


Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI)


FIGIEFA


REWE Group


Taxfix AG


Verifort Capital Group GmbH


Work highlights


  • Representation of Deutsche Bahn AG in a Europe-wide cartel damage claim against Daimler, MAN, Iveco and the other participants in the truck cartel, which was punished with a fine by the European Commission.

  • Representation of the European Commission in a total of sixteen proceedings before the General Court of the European Union (ECJ), in which companies in the German energy industry challenged the Commission’s merger control approvals for the E.ON/RWE asset swap; With eight judgments from May 17, 2023, the European Court of Justice confirmed the approvals for the transaction.

  • Comprehensive advice to Snipes SE on ongoing antitrust matters and antitrust compliance.

SZA Schilling, Zutt & Anschütz Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft

SZA Schilling, Zutt & Anschütz Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft advises on antitrust proceedings, including cartel damages, merger and investment control in connection with third-country subsidies, abuse of market power and compliance. Co-head Hans-Joachim Hellmann offers similar competencies and is well versed in cartel damages. Former co-head Silvio Cappellari (merger control) in Brussels handed over the role to Stephanie Birmanns in January 2023 and moved to the of counsel position. Birmanns, also based in Brussels, simultaneously joined the partner roster and is experienced in merger control and transaction-related investment control at the interface with foreign trade law. Counsel Christina Malz is well versed in distribution antitrust law.

Other key lawyers:

Silvio Cappellari; Christina Malz


Testimonials

‘We have worked with competition law practice SZA on various matters and their analysis has always been clear and to the point. They are excellent antitrust lawyers and a great team to work with.’

‘The practice combines excellent content expertise with passion for its clients and their mandates. This applies 120% to Hans-Joachim Hellmann.’

‘Stephanie Birmanns: She is an excellent antitrust lawyer, very responsive and working with her is very pleasant.’

‘In-depth knowledge of the German antitrust and merger control authorities and the legal framework; available and pleasant to work with.’

Key clients

Silex Microsystems AB, Schweden


Vossloh-Gruppe


Nike European Operations Netherlands B.V. und Converse Niederlande B.V., Niederlande


Overgas Inc. und Overgas Mrezhi, Bulgarien


Erzquell Brauerei Bielstein Haas & Co. KG


Euro Plant Tray eG


Campine NV und Campine Recycling NV, Belgien


Hoffmann SE


DKV Mobility SE


Hansa Armaturen GmbH (Teil der Oras Gruppe)


Mercedes Benz Group AG


Tapetenfabrik Gebr. Rasch


Berding Beton GmbH


Gretsch Unitas


HARIBO


Reinert Gruppe / The Family Butchers


Renolit SE


Bäcker Görtz GmbH


Equistone Partners Europa SAS


Gross & Perthun GmbH & Co. KG


Work highlights


  • Representation of the Vossloh Group in various antitrust proceedings before the Federal Cartel Office.

  • Ongoing antitrust advice to Nike European Operations Netherlands BV and Converse, Netherland BV; including contentious matters and sales antitrust issues.

  • Successful representation of Erzquell Brewery Bielstein Haas & Co. KG before the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court in the so-called beer cartel proceedings.

WilmerHale

WilmerHale‘s antitrust team is experienced in antitrust proceedings, where it primarily represents large players in cartel damages proceedings as well as national and cross-border antitrust administration and fine proceedings; here, the team acts in both the defense against and the enforcement of claims. Another mainstay is merger control support, thanks to the close cooperation with the locations in Brussels, London and the US. The team is jointly led by Ulrich Quack (merger control),  Stefan Ohlhoff and Hans-Georg Kamann, the latter two are both experienced in cartel damages.

Other key lawyers:

Oliver Fleischmann; Tobias Henn


Testimonials

‘Ulrich Quack and Oliver Fleischmann impress with their very careful way of working, reliable deadlines and special knowledge of the industry with excellent knowledge of German and EU antitrust law.’

‘Reliability, well-considered judgments, great experience, very fair billing.’

Key clients

Bundesverband Öffentlicher Banken Deutschlands


Deutsche Bahn AG


Deutsche Telekom AG


Katjes Fassin GmbH & Co KG


Krombacher und Schweppes


Meta Platforms, Inc.


Work highlights


  • Defense of the Federal Association of German Public Banks, VÖB, eV on Electronic Cash in several parallel proceedings before the Berlin Regional Court regarding antitrust damages due to merchant fees for Girocard.

  • Representing Deutsche Bahn AG in claiming damages due to the rail cartel in one of the first major antitrust damages cases.

