Dr René Grafunder > Dentons > Berlin, Germany > Lawyer Profile

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.

Dentons ‘ compliance team impresses with cross-border capacities and frequent cross-practice cooperation. The team advises companies across various sectors, including the fashion and defence industries. A core focus is on compliance management systems, where the practice is experienced in current ESG and supply chain due diligence matters, as well as traditional topics such as data protection, money laundering and tax law. The team is jointly led by Christian Schefold (data protection, money laundering and fraud prevention) and Judith Aron (co-head of the European compliance practice) and also includes Peter Braun (implementation of CMS for international financial institutions), Gabriele Haas (corporate governance) and the antitrust experts Josef Hainz and René Grafunder. Jobst von Steinsdorff (corporate finance and regulatory) joined OIKON in November 2022.