Competition and antitrust law affects companies in many ways. The antitrust authorities use sanctions, sometimes drastic, to enforce the basic rules that safeguard free competition. We assist companies in preventing breaches of competition by means of training and internal investigations. Our clients can count on us in antitrust investigations, court proceedings, and the defense or enforcement of claims for damages.
Our strengths include structuring complex cooperation between competitors and advising dominant market players bound by particular rules of conduct toward customers and competitors. With our in-depth knowledge of our clients’ markets (e.g. media, digital economy, retail, chemicals, automotive, mechanical engineering, food and grocery retail), we are ideally placed to support with legal assessments and communicating with antitrust authorities.
In M&A transactions, we perform feasibility studies and conduct the necessary merger control proceedings before the Federal Cartel Office and the EU Commission. We coordinate international merger control clearance with local lawyers. We carry out due diligence studies and draft sale and purchase agreements in compliance with antitrust requirements.
We advise private sector companies, non-profit organizations and the public sector on the requirements of public procurement and state-aid law, and the legal framework of services of general economic interest.
Client advisory in competition/antitrust:
- Antitrust compliance; representation and defense in antitrust proceedings
- Horizontal and vertical cooperation
- Merger control, due diligence and contract drafting for mergers and acquisitions and joint ventures
- Advice for dominant undertakings
- Procurement law and state-aid law
- Foreign trade law (monitoring payment and capital movements, investment monitoring, sanctions)
- IT Law and Data Privacy Law