  • Representation of Katjes Fassin GmbH & Co KG; Krombacher Brewery Bernhard Schadeberg GmbH & Co. KG, Schweppes Deutschland GmbH; Kondima Engelhardt GmbH & Co KG) in claiming damages due to the sugar cartel in several lawsuits before the Mannheim Regional Court, the Cologne Regional Court and the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court.

Bird & Bird LLP

Bird & Bird‘s team is well versed in antitrust proceedings, including abuse and cartel damages, and also assists with merger and investment control as well as distribution antitrust law. The practice routinely cooperates with other locations on cross-border matters. The industry expertise in the technology sector is frequently demonstrated at the interface with IP law, where the team advises on FRAND isssues. Other interface capacities include corporate, EU state aid law and public procurement law. Practice head Jörg Witting and Stephan Waldheim cover the IP interface, while Anne Federle is experienced in antitrust and abuse proceedings.

Practice head(s):

Jörg Witting


Other key lawyers:

Anne Federle; Stephan Waldheim


Testimonials

‘The collaboration with Bird & Bird’s competition law team is excellent. They are pragmatic and are good at explaining the concepts of EU competition law in a way that I can understand and act accordingly.’

‘Stephan Waldheim: Very committed, excellent understanding of complex FRAND topics, client-oriented.’

‘Anne Federle grasps the core of complex issues very quickly, providing calm advice.’

‘Very good response times, pragmatic legal advice.’

Key clients

450connect


AbbVie Inc.


ACE (Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment) / GRACE (Global Recycling Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment)


B&C Innovation Investments


check24.de


Covetrus


DeNA (Japan)


Digitial Realty


Group14 Technologies


Hisense Gorenje


Hy24/Mirova


Lloyd


Mastercard


Melitta Gruppe


Nexteer Automotive


Nokia


NürnbergMesse GmbH


Wolfspeed


BUNTSCHECK Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH

Munich-based antitrust law boutique BUNTSCHECK Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH excels in cartel proceedings and is well versed in cartel damages, both on the defense and claimant side, as well as in abuse proceedings in connection with the § 19a GWB amendment. The expertise in merger control is further enhanced with capacities at the foreign trade law intersection, including FDI-related issues, and the team advises across borders thanks to a law firm network. Key contacts are Martin Buntscheck, who routinely acts in antitrust proceedings before the European Commission and the Federal Cartel Office, Tatjana Mühlbach (merger control and damages) and Andreas Boos (cartel damages and distribution antitrust law).

Testimonials

‘Martin Buntscheck: Clearly the driving force of this law firm!’

‘Tatjana Mühlbach thinks incredibly quickly and very economically and always gets to the point. Always a safe recommendation to our clients in antitrust issues.’

‘Andreas Boos: A very competent, pragmatic and very sociable lawyer. Here, modesty is combined with a wealth of experience.’

Key clients

ADAC


Afinum


Alpine Global


Amorelie


Armira Partners


AUCTUS CAPITAL


B.O.B. Einkaufs GmbH


Beauty-Lab


Bett1.de GmbH


bobbie GmbH


Deminor Litigation Funding


Deutsche Invest Capital Partners


D+B Rechtsanwälte


DMK Deutsches Milchkontor


Egeria Capital


EMERAM Capital Partners


Eutelsat


FAKRO


Flaconi


Fluorsid Alkeemia


FSN Capital


GARDENA


giz Deutsche Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH


HiPP


Höhenrainer Delikatessen


Invision AG


Iveco-Gruppe


JATO Dynamics


Jet Capital


Karl Lausser Heizungsbau


Kreuzpointner


Landbell Group


Landkreis Erding


Ninestar


Paragon Partners


PAYONE


Pohl Handels GmbH


ProSiebenSat1. Media


Siemens Energy


smartpatient


smava


Stahlgruber und REMA TIP TOP


Think Tank Photo


u-blox


wetter.com


ZF Friedrichshafen


Zhiyun Tech


zooplus


Work highlights


  • Representation of the IVECO Group in the defense against cartel damages claims in connection with the truck cartel in more than 100 legal proceedings throughout Germany. Comprehensive work on the defendant’s side in the cartel damages litigation complex with a total amount in dispute of well over €1 billion.

  • Advising Siemens Energy on a global cooperation with Air Liquide in the area of ​​green hydrogen.

  • Successful defense of the company Beauty-lab against an antitrust claim for damages brought by the Vieler Group. The Munich Regional Court had completely rejected Vieler’s lawsuit. Vieler withdrew his appeal against this shortly before the oral hearing at the Munich Higher Regional Court.

DLA Piper

DLA Piper‘s antitrust practice acts integrated into the firm’s litigation and regulatory practice, which is led by Thomas Gädtke (litigation and regulatory). Semin O und Justus Herrlinger jointly head the antitrust division and advise on antitrust proceedings, including disputes, distribution antitrust law, compliance as well as merger and investment control.

