Antitrust
Fines for cartel offences, antitrust damages, merger control, and compliance: our experienced lawyers provide efficient and safe solutions covering the full spectrum of antitrust law.
For companies, it is crucial to know the limits that antitrust law sets to their activities. Misconceptions can entail severe consequences – fines, claims for damages, public procurement sanctions or failed merger projects. It is equally important for suppliers, customers, or competitors to identify violations of antitrust law at an early stage in order to prevent them or to enforce claims to obtain compensation for damage suffered.
To provide optimal advice on antitrust law our lawyers integrate both elements in their services: defence and enforcement. Identifying and avoiding antitrust risks from the onset, our legal specialists provide our clients with maximum room for manoeuvre, whilst defending their interests and averting disadvantages in proceedings before the antitrust authorities or in court.
We cover the full spectrum of German and European antitrust law – from advisory services to litigation. With offices in Brussels, Berlin and Bonn, we are present at the important political hubs to represent the interest of companies, associations and private individuals. What sets us apart is our lawyers’ in‑depth knowledge of the various industries and markets and the good contacts we maintain with the antitrust agencies. This enables us to provide optimal support in all matters relating to antitrust and competition law.
Our practice areas
- antitrust proceedings for the imposition of fines
- antitrust damages
- merger control
- horizontal and vertical cooperation projects
- competition for distribution
- abusive behaviour
- sector‑specific antitrust law
- compliance
Clients
Defence of companies, associations and individuals in antitrust proceedings; litigation in antitrust proceedings, in particular antitrust damages proceedings (private damage claims); transaction‑related antitrust and merger control advice to national and international companies; advice on sales models/e‑commerce; drafting joint ventures and cooperation projects (consortiums, bidding or supplier consortiums, joint R&D, purchasing and production partnerships); advice on standards and standardisation; assistance with sector investigations by the antitrust authorities; compliance training
Credentials¹
Deutsche Bahn for antitrust damages against air freight cartel; FLUXX/mybet for antitrust damages against lotto cartel (Federal Court of Justice “Lottoblock II”, Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court “liability for damages of the lottery companies”); antitrust damages proceedings, inter alia, relating to the truck cartel and the sugar cartel; cartel fine proceedings in the areas of sausage, confectionery and flour; representation in the first case of application relating to the bonus scheme of the Federal Cartel Office; ARTE in dispute with cable network operators regarding feed‑in tariffs (Federal Court of Justice “Einspeiseentgelt” and “Gemeinschaftsprogramme”); Deutsche Telekom before the European Court of Justice over file access rights (Case T‑210/15); ARD in the BKartA proceedings relating to Springer/ProSiebenSat.1 merger; Federal Government before the European Court of Justice on the merger control procedure TollCollect (Case T‐48/04)
¹ With regard to our commitment to professional discretion, the list of credentials is restricted to representation cases published by the courts/that are public knowledge (section 43a (2) of BRAO
