Bird & Bird LLP

Sector knowledge

Anne Federle

Anne is a competition lawyer steering clients through EU and national merger control, cartel and abuse proceedings and providing pragmatic, hands-on competition law advice. She has over 25 years of experience advising and representing clients in all areas of EU and German competition law. Two key areas of Anne’s practice are merger control and cartel investigations. She has been involved in a large number of complex merger control cases before the European Commission and the German Federal Cartel Office and regularly manages multi-jurisdictional merger control proceedings across the globe. She also represents clients in EU and national cartel and abuse of dominance proceedings, helps them conduct internal investigations to identify and address anti-competitive conduct and supports them in developing effective competition law compliance programmes. When clients seek Anne’s advice on how to conduct certain activities in compliance with competition law, she always tries to put herself in their shoes. Her aim is to help them find a workable solution rather than just offering legal advice. Over the years Anne has developed significant expertise in a number of sectors where technology plays an important role. This includes in particular the automotive industry as well as the electronics and telecommunications sectors. She also has a strong interest in competition law issues around (big) data and works closely with our data protection team on issues at the interface of competition and data protection law.

Heiko Heppner

Heiko Heppner is co-head of the German Dispute Resolution practice group and professor of law concentrating on international arbitration and litigation with a focus on Germany and common law jurisdictions. Heiko has particular experience with defending clients against mass and class securities litigation and special expertise in Banking and Capital Markets litigation, including the liability of credit rating agencies and for the mis-selling of derivatives. Moreover, Heiko represents clients before the European courts in matters of European Banking Regulation. Heiko has advised on litigation and arbitration matters in Germany, the United States, Hong Kong, England and various other jurisdictions. Apart from court proceedings, he has represented clients in International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), German Institution of Arbitration (Deutsche Institution für Schiedsgerichtsbarkeit - DIS), and ad hoc international arbitration proceedings, often regarding issues of Contract or Corporate law. Heiko also gives preemptive advise to help avoid future disputes and draft dispute resolution clauses and regimes. Heiko’s second focus is on cross-border litigation and arbitration in Germany and abroad, often involving issues of common law. His two full legal educations in Germany and the United States offer clients a particular added value in matters that cross the common law/civil law divide. As a New York attorney, Heiko advises on litigation in US courts, including US discovery in Germany and in Germany on commercial litigation involving issues of US law. As an English Barrister and Solicitor Advocate Heiko represents parties in international arbitration proceedings under English law and advises on litigation in England. He is also a lecturer of common law at the University of Bonn. Due to his extensive experience in China, Heiko increasingly acts as a counsel in international arbitration proceedings that involve Chinese parties. Heiko has been lecturing as a professor of international arbitration at Fuzhou University since 2015.