Practice head(s):

Semin O; Justus Herrlinger;


Other key lawyers:

Enno Ahlenstiel; Thomas Gädtke


Testimonials

‘Close to the client, practice-oriented, easy/quick to contact, helpful in-house tools for collaborations.’

‘Semin O and Enno Ahlenstiel: Fast feedback, understandable presentation of legal topics, practice-oriented recommendations.’

‘A very focused, responsive and solution-oriented team.’

‘Semin O: A highly recognized partner on the market who is always a great pleasure to work with.’

Key clients

EDEKA


Fluvius System Operator


ResMed Inc


Active Ownership (AOC)


BASF SE


BorgWarner


Knorr-Bremse Systeme für Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH


Work highlights


  • Advising and representing EDEKA in an antitrust dispute with Coca-Cola due to a delivery dispute due to subsequent and significant price increases.

  • Antitrust and merger control advice to ResMed on the acquisition of MEDIFOX DAN, a German provider of software solutions for out-of-hospital care, from HgCapital, a private equity investor in the technology and services sector.

  • Comprehensive merger control and antitrust advice to a manufacturer of sea freight containers on a takeover of a sea freight company. Strategic coordination of various merger control proceedings before the local authorities (including in Germany) with parallel US merger control proceedings before the DOJ (here too, main examination proceedings or so-called second request).

Hausfeld Rechtsanwälte LLP

Hausfeld Rechtsanwälte LLP advises on various antitrust law topics, such as merger control, compliance and distribution antitrust law, although a traditional strength remains the representation of claimants in cartel damages compensation proceedings and the related enforcement of damages claims; the team is well versed in dominance abuse matters in the digital antitrust space, where the practice also increasingly acts in the defense of clients. Alex Petrasincu and Ann-Christin Richter are experienced in antitrust law as well as internal investigations; Thomas Höppner impresses with expertise in dominance abuse and damages claims.

Testimonials

‘Insightful and precise advice, reliable, great guidance from Alex Petrasincu.’

‘Alex Petrasincu: A hard worker whose expertise far exceeds expectations.’

‘The team around Thomas Höppner can only be described as excellent. Extremely complex issues are analyzed excellently and legally assessed in such a way that the results are comprehensible and can be used immediately. No long-winded, lengthy briefs, always to the point, precise, understandable, competent. Real support in difficult questions.’

‘Ann-Christin Richter: Very smart legal advice with convincing negotiation.’

‘Very strong, agile team. Good leadership and excellent results. The team goes the extra mile.’

‘The team has a focus on large antitrust damages litigation and has built up unique know-how on the plaintiff’s side in this area in Germany over the last few years. The law firm is now also successfully active on the defendant side.’

‘Alex Petrasincu and Ann-Christin Richter: Outstanding antitrust lawyers; Thomas Höppner is the specialist for GAFA victims beyond Germany.’

‘Digitization has not only given the media opportunities. The dominance of Big Tech in particular presents the media with major challenges in building sustainable business models in the digital world. The Hausfeld team has the necessary experience and expertise in this complex area to understand complex digital ecosystems, identify illegal practices and successfully take action against them in court.’

Key clients

Adspert


Arbeitsgemeinschaft Onlineforschung (agof)


Barely Digital


BMW Group


Bundesverband Digitalpublisher und Zeitungsverleger (BDZV)


Coca-Cola Europacific Partners


Compliance Solutions


Dachser


Deichmann


Filmwerkstatt Düsseldorf


finanicalright claims


Goliathwatch


Jet Tankstellen Deutschland


Koch


Medienverband der freien Presse (MVFP)


PostNord


Qwant


Rewe Group


StepStone


Titan Beta


Waberers


Zentralverband der deutschen Werbewirtschaft (ZAW)


Work highlights


  • Representation of Jet Petrol Stations Germany and Deichmann in asserting claims for damages against German banking associations and individual banks due to excessive dealer fees for Girocard payments in violation of antitrust law.

  • Representing several large companies, including Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, the Rewe Group, the Scandinavian postal and logistics company PostNord and various international freight forwarders (Waberers, Dachser, Koch), in asserting antitrust claims for damages as a result of the fines imposed by the EU Commission.

  • Advising and representing a number of German and foreign product and price comparison services in damages proceedings against Google in connection with the European Commission’s Google Shopping decision.

Heuking

Heuking‘s antitrust experts are experienced in cartel damages, fines and official investigations and also advise on merger control, related state aid law and distribution antitrust law; the latter increasingly in the context of R&D agreements. Hamburg-based practice head Stefan Bretthauer is experienced in advising on the drafting of cooperation agreements as well as merger control. Ruth Schneider made salary partner in 2023 and focuses on distribution antitrust law.

Practice head(s):

Stefan Bretthauer


Redeker Sellner Dahs

Redeker Sellner Dahs acts from Bonn, Brussels and Berlin and advises on cartel proceedings, fine proceedings, antitrust compliance, internal investigations and merger control. Practice head Andreas Rosenfeld is experienced in cartel damages, fine proceedings and merger control and divides his time between Bonn and Brussels and also impresses with expertise at the interface with EU state aid law. His team includes Sebastian Steinbarth in Brussels, who is well versed in antitrust and European law complaint procedures, and Andreas Okonek (cartel damages) in Bonn.

Practice head(s):

Andreas Rosenfeld


Testimonials

‘Able to familiarize themselves with the client’s DNA very quickly and advise accordingly.’

‘The colleagues complement each other perfectly – extremely emphatic and consistent to the point, very precise in detail, especially the documentation (but also the research).’

White & Case LLP

White & Case LLP advises on antitrust proceedings, including cartel damages, as well as transactions in the context of merger controls; the latter competence was recently strengthened with the appointment of Thilo Wienke (merger control and FDI) to partner at the turn of the year 23/24. The team covers cross-border matters in close cooperation with other locations and is regularly instructed by clients from the automotive, pharmaceuticals, technology and consumer goods sectors. Practice head Tilman Kuhn is experienced in merger control proceedings before the Federal Cartel Office and the European Commission and divides his time between Brussels and Düsseldorf. Former co-practice head Axel Schulz (merger control) joined McDermott Will & Emery Belgium LLP in November 2023. Ingo Brinker (previously at Gleiss Lutz) is well versed in the insurance sector and joined the team in early 2024.

Practice head(s):

Tilman Kuhn


Other key lawyers:

Thilo Wienke; Ingo Brinker


Testimonials

‘Very experienced team with a strong client-oriented approach. Very responsive and delivers consistently high quality results.’

‘All members of the team had excellent knowledge of EU competition law. Tilman Kuhn has extensive knowledge of our corporate sector. Thilo Wienke was the cornerstone of the W&C team day after day. He was always available and completed the work quickly and to a high standard.’

‘Tilman Kuhn: Top antitrust lawyer, pragmatic, customer-oriented, with a good network, internationally experienced.’

‘A very diverse team that has acquired a great understanding of our industry in a very short space of time. They have perfectly understood the needs and developed a great regulatory strategy that guides us through the process of various regulatory applications and investigations.’

‘Small but competent team.’

‘The work here is hands-on. No strange attempts to curry favor with the antitrust authorities, but committed, targeted work in the interests of the client.’

‘Tilman Kuhn has a clear view of the matter and the costs for the client.’

‘Great team that always provides needs-oriented and at the same time extremely well-founded legal advice.’

Key clients

Autoliv


Autotalks


Nestlé


NCR/Orderman


Synthos S.A.


Symrise


Global Wafers


Georg Fischer AG


KitchenAid


Nexans SA


MediamarktSaturn


Fluxys


Work highlights


  • Antitrust advice to Autoliv regarding damages claims arising from the OSS II cartel, including representation in relation to pending damages claims in Great Britain; possible claims for damages in other countries as well as pending document access proceedings in Brazil and South Africa.

  • Advice on antitrust law – in particular on complex questions regarding registration and procedural strategy – to the Israeli semiconductor provider Autotalks during its takeover by competitor Qualcomm.

  • Advising Symrise in the parallel antitrust proceedings initiated by antitrust authorities in the EU, Great Britain, Switzerland and the US against leading fragrance manufacturers.

ADVANT Beiten

ADVANT Beiten focuses on the support in antitrust administration and fine proceedings, cartel damages and merger control, where the team also covers interfacing EU competition law and EU state aid law matters. Uwe Wellmann is well versed in merger control, including the international review and coordination of merger control filings, and jointly heads the practice with Dietmar Reich (merger control and public procurement law), who divides his time between Hamburg and Brussels. Christoph Heinrich (digital antitrust law) and Christian Heinichen (antitrust fines and merger control) are further key contacts of the team, which is experienced in the cosmetics and healthcare sectors.

Practice head(s):

Uwe Wellmann; Dietmar Reich


Testimonials

‘Uwe Wellmann and Christoph Heinrich: Very competent, very fast, very pragmatic and very likeable.’

‘Pragmatic and at the same time extremely competent legal advice at the highest level in all areas of antitrust law. Extremely pleasant cooperation with all antitrust contacts.’

‘Christian Heinichen: Very experienced contact in all antitrust issues with an extremely client-oriented and pragmatic approach.’

‘Christoph Heinrich: Extremely well-founded in all merger control issues.’

‘Uwe Wellmann and Christoph Heinrich: They coordinate several countries excellently, are very pragmatic, fast and friendly.’

‘Very high level of professional and social skills, which makes working together very pleasant and professional. High understanding of our industry and also the business model. Point of view from the customer towards the law and therefore very goal-oriented.

‘Uwe Wellmann: Working with him is extremely satisfactory. Dialogue at eye level and always solution-oriented. Strong knowledge of our business model, very clear recommendations and solutions. Expertise is always on point.’

‘Great understanding of the topic and able to explain it perfectly even to non-lawyers.’

Key clients

Amphenol Corporation


AVEMO S.r.l. & Co. KG


BayWa AG


CG Chemikalien GmbH & Co. KG


Cipla Ltd.


Estée Lauder Companies GmbH


ghd


ING


Kelheim Fibres GmbH


Maurer SE


Rohde & Schwarz


Sharp NEC Display Solutions Europe GmbH


Stadler Deutschland GmbH


TIER Mobility SE


VEKA AG


VKE Verband der Vertriebsfirmen kosmetischer Erzeugnisse e.V.


Wienerberger AG


Work highlights


  • Merger control advice to Wienerberger AG on the acquisition of key business areas of the Terreal Group with an enterprise value of €600 million, including in-depth audit procedures in several countries and in cooperation with ADVANT Altana.

  • Advising TIER Mobility SE on the structuring and implementation of its business model on three continents.

  • Advising Estée Lauder Companies GmbH on antitrust compliance and distribution antitrust issues.

Fieldfisher

Fieldfisher‘s team is experienced in antitrust proceedings before the Federal Cartel Office and the European Commission, internal investigations and civil damages compensation claims. The practice also assists with vertical as well as horizontal agreements and advises on compliance and merger control proceedings, which are a focus of Michael Adam and Christian Bahr. The latter jointly heads the team with Sascha Dethof, who is well versed in digitisation issues.

Practice head(s):

Christian Bahr; Sascha Dethof


Other key lawyers:

Michael Adam


Key clients

Sonova


thyssenkrupp industrial solutions


GÖRG Partnerschaft von Rechtsanwälten mbB

GÖRG Partnerschaft von Rechtsanwälten mbB‘s antitrust law practice demonstrates particular strengths in merger control and investment protection proceedings, investigations, antitrust and dominance abuse, fine proceedings as well as in the enforcement of and defense against damages claims; The two practice heads, Maxim Kleine and Christian Bürger, have longstanding expertise in the latter area. This is complemented by capacities in the design of distribution systems and cooperation agreements in accordance with antitrust law, competition law disputes and compliance.

Practice head(s):

Maxim Kleine; Christian Bürger


Testimonials

‘High-level expertise at partner level.’

‘Christian Bürger: High level of economic understanding.’

‘Maxim Kleine: Industry expertise on electronics that is very relevant for us.’

Key clients

AVIA


Balfour Beatty Rail GmbH / Schreck-Mieves


Bluegem


DKE-Data GmbH & Co. KG


Dörrenberg Edelstahl GmbH


Ferrostaal Air Technology GmbH


fht Flüssiggas Handel und Transport GmbH


Green City AG


GreenCom Networks AG


HUK-COBURG


Interzero


KALOG GmbH & Co. KG


Landeshauptstadt Düsseldorf


Muhr & Bender KG


NOTINO Group


PANO Verschluss GmbH


Raiffeisen Waren Zentrale Rhein-Main eG


Stellantis


TrekStor GmbH


Ufenau Capital Partners


Veolia


Verimi GmbH


Verlagsgruppe Delius Klasing


Work highlights


  • Representation of Schreck Mieves and Balfour Beatty Rail in cartel damages claims in more than 60 damages claims before regional courts, higher regional courts and the Federal Court of Justice.

  • Advising Stellantis on merger control law on the acquisition of ShareNow.

  • Advising Veolia on merger control law on the acquisition of the Hofmann Group.

Haver & Mailänder Rechtsanwälte Partnerschaft mbB

Haver & Mailänder Rechtsanwälte Partnerschaft mbB is well versed in antitrust proceedings, cartel damages and clients’ representation before the Federal Cartel Office and relevant foreign authorities. Practice head Ulrich Schnelle boasts similar competencies and is experienced in litigation and fine proceedings. The practice regularly advises across the media, broadcasting, energy and finance sectors and also covers distribution antitrust law issues.

Practice head(s):

Ulrich Schnelle


Testimonials

‘The team is pragmatic, solution-oriented and good to work with. Clients work efficiently and cooperatively with attorneys of all ages and levels of experience. They are energetic and work long hours when necessary, and the cooperation within the firm is also very good.’

‘Ulrich Schnelle: A great lawyer who understands the needs and situation of his clients. He works well under pressure and can lead large meetings effectively. He works well with Elisabeth Wyrembek, she is committed and the collaboration is great.’

‘Ulrich Schnelle: Excellent, very calm and uncomplicated.’

‘Proactive and fast responses.’

‘Well structured.’

Key clients

AURELIUS


Deutsche Post AG


Friedrich Scharr KG


Stanley Black & Decker Inc.


Serafin GmbH


European Outdoor Group


Work highlights


  • Advising AURELIUS on global merger control filings.

  • Representation of Friedrich Scharr KG in antitrust fine proceedings before the Federal Court of Justice.

  • Representation of DallBogg Insurance in asserting claims for information against the European umbrella organization of the Green Card system and the German office for the preparation of a claim for damages.

Hoffmann Liebs

Hoffmann Liebs‘ antitrust law practice focuses on administrative fine proceedings, merger control and the design and implementation of distribution systems and strategies, including drafting contracts in accordance with antitrust law. The client roster includes medium-sized companies, corporations, associations as well as business associations. Recent topics include the advice on investment control issues. Kerstin Pallinger routinely acts in national administrative fine proceedings as well as in merger control proceedings before the Federal Cartel Office and the European Commission.

Testimonials

‘Kerstin Pallinger: Experienced, good strategist, collegial.’

‘Sebastian Lorenz: Smart advisor.’

‘Kerstin Pallinger: She is a highly qualified lawyer for competition law and compliance. I am in constant communication with her to seek her advice on various topics. I appreciate how responsive she is at any time of the day. Her analysis is always very thorough and her advice is very pragmatic.’

Key clients

Stahlinstitut VDEh


Wirtschaftsvereinigung Stahl


Verband für das Deutsche Hundewesen


Devolo


USB Bochum


Bundesverband electronic cash Netzbetreiber (BecN)


BGH Edelstahlwerke GmbH


Auto Senger


Stahlinstitut VDEh


Pro Generika e.V.


Work highlights


  • Defense of BGH Edelstahlwerke GmbH in the appeal proceedings before the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court against the Federal Cartel Office’s fine decision in the matter of stainless steel, a very extensive antitrust procedure.

  • Representation of the German Dog Association (VDH) eV in civil proceedings before the Dortmund Regional Court and the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court against various international pedigree dog breeding clubs.

  • Advice to Auto Senger Group (Egon Senger Group SE and Ulrich Senger Group Se) on the design, development and introduction of a compliance management system.

Kapellmann und Partner

Kapellmann und Partner focuses on antitrust and merger control proceedings before the German and EU antitrust authorities, cartel damages, the development and implementation of antitrust compliance programs, the drafting of supply and distribution agreements in accordance with antitrust law as well as on cooperations between competitors. Axel Kallmayer divides his time between Brussels and Mönchengladbach and is experienced in merger control and EU state aid law; He jointly heads the practice with litigator and foreign trade law specialist Robin van der Hout in Brussels. Ivo du Mont and Gregor Schiffers, both experienced in antitrust proceedings and merger control, are further key contacts.

Testimonials

‘Very practical, diverse experience with medium-sized companies.’

‘Gregor Schiffers: Very concrete, pragmatic, can get to the heart of things well.’

‘Quick responses, high service orientation.’

Mayer Brown LLP

Mayer Brown LLP advises medium-sized companies and corporations on antitrust proceedings, cartel damages, fine proceedings, merger control and dominance abuse matters. This is complemented by the support in antitrust compliance and vertical antitrust law matters. Christian Horstkotte (merger control and dominance abuse) heads the team, which also includes Johannes Weichbrodt (compliance and internal investigations) and Andrea Pomana (merger control and market dominance), who divides her time between Brussels and Frankfurt.

Practice head(s):

Christian Horstkotte


Other key lawyers:

Johannes Weichbrodt; Andrea Pomana


Key clients

Aurubis


Avedon Capital Partners


Benteler


Computer & Communications Industry (CCIA)


Cummins


Deutsche Bahn


HOCHTIEF


Lear Corporation


Mercedes-Benz


Morningstar


Nordic Metal Holdings, Inc.


Norsk Hydro


Roland


Schwarz Gruppe


Sunfire GmbH


thyssenkrupp


Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe


Volkswagen Financial Services


Work highlights


  • Ongoing advice to the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) in connection with mergers and proceedings in the digital economy, most recently as part of the OLG proceedings Meta/Kustomer.

  • Advising and representing Norsk Hydro in complex German merger control proceedings regarding the acquisition of the Hueck Group.

  • Defense of Hochtief in antitrust proceedings before the Federal Cartel Office and before the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court.

Norton Rose Fulbright

Norton Rose Fulbright‘s mainstays include merger and investment control, antitrust damages, internal investigations and compliance. The Hamburg-based team is led by Tim Schaper (antitrust proceedings, abuse proceedings and merger control) and Brussels-based Michael Jürgen Werner, who routinely acts in proceedings before the EU Commission, the Federal Cartel Office and the European courts; The Brussels location also serves the interfaces with state aid law and foreign trade law. Jens Steger (antitrust law and merger control) joined from K&L Gates LLP in February 2024.

Practice head(s):

Tim Schaper


Other key lawyers:

Michael Jürgen Werner; Jens Steger


Key clients

Imperial International Holding


Mann+Hummel


Westcoast (Holdings) Ltd.


Barmenia Versicherungen a.G.


DUBAG Group


Greencoat UK Wind PLC


Work highlights


  • Supporting Westcoast (Holdings) Ltd. in obtaining merger control clearance from the European Commission for the acquisition of sole control over KOMSA AG and the creation of a dealer network in Europe for hardware and software products for information and telecommunications technology.

  • Antitrust and merger control advice to Mann+Hummel on the carve-out and sale of the high-performance plastics division to the investor Mutares.

  • Advising DUBAG on antitrust and merger control law on the acquisition of all shares in the automotive supplier Vitesco Technologies Emitec GmbH, including merger control filings in Germany and North Macedonia and leading a global team to examine merger and investment control filing obligations.

Oppenhoff

Oppenhoff is experienced in merger control, civil antitrust proceedings, market dominance issues, antitrust compliance as well as in and out-of-court disputes. The team focuses on the automotive, aviation, defense and consumer goods sectors. Daniel Dohrn, who is experienced in damages claims, and the distribution law and e-commerce specialist Simon Spangler jointly head the practice. Vanessa Pickenpack is well versed in cartel damages compensation proceedings.

Practice head(s):

Daniel Dohrn; Simon Spangler


Other key lawyers:

Vanessa Pickenpack


Testimonials

‘Daniel Dohrn and Vanessa Pickenpack: Excellent specialist knowledge, very client-oriented, strong communication skills.’

‘Full service law firm, very good interdisciplinary advice in the defense sector.’

‘Daniel Dohrn: Proactive, always available, very good specialist knowledge and appropriate processing.’

Key clients

mi.to. pharm GmbH


Verband der Automobilindustrie (VDA) e.V.


Gebr. Rhodius GmbH & Co. KG


TIP Trailer Services Germany GmbH


DLR – Deutsches Luft-und Raumfahrtzentrum e.V.


Dynamit Nobel Defence GmbH


Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH & Co. KG


Work highlights


  • Ongoing antitrust advice to the DLR – Deutsches Luft-und Raumfahrtszentrum e.V. on research and development cooperation with industry.

  • Representation of Rhodius Mineralquellen und Getränke GmbH & Co. KG before the Mainz Regional Court in complex antitrust damages proceedings in the context of the so-called sugar cartel.

  • Advising the Verband der Automobilindustrie (VDA) e.V. on various topics, including the creation of guidelines for the automotive industry regarding digital data exchange and retrieval for spare parts.

Pinsent Masons Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater Solicitors Partnerschaft mbB

Pinsent Masons Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater Solicitors Partnerschaft mbB advises on fine proceedings, antitrust disputes, civil antitrust litigation and merger control proceedings. Practice head Michael Reich complements this with experience in the implementation of compliance programs for national and international companies. Mathias Greupner is well versed in compliance and regularly acts in criminal proceedings. Hans Jürgen Meyer-Lindemann, who is experienced in antitrust investigations and merger control, retired and Laura Stammwitz (merger control, internal investigations) joined McDermott Will & Emery Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater LLP in January 2023.

Practice head(s):

Michael Reich


Other key lawyers:

Mathias Greupner


Key clients

Knorr-Bremse AG


Telefónica


Infineon


Laboratoires Pierre Fabre


Herman Mille


Scholl’s Wellness Company


Komatsu


Serco Group plc


Work highlights


  • Advising Knorr-Bremse AG on the acquisition of DSB Component Workshops.

  • Advising Telefónica in a civil law dispute brought by an antitrust chamber of the LG Düsseldorf against 1&1.

  • Comprehensive advice to Infineon’s compliance department on all antitrust issues.

Raue

Raue‘s team focuses on cartel damages, merger control as well as the advice on compliance. The practice acts with a regulatory focus and advises across the energy, telecoms, healthcare and media sectors; practice head Michael Bergmann is experienced in antitrust damages. Energy-related antitrust law matters are covered by Hans Heller, Christian von Hammerstein and Bernd Beckmann, while Peter Roegele is active in antitrust proceedings and made associate partner in January 2023. Energy expert Anna von Bremen, who has regulatory expertise, moved to Osborne Clarke in August 2023.

Practice head(s):

Michael Bergmann


Testimonials

‘High expertise, good accessibility.’

‘Extensive experience in advising our industry associations on antitrust law.’

‘Michael Bergmann: Very good knowledge of the industry, structured, pragmatic, service-oriented, pleasant to deal with.’

‘Fast work, very good suggested solutions, very good training.’

‘Raue is one of the largest law firms in Berlin that covers the entire legal spectrum. What is particularly outstanding are the people we work with and the teams who cooperate with each other across the board and thus find extremely useful and practically relevant solutions, even for highly complex and sensitive questions that go beyond the usual legal questions.’

‘The equipment and skills are state-of-the-art. The billing is very transparent and every step can be understood in detail.’

‘Michael Bergmann: Extremely smart, targeted, precise, efficient and particularly effective. He has excellent contacts with the relevant EU and national federal offices. In addition, he (and his team) has a very special ability to present facts in an understandable way and to show very practical solutions, which he knows how to put into practice in exchange with government agencies through great negotiation skills.’

‘Quick response – business-friendly preparation of complex legal contexts – approachable and competent advice.’

Key clients

LichtBlick SE


Alma SA


Wacker Neuson SE


Verein der Zuckerindustrie


Sonae Arauco Deutschland GmbH


HD Plus GmbH


BDBe – Bundesverband der deutschen Bioethanolwirtschaft e.V.


Deutsche Bahn AG / DB Barnsdale AG


envia Mittel-deutsche Energie AG


Volocopter GmbH


Work highlights


  • Merger control and foreign trade law advice to Alma SA, a French mineral water producer, on the intended takeover of the Rhönsprudel Group.

  • Advising the Association of the German Sugar Industry eV and the four sugar companies operating in Germany, Nordzucker, Südzucker, Pfeifer & Langen and Cosun Beet, on the design of a crisis cooperation for the mutual processing of sugar beets; including drafting contracts, conducting negotiations and exchanging information in accordance with antitrust law, as well as proceedings before the Federal Cartel Office.

  • Representation of the Hamburg green electricity and gas provider LichtBlick SE as a party invited in the RheinEnergie/Westenergie/rhenag merger control proceedings and as a complainant against the approval of the merger before the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court.
     

Taylor Wessing

Taylor Wessing is experienced in transaction support in connection with merger controls, official antitrust proceedings, antitrust compliance as well as cooperation agreements and internal investigations; Recent instructions pertain to matters in the digital economy and antitrust damages. Marco Hartmann-Rüppel heads the team from Hamburg and is experienced in supporting international transactions and strategic cooperations, where he also covers issues at the interface with IP law. In Düsseldorf, Stephan Manuel Nagel boasts relevant expertise in distribution antitrust law and contract-related antitrust matters.

Practice head(s):

Marco Hartmann-Rüppel


Other key lawyers:

Stephan Manuel Nagel; Stefan Horn


Testimonials

‘Marco Hartmann-Rüppel: Extremely service-oriented, clever and pragmatic. Always available. Very pleasant to deal with.’

‘Stephan Manuel Nagel: Availability 24/7, precise, precise elaborations. Outstanding comprehension skills; solution orientation; Practical relevance.’

‘Taylor Wessing is very well positioned overall and works very well in larger projects with experts from other areas. In antitrust law the team has an extremely strong and very well-positioned partner in Marco Hartmann-Rüppel.’

‘Stephan Manuel Nagel: High legal and economic competence, very good understanding of business processes, very good at communicating legal issues and solutions.’

‘Stephan Manuel Nagel offers excellent specialist knowledge, pragmatism and the ability to offer clients the right advice.’

Key clients

Advanced Manufacturing Control Systems AMCS


Alpina Partners


Duisburger Hafen AG


Flink


GetYourGuide


INTERNATIONAL CHEMICAL INVESTORS S.E.


MOTORTECH GmbH


Pfeiffer GmbH


Röhm


thyssenkrupp


Triathlon Gruppe


Unilegion


VDDI – Verband der Deutschen Dental-Industrie / GFDI Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Dental-Industrie


VEG


Work highlights


  • Ongoing antitrust compliance advice to thyssenkrupp on various topics.

  • Competition law advice to GetYourGuide, a global online platform for tourist attractions and travel experiences.

  • Advising Flink on antitrust compliance